At a ceremony held in October, The Bowery Mission community came together to celebrate new beginnings for 15 graduates of our faith-based Residential Programs for adults overcoming homelessness. An audience of 125 people — family, friends, staff, alumni and supporters — gathered at Central Presbyterian Church to honor and celebrate the class of 2024.
The Bowery Mission’s Residential Programs provide a caring and safe environment for men and women overcoming homelessness and other crises to achieve personal goals for life and work, heal from past trauma and overcome barriers to independent living. While living at the Mission for three to 12 months, clients receive the services and support they need to grow spiritually, achieve wellness and recovery, succeed in the workplace, develop practical life skills and obtain housing of their own.
Did you know?
Each year, The Bowery Mission’s faith-based Residential & Community Programs offer a safe, healthy and trauma-informed environment for hundreds of adults in crisis. Some seek healing from past traumas, like abuse, addiction, homelessness or violence. Others are looking for meaningful work to build a career for the first time, or to rebuild a career after a period away. Most have few safe places to turn. Clients benefit from holistic and individualized care, including ongoing consultations with licensed social workers and counselors committed to equipping them with the tools and opportunities they need for life-long success.
Graduation is one of the most joyous moments of the year, as we get to celebrate lives changed and praise God for the ways He is working! The theme of graduation was Hope, embodied by the men and women who walked down the aisle after overcoming so many obstacles. Through our transformative community, they are embracing a new life of flourishing.
“At The Bowery Mission, transformative community is at the heart of who we are. Looking around, I see faces of those who, when they first arrived at our Red Doors, may have felt lost and alone. But inside, they found a community that believed in them and stood by them in their darkest moments.” — James Winans, CEO
Celebrating our graduates’ recovery and renewal
Each graduate had unique circumstances and experiences with homelessness, loss, addiction or other crises. During their time at The Bowery Mission, they collaborated with our staff to develop individualized goals and action plans toward independence. And this is no small achievement! Graduates have completed counseling, coursework and necessary benchmarks — they’ve met specific criteria and demonstrated growth. During the graduation ceremony, we heard directly from current clients and graduates who shared about their struggles and how they overcame them during their time at The Bowery Mission.
Nick grew up in Brooklyn, but after losing his father, his life took a dark turn. Struggling with grief, he fell into addiction, crime and destructive habits, eventually living out of a truck in freezing weather. But everything changed when, in a late-night vision, he felt Jesus tell him, “Here I am. I’ve got you. It’s all going to work out.” That moment of divine intervention sparked Nick’s journey toward healing. With support from The Bowery Mission, he rebuilt his faith and now dreams of opening a halfway house to help others find hope, just as he did.
“To anyone in a similar place, my advice is simple: never give up on yourself. Take life one day at a time, find a good church and a mentor, and become a better man than you were yesterday. Don’t worry about what other people say or do — stay focused on God’s plan for your life and run your race with Him by your side.” — Nick, Program Graduate
Hope for the future
Graduation is a culmination but also the start of a new chapter in life. We are so proud of each and every one of these men and women, and we are excited to see how their future in Christ unfolds. As they enter their new chapter, they can still access our community of support and services. This includes pastoral care, mentoring, career and educational development, relapse prevention, housing support, recreation and alumni events to stay connected.
One of our long-time staff members, Pastor Al, shared a word of encouragement during the event: “I’ve seen many walk out of the doors of The Bowery Mission full of hope. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan for humanity. Psalm 23:4 tells us all, ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.’ Hope is The Bowery Mission — a beacon of light in New York City, a place where men, women and families can find resources and opportunities. And life transformation can be found.”
“It is our prayer that you will be encouraged, that you will have renewed hope that real change, new life, healing and reconciliation ARE possible in our lives, in our relationships and our world.” — Rob DeGuzman, Senior Director
How you can get involved
This celebration of life transformation — made possible by friends like you — is not just what feels good, but is based on real, measurable results. Together, we see the fruit of God’s work in neighbors who have come through our Red Doors seeking new life from struggles with homelessness, poverty and other crises.
Learn more about our strategies to help our neighbors in need to flourish, including our Residential & Community Programs, and the principles of care at their foundation. And to impact more lives in our city, please consider making a gift today.