Meet Kendra
Kendra is counting her blessings this fall.
“Learning that I am a child of God gave me more confidence in myself.”
Kendra always tried to do the right thing. She worked hard and made sure she had enough money to cover her rent and other expenses. But despite her efforts, she found herself stuck in a cycle so many face. “I was living from paycheck to paycheck,” she says. “I budgeted to pay my rent, but I didn’t budget to save.”
Without savings, everything unraveled when she lost her job and then her housing. Unable to find anywhere else to live, she began sleeping in her car – something she’d never had to do before.
The weight of it all took a toll. “It made me feel depressed… numb,” she says.
The idea of entering City Union Mission was scary, but Kendra felt she had no choice. She immediately felt welcome.
She also gained an important perspective. “I realized my situation could have been a lot worse,” she says. “A lot of women have gone through domestic abuse… some even have children with them. I’m grateful they too are getting the support they need.”
“Learning that I am a child of God gave me more confidence in myself.”
In our New Life Program, Kendra reclaimed her self-worth. She found strength in the community of other believers. “Whatever I’m going through, I can talk to them and not be ashamed,” she says.
Through classes and counseling, she realized where her life went wrong before, and she gained the skills to prevent it from happening again. “My favorite class was budgeting, because I really needed that,” she says.
Because of you, Kendra feels whole again. She is looking forward to living independently and standing on her own two feet again.
She is experiencing Thanksgiving in a whole new way this year… with a fresh perspective on life and a heart of gratitude. “City Union Mission opened my eyes to a better way to live. I’m very thankful.”
Click here to download the Fall 2026 issue of Light Newsletter.