Wesley didn’t want to come to Mission Services, but when he did, his view of life changed forever.
Evicted from his home after his roommates stopped paying their rent, Wesley had nowhere to go. For a few months, he couch-surfed, homeless but still with a roof over his head. Eventually, he ran out of friends and family to stay with. Still, he didn’t want to go into a shelter.
“I was having trouble finding a room, and when it came down to it, I needed somewhere that I could stay right away. Someone suggested that I go to the Mission, but I originally refused.”
“I had a bad experience in a different shelter when I was younger. I didn’t want to go back to a shelter, but I had no choice. It was that or be outside.”
Wesley reluctantly went to Mission Services’ Men’s Shelter, but he soon discovered that it was nothing like he had expected.
“Even the bad things can lead up to blessings. It has really changed my perception of homelessness and shelters. If I had gone to another shelter, I would not have caught the goodness of this place.”
“I’ve gotten to sit down and talk to people here that I normally would have just walked by on the street. It’s taught me a lot of compassion and that we all have a story.”
Now that he is soon to be housed, Wesley looks back the time he spent in shelter with fondness, realizing just how much his perspective has changed for the better.
“It made me realize that I need to see people for who they are, not for what they show on the outside or even their behaviours. If you stay open to it, you can meet some good friends. This place will change you for the better, and I promise that you will never forget your time here.”
