James had always been a hardworking and self-reliant man. Then he was in an accident that turned his world upside down. “I got hit by a car and wound up in a nursing home with two broken legs.”
For more than four years, he worked hard at his physical therapy, progressing from a wheelchair, to a walker and, eventually, a cane. “Learning how to walk all over again was incredibly difficult,” he says.
Finally, he was ready to be discharged from the nursing home, but he had no place to go, nor the means to support himself while he continued to heal. That’s when he entered our Transformation Program, where he found shelter, meals and the time and support he needed to grow physically strong. “I get a lot of exercise going back and forth to classes three times a day and doing chores,” he says. “I’m healing and getting back into shape.”
“Without the Allentown Rescue Mission, I would have been homeless.”
Meanwhile, through chapel services, Bible studies and faith-based classes, James has reconnected with the Lord, renewing the faith he had as a child. “I’m learning new things and relearning everything I forgot.”
With the help of his growing faith, our compassionate counselors and life skills classes, James has also unearthed and processed the emotional trauma that he’d buried after his accident.
Now, he plans to join our Clean Team, continue building his strength, and when he’s physically able, look for a full-time job. For the first time in years, he’s filled with hope for his future. “After I’m totally rehabilitated, I’m hoping I’ll be healthy enough to work 40 hours a week at a regular job and work another 15 years before I retire,” he says with a smile.
James is filled with thanksgiving for God’s redeeming love in his life – and your incredible generosity and support! “I’m thankful to the Allentown Rescue Mission for giving me a chance to get healthy and learn how to live again.”
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