By Stephen Fett, President/CEO, Panama City Rescue Mission
Was there ever a time you had to care for a sick family member? Maybe a spouse, a sibling, or a parent? Imagine yourself in a situation where you had to move to another city to care for your ailing mother. At some point we all need to provide care to a loved one. You make a decision to do whatever it takes to give comfort to those in need for as long as it’s needed. Because of that you change your life until that care is no longer required. We do what we need to do for our family out of love. We do it just as God loves us – unconditionally.
This is a story about Indria who was living in St. Petersburg, Florida in December of 2019 when her mother fell sick. She made the decision to move with her three children to help her step-father take care of her mother. Sadly, in February of 2020, her mother passed away. After her mother’s passing, her step-father told Indria and her children they had to leave and could no longer live with him. Indria and her three children were living in hotel after hotel. They would sometimes sneak into truck stops to be able to take a shower when they didn’t have money for a room.
Indria made her way to Marianna, Florida where she heard about Panama City Rescue Mission and Bethel Village Women’s and Children’s Shelter. She called and told us she had spent all her money and had to be out of her hotel by 11 a.m. that day. Indria did not have transportation and needed to find a way to get to us. We called Doorways of Northwest Florida, a Community Partner to see if they could help. They were able to pick up Indria and her children and bring them to us. There are no accidents when it comes to God’s hand looking after his children. He placed the right people at the right time to secure a way for Indria and her children to have a safe place to stay.
Soon after arriving at Bethel Village, Indria secured a job locally. She has been able to save money and has recently been approved for an apartment. Doorway’s is assisting her with move-in costs. She is grateful for all the people that helped her transform a situation of suffering to flourishing.
Since 1973, the Panama City Rescue Mission has been committed to Christ-centered rescue, recovery, and restoration in an effort to break the destructive cycle of poverty and homelessness. Anyone wishing help the organization either with a donation, or by volunteering, are urged to visit the Mission’s website pcrmission.org for more information or to contact us.
