Changed Lives

Mohamed knows what it’s like to be homeless with no place to go. After all, he was born that way.

He was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, where his family had landed after fleeing war-torn Somalia, where several families members had been killed. When Mohamed was about a year old, his family came to the United States, seeking safety and opportunity.

Mohamed’s father deserted the family almost right away, leaving the little boy to grow up without a dad. “I never really knew him,” Mohamed says. “I had no guidance, no role model.”

As Mohamed grew into his teens, he started getting into mischief and minor trouble. By the time he was 17, he was into drugs and frequent brushes with the law. At 20, he was convicted for theft and failure to appear in court, and sentenced to two years in prison.

When he was released early this year, once more he was like a refugee with no place to go … till someone pointed him to Crossroads.

“I came here with nothing but the clothes on my back,” Mohamed says. “But once I got here, they were a big help.”

In addition to providing food, shelter and clothes, the Mission helped Mohamed land a job as a butcher at the JBS Meat Plant in Grand Island.

Mohamed says without Crossroads, “I probably would’ve died, or went back to prison. I’m definitely on the right path now.”

Thank you for helping people who are lost find the right path!

Sonny had a dark past. The downhill spiral started when he was 12. He began walking away from being a “pretty good boy,” drinking and smoking cigarettes. Freshman year of high school brought many changes to Sonny’s life; his family moved, his brother graduated and moved away, and Sonny felt alone. His new friends were involved with drugs, and by Sonny’s junior year in high school he was a heavy user himself. Then Sonny was taught to use a needle, and for the next 7 years his life revolved around sticking a needle in his arm. Drugs became the only thing he wanted. He could no longer keep a job, was sleeping in his car, closets and grain bins, and started stealing. He was repeatedly arrested and eventually ended up in prison for 2 1/2 years.

Sonny started hearing about God’s love from a jailer, and he spent his time in jail and prison learning all he could about God. That jailer heard a radio ad about Crossroads Mission Avenue, and encouraged him to call when the time came for him to leave. After 2 1/2 years in prison, Sonny came to Crossroads Mission Avenue.

Sonny felt loved and cared for at Crossroads Mission Avenue. “We started every day with devotions, and it was so encouraging and uplifting to start every day that way – in praise to God. Through classes we learned how to take care of ourselves, eat well, live on a budget, interview for jobs, save money, and slowly ease back into the community – how to restart life. I needed that help. It prepared me for a better life.”

Since leaving Crossroads Mission Avenue he attended college and obtained his ASE-certification to be an auto technician, married the woman of his dreams and purchased a home. Sonny is now a youth pastor, an auto mechanic, husband to his wife Kristen and father to their son Josiah and daughter Taylor.

“I don’t know where I would be today without the help of Crossroads Mission Avenue. All the help they gave me, everything they taught me, it allowed me a fresh start in life.”

Serina couldn’t keep a job to save her life.

She would lose control at work — an outburst, a scream or physically lashing out — and get fired. She’d find another job, and the same thing would happen again. And again. “I was let go a lot,” she says.

Serina ended up homeless, wandering the streets. Her erratic behavior continued; she couldn’t keep it under control. She asked for help at Crossroads, where they took her to a doctor. And at 41 years old, Serina finally got an answer. She had Tourette syndrome. “I didn’t know I had it,” she says.

Crossroads worked with doctors to get Serina on the medication that would keep her condition under control, enabling her to live a more “normal” life.

“If it weren’t for Crossroads, I’d still be out on the street,” she says. “Those people are wonderful!”

For Serina and many others, you help neighbors in their time of need.

Sometimes you’ve just got to show some tough love to those you love the most.

Sky was ruining his life, his health and his relationships with his drinking. His sister, Kelsi, had seen it all as a probation officer and knew a little something about caring for a person without enabling their bad habits.

“I did the hard love thing,” she says. “Not giving him money, not letting him stay at my place . . . ”

Sky interrupts: “Never ask her to buy cigarettes, that’s for sure!”

The siblings laugh, but then Kelsi turns serious again: “I totally thought I would be burying him.”

Sky doesn’t argue with that. His drinking had resulted in five arrests, contributed to the loss of his marriage, and ultimately led to homelessness.

At that point, he decided he had to make some changes. So he came to Crossroads Mission Avenue.

“I came here to quit drinking,” Sky says. That was July 16, 2020. He hasn’t had a drink since.

Sky’s success story goes beyond just sobriety. By December, he was on staff as the manager of the Crossroads probation house in Grand Island. In that role, he helps men who are on probation or parole to get back on their feet and find a job.

Their jobs rarely intersect — Sky is in Grand Island, Kelsi works for the probation office in Hastings — but they do sometimes “talk shop.”

But mostly, they’re just a brother and sister who care about each other very much.

Sky says if it weren’t for Kelsi, he’d have no relationship with his family. Kelsi says if weren’t for the Mission, she wouldn’t have a brother anymore.

“I believe they saved my brother’s life,” she says.

Thank you to Crossroads Mission Avenue’s loyal donors — for your support and for playing a role in these life-changing stories!

Since my last interview, my family has continued to grow as we welcomed our daughter Nora Jean in June 2019.

I have also made the transition to working back at Crossroads. I am currently the Development Director and the thing I love most about working at Crossroads is they deeply care about my me and mental health. They help in any way they can, which includes time off to stay on top of my mental health.

Since leaving the Mission, staying clean has probably been the easiest part while staying on top of my mental well being has been the most trying. It helps to work for a Christian organization which helps people with the same struggles as myself.  It makes coming to work not only a joy but also has a real positive impact on my mental health.

