Make your gift go further with tax credits! Reach out Chad Myers at chad@missionstl.org for more information.

By the age of 17, Anthony had been shot twice, shot his mother’s boyfriend, spent a year in jail, and became a father.  
 

Like many in his neighborhood on the Southside of St. Louis, Anthony was surrounded by violence and faced the harsh realities of life from a young age. At just 13, he began selling drugs to put food on the table for his mom and siblings.  
 

“Growing up was a challenge. It was like wearing a mask; you’re posing as someone else to live. Everyone around you is doing wrong.” 
 

Despite these challenges, Anthony tried to make a better life for himself. He enrolled in Ranken Technical College and earned a certification in automotive light maintenance and repair before his high school graduation. However, he was pulled back in and continued his old behaviors of doing what he needed to survive.  
 

Last year, he was shot four times. After his recovery, he was arrested and spent six months in jail. He knew then that he needed to change his life.  
 

“I almost died over nothing; I went to jail because I was living wrong. It was a wakeup call. When I got out, I admitted I needed help. God showed me who I was, and I didn’t like it. I was being someone I wasn’t to survive, and I wanted to get back to who I truly am.” 
 

Today, Anthony has found role models through SHOW ME PEACE who are showing him a new way to live. He has found a community that encourages him to heal from the trauma caused by growing up in poverty. Through SHOW ME PEACE he has access to essential resources like diapers, job leads and work clothes. He is also volunteering with SHOW ME PEACE to help others choose peace over violence. Anthony takes care of his seven children and is focused on creating a life for them free from the violence and poverty he grew up around.

Mission: St. Louis’s goal is to empower people like Anthony to overcome barriers of violence and poverty so they can access education, employment and attain self-sufficiency. But we can’t do this without YOU.