Misty spends her days walking alongside people who are trying to rebuild their lives.
She talks with men and women at egm’s Palisades Village, and she understands their situations in a way many people can’t.
For Misty, the work is deeply personal.
The struggles that many of our guests face are familiar because she’s faced similar ones herself.
She knows how quickly life can become unstable and how hard it can be to find a way forward.
“Both my parents were in and out of prison,” she says. “My dad ended up passing away in prison.”
Without consistent support at home, stability was hard to find.
“My housing growing up was really tough,” Misty remembers. “I was in and out of clean and sober houses with my mom, in and out of housing, kind of all over the place.”
Eventually, that instability turned into years of homelessness.
During that time, Misty struggled deeply with addiction. She spent years experiencing homelessness and heartbreak after heartbreak.
Then, while pregnant and in an abusive relationship, Misty sought safety in a domestic violence shelter. That season became a turning point in her life, and she began rebuilding her life step by step.
In 2009, she was finally able to secure stable housing, which gave her the foundation she needed.
“When I got housing, I was able to put myself through school, get my GED, move forward,” she says.
With sobriety and stability guiding her path, she focused on building a future for her family. Misty began working, but she never forgot the experiences that shaped her life.
So when she saw an opportunity to work at the Mission, she knew she wanted to help others facing the same struggles she once endured.
“When I saw that position come up here, I knew it was for me,” she says. “I knew I could give back because I knew what they were going through.”
Today, Misty uses her experience to support people who are trying to find strength and a way forward.
“Being able to give back to the community… that was always my goal.”
Her encouragement for anyone facing hardship today is simple but powerful.
“Never give up and keep trying, because that’s where you will succeed.”
