A Mother’s Strength - Denver Rescue Mission

After losing everything in a house fire, Frances didn’t know where to turn to but to God and to the Mission. Her faith got her through some of the hardest times in her life, and because of support from the Mission, she has newfound hope for the future.

Strength in the Struggle

Frances has spent most of her life caring for others. Growing up, she took care of her mother who had epilepsy, and when she had children, all her time was spent caring for them and her husband.

But when her marriage turned into an abusive relationship, she prayed for the strength to leave and find a safer place for her family. It was a difficult thing to do, but as soon as she found her own place, she could finally look forward to coming home. “You have to figure out how to tap into that strength to get you out of a situation like that,” Frances said.

However, it was only about a year after that when Frances experienced one of the scariest days of her life: the day she woke up to a fire in her home, and the day she lost everything.

Not only did she lose her home and all her belongings, but the effects of the fire caused her to lose her six-year-old son as well.

“My son was airlifted to the children’s hospital where they tried to save his life, but they couldn’t,” she said. “They had him on life support and I had to make the decision to let him go. One of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”

It was an experience that she wouldn’t wish on anyone. If it weren’t for her faith, she doesn’t know how she would have had the strength to get through it.

“By the grace of God, I got through it and I’m still here,” Frances said. “The saying, ‘Don’t quit and Jesus will carry you through’ is actually true in my case. I don’t know how I would have gotten through it if He wasn’t carrying me through that whole process.”

A Place to Call Home

Family means everything to Frances, which is why she decorates the walls in her home floor to ceiling with family photos. It is how she honors her late son and how she reminds herself to have hope through the difficult times in life.

Thank you for helping give people like Frances a place to call home!

Last year, 480 households moved into housing.

Finding Support

At a time of deep uncertainty and immense grief, Frances did the only thing she knew she could do—pray and call Denver Rescue Mission.

Frances had been coming to the Mission for years to get extra support with food, household and hygiene items. This time after calling the Mission, she got connected to the Family Rescue Ministry program, which assists with long-term housing solutions and support from mentors in the community.

“I got a whole lot of ‘no’s’ when trying to find housing, but I didn’t let that stop me,” she said. “I grew up knowing that you can always find a ‘yes’ somewhere around the corner.”

That “yes” was Denver Rescue Mission.

“The Mission was the main source of help that I went to whenever I needed it, and they helped me get into a place,” she said. Not only that, but the Mission connected Frances to other resources and was a major support system for her. “Any time I felt like my back was against the wall, I’d call my mentor,” she said. “The Mission would also help me through different questions and help me air out my grievances.”

Hope for the Future

Frances continues to pray for guidance as she builds a better life for herself and her children. “I hope to watch my children thrive in this world because as hard as it’s been, I want them to succeed,” she said. “And keeping faith is one thing I try to encourage with them.”

As Frances continues building up her credit, she hopes to move from her apartment into a house in the coming year.

Even more, she hopes to give back to others, both by volunteering at the Mission and by starting her own support group.

“I want to start a support group for parents who lost their kids and for kids who have been in abusive relationships, because kids go through it just like parents do,” she said. “If I can save one person from going through what I just went through then that would be great.”