“I never knew I needed a place like Keystone Mission. There are so many connections here.” 

As a hairstylist and makeup artist, you become familiar with a nomadic lifestyle. Paula wouldn’t have expected that her life would crumble after a broken relationship. After a divorce, Paula was a victim of sexual abuse.  

“I was mad at the world,” she said. “Because I lost everything.” 

She ended up living outside in a tent a few blocks from Keystone Mission. She recalls sleeping each night with a stick in her hand.  

From the day she walked into Keystone Mission, Paula says she fell in love with the staff.  

“When you come here, you leave better.”  

She recognizes the hand of God moving in her life as she continues to seek healing from her past. She lives in an apartment near the Mission, where she still finds herself coming back to for community.  

Paula’s intentional steps toward healing are giving her more structure and a better community. She is attending Bible studies and signed up for Pathfinders, Keystone Mission’s guest volunteer program. Throughout the week, Paula volunteers at a local soup kitchen for cooking therapy.