Changed Lives

Sean says he’s truly grateful for those who support for Crossroads Mission Avenue — because if the Mission wasn’t here, he had only two paths left open to him: prison or the graveyard.

“I had everything going for me, but I made a lot of poor life choices,” he says. “After I left college, I wanted quick, fast money, so I started selling drugs. I could have done something good with my life, but I chose the road to addiction.”

Today, at 51, Sean has 10 drug-related felonies in his past and a lot of prison time. Three years ago, after his last stint, he was given the chance to come to Crossroads as part of his probation agreement. He left early, however, and relapsed. He finally realized that something had to change.

“I believe if you really have the will to change, and you come to Crossroads, God will give you the courage and strength to do that,” Sean says. “That’s what happened for me. I’ve grown in my spirituality and I’ve been clean for over a year now. I feel like a normal person again. If you just put in the time and the effort, good things happen.”

Thanks to support and guidance from Crossroads — and our donors — Sean is following a new path. He’s now in college studying to be a drug and alcohol counselor. “Being able to give back like that, helping people like me, would be worth more than any paycheck,” he says.

He encourages donors to continue giving to the Mission, because “your support could save someone’s life who really wants to be a productive citizen again.”

YOUR support for people like Sean changes more than a life. YOU change an entire community.

Derrick had an abusive childhood filled with drugs and violence. He too developed an addiction that led him to drop out of school in the 9th grade. Unable to keep a job, he spent much of his adult life homeless.

Derrick’s favorite place on the streets was where a heat vent poured out warm air. But one January night, temperatures dropped so low he didn’t think he could survive. He came to Crossroads Mission Avenue for a warm shower and a safe place to sleep. However, shortly after arriving, Derrick was diagnosed with throat cancer. His health began to decline dramatically.

Crossroad’s staff cared for Derrick faithfully as his cancer and treatments took their toll. He was unable to read or write when he arrived, but we celebrated with him when he learned to write his name. It was one of his proudest moments.

When it became clear he didn’t have much time left, our case manager sat down with Derrick to talk about his relationship with God. Derrick shared that he had received Jesus as his savior. They listened to worship music together, and tears rolled down Derrick’s cheeks in gratitude for our concern for him.

Not long after our conversation about faith, Derrick passed away peacefully in his sleep. What could have been a sad day, was not – because we know Derrick is with the Lord. He endured a hard life on the streets, but God prepared a place for him in heaven – where there is no more suffering, no pain, no poverty and no loneliness. Now, Derrick is no longer homeless. He is home.

At Crossroads, Derrick found a place to belong, and people who loved him. He didn’t suffer and die alone – because friends like you cared enough to give. But the truth is that Derrick ministered to us just as much as we did to him. He showed us how to endure sickness and approach the end of life with grace and a smile on his face.

This Christmas, we celebrate Derrick’s life and journey home to heaven – because YOU believed in the promise of God’s unending love. Thank you for your gifts to give hope to people like Derrick… to support the spread of the Gospel… to stand alongside people in their darkest days, when they can no longer stand alone.

You gave Sherry help, hope and renewed faith.

Personal loss could have brought Sherry’s story to a tragic end. And it almost did.

When Sherry’s husband passed away from heart failure after 25 years of marriage, it was a devastating blow. For two years, she couldn’t even confront the loss. When the terrible pain finally did set in, it sent Sherry spiraling into depression.

She started drinking heavily to cope, and it cost her dearly. “I lost my job, then I lost my apartment, and then I just lost everything,” Sherry says.

Sherry’s journey could have concluded there, but it didn’t. Like an answer to prayer, Sherry discovered Crossroads Mission Avenue, where — thanks to friends like you — she found her faith again.

“I was on some kind of suicide mission, tired of everything,” Sherry says of her life before the Mission. “But somewhere along the way, Jesus helped me realize that even though my situation isn’t the best, I still have him. And being here, I feel safe.”

That’s the power of your generosity! You take neighbors like Sherry by the hand and show them they don’t have to lose hope. You remind them that new beginnings are possible.

If it weren’t for Crossroads, Sherry says, “I would’ve probably drank myself to death by now. I’m pretty sure of it. This place is a godsend. They saved my life.”

Your continued support of Crossroads Mission Avenue is nothing short of lifesaving for many more neighbors just like Sherry. Thank you for giving them help and hope.

Clay has struggled with alcohol at every stage of his life since he was just 12.

