Services and Programs - Changing Lives

Family Togetherness

Before coming to Bridgeport Rescue Mission last spring, April and her boys, 5-year-old Logan and 3-year-old Aaden, were staying at a domestic violence crisis center, hiding from April's boyfriend and father of her children.

The family had been living in a tiny one-room apartment, but things started to get bad when April's boyfriend began using drugs. One day he flew into a fit of rage and beat up April in front of their children.

April took her boys and ran, finding temporary shelter in a domestic violence crisis center. But she wanted a more stable life for her boys, so she took them to live with her aunt while she hunted for a job, hoping to save money for a place of their own.

April got discouraged when she couldn't find work, and she began to drink heavily. Before long, her desire to get drunk eclipsed her desire to be with her boys. She spent less time visiting them and more time at the bars.

Finally, the weight of her guilt crushed her, and she cried out to God: "What am I doing?" A few weeks later, she learned about the Mission's New Life Discipleship Program and came here for help getting her life back together.

Now April is becoming the kind of mom she always hoped to be. "God is working in my whole life," she explains. "I think differently; I see things in a different way." And the boys are thrilled to have their mom back. They talk with April every night and visit her often while they patiently wait for their mommy to "get well."



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