Steven’s hope story: Finding refuge and forgiveness

Because of friends like you, Steven found help and hope at The Bowery Mission.

Steven says he had a complicated childhood and a particularly difficult relationship with his mother. He lived with his mom in West Virginia. But by age 18, the situation at home had become unbearable, so he left home and joined a carnival. Years later, he got his commercial driver’s license and became a truck driver for the next few decades. At that time, Steven was doing very well. 

But while trying to live his life, his relationship with his mom remained strained. And his life came crashing down. Steven had a nervous breakdown and got into a car accident. He ended up quitting his job and was soon running out of money. 

“I was ready to give up,” he says. But he didn’t give up. He turned to the Lord. “I prayed to God, I need a change,” says Steven, now 53. “It’s up to you.” He found The Bowery Mission in an online search and felt led to walk through our doors. “I got this feeling,” he says, “like a voice in the back of my head saying, That’s where you need to go.”

Searching for refuge and change

God helped Steven get through difficult times before — when he first came to New York City after leaving the carnival. After being robbed and with nowhere to go, he looked at the Hudson River and thoughts of jumping crossed his mind. Instead, he decided to sleep on a park bench, where a kind stranger helped him find shelter and safety. 

So, decades later, when Steven prayed to God to change his life, he came back to New York City — to The Bowery Mission to get the help he needed. Our Emergency Shelter and Compassionate Care services met his immediate needs. He then joined our Men’s Residential Program, from which he graduated last fall. 

Steven shares, “All the staff here are good people, with the heart for what they do.” Our dedicated staff helped rebuild his self-confidence, strengthen his connection with God, and helped him get the job he was hoping for. Steven now works as a residential aide at a homeless shelter here in the city. “I get to hear people’s stories and try to help make their lives a little better,” he says.

“Even when we give up on ourselves, God doesn’t give up on us. He’s always got a plan.” — Steven

Finding forgiveness

For Steven, God’s plan for him included letting go of his resentment toward his mother. “I had a lot of anger when I got here,” he says. “You end up destroying yourself with all that anger and pain and hurt. But at the Mission, I’ve connected with God again and learned more about forgiveness. Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross to forgive our sins. I’m like, That’s something I need to do.” 

And so he did. Steven says forgiving his mom has made all the difference in his mental and spiritual well-being. He has found hope and a renewed life.