Even though my stay at the Mission was well over 10 years ago, the lessons that I learned while there continue to impact not only my own life, but also the lives of my family, and anyone I come across. I am much more aware and sympathetic to people struggling because I have struggles.  Being around the people at the mission make me open to share about my personal struggles and not feel judged.

Without  Crossroads in my life, I definitely think my life would look a lot different.  But God had a plan when he put Crossroads in my path and I have been blessed with a beautiful wife, two beautiful children, and lots loving friends and family.

From 2014, here’s Maria’s story in her words:  Hello, my name is Maria. I want to let you know how Crossroads Mission has helped me find myself by opening their door to me at my time of need. Earlier this year I was not the person I am today. My life revolved around drugs. My daughter was removed from my home. I gave up on life since she was removed and turned to drugs to cope with life. In April, I lost my home because of drugs. I also lost my job earlier in the year because of drugs. Doing drugs made me forget my pain in my past and current living situations. I thought as long as I had drugs to turn to, then I could live. After moving from one place to another, I got tired of wondering where I was going to sleep that night. On July 18, 2014, Crossroads Mission opened their door to me. Now I can tell people I have a place to stay without worrying if I will be kicked out for no reason. Since I have been at Crossroads, I have been able to successfully complete classes for probation and my aftercare program. Crossroads has a program for all of us guests to complete. We can complete this program on our time so we don’t feel overwhelmed with other things we are working on to better ourselves. The program is called the “Personal Resilience Program (PRP).” The program talks about the following topics: 1. Enemies of Resilience 2. Beliefs Matter 3. Managing Your Life 4. Financial Resilience 5. Resolving Everyday Conflict. When I first got here, I told myself that I didn’t have time for these classes and was making up excuses to not attend them. Finally I told myself I needed to grow up and start to make a difference in my life. Now that I have completed the PRP classes, I am glad that I took the time to attend each session. The classes helped me to remember my morals and values in life. It gave me other tools I can use if other ways are not working out the way I think it should be doing. After three months staying at Crossroads Mission, I feel 100% than in April. Every day I am getting closer to the goals I have made. My days are not as stressful. Don’t get me wrong, there are days that can be hectic, but I know I will overcome the obstacles that am facing that day.

When it rains, it pours. Just ask Carmon. She was living in a basement apartment when the Great Flood of 2019 arrived. The waters rushed in, and she lost everything.

She found another place, but her hours at work were being cut, and it became cost prohibitive. She left that behind and moved into an extended-stay hotel, but it was infested with bedbugs.

Then the pandemic hit, and a couple of her adult children lost their jobs. Carmon depleted all of her savings trying to help them stay afloat. Out of money and options, Carmon turned to Crossroads for help.

“At first I was like, Why am I here?,” she says. “I felt like I had failed. I couldn’t imagine what I had done to deserve this, because I was trying to do the right things.” But life had hit hard, and Carmon was grateful to have a safe place to land.

“The staff here is amazing and so supportive,” she says. “And I know The Man Upstairs is going to take care of me. I know that. I’m just trying to learn to turn it all over to him, which is hard for me, because I’m one of those control people.”

Carmon was about to lose control of one more thing: Her company eliminated her job last summer, while she was at the Mission. But it wasn’t long before God provided her with a new job, even closer to home.

She’s renting one of the reduced-rate apartments at Crossroads until she can save up some money, buy a car and get back out on her own again. Till then, she’s thankful for the Mission.

“I’m excited about the future,” she says. “I’m glad Crossroads is here.”

She’s glad for the support of friends like you, too. Thank you for being there!

Virginia came to Crossroads after multiple auto accidents left her unable to work.  Therapies, surgeries and Doctor visits quickly took her savings, and she found herself homeless.  “I may have wound up on the streets, and I may well have been dead by this time.  So I can’t thank Crossroads enough for being the blessing that I needed!”, shares Virginia.  She continues, “If you need them, they are here!  If you’re willing to do the program, it works!”  As she makes plans for her future, Virginia knows that Crossroads will walk with her every step of the way!

When God Put His Foot Down

Thank God — literally — for a broken foot. Because if it weren’t for that broken foot, Paul would’ve walked away from Crossroads — and likely his only chance to live — at his first opportunity.

Paul started drinking at age 16 and pretty much never quit for the next 32 years. His alcoholism destroyed his marriage and his family. Still, they loved him enough to try to get him the help he needed.

The family intervention ended when they brought Paul to Crossroads one night. Paul was so drunk at the time that he doesn’t even remember it. And while intoxicated, he had broken his foot so badly that he couldn’t put any weight on it.

Crossroads doesn’t admit clients while they are under the influence, so they took him to the hospital to detox and to get his foot fixed. After detoxing and reconstructive surgery, the hospital brought Paul back to Crossroads about a week later. He hated it.

“I was very reluctant,” he says. “If I would’ve been able to walk out, I would have.” But God had put His foot down, and as a result, Paul couldn’t. He’d already had the family intervention. And now, looking back, Paul believes his broken foot was a form of divine intervention.

“I had stopped caring anymore about anything,” Paul says. “I wasn’t suicidal, but I didn’t care if I woke up in the morning, either. I didn’t realize how deep into drinking I was until I got to Crossroads. I don’t know how I functioned. It’s a mystery. But what I do know is that, by the grace of God, I landed here.”

For so long, Paul only knew a life of drinking. He’d forgotten what sobriety could look and feel like. And he likes it. “Drinking just seemed so normal to me,” he says. “But it doesn’t even sound fun right now. That’s a miracle in and of itself. Not long ago, I couldn’t have fathomed the thought of getting up for my morning shower without first taking a big swig.”

When he’s done with the program at Crossroads, Paul wants to live independently, though he’s not sure what he’d like to pursue. But he is convinced God has something in mind. In the meantime, he’ll just walk by faith … now that he can walk again.