It hasn't been long since Robert quit asking himself this question several times a day. He's finally stopped imagining himself lying on the street, cold and suffering. Today, he's replaced the negative "what ifs" of the past with the positive "what ifs" for the future. And The Foundry-and gifts from friends like you-made this possible.

Robert was neglected as a child and placed in the foster-care system-then experimented with drugs as he grew older-so he's experienced his share of heartache and trouble. Yet, somewhere along the way, he learned to pray. "I always talked to God," Robert says. "I knew He was real, but didn't know how good He really was." Now he does.

Robert was living in his brother's house- helping him cover the bills and household expenses-when, for no reason Robert can point to, his brother asked him to leave. "I didn't have anyone to turn to," he says. "So I slept under a bridge for a couple of days. It was the first time in my life doing anything like that. I was so cold."

On top of that, he had a promising job interview coming up, and he was