Alex R. came to the United States from Puerto Rico and lived with his sister. An argument with
her escalated out of control and he was charged with simple assault. While serving his jail
sentence, Alex heard about the Allentown Rescue Mission and after his release, he decided to
give it a try.
While staying in the Emergency Shelter, Alex enrolled in the Mission’s eight-week
Transformation Program. He heard that the program helped men “connect with God.” And
although Alex didn’t speak any English, he committed himself to learn all that he could. In the
end, Alex said he “experienced the love of God.”
Alex’s focus and determination, despite the language barrier, enabled him to graduate from the
program. He now works for the Clean Team Workforce where he has begun to save money so
that he can eventually move back to Puerto Rico.
