Demetria sat by her son’s hospital bed, holding his hand, watching him breathe, praying he’d regain consciousness. “He got hit by a car and received a traumatic brain injury,” she says. “He was on life support for five days.” Thankfully, he regained consciousness, but he needed a lot of care to heal from his injury. “I lost him mentally for about a year,” Demetria says. As if that heartbreak weren’t enough, Demetria and her husband struggled to pay his medical bills while providing for their other four children. “We were living on my husband’s police pension and were strained financially beyond belief,” Demetria says. “I started coming to the Mission’s Food Pantry and I was so happy because, when my kids were hungry, I was able to feed them.”
“The Mission showed us unconditional love.” When she saw the compassion of our Mission staff, Demetria decided to apply here for a position but she wasn’t hired immediately, so she came on as a volunteer. It was then our staff discovered the severity of her family’s need. “They gave us a turkey for Thanksgiving, coats, clothes and toys, and they encouraged and prayed for me,” Demetria says. Her stellar performance as a volunteer made her the obvious choice when a Volunteer Coordinator position opened on our staff. “I love working with people that are going through challenges,” she says. “And now I’m able to buy more groceries, get necessities for my children, and have money left over.”
Demetria’s son has made a near full recovery from his injuries. “I almost lost him, but his mind is pretty much back,” she says, her eyes filling with tears. “He even came here to volunteer.” Because you gave from your heart to help Demetria and her family, their lives have been changed by your goodness and God’s love forever! “God blessed us through the Rescue Mission. I’m very thankful and now all I want to do is give back.”
