The Light You Carry

Written by Thomas

You may not see it the way we do,
But peace follows every step of you.
No spotlight needed, no words too loud—
Just quiet strength that lifts the crowd.

You saw the man, not the mess I’ve been,
Spoke to my soul, not to my sin.
You didn’t judge—you simply cared,
And through that grace, God’s love was shared.

In this place built for healing hearts,
You’ve shown how true compassion starts.
So, if your light feels dim one day,
Remember—you helped someone find their way.

With gratitude,

No spotlight needed, no words too loud—

There are more than 30 unsung heroes across the Mission’s nine locations who keep the Mission safe, sanitary, dignified, and welcoming.

Their work may not always be noticed, but the smiles that they show up with each day are. Their jobs aren’t easy, and yet, they continually pursue the calling to support true life transformation for the men, women and children who come to us with nowhere else to turn.

These individuals make up our custodial team, many of whom are also working alongside some of the men in our New Life Program as they complete their work readiness portion of the program.

One of these men is Thomas, who after only two months into the program, took the time to write a poem to express his gratitude to his new supervisor and Manager of Custodial Services at The Crossing, Marlana Rollins.

“Thomas had asked me, ‘How do you stay so happy every day?’ I told him, ‘The love of Christ is in my heart.’ He started crying and I began to pray with him and encourage him,” Marlana remembered.

“It was maybe two days later that he gave me the poem. I began to read it, and I couldn’t stop crying.”

Thomas’ journey to the Mission came after 25 years of struggling with addiction, depression, anxiety, and the effects of some traumatic experiences. When his four-year-old granddaughter passed away in 2023, that was the wakeup call he needed to make a change in his life.

“It was maybe two days later that he gave me the poem. I began to read it, and I couldn’t stop crying.” -Marlana

“I missed a lot of my daughter’s life when she was growing up, and that’s probably the hardest regret I live with.”

You didn’t judge—you simply cared,

Prior to coming to the Mission, Thomas describes himself as someone who had a cold heart and attitude, who was selfish and struggled to show appreciation.

Now he can look in the mirror and see a man who has changed and is working towards becoming someone who is grateful and gives back to others.

“I recognize a lot of behavior flaws that I have that led me to want to be a better person, and that’s what led me to write the poem to Marlana,” he said.

The poem from Thomas is just one of the many interactions Marlana and her team have been impacted by. She also shared a story of another guest that reminded her of how important their work at the Mission is:

“She was so afraid, crying the whole time. I was standing with her as we were getting her set up, and she said, ‘I’m so nervous. I’ve never had to do this.’

I will never forget opening the door to her room, and she bawled, saying, ‘It’s clean in here. I don’t have to clean it.’ I said, ‘We would never move you into a room that is not clean and ready for you.’

Now I see her almost every day going to her car to go to work, and she’s got a nice pep in her step.”

For Thomas, ever since his first interaction with the Mission, he has consistently felt welcomed, loved, cared for, and accepted by each staff member, especially by those he works alongside for his work readiness position.

“All of them thank me for being a good worker. Some days when I’m sluggish, they’ll say something directly to me that really sparks me up,” he said.

“It’s those little things that they do that I’m trying to learn to do. I’ve really learned a lot just by their example.”

You’ve shown how true compassion starts.

Now, as Thomas continues through the program, he is finally feeling hopeful about his future.

He eagerly awaits a life of recovery, one where he can help others by sharing his story, where he continues to grow in his faith and where he lives a life that he and his family are proud of.

“I strive to have that glow that people are happy or proud to be around,” he said.

“I know who I was back then and there are a lot of things that I’m not proud of, and that’s one of my foundations for being sober now. I don’t want to be that person ever again.”

Dignity in the Details

Every year, each team member is responsible for cleaning the equivalent of 522,786.3 Broncos football fields

9 locations, a team of over 30 people, 365 days a year

Our custodial team cleans
34,654.4 square miles per year

Gold Standard

“EVERYONE who tours our shelters cannot help but comment on how clean they are, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment uses us as the gold standard to aim for.”

-Cale Johansson, Director of Custodial Services