Candace will be the first one to admit that the choices she made in her life were not always the best ones.

But she will also be the first to tell you how she came to know God and how her life changed completely at Faith Mission of Michiana.

Abused as a child, Candace grew up with no direction in her life. “My father was an alcoholic,” she says. “The whole family just covered it up.” When she married it was to an abusive drug addict who introduced her to meth, an addiction she battled for ten years before becoming homeless and losing her son to foster care.

“The Mission helped me find a new way of life!”

At Faith Mission of Michiana, Candace found more than meals and shelter. She found people who helped and guided her every step of the way – from going with her to every court appointment that helped her regain custody of her son, to providing gentle spiritual guidance that helped her come to know the Lord.

It started with morning devotions. Before long, Candace was part of Genesis, our Christian-based relapse prevention program. “No one ever said, ‘Hey, let’s talk about God.’ The counselors and staff live it. They are open and comfortable with their Christianity…a whole different world than the one I came from.”

Candace’s life today could not be more different from the day she walked into Faith Mission of Michiana!

Candace has been clean and sober for two years. She has worked hard and saved enough to buy a home for herself and her son. Today, her goals are “to raise my son and get an education”.

To the staff and donors of Faith Mission of Michiana, Candace says, “Thank you so much for the big things and the little things. Thank you so much for changing my life!”