Great big thank you to Redding Emblem Club #515

for their generous donations presented this week at their annual Night of Honor! They raised and donated $1000 for the House of Cornelius and $1000 for Francis Court! We could not do the work that we do without support like yours!

During the last month, many of us celebrated graduations for our children and loved ones but for one of our Francis Court families, they faced wondering thoughts of what could have been.

At FaithWorks we have the honor of walking along side homeless veterans and families through the good, the bad and the ugly. Because of the close nature of the work that we do, we often spend more time with our clients than we do with our own family. It is so easy to care when the Lord always brings us the most amazing families, just like this one….

Jessica and her two children came to Francis Court 8 months ago after mom made a bold, life changing decision. Two years prior to becoming housed through our program, this family experienced an unimaginable tragedy. The eldest son, Chevy (15 at the time) was fatally injured, by a gunshot wound inflicted by another youth (neighbor and acquaintance). This tragic loss sent mom into an uncontrollable spiral and over time, she remained hyper-focused on the loss to the point where she could hardly function. As a result, the family became homeless, and the two children moved in with friends. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months…. Mom began drinking and was spending everyday graveside, initially very angry at the youth who pulled the trigger. This darkness went on until Jessica’s name came up on our waitlist. During her interview she said, “I want to live and restore my relationship with my kids.” Even though it has been a challenging walk, this beautiful momma has done just that. We have been blessed to watch this family grow back together and learn to move forward, with forgiveness, strength, and love. Each of them has bravely faced life on life’s terms and are integrating new tools and relationships to help learn to live with the grief.

In June, the Class of 2023 invited Jessica to attend what would have been Chevy’s graduation. Amongst some of the last to walk, his picture was escorted to the stage in memory of and to honor his legacy. This gesture has rumbled hearts and moistened eyes, not just here at FaithWorks but locally as well. A reminder that Chevy is gone but not forgotten. The strength of our Francis Court Mom is so so impressive, and we are so proud of her for choosing life and taking steps to reunify her family. The kiddos are brave too! Jessica and family, we have cried with you, prayed for you, and been blessed by your journey. We will continue to pray and do what we can to help guide and support you to success. We love you! Thank you for allowing us to share the legacy of Chevy. Rest in peace young man.

One of our own is in need of support

We have a very special family in our permanent housing program who needs some support. I kid you naught when I say that these parents are some of the sweetest and most hard-working parents we have ever met. They are currently at UC Davis being monitored and treated for a high-risk pregnancy. Mom keeps having unexplained episodes of bleeding and the doctors want baby boy to continue to bake longer as he is not due until September.

While this family faces these challenging times, special arrangements have been made: dad is off work and by mom's side and the other children are split up and being cared for by family members. This is taking a toll on these parents in many ways- emotionally (they are worried about the baby and miss the other children), physically (they are tired and spread thin, balancing life tasks while maintaining composure and staying strong), and financially (we have given some grace on upcoming bills however it is unknown how long these parents will be at UC Davis and they currently have no income coming in).

This family is no stranger to adversity as they have spent significant time at hospitals and doctors with their daughters, one who has had 3 heart surgeries in her short precious life and one who has required extensive medical care due to complications with her hearing and ears. They have maneuvered these obstacles so beautifully and have never complained or showed signs of weariness.

As an agency, we do not step out and ask for help very often but we are doing so now. Please help us help them. They need funds for bills, food, gas and supplies for the new baby. Everything is so expensive these days, let’s lighten the load and support this beautiful family.

Join us in welcoming our new Office Coordinator Angela!!! She hit the ground running in May and is already a valued member of our little team.

Here is what Angela had to say " I have always had a passion to help others! I’m so excited to help our community with homelessness and will always strive to do my best with every situation that is put in front of me. I struggled with alcoholism for several years and by the grace of God I don’t have to anymore. I love being a wife, mom, and grandma. I feel truly blessed and grateful to be a part of the FaithWorks team. "