Impact Stories

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

“I’ll just keep running away, you know,” Max would say to his guardians. As a young ward of the state, he was always trying to

For years, stability didn’t seem attainable to Roger. No matter where he went, running away from his childhood and joining the military, or starting a

John came to Water Street thinking he would get in, get what he needed, and get out. “My plan at the time was I’ll go,

In high school, Sharon was one of those teenagers who exuded confidence. She was a daddy’s girl, a cheerleader, and with her family behind her,

Constant shifting with COVID-19 has meant our campus is finding new ways to adapt each week. Many of our guests feel the impact of these

“You’ll never have me. I hate you!” A 15 year old stood in his backyard looking up at the sky … having just lost his

Gertina had reached the point of exhaustion. Growing up in New York and raising a family in a dangerous area, situations had led her to

From the time he was 15 Austin spent a lifetime running from his problems by using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate and escape from conflict

Growing up in the projects of North Philadelphia, Bill got caught in a grip of addiction that would stay with him into adulthood. Despite his

Leslie was exposed to drugs and alcohol when she was just eight years old. While she describes her upbringing as having good parents, as the

James struggled with alcohol for many years to the point where his wife told him to leave. He bounced from rehabs to halfway houses and

Born in the Bronx in 1952, Santiago Milland didn’t have an easy childhood. After his father left when he was 2, he had several step

This wasn’t how Emily had envisioned her life. She was stuck in a cycle of moving around with her boyfriend and longed for stability. She

Being born in Rwanda during a time of civil war made for a tough upbringing for John Rushemeza. He recalls that at 9 years old,

Growing up in Harlem was not easy for Patricia. A culture of poverty, drugs and alcohol did little to inspire a positive vision for the

It could have been the aroma of homemade, fried chicken on the stove top, the taste of sweet, peach cobbler, the sound of infectious laughter,

Ron grew up in Baltimore, MD and lived a hustler’s life on the streets. “I didn’t live a good life and I was scared to

In May 1905, Dr. Ezra Sieber and his wife began a small group for folks living in downtown Lancaster to gather and share God’s story

As a young boy, Howard walked with his grandmother past the trains delivering tobacco to the Lancaster Leaf and Tobacco Warehouse on Water Street and

July 1st couldn’t come fast enough for Mark and Kim. Moving day was when they would no longer live under the label ‘homeless’. It had

Louisa was at the Community Homeless Outreach Center (CHOC) for about a week before it sunk in. “I had my own apartment for five months prior,

“Good morning, do you need a shower today, and how about any laundry…do you have laundry that needs to be cleaned?” asked Marilyn O’Bryan, one

When Jose was in the third grade he moved into a room at Water Street Ministries also known as the Mission.  He didn’t want to be called

“Life is what happens after you’ve already made plans,” said someone a long time ago.  For many of the people who walk through our doors here