Joaquin

Hi, I’m Joaquin, I’m doing better financially and studying to become an interpreter, thanks to the Mission’s guidance. Before arriving at the Mission, I made a series of poor financial decisions that led to homelessness.

However, I wasn’t always homeless. During my childhood, I often traveled to Columbia for the summer. I remember collecting coffee with my family and having a lot of fun with it. As I got older, I ran my own bakery with a partner. The bakery was doing well, so I spent money on partying and drinking. I started to neglect paying my bills and employees on time. Eventually, I lost my spot as a partner and my home. I stayed in the apartment of someone I knew for a year. They didn’t know I was living there until they had to sell it. When they discovered I was living there, they reported me to the police. The police had me stay at another shelter, and then, in the same day, that shelter told me to go to Boston Rescue Mission.

At the Mission, I met staff like Rick Fogg and Mike Way. They taught me about praying and seeing the good in people. The two became my closest friends and family. They would check in to see how I was doing to make sure I was on track with my finances. I want to be like them because they truly see the good in people and help others unconditionally. Through their support, I discovered my skills in translating for other Spanish-speaking homeless guests and developed a habit of praying for myself and others. The Mission truly wants people at the shelter to recover and I did thanks to them.