Her story started in Philadelphia, where she was homeless on the streets with a drug addiction. When her sister reached out, Melissa traveled up to Northeast PA with the hope she could help. Melissa was directed to Keystone Mission, where she was connected to rehab facility and shelter.  

Today, Melissa is proud to be 11 years clean, and with a stable environment, she was able to continue her education! She is four months away from graduating with her associate degree in business administration.  

Her goal is to open a food truck, because cooking Puerto Rican and Jamaican food is her passion, and “it’s something different,” she says. Melissa’s plan is to start her own outreach and feed the homeless, because she knows what it is like to be homeless.  

“Just because I am doing good doesn’t mean I forget where I come from… like how [Keystone Mission] helped me, I want to help people!” 

Melissa finds her way back to Keystone to visit old friends and is about to buy a house in the area.  

Her advice to others walking through a difficult circumstance is: “Keep on going, put your mind to it, and you can do anything. I was homeless and a drug addict and I did it.”