FortCollinsRescueMission.org
June 2015
Bette r Plans
St eppi n g U p
Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
Bette r Plans
When Dominique’s
friend told her about
the Steps to Success
program at Fort
Collins Rescue
Mission, she knew
she could just as
easily call her drug
dealer. But she was
tired of that life. She
wanted to see her
daughters again.
M
iles of desert raced past as Dominique stared
out the window. The drive from Arizona to
Colorado was familiar, but this trip wasn’t
in her plans. This time, she was being extradited to
Colorado for a felony, and for all her two daughters
knew, their mom had simply disappeared.
Dominique grew up with an alcoholic and abusive
father, and her parents fought regularly. Despite a
strongly religious, Catholic upbringing, she didn’t
believe God cared about her. “I thought if there
was a God, He hated me and my family,” she says.
At 12 years old, she started doing drugs, drinking
and getting arrested. By 16, she was pregnant with
her first daughter, Kylee, but her family encouraged
her to finish high school and go to college. “I was
lucky,” she remembers. “I got an associate’s degree
in criminal justice.”
In college, Dominique worked as a club dancer
and developed a cocaine addiction. After a series
of bad decisions and toxic relationships, she moved
to Colorado for a fresh start. But soon, she started
abusing prescription medications. In 2011, her
second daughter, Isabella, was born.
After getting a job with an attorney, she was arrested
for a DUI and ultimately fired. To survive, she chose
to deal drugs and committed several felonies.
Soon, her probation was revoked, and she went to jail.
After her release, she found a part-time job but stole
from the company’s clients to buy drugs. Before anyone
discovered what was going on, she quit her job and
moved back to Arizona.
After dropping Isabella off at a friend’s house one day,
Dominique was pulled over by the police and arrested.
In her car, the police found drug paraphernalia and eight
bottles of prescription pills. “I thought it was no big deal,”
she says. But to her surprise, she had a felony fugitive
warrant out of Colorado. Her past had finally caught up
with her.
For several days, no one knew what happened to
her. Thankfully, her sister brought Isabella home with
her to Colorado Springs, while Kylee lived with her
father in Arizona.
Finally, Dominique was extradited to Colorado and offered
a plea deal for 6 years in prison. But by the time she got
out, Isabella would almost be a teenager, and Kylee
would already be an adult. “I was devastated,” she says.
“That was the point I realized I needed God’s help.”
Unbelievably, the court gave her probation instead, and
she called her sister and best friend to find a place to stay.
But they refused. They both agreed to stop enabling her.
They wanted Dominique to get help, so they told her
about the Steps to Success program at Fort Collins Rescue
Mission. She knew she could just as easily call her drug
dealer, but she was tired of that life. She wanted to see her
daughters again. In November 2014, she arrived in Fort
Collins ready for a change.
At the Mission, she met with her case manager, Amy,
regularly. They set up a schedule for her to attend drug
and alcohol programs, Bible studies, LifeSkills classes,
work therapy, and case management sessions. She was
determined to change her habits and attitudes. “I needed
to understand why I used drugs, and why I did the things I
From the C E O
Dear Friends,
We need you. We need you to decide to do
something extraordinary for someone who
can do nothing for you in return. We need
you to encourage someone—to lift up a
person who is looking for just a little bit of
hope and a way out of the darkness. Grab
some of your friends to join you, and I promise you that
your life and theirs will be changed forever.
What does “something extraordinary” look like? You could
volunteer by serving a meal or being a mentor. You could
donate some clothes or start a food drive at your school,
church or place of business. Maybe you can’t volunteer, but
you can still be here with us as a prayer warrior by praying
for our work at Fort Collins Rescue Mission. We want to see
more lives like Dominique’s changed. Would you join us?
Still want to know more? Call us and schedule a tour to
see firsthand how lives are being changed. See what you
can do to make a difference in someone’s life. It may be a
financial donation (we appreciate those too!), but please
join us. We cannot do this without you. We need you!
This work is already important, but with your help we
can make it Something Extraordinary!
God bless,
Brad Meuli, President/CEO
Denver Rescue Mission/Fort Collins Rescue Mission
did before,” she says. “God allowed me to take the
time to learn those things at the Mission.”
The program also helped Dominique connect with
Foundations Church in Loveland, where she now
regularly attends a women’s group. She says the
opportunities to serve others help her stay sober
and her new relationship with God keeps her
focused. “I have to get into my Bible. It’s my
medication now,” she says.
And the classes at the Mission helped her learn God
does care about her and has a better plan for her life.
Initially, she was afraid her felonies would prevent her
from finding a job, but in March she was hired as an
Administrative Assistant Transaction Coordinator
for a large real estate company.
Although Kylee and Isabella still live in Arizona and
Colorado Springs, Dominique is able to talk with them
regularly. And Kylee is even coming up to Fort Collins
for the summer. “I couldn’t be happier,” she says smiling.
“I’m excited to have my daughters back someday and
be a mom again. I miss that. And I’m excited because
now I’m actually going to be present in their lives.”
God is working out His plans in Dominique’s life, and
in a way, it started with someone like you making it
possible for us to be there when she was ready to get
help. Without your financial support and donations making
our ministry possible, many of our guests might never learn
how to end destructive patterns in their lives and rebuild
healthy relationships. Thank you for helping us make
this kind of life change possible.
Look for Dominique’s story on the Mission’s Facebook page:
Facebook.com/FortCollinsRescue. Share her inspirational story of change!
“This place has brought me closer to my faith and taught me what
to trust and believe about myself. I love it here.”
Donate today and help
us show our homeless
and struggling neighbors
God has better plans
for their lives.
How You He lp
Statistics
April
YTD (fiscal year)
Meals provided
8,409
84,188
Nights of shelter provided
Open House
Fort Collins Rescue Mission
316 Jefferson Street • Fort Collins, CO 80524
Wednesday, July 8
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
4,386
38,063
Chapel attendance
Join us at our open house and see how Fort Collins Rescue Mission is
changing lives in our community and the difference you can make today!
1,011
Refreshments will be provided.
4,327
Please RSVP to Josh Littlejohn at [email protected] by
Wednesday, July 1. Can’t make it? Schedule a tour through Heather Pulley at
[email protected].
Churches Involved
Greatest Needs
Daily Needs:
• Tampons and feminine products
• Toilet paper and paper towels
• Bath towels
• Fresh produce
• Dairy products
Other Improvements and Needs:
• Storage shed
• Women’s dorm bathroom
• New kitchenware (pots, pans, trays)
• Bed bug resistant mattresses
• Office copier
Outreaches
Fort Collins Rescue Mission
Meals, overnight shelter, transitional program.
Harvest Farm
Long-term New Life rehabilitation program, farming and ranching operation,
food and clothing distribution, and Fall Festival.
Denver Rescue Mission
(Multiple locations in Denver) meals, overnight shelter, health clinic, rehabilitation programs,
family services, transitional programs, assistance for permanent housing, clothing and
furniture distribution.
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Changing Lives is the monthly news
publication of Fort Collins Rescue Mission.
Director of Communications:
Christine Gallamore
Designer: Rachel Vigil
Writer: Robert Bogan
Connect with us on Facebook:
Facebook.com/FortCollinsRescue.
blog.DenverRescueMission.com
316 Jefferson Street • Fort Collins, CO 80524
970.224.4302