From professional triumphs to personal milestones, read firsthand tales of how Brevard Rescue Mission is steering individuals onto a stable path—and helping them go from rock bottom to 'rock solid'.

"Traci"
Casa Carol resident Traci graduated from Cosmetology School! This represents 1200 hours of class and hands-on training for her future career. She is now studying diligently to take her Board Testing, and hopes to have her Cosmetology License this month. Traci was in an auto accident over the Christmas holidays (driver on I95 changed lanes into her path, and Traci went off road to avoid her). Her 7-year-old son Ola describes how, during the accident, he prayed to God to protect his family and God was faithful! Traci's was able to pay for her auto repairs with money she had in her Casa Carol savings account. During the time the car was in the shop, she rode a bicycle (in these night temperatures in the 40's) to her job at Taco Bell where she maintained near full-time hours, all with a 'can-do' attitude. We are so proud of Traci and what God is doing in the life of her family!

"Jacob"
A laundry room is no place for a twelve year old to live, but "Jacob" and his mother and sibling inhabited the laundry room of a reluctant relative until coming to Casa Carol.. "Jacob" was required to ask permission to leave the laundry room to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water. "Jacob" loved science, and when he exhausted his computer time at one library, he would visit another. During science fair season, it was not unusual for him to visit 3 libraries in an evening! When "Jacob" and his family arrived at Casa Carol, his mother broke down in incredulous tears stating, "My son has never had a desk of his own before!" At Casa Carol, "Jacob" had computer access to his heart's content, and didn't worry about which librarian he would beg to secretly keep his science projects. "Jacob's" mom networked with another resident and later became a Pharmacy cashier and is now self-sufficient. At the family's graduation from the Casa Carol program, "Jacob" remarked, "Casa Carol taught us to do things we never thought we could do, like paying our debts and managing our money." This was a truly a family transformation.

"Abigail"
14 year old "Abigail" lived with hostile family members while her mother was incarcerated. She was reminded daily that she and her mother were no good. When her mom was released, they came to live at Casa Carol. "Abigail" began to thrive and her grades escalated in her new nurturing environment. She is now an Honor student and with Casa Carol networks enjoyed a scholarship to the Florida Tech Young Entrepreneur Camp. Volunteer mentors recently helped prepare her for interview for a scholarship that will allow her to go to college once she completes high school. She and her mother are encouraging each other in their respective studies, as the mother is now just months away from completing her degree in Cosmetology.

"Sharon"
Before 20-year-old "Sharon" and her 15 month old daughter moved into Casa Carol, she was living in a volatile, dangerous family situation. When asked what kind of job she envisioned, she lit up as she described her only previous job as a cashier at CVS. Once she was given the brief opportunity to fill in as a pharmacy cashier and thought THAT would be a great job. Using Brevard Rescue Mission's vocational outreach program, "Sharon" was hired within weeks as a Pharmacy Cashier at a nearby hospital. So energized by her new job, she began to explore the possibility of studying for the Pharmacy Tech exam, which would allow her to be promoted. The staff at Casa Carol helped make that possible, and provided encouragement as she prepared for the exam. Within six months, "Sharon" had passed the exam and was promoted to Pharmacy Tech! This promotion increased her salary to more than $12.00/hour, plus she was able to afford company health insurance. Further, her daughter was able to be placed in a wonderful daycare center at her job, which meant she could walk with her daughter to and from work. During her stay at Casa Carol, "Sharon" lost 60 pounds. Just before she graduated from the Brevard Rescue Mission program, she was provided with a donated vehicle which was the final puzzle piece that has now allowed her complete self-sufficiency.

"Mary"
One of the first priorities for the residents at Casa Carol is to obtain a GED, if they do not have a high school diploma. "Mary" had been struggling for 8 years to get her GED through Adult Ed, while working part-time. She and her 9-year old daughter were homeless and in a desperate situation. "Mary" had security guard experience, so her case manager helped her devise a plan to work part-time at a security job. As she gained confidence in her work, she was ready to take on her GED and complete it this time. Through a combination of Adult Ed and private tutoring by BRM volunteers, we celebrated the achievement of "Mary's" GED nine months later. She was then given additional hours at work, allowing her to achieve self-sufficiency. She also received a donated vehicle and furniture for her new home as she graduated from our program. "Mary" and her daughter drove off from Casa Carol after 18 months, with tears of joy, confidence and renewed self-esteem.

"Rebecca"
"Rebecca" required the support of a cadre of volunteers to assist in attaining her GED. She had an infant and two older children, one of whom had major behavioral problems. For every tutor, it involved one or two volunteer babysitters to keep the kids! It took nearly a year, but "Rebecca" was able to pass all four exams on her first try! Her case manager worked tirelessly to also gather specialists through the Brevard School system to help with early intervention for her son. "Rebecca" was eventually able to gather enough resources to return to Puerto Rico where she could receive family support as she entered the workforce, this time with a GED!

"Naomi"
"Naomi" has three young boys and was interested in working with kids with special needs. Because she had little work experience, our staff reached out to a nearby school for the disabled and offered her volunteer time. Within days, the school staff loved her and she fit right in as a classroom aide. After a few months, she let them know that she needed to look for a paid job, and asked for a reference letter. The director of the school contacted BRM and said they decided they couldn't lose "Naomi", and they would figure out a way to hire her. She has been working there nearly a year, and is thriving at work and at home. "Naomi" has health issues that often prevented her from working, but through the advocacy of Casa Carol staff, she underwent throat surgery, which will allow her to be sick less often, which will help her to keep her job. During her stay at Casa Carol, "Naomi" was a role model for the other mothers with her extraordinary commitment to volunteerism. She has taught the other residents that sometimes one must give before one receives!

"Susanna"
Delayed dental care often keeps homeless women from becoming employable. Soon after "Susanna" and her son moved to Casa Carol, we had a volunteer donate three full days to arrange for "Susanna" to have her wisdom teeth removed. The nearest provider was in Orlando, so when the necessary appointments became available, we arranged for her to get the care she needed. Volunteers stepped in to provide transportation, to babysit her child, and to provide post-surgical care until she was able to care for her son on her own. Without Casa Carol providing all this care, she would likely still be in constant pain, struggling to keep a job or stay in school.

"Lydia"
9 year old "Lydia" came to Casa Carol struggling with untreated ADHD and failing in school. Since she has been at Casa Carol, her health issues have been addressed and she has a volunteer mentor that visits weekly to assist with her school work. Her behavioral issues have quelled and she is now scholastically thriving and keeping abreast with her peers.