No one arrives at Pacific Garden Mission without a story of brokennes

Men like Andre come in at a point where life has unraveled and the path forward is unclear. Yet because of your faithful support, those moments of crisis are met with hope. At Pacific Garden Mission, Andre encountered not only help for his immediate needs, but the life-changing truth of the Gospel and a real opportunity for a new beginning.

Andre Jones

A Life in Crisis

“My name is Andre Jones. I’m from Chicago. How I got to PGM is crazy. I was broken. My mom accused me of trying to strangle her, and I spent three days in jail. While I was in jail, I had time to think, and I knew I needed help. After I got out of jail, my family said they didn’t want anything to do with me if I kept going down that path. My life was spiraling out of control.

Searching for Help

“I stayed at my sister’s house for a couple of weeks, and I told her I needed help because I couldn’t even think clearly. We started looking into places like the Salvation Army, but then we came across Pacific Garden Mission. When I watched Pastor Phil on YouTube, something told me this was the place where I could get my life back on track.

A Turning Point at the Mission

“Since coming here, I’ve been getting the help I need. When I first arrived at PGM, I stayed as a transient guest, and it seemed like the Lord was talking to me when I sat in that dayroom. I felt God was telling me to get some help. Since being here, my life has gotten ten times better. I am getting help to find housing, and I will get help to find a job when I am in the Career Development phase.

“I’ve received therapy and counseling, and even my reading has improved. At one point, my reading was so bad that I had to start with simple books with pictures, but people here encouraged me and helped me grow.

Trials Along the Way

“When I was first here, I went through a difficult situation with my family. My mother had a breakdown and went missing along with my brother for a couple of weeks. It took a lot out of me. I wanted to leave the Mission to go look for them, but the staff encouraged me to stay and trust that they would be found. Several weeks later, they were located, but the situation broke me down even more.

Choosing a New Path

The staff encouraged me to join the program. I put it off at first, but it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. In just a couple of weeks, people started seeing a change in me. I didn’t see it at first, but they told me something was different.

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A Changed Heart

“God put me here for a reason. I was an angry man with a very short temper, but God has been teaching me humility. I work with people every day, and where I used to react in anger, now I ask God for wisdom. My temper has calmed down so much that I don’t even recognize the old me anymore.

Walking Forward in Faith

“I’ve left behind my old lifestyle of partying and drinking. That path is no longer for me. Now I’m focused on following God. This place has been wonderful for me. It teaches you everything. You have Bible study, church, and people who truly care.

God is everything to me now. I’m going to continue following Him, even after I leave this program. I’m not going back to my old life. I’m moving forward on the path God has for me.”

Your Impact Makes This Possible

What is happening in Andre’s life is not an isolated story. It is part of the daily work God is doing here through this ministry.

Because of you, men who feel lost are finding direction, those who are broken are being restored, and lives are being changed for eternity. Thank you for standing with us and helping make this work possible.