“Survival was taken off my shoulders, so I could grow.”
When Mike thinks about the day he came to the Mission, he remembers running out of options.
After serving in the Army, Mike moved to Buffalo to be closer to his young son. He had interviews lined up and enough savings for a few weeks. But when he wasn’t able to find a job quickly, he began to run out of money.
Mike faced a critical decision: leave Buffalo to look for jobs elsewhere, or stay local so he could be part of his son’s life. He chose his son. “Whatever happens, I wanted to make it work here,” he says.
At risk of experiencing homelessness in the middle of winter, Mike came to Buffalo City Mission during Code Blue. He was grateful just to have a warm place to sleep and was surprised to receive even more.
“I never expected breakfast, lunch and dinner too,” he says. “That was above and beyond.”
A few weeks later, everything changed when he learned about our Veterans Program.
“I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was far away, but it was there.”
At the Mission, Mike connected with housing, mentors and other people who understood his journey. We provided access to the resources to help him get back on his feet, but it was Mike who put in the hard work to regain stability and independence.
“The Mission gives you the tools,” he says, “but you’ve got to pick them up and run with them.”
Now, he is confident that he can provide for both himself and his son. He has an apartment of his own, with space for his son to have his own room. He is also in workforce development and hopes to volunteer with other veterans one day.
This Christmas, Mike is experiencing God’s grace at work in his life. Thank you for sharing the gift of hope with him! “You can’t grow if you’re struggling to survive. Survival was taken off my shoulders, so I could grow. I’m eternally grateful.”
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