Growing up in Reading, Francisco had a good life; he was raised by his mother and, as a child, he loved playing outdoors. Things changed however when he went to high school. He lost interest in school work. Francisco acknowledges he got in with the “wrong crowd”, and began partying. Eventually, he dropped out of school and started working. Francisco always loved working but continued to drink alcohol, and sometimes it would get out of control. But he felt like he was still able to function, provide for himself, and maintain his strong work ethic.
Fast forward to 2021, Francisco received news that his brother had overdosed and died. The news was devastating to him. To cope with the pain and loss, Francisco turned to his old, familiar escape, alcohol. He could no longer function and do the work that his job at a bakery required. He ended up going to several detox and rehab centers, to somehow get his life back in order. Left with nowhere to go after leaving a rehab stint, Francisco was dropped off at the entrance to the Emergency Shelter at the Allentown Rescue Mission.
After a couple of weeks in the shelter, Francisco decided to enter into the Transformation Program. It was in the program that he was able to learn how to properly deal with not only the pain he experienced from his brother’s passing but also anger issues that he struggled with for a long time. Along with that, Francisco says he learned “humility, discipline, and how to deal with difficult people and personalities”. “I always believed in God”, he says, but he restored and renewed his faith. Now that he has graduated from the program, Francisco is eager to get back to his old job at the bakery and start a new chapter in his life, applying the lessons and principles that he has learned over the course of his stay at the Allentown Rescue Mission.
Francisco is appreciative of the opportunity to get off the streets and turn his life around. We at the Allentown Rescue Mission are thankful to be a part of his turnaround, and pray that The Lord would continue to bless Francisco in his journey with Him.
