Overflowing with joy, the smile on Barbara’s face is unmistakable. As she walks the halls at Shepherd’s Door, her transformation is evident to all. Barbara’s past life is but a distant memory, and all who meet her can’t help but be inspired by her story. “She’s my hero,” said Fox 12 Oregon’s Amy Troy at our…
Read MoreIt’s late at night at Shepherd’s Door, our New Life Ministry for women and children in northeast Portland. A woman comes downstairs, anxious and unable to sleep. She has a court date tomorrow to find out if she’ll gain custody of her children now that she’s in recovery. Darlene, a night-shift staff member, invites her…
Read MoreCold rain pelted John as he stared blankly at the endless gray sky. He’d barely slept. Two weeks sleeping on the same patch of sidewalk left his joints stiff and muscles aching. “God, help me,” he whispered, rubbing his tired eyes. Up the street, a line was forming of people hungry for breakfast at the…
Read MoreDesperate. Destroyed. Directionless. Crazy. Mad. Before Obi came to Portland Rescue Mission, all are words he uses to describe his life. “When I came to The Harbor, I was at the lowest point of my life,” Obi said. “All those things that can give you inspiration, or help you triumph and give you a smile…
Read More“My life spun out of control, and I went off the deep end,” Mike explained about his life before Portland Rescue Mission. “I was a mess, and I told God ‘I’m done, just take me.’” But God had other plans. He wasn’t finished with Mike. Prior to coming to the men’s New Life Ministry at…
Read MoreSteve didn’t know who he was, or why he even existed. Stuck down in southern California, and surrounded by nothing but isolation in “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Steve was homeless and addicted to drugs. He wanted out, and he saw two paths: End his life, or do whatever it takes to get better and recover…
Read More“I had every intention of staying married until we were old, building a life together and raising our kids,” says Lazara. Like most of us, she wanted a happy life and a loving home. More than anything, Lazara yearned to save her children from the kind of pain she’d experienced growing up. Though her family…
Read MoreOnce September/October rolls around here at Portland Rescue Mission, things get extra busy for our organization. The fall is a very important time of the year for giving hope and restoring life to people in need. It’s also the time of year when, as the weather begins to change, and the temperature drops, needs are…
Read MoreIt took until a second year after graduating from the women and children’s New Life Ministry at Shepherd’s Door, but Tiffany finally discovered something she always wanted to find: the desires of her heart. After spending a year in recovery, and working tirelessly to overcome a dreadful time in her life, where “pretty much every…
Read MoreGary knows what it’s like to sleep outside. Cold, alone and afraid. He remembers the gnawing pain of hunger so strong that it kept him awake at night. “I’ve been so hungry. One time it was 3:00 AM and I knocked on somebody’s door begging for food. It was just a piece of bread, but…
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