As a young man, Clay served in the military — first in the Navy, then as a Marine paratrooper in Desert Storm. But sadly, his time in active war zones gave Clay PTSD. Even though he doesn’t talk about his service much, he still has nightmares about what he went through.

After returning to civilian life, Clay took a steady job working for his father’s company, got married and had three kids. Life seemed stable and happy for a time. But sadly, it didn’t last. Clay’s difficulties with drinking continued off and on. And when the family fell on hard times, it got even worse. After 17 years of marriage, he and his wife divorced.

By the time Clay arrived at Crossroads and discovered the kindness of friends like you, he was searching for a better road to follow. “Crossroads helped me get the avenues I needed,” he says, “because where I was in my life, I could not.

“I’m going to continue contributing to this place and their mission because they are awesome,” he continues. “They learn what our needs are and try to help us. If it weren’t for Crossroads, I might be dead.

“I think that they are angels sent from God, and I don’t know what I would do without them.”

We don’t know what WE would do without friends like YOU! Thank you for making it possible for more of your neighbors like Clay to find the help they need!

Life hasn’t been easy for Jenny.

First, her father died of cancer when she was pregnant. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she and her husband split up … leaving Jenny to parent solo. After she and her son moved in with her ailing mother, Jenny “took over fixing things around the house like my dad used to do,” she says. “I was also a nurse, so I helped my mom with her health issues.”

But Jenny had health problems of her own. And due to her degenerative discs and rheumatoid arthritis, “I ended up having a bad fall and dislocating my right kneecap severely,” she remembers. “I was in a leg cast for four months.”

Things only got worse from there. “One week after that injury, my mom was in the hospital. She had heart failure on top of her other health issues. I ended up taking care of her full time until she passed away.”

Even after downsizing, the medical bills wiped Jenny out so she couldn’t even pay rent. Her son moved in with his dad, but Jenny had nowhere to go — until she found Crossroads and your kindness.

Here, Jenny found warmth and acceptance and rediscovered her love of cooking that she’d learned from her dad! “He always wanted to bottle his barbecue sauce recipe,” she says. “I’m going to call it, My Dad and Me Gourmet Barbecue Sauce.”

Jenny knows without your support of Crossroads, “I could have ended up on the street. I didn’t have anybody else to turn to.”

Your kind support helps neighbors like Jenny discover a new zest for life and the sweet taste of success!

Nicole remembers the day she and her four children became homeless very well.

Overnight, they went from having a comfortable home to being on the streets, not knowing what to do next. Nicole had heard about Crossroads and decided to see if they could provide help.

There, they received the support they needed to get through that difficult period and emerge on the other side ready for a fresh start. Nicole worked overnights as a nurse’s assistant at the time, which meant taking the children to school and child care during the day. The staff at Crossroads worked with her to ensure this process was smooth and easy.

Also, coming to the Mission meant leaving behind a dangerous neighborhood. “My kids would find drug needles,” she remembers. “It just wasn’t safe for my children to even go outside and play.”

At Crossroads, she and her children got rooms to themselves where they could live and recover together. While here, Nicole also helped with cooking meals from time to time, which she greatly enjoyed. She fondly remembers one night when she put together a special meal. “It was Mexican food … I remember cooking a big meal for everybody and everybody loved it, so that was a plus!”

Because you care, neighbors like Nicole and her family are able to receive the help they need at Crossroads!

Justin has always been searching for purpose in his life. Finally, after coming to Crossroads Mission Avenue, he found it.

Growing up in Columbus, he got in trouble a lot, using drugs, and making reckless decisions. Ultimately, it landed him in prison in Texas. While there, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.

Upon release, Justin returned to a life of drugs and homelessness — but deep down, he knew something had changed. After he had a pulmonary episode, the hospital sent him to Crossroads to recover and get clean. He learned he had experienced heart failure. Since, he has gotten sober, begun attending worship and focusing on his relationship with God, all with the help of the Mission.

After experiencing heart failure, Justin was told he didn’t have much time to live. Nevertheless, he decided to embrace his purpose: to spend time with loved ones and trust in the Lord to show him the way.

“Crossroads was not just accommodating of me staying there with my limited ability to do things, but also with the emotional stuff that I was going through with that diagnosis,” Justin says. “My diagnosis is terminal. But it reminded me that I had to trust God and know that’s part of his plan.”

Thanks to you, people like Justin receive the help and hope they need — and a fresh start!

Late last year, Darin wondered if his young sons would even have a Christmas, much less anything to celebrate. The three of them – Darin and his sons, ages 3 and 1 – had just fled a domestic abuse situation. Darin’s wife, a recovering alcoholic, had relapsed and become violent. She ended up going to jail. Darin also had a history of addictions, but was working to turn things around, especially when his wife – now his ex – became abusive around their children.

And those kids needed a devoted parent. Landon, the 3-year-old, has severe autism and is nonverbal. Elijah, 1, was born 10 weeks premature and spent his first four months in the hospital. Both boys need special attention, and it takes a special parent to give it. Darin wanted to be that Dad. So he went to Crossroads Mission Avenue in search of help and hope. And he found plenty of both.

“Ever since the day I arrived, my life has gotten better,” says Darin, who lives in the Lodge Apartments with his boys. “I had my own space. And my boys were safe.”

With some financial challenges of his own, Darin worried that he wouldn’t be able to provide much of a Christmas for his kids. But thanks to friends like you, he didn’t have to worry. The team at Crossroads made sure that Landon and Elijah got Christmas presents, and that the whole family was well fed and cared for.

Darins says that kind of love and support has been a hallmark all along. “Everybody at Crossroads has been nothing but open-armed and caring,” he says. “They love me and my boys like we’re their own.”

Darin, who recently celebrated a year of sobriety, also says Crossroads has been instrumental in his recovery. “It has not been an easy journey,” he says, “but I’ve worked really hard. I’m thankful for Crossroads and all their resources and support. They worked with me when I’ve gone through a rough patch. They help hold me accountable. I can’t tell you how much they’ve helped me.”

And not just in his recovery. Darin says Crossroads has also helped restore his self-image. “My sense of self, my sense of being a man, my sense of being a father,” he says. “They loved me when I didn’t feel like loving myself.”

His self-confidence restores, Darin is looking forward to the day when he can live independently again – “just a little home for me and my boys,” he says. It’s a next step he says wouldn’t have been possible without your support. “If it weren’f for Crossroads, my life would be miserable,” he says. “But thanks to you, my future looks very bright.”

Thank you for giving families help, hope, and a bright future!

It was the day after Thanksgiving. And Kim, her longtime partner, Travis, and their 12-year-old grandson, Tegan, had no place to go. They had lost their housing after a conflict with another family member, and now, with winter fast approaching, they needed a place. They worried about having to sleep in their car.

Fortunately, thanks to your support, it didn’t come to that. They came to Crossroad Mission Avenue and got the help – and the housing – they needed. Travis stayed in the men’s part of the facility, and Kim and Tegan stayed in the women’s/family section, sharing a room with bunk beds. (Tegan more than happily sleeps in the top bunk!)

In a move from another state, Kim had lost her Medicaid, SNAP benefits and assistance for Tegan. Crossroads staff helped her get it all back.

But now there was another problem: Finances were tight, and Christmas was just around the corner. Twelve-year-old boys don’t want to be disappointed at the most wonderful time of year.

Tegan wasn’t disappointed! Crossroads’ Giving Tree program made sure of that. He received a football, basketball, soccer ball, jeans and shirts as gifts. He was pretty thrilled about that. Kim was too. “Crossroads has been a blessing to our family,” she says. “They’re kind people.”

Kim and her family recently moved into their own independent housing. Thank you for helping them land on their feet!

In life, it’s nice to know somebody’s got your back. But when Jeffrey’s back gave out – due to spinal arthritis – he wasn’t sure if anybody had his. He’d burned too many bridges with his alcoholism. He’d lost his job, his marriage and his housing, all due to his drinking.

When he walked – just barely – into the hospital with his back falling apart, he had nowhere else to turn. But the hospital has his back, in more ways than one. Once they’d fixed his spine, they asked if he had a place to go. Jeffrey said no.

So the hospital arranged for him to go to Crossroads Mission Avenue where – thanks to your kindness – the staff has had his back every step of the way. They’ve helped physically; he has a walker. And they’ve helped mentally and spiritually too, by giving him the strength to quit drinking.

“I quit cold turkey,” says Jeffrey, 66, who started drinking as a teen and kept it up for 50 years. “I don’t want to drink again. After what happened to me in the past, no thank you. It’s time to say no.”

While at Crossroads, Jeffrey is paying off some medical debt and saving for a car and, eventually, a place of his own. He says that without Crossroads, “I would have been on the streets. They’re good people here. Just like family.”

Your kindness brings that feeling of family to Crossroads. Thank you!