March 2023 Newsletter

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Connecting With People

Adrian started a new life, when he was released from prison. His biggest challenge was connecting with people. He had been disconnected from society long enough to feel out of place. He had nowhere to go, yet parole requirements were to establish a residence and get a job. The Mission provided a transition time and structured environment as he worked on assimilating into a demanding culture, regarding employment and rental histories.

After settling in here a couple of weeks, Adrian joined our program as a cook. He connected with other men and was reaffirmed in being accepted and appreciated, especially for his cooking ability. He had identity and purpose. Still after a few months of struggling with finding employment and housing, he left here in a state of depression to go tent camping in a city park. He said, “I felt like an outcast. It was hard to fit in, doors were closed in my face trying to find work. Everything built up trying to figure out what to do.” After a few months, the futility of it and the prodding of his parole officer caused him to return to the Mission and try again.

“Listening to volunteers’ life experiences in chapel, how they keep their faith in Christ, trust Him, and keep moving forward, helped me,” Adrian said. Building trust in people, when his childhood and adult experiences have been the opposite, has been difficult. Being in a position of needing help, he has learned that trust can be developed in people.

He got a break when a restaurant owner hired him to cook. Months later, he is doing well there. Now Adrian is renting a room in the Mission’s Transitional Housing Program, developing a rental history, so that in time, he can rent outside of here. He has made the connections necessary to reintegrate into the community.