Sometimes, coworkers and friends can become family. That’s especially true for Chef Motley.
In 2016, Motley was an unemployed single mother living below the poverty line. She desperately needed an opportunity to better provide for her children, so she came to Springs Rescue Mission for help.“I needed a job bad,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do. I needed food for my kids.”At the Mission, Motley participated in a work-training program that later led to her employment as a chef for Samaritan’s Kitchen. She quickly excelled and was excited to learn new culinary skills.
“They taught me how to do things right,” she said. “Springs Rescue Mission taught me patience. They have a big heart here. They care about everyone — no matter who you are.”
But later that year, on her first day as a full-time chef for Mission Catering, the unthinkable happened — her 23-year-old daughter was tragically killed. Motley was devastated by the unimaginable loss of her child. She needed a way to cope — a healthy way to deal with the constant pain she felt. She leaned into her new Mission family, and found healing through giving back.“I love Springs Rescue Mission more than my home. It’s not just a paycheck — it’s my whole world,” she said. “I come here and see the men in the New Life Program and the guests in the shelter. It reminds me of what I have. I have a house. I have a job. I have family.”Chef Motley has worked for five years now. She is known for the dedication and love she brings to her work.
“She cares about everyone so much,” said Tyler Peoples, director of work programs. “Especially people who are struggling, because she knows what it is to feel pain.”
She once came to the Mission for help, and found herself in a powerful position to help others — people like Jessica.
By the time the military brought her to Colorado Springs in 2009, Jessica had struggled with addiction for years. Soon, it led her into unemployment and homelessness. Desperate to turn her life around, she came to Springs Rescue Mission for food and a helping hand.
“I felt like everything was a wreck and it forced me to depend on God — it really deepened my faith,” she said. “My experiences have brought me closer to God.”
At that time, Jessica dreamed of a day when homelessness and hunger were behind her — a day when she too would be in a position to give back and help others like herself. Gradually, she worked her way out of homelessness.Then, an opportunity came last year for her to join the fight against homelessness by feeding the hungry as a Samaritan’s Kitchen chef.“Coming to work here was an answered prayer,” she said. “Things just started falling into place, and it was so awesome to watch."Chefs Motley and Jessica were given help and hope so they might one day pass it along to others. Now, they work side by side serving Springs Rescue Mission its many guests.
"I love the environment at SRM," Jessica said. "And I know what we do really impacts people."
And through it all, they choose to give God the glory for the work He has done in their lives — lives He has so beautifully restored.“I’ve learned that the Lord makes a way,” Jessica said. “I love getting to know this community and to give back like this. It’s amazing to see how people find hope here — the transformation that happens in this place is real."
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