When Maria and her husband came to Las Vegas from Illinois, they planned to start a food truck selling their own brand of barbecue. However, their dream quickly became a nightmare.

The pair moved to Las Vegas with another couple who quickly changed their minds about their business venture and left town. Maria’s family was left scrambling, and she was pregnant with their first child. When their savings ran out, they found themselves facing homelessness in a strange, new city.

That’s when they visited the Las Vegas Rescue Mission in the hope that they could help. “They were very nice,” Maria says of her introduction to the organization. “I was like, ‘OK, we can go to the Mission. That’s the best place right now.’”

There, they were given meals and a safe space for this growing family to get back on their feet. Maria’s husband found a job, and they got a good place to live after their baby arrived. However, several months later they discovered that the individual they were subleasing from wasn’t paying their bills, and they were evicted.

Once again, they received a warm welcome at the Mission, where they were able to start again, participate in programs and transition to a safe living situation. Soon they’ll move out and Maria is hopeful they will land on their feet. And she still intends to introduce Las Vegas residents and tourists to their barbecue someday.

“I already have the whole business plan,” says Maria. “I keep telling myself it’s not my timing, it’s God’s and when it’s the right time, it’ll happen.”

Maria and her family were able to get through difficult days, thanks to you!