My name is Yulon Jones and I am the Chief Officer of Spiritual Life at the Syracuse Rescue Mission.
As a child and young man, I grew up very poor and it was very difficult to function day to day because of it. Being picked on constantly for not having the appropriate clothes or always wondering what the next meal would be was pretty common in my life and it made my days very dark and sad. Most times I was embarrassed to even go to school or any place public because I was sure to get harassed by people who didn’t look like me.
Although it was always very hard for me, I have always had a glimpse of hope, I never stopped believing that there were good people and I always believed that with Faith and Hope that God would one day rescue me from this harsh way of life. My Hope was that one day I’d be able to give others who suffered the same I did, that same Hope.
Isaiah 43:18-19 Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of the old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it will spring forth; will you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
I held on to God’s promise and He stayed true to His promise. I went from living in gross poverty and the street life to helping others rise from the very life I once lived. Giving others Hope is my ultimate goal in life and doing it here at The Rescue Mission is an unspeakable joy. Here at The Rescue Mission, we have several ways to put into practice that Hope that will encourage many to have faith that life can and will get better.
One Major example is our Men and Fathers group.
Yulon’s Men and Fathers group meets on Tuesdays from 2:00 – 3:00 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room on our Syracuse campus. In this group setting, men from our community are encouraged to gather and discuss the hardships of being a father and man in today’s society. This group is a safe space where men from our community can feel supported and heard. If you would like to join the Men and Fathers group, there is no formal sign-up process, simply come to the Syracuse campus during the meeting time listed above.