Giving thanks for YOU

Thank you for giving Colleen a life-changing gift this Christmas!

“I have found a future and a purpose.”

Colleen grew up in a “good, hearty, wholesome family,” but a series of losses and mental illness shook her once-stable environment. 

She lost her grandmother – her rock – at a young age, followed by her uncle. Her mom began experiencing bipolar manic depression, and Colleen turned to substances to cope with her grief. “I was still always an overachiever, straight-A student, the workhorse of my family,” she explains. “I masked my addiction for years.”

Although Colleen managed to raise her two daughters and have a close relationship with them, she hid her addiction from them. As a gift for herself on her 45th birthday, Colleen came to the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission. “I knew I needed God to pull me out from my pit,” she says. She immediately felt welcomed and relieved – at peace.

“The Mission helped me realize that I was made for more. I have found a future and a purpose.”

Colleen is thankful for the fellowship and stability she found in our Christian Addiction Recovery and Education (C.A.R.E.) Program. “I have learned that all that matters is the freedom of the love of God, and the freedom that comes with integrity, accountability, honesty and forgiveness.”

“Coming here has been a gift from God because this is the best place for me to heal,” Colleen says. “My children are so proud of me.” She is grateful to the staff, who have such love for everyone. “They have a passion and invest their lives into changing our lives every day.”

Colleen is inspired to pay it forward, sharing, “I love working at the Mission thrift stores because I get to minister to people and tell them my testimony.” 

She plans to become a high school substitute teacher and looks forward to a new beginning.

This Christmas, Colleen is experiencing all the joy this season has to offer – because YOU believed in the power of a fresh start and the promise of God’s unending love. “I’m so glad I came to the Mission. I have a new life. I went from chaos to peace. I am content and have joy in the small things.”

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