They Come with Nothing

No clean clothes, no stable adult, no sense of what “safe” even means. They may not have had a real bed in months, or a meal that wasn’t scavenged or served from a gas station counter.

Sometimes, their parents are battling addiction or running from domestic violence. Other times, they’re just overwhelmed—working multiple jobs, choosing between diapers and rent, doing everything they can, but falling short.

It’s easy to judge.

But judgment doesn’t save a child. Compassion does.

And that’s where GRM steps in.

What Happens When They Get Here

Addiction and poverty create tunnel vision. Parents love their kids, but they can’t see beyond the next hour. When everything in your world is on fire, it’s hard to worry about bedtime routines or school enrollment.

When a family arrives at Gospel Rescue Mission, they are wrapped up in care, and everyone receives help. Parents get the help they need—whether through Workforce Development or in Recovery—they learn life skills, receive practical support, and find hope again.

Children get what they’ve never had: stability, routine, and wholeness.

Most of the kids who come here haven’t been to school in years—if ever. We help them get re-enrolled and back on track. We provide warm meals, new clothes, birthday gifts, and—perhaps most importantly—structure.

 

Nurtured Heart: Rewriting Their Story

While caring for the physical needs is important, just caring for those needs won’t help a child break a pattern they’ve lived through their entire lives. They need healing.

Every child arrives at GRM carrying a story—one often written for them by trauma, neglect, or words spoken in anger.

“I wish you were never born.”

“You’re just like your dad.”

“You’ll never change.”

These comments, said in moments of stress or frustration, become internal scripts that shape how a child sees themselves and what they believe they’re worth.

This is where we meet them with the Nurtured Heart approach, which helps redefine who they believe they are and reshape their identity to reach their full potential.

Through structured connection, intentional positive reinforcement, and emotional safety, our team teaches kids to recognize their strengths, regulate their emotions, and build a new sense of self.

“Our goal is to help kids understand they are not defined by their past or their past behavior,” says Marissa, Children’s Services Advocate.

“They are not what someone once told them they were. They have value and worth—they are loved and they matter.”