Chili and Second Chances
Victory Mission helps men and women coming from homelessness, incarceration, and extreme poverty find the tools to rebuild their life. Your chili was prepared by participants of Victory’s workforce development programs.
Victory offers paid internships and apprentices for men and women in the Restoration Program. Following job training curriculum, participants have the opportunity to work alongside Victory staff to develop individualized professional development plans and gain confidence in the workplace. Internships and apprenticeships are available within the warehouse, truck fleet, food service team, administration, hospitality, outreach and ministry, and Victory’s social enterprise, Equip Coffee.
Matt’s life was never easy. He was born into addiction and violence, lost a child, and defeated cancer. After finding himself in prison, Matt was ready for a change. Within Victory Mission’s Restoration Program, Matt has not only been able to find healing for himself, but has started restoring previously fractured relationships from his past. Additionally, Matt is active within Victory’s Workforce Development Program. He is a graduate of Victory’s Restoration program, and has a paid internship with Victory’s Food Service team and is attending OTC’s culinary school. Through these programs, Matt is developing his baking skills and discovering tools to equip him for his future plan to own his own bakery.
Want more of Matt’s story? Watch his video >>
Benjamin Joseph came to Victory Mission following a series of hardships that began when he was just a child. After coming to Southwest Missouri to meet up with his daughter, he found himself facing homelessness. Benjamin ended up walking from the city of Republic to north Springfield, across the street from Victory’s Shelter for Men. He didn’t realize it at the time, but a few days later he decided to come to the shelter, where he learned about and enrolled in Victory’s long-term Restoration Program. Since then, Benny’s life has taken a radical 180-degree turn. He’s discovered a new identity, hope, and a relationship with Jesus Christ. He’s working to restore relationships, finding personal victories like obtaining his birth certificate for the first time in his life, attending OTC to get his GED, and setting himself up for vocational success through a paid internship with Victory’s Food Service team.
Dyllan found himself trapped in a lifestyle of substance abuse, anxiety and eventually homelessness. Dyllan shared he was ready for something different. He made his way home to Springfield and enrolled in Victory’s Restoration Program. Through Restoration, Dyllan was able to overcome decades of hurt, depression, addiction, and more. Since his graduation in 2020, he has traded anxiety with meaningful work as the Kitchen Manager for Victory Mission. In his role, Dyllan oversees the creation of healthy meals for men and women in our programs, manages the Shelter’s community garden, and mentors other men in workforce development who are discovering healing and purpose in their own lives.
Want more of Dyllan’s story? Watch his video >>
