Your support is inspiring the biggest change in the littlest people

There’s no denying that the Phoenix Rescue Mission’s Changing Lives Center lives up to its name. We see God intervene in the lives of our women on a daily basis. But the truth is, their tales of transformation only account for half the story. The rest of the miracles on campus happen literally right under our noses.

Nina Mills, our childcare supervisor, has a front row seat to the transformation God works in our littlest residents. “We’re more than just childcare. Because of where these children have been and what they have been exposed to, we have to be.”

Many of the children come to the Changing Lives Center with delays in their social and emotional development, with trust issues, and a predilection for hitting or biting over problem-solving.

Most of these behaviors stem from a broken relationship with their parents and a lack of effective parenting. But the good news is, by God’s grace and with the hard work of our staff and volunteers, all of these things can be overcome.

“They are still little enough that if they are given the opportunity, they catch right back up with their peers,” says Nina. “It’s amazing to watch. Usually in one to two weeks we see huge differences in the children in our care.” But to keep the progress going, the parent must be willing to change as well. “Many of the parents here have unrealistic expectations when it comes to the behaviors of their children, because in many cases, they have never been parented themselves. It’s really hard for a mother to admit ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’ Our responsibility is to pass on what we do to the moms. We work really closely with them to give them the resources and encouragement they need to become great parents.”

Your partnership does more than heal the lives of the women we serve – it’s transforming our future by touching the lives of these little ones. The love you give makes all the difference in restoring these families torn apart by addiction. “It’s always such a blessing to see the kiddos start to lose the fear and the anxiety they came in with and begin to trust again. Then to see that healing extend to the relationship with their mother .. it's a miracle every time."