Tony’s Story
“I’m going to make Mom proud.”
Tony has felt lost most of his life and has spent much of it behind bars. But because friends like you care, he has renewed confidence and a new set of goals. And he’s determined to make his Mother’s wish come true.
My name is Tony, and I grew up in a good family. But when I was eight years old, my father got killed in the coal mines and that hit me hard. I don’t know if I ever really recovered. Mom never remarried and did her best to raise me and my four brothers on her own. She tried to show us church and the best way to go, but I went the wrong way.
I’ve been in trouble most of my life, in and out of prison. And the only thing she ever wished was for me to straighten up.
I was locked up when my mother passed away. That’s where I heard about the Lexington Rescue Mission. Everybody said this was the place to be, and I decided I wanted to come here and change my life. Here at the Mission, I saw that people really cared about me. You’ve got people to talk to, who are there to really listen to you and help. If you’ve got a problem, they will break their back to help. In my lifetime, I’ve never experienced anything like it.
With the Mission’s help, I got a good job. And now I’m working hard and saving money to get a vehicle and a little place of my own. I’ve never looked forward to something like this before — having goals and a real future — and it’s pretty exciting. My aunts never thought I would straighten up, but they know I’m in a good place now. And I know my Mother is up there looking down on me. I’m going to make Mom proud.