A Bridge to New Life - Leaster Alexander
When Leaster Alexander came to our Family Center last winter, the feeling in her heart was as cold as January’s night air. "I was depressed - I’d never been in a shelter before. I’ve always worked and paid my bills," she says.
All that changed a year ago, when Leaster lost her job at a convenience store, then was left homeless after her home was condemned.
"I lived in an apartment that wasn’t safe," she explains. "Crack heads and dope men were living there. The manager was on crack, and as long as they gave him his daily supply of drugs, he was OK with what they were doing."
Leaster took refuge at her niece’s house, then reluctantly called our Family Center to see if we had room. She didn’t want to be in a shelter. But after completing our 30-day New Beginning Covenant program and joining our long-term New Life Program, her thoughts about the Family Center changed dramatically, as did her life.
"This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me," Leaster says. She gave her life to God and began to change from the inside out.
"I had big issues to work on," she confides. "I had issues with the word ‘no.’ I couldn’t tell anybody no, and I had really big issues with somebody telling me no."
Our professional counseling staff helped her with her inter-personal problems, and our life-skills teachers taught her practical information like how to manage her money.
Leaster graduated from the basic NLP in February and found a job as a phone specialist for the Heart of America United Way, a position she says she never would have landed without the education and training she received in our Learning Center.
"I got my GED while I was here," she says. "I didn’t know how to turn on a computer when I came here. The job I have now, I work on a computer. I couldn’t
have gotten this job if I hadn’t of come here."
When you listen to Leaster talk, you can feel her joy and energy. "A lot of doors have opened for me, and I feel there’s nothing I can’t do - I know that’s because of God."
She is eternally thankful for the bridge to new life she found here. "City Union Mission is the best thing that could happen to anybody - they will show you the right way."
About the New Life Program:
Families and single women at the Mission's Family Shelter can enter the four-to-eight month New Life Program that offers rehabilitation to whole families. Members attend Bible study, local churches and have regular counseling sessions. Life Skills courses guide each person toward a healthier lifestyle. Families live in the shelter while parents and children alike stabilize and prepare to move into permanent housing.
