Thanks to You, Joshua’s Heartbreak Turned to Joy
Joshua was at his lowest. He had been abusing drugs and alcohol for decades. The pain began early: his father was deported when Joshua was just a boy, leaving a hole he tried to fill in all the wrong ways. By 14, he was already drinking and using.
Then, four years ago, his father passed away – and Joshua spiraled. After years of grief and brutal addiction, he dropped to his knees and prayed, “God, this isn’t what you want from me. I need you to rescue me.” That’s when he ran into someone who told him about Phoenix Rescue Mission.
When Joshua saw that the Mission was faith-based, he knew this was the right place for him, “Because I knew I wanted God in my life… and I knew I wanted to be better.” He called the Mission and asked his family, “If I fix my addiction, can I have my family back?”
The New Start He Needed
“Before I came to the Mission, I was still running from homelessness, heavily involved with drinking, partying, and waiting for my next fix,” he confessed. At the Mission, he began to experience sincere kindness from the staff, and admitted, “I hadn’t felt or seen that in a very long time. The Mission was really cool.”
Your support reunited a father and son. Thank you for changing lives in the Valley!
Not long afterwards, Joshua surrendered his life to Christ. “Having that relationship with Jesus and just including Him in my day-to-day life gave me the foundation I needed; the healing I needed; the new start I needed,” he explained.
From the start, he offered God everything: “God, I’m an empty vessel. Fill me and use me.” Through counseling and chapel, he watched prayer after prayer answered.
A Father Worth Following
Joshua knew the ache of an absent father all too well – and without the Mission, he was on track to leave that same wound in his own young son, Ezekiel. “I would not have been able to be the man my son needs me to be if I kept living the life I was living,” he said. “It’s not fair to him.”
Today, that heartbreak has become his greatest joy. Ezekiel now lives with him full-time, and it’s often the little boy who reminds his dad to pray: “He’ll stop me and say, ‘Dad, we gotta pray.’” Joshua chose the name Ezekiel because it means “fortified by God” – the same foundation that rescued him.
Along the way, Joshua reached milestones he never thought possible. He completed the program in June 2025 and earned his high school diploma – his first real completion ever. “A lot of times for us in addiction, we don’t complete anything,” he said. He did it so his son could never say his dad hadn’t.
Joshua was baptized at the Mission and now dreams of returning to preach to the men still in the program.
Thank you for changing lives!
From Ken: Full Tables and Changed Lives, Because of You
For many of us, Thanksgiving means one thing above all: gathering with the people we love most. Thanks to your generosity, more of our neighbors will do the same this year.
Some would have spent the holiday alone on the streets. Instead, our Street Outreach team met them there and earned their trust. Now, in our Transformations Recovery Program, they have a stronger chance of reuniting with their loved ones.
Others will sit down to a full Thanksgiving meal at their own table because of you. That’s an earthly change you can see – and it points to the eternal change the Lord is working in every life you reach.
Thank you for bringing hope and healing to so many people and families this Thanksgiving.
God Bless,
Ken Brissa
Chief Executive Officer
This Thanksgiving, We Are Thankful for Our Volunteers!
Our volunteers are the heart of Phoenix Rescue Mission. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or an ordinary Tuesday in July, our volunteers roll up their sleeves and make a real difference in people’s lives across the Valley.
At our Hope for Hunger Food Bank, first-time groups and longtime friends alike pack boxes of nutritious food, and load them into people’s cars. This Thanksgiving, that work matters more than ever: beginning November 9, we’ll distribute full Thanksgiving meals with a goal of feeding 3,000 families.
But the need doesn’t end when the holidays do. From the busiest holiday rush to the quietest winter morning, our volunteers give their time to bring hope to our neighbors who need it most. We’re grateful for every one of them.
Ready to roll up your sleeves? Whether for a single shift or all year long, there’s a place for you. Visit phoenixrescuemission.org/get-involved to explore opportunities and find the one that fits you best.
Thank you for your kindness and compassion!
Thanksgiving at the Mission
This holiday season, we’re making sure our neighbors have everything they need to gather around the table.
Through our Hope for Hunger Food Bank and our “Thanksgiving for Every Family” initiative, we’re partnering with churches, schools, businesses, and neighbors across the Valley to make sure 3,000 local households can gather around their tables to celebrate Thanksgiving with dignity. Every family receives a complete Thanksgiving meal – turkey and all the ingredients needed to prepare a full holiday meal at home.
On campus, we will celebrate throughout the holidays. And in a tradition now in its 23rd year, players from the Arizona Cardinals will join us on our campus, rolling up their sleeves to help serve to those who call it home during Thanksgiving week.
None of this would be possible without you. Thank you for your ongoing partnership – we can’t wait to celebrate the season alongside you again this year.
“Keep supporting Phoenix Rescue Mission because it changes people’s lives and stories like mine. Coming here was the best decision I’ve made.”
— Jayce
“I don’t feel that heavy weight anymore. I don’t feel like I’m lost anymore. This place has changed me.”
— Brittney
