Anthony appreciates the structure he’s found while at the Mission.

He’s focused on moving forward

Anthony’s best friend was bleeding out in his young, small arms. There was nothing he could do to stop it. At a mere 6 years old, Anthony held Dominic, also 6, as he died from a gunshot wound. The two had known each other since birth, their mothers were old friends. The killing shot was an exchange between rival gang members, and Dominic, an innocent bystander, was caught in the middle while at school. Two other people died that day.

“I had a rough upbringing. I grew up in the middle of a bad gang conflict. I was exposed to a lot of stuff I shouldn’t have seen at that age. It continued throughout my life,” Anthony shared. “Two years after (Dominic’s death), my next-door neighbor, Bill, was also shot. He didn’t die but he was paralyzed.

“I think a lot of my childhood was (stolen). I didn’t get to do a lot of things children take for granted – like playing outside. We had to be alert, you just never knew when or where something would happen. I was a newborn Christian at the time, and I didn’t know why God would do this. It led me down a road I shouldn’t have gone down; it taught me hate at a very young age.”

Due to the trauma Anthony experienced, he needed to find an “outlet.” He began drinking regularly. “It wasn’t even about alcohol; it was just a way to escape reality for me. I didn’t want to face problems, I didn’t know how to deal with them at that time.

“I spent 10 years of my life just running.”

For years, because of his pain, Anthony pushed away those closest to him, an act he came to regret. “I thought to myself, ‘You ask people to leave you alone, you wanted to be left alone, so here you go.’ But I knew if something didn’t change, I was going to die alone because of the way I was drinking.

“This is not what I wanted for myself. It was a hard wake-up call.”

In April 2024, Anthony found the Mission. “I’m not able to run and hide anymore. It’s one of those things that I’ve told people: ‘You’re going to have to learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable’. It’s not always easy, but it does get better if you let God help you.”

Anthony appreciates the structure the Mission offers. “It’s nice to be in a place that allows us to work things out but gives us understanding and resources to fix what needs to be fixed. I’ve invested more time into the Bible than pretty much ever,” Anthony laughed. “It’s all faith based. There’s nothing you can fake about how this program is done or ran.”

Anthony graduated the program in March. He’s working towards finding stable employment and housing. “I want to get back on my feet and live how I’m supposed to live in Christ.

“It’s important to keep moving forward, there’s no going back to that hopelessness or despair.”