On the Other Side of Water Street’s Residential Program
We last heard from Sadé in 2019, featured in the Fall Messenger Edition. Back then, overcoming the abuse she received as a child, had often left her feeling like she was “drowning in darkness.” But she was never one to back down from a challenge. Instead, she worked hard, and leaned on God, building up […]
A Piece of the Puzzle
Many times, the stories we tell are complex. Guests come to us from across Lancaster County for different reasons, and those reasons aren’t always easily understood. Recently a guest named Jim* came to us battling severe mental illness. He used to be a music producer, and wrote songs for top bands across the country, living […]
Becoming Maribella
Maribella* opened her book, and read aloud in class. At the beginning of the year, she struggled to remember the sounds to each letter. Now, she opens the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham, and tears through the pages, reading faster and faster with every turn. While it may be commonplace to see children […]
A Fresh Start Through Forgiveness
When Daniel first came to Water Street back in 2018, life had brought him to the brink. “I thought I was broken. I thought I was broken beyond repair. And I wasn’t ever going to be able to accomplish anything important. And that really weighed on me.” Little did he know then how much things would […]
In the Midst of Cancer…Finding Peace
Michael came to Water Street looking for some temporary respite. He didn’t know how long it would take to find that rest, but when he made his way to Water Street Health Services, just a short walk from where he was staying on our campus, he began to learn how much more complicated his journey […]
Hannah’s Story
Hannah joined our team in the fall of 2020, as a Nurse Care Manager. In her role, Hannah spends a lot of her time meeting with guests in our day shelter. Each morning she sets up her portable nurse’s station, right in the back of this hang out space, and gets ready to check in […]
Hugs from the Outreach Center
One day, Michele popped in to check out the Outreach Center – our community food bank. She waited in line for some groceries and looked around, reflecting on every face she saw. How did they end up here, she’d think. Then she thought about her own story. A back injury had put her out of […]
Finding Roots in the Bible
Work till you drop. That seemed like Jim’s mantra for many years. “Working 8 to 12 hour days, seven, eight, nine days a week!” he likes to joke now. At the time, working so hard wasn’t as funny. Jim spent so much of his life grinding away that he didn’t have time to focus on […]
Rewriting Her Story
As she packed her bags at 15, the last words Jess ever heard her mother say were, “I tried to have an abortion with you, and I failed.” The fallout left an enduring impact. Jess was always a bright and curious girl, raised in a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She was active in her church […]
Fulvio Reaches His Goals
As long as he could remember, the United States represented freedom to Fulvio, freedom he couldn’t find in Cuba. Despite what government propaganda said about the US, he decided that one day, he would see for himself. So, after saving enough money, Fulvio made a dangerous journey out of his homeland and into the United […]