The most memorable Thanksgivings Randy can recall growing up in Orange County, Calif. were spent in juvenile hall and prison, where he spent most of his youth and adulthood. “I grew up with gangs, drugs, and violence,” he says. “Thanksgiving was never a big part of my family life.”Randy’s wife, Amber, grew up feeling neglected and alone. “It’s sad to say, but I don’t remember us ever sitting down for Thanksgiving together,” she says. “It just didn’t have a lot of meaning.”But Randy found Jesus in prison, and after he was released a few years ago, he met Amber, who committed her life to Christ, as well. The couple soon had two children, and they tried to carve out a new life for themselves as Christians. But they continued to struggle financially.In November 2014, they moved to Colorado Springs to start over, but things just got worse. They spent last Thanksgiving in a motel, eating burgers from Carl’s Jr. With another child on the way, they were on the verge of homelessness. “We felt hopeless and alone,” Randy recalls.

The Family We Never Had

Then they found help, thanks to The Family Mentor Alliance at Springs Rescue Mission. “The biggest thing they told us was that we weren’t alone,” Randy says. “They got us into a temporary room, filled our refrigerator with food, and connected us with three mentors at Bethel Lutheran Church. They fought for us and walked us through every step we had to take.”Within six weeks, Randy was working full-time, was on the verge of purchasing his own car, and the family was looking for a new, permanent home. “They gave us all the resources we needed to be successful,” he says.“Our mentors are like the mom and dad we never had growing up,” Amber says. Randy quickly adds, “Springs Rescue Mission changed our lives. I don’t know where we’d be without them.”In a couple of months, this young family will spend their first Thanksgiving ever in a home of their own, one filled with gratitude and new understanding of what that day really means.