After spending last Christmas grieving in a shelter bed, Crystal has a home for the holidays.

“It's peaceful and quiet,” she said. “I get to continue to heal my heart here.”

Crystal is one of the first residents of “The Studios by Springs Rescue Mission,” a new transitional housing program located in the former 4U Motel building in downtown Colorado Springs.

“It’s been a blessing,” she said. “I'm making it my own. I love it.”

For her, home isn’t just a place: it’s a symbol of safety, of rest and of trusting God when the world comes crashing down.

“Now I know for sure that God is with me, that he has my back, and I'm gonna be just fine,” she said. “As long as you hold God’s hand, He’s going to get you through.”

As a single mother, Crystal worked hard in the medical field to provide a stable life for her children (now adults). But like so many families, they were only a paycheck away from homelessness.

“My son had mental illness, and he stopped paying his portion of the rent,” she said. “I couldn't afford it by myself anymore. So, we ended up and staying in hotels until the money ran out.”

This was a first for Crystal, who always found a way to make ends meet. The day she arrived at Springs Rescue Mission was a hard one, but the worst was yet to come.

Just weeks after becoming homeless, Crystal received the most devastating news a parent could hear: Her other son, who also struggled with mental illness, had died by suicide.

“It's like this year someone said, let's unlock all her greatest fears,” she said. “I've had to face them one by one. It's been a struggle, but by the grace of God, I've been able to get through.”

Despite this unimaginable loss, Crystal continued to move forward on her pathway out of homelessness. She leaned hard into her faith and found safety in the support of her newfound community.

“Springs Rescue Mission has been really supportive and loving,” she said. “They've cried with me, laughed with me, danced and sang with me, taught me a lot of great stuff in their classes. It’s really a blessing, and I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had that kind of support.”

Crystal joined the HOPE Program and took many of the classes SRM provides as she gradually moved through grief and toward housing. After graduating the HOPE Program, Crystal moved into transitional housing and became one of the first residents of The Studios.

Looking to the future, Crystal has ambitious plans and hopes to pursue a degree in trauma therapy to help others facing similar life struggles. 

“There’s a lot of people dealing with trauma,” she said. “And I would love to help them. … Now that I know that I can get through it, I'm more than willing to help where I can. I think that's my calling. … The Core Purpose class at SRM is what really made me see that it’s the road I should take.”

Crystal arrived on campus vulnerable and racked with pain — homeless, alone, grieving the devastating loss of her son. But Jesus was waiting at the gates; arms outstretched, ready to walk alongside her.

“I’ve learned that I'm super strong,” she said. “When my son passed away, I struggled. But I immediately asked God to give me that peace that surpasses all understanding, and I really do think He did.”

God uses staff, donors and this community of Good Samaritans to provide hope and healing to his children: He uses neighbors like you to transform lives every day at Springs Rescue Mission.

“I had a great experience,” she said. “You can't go wrong with helping humanity. That's what we need: more humanity in the world, more love in the world. I really do appreciate it. It meant the world to me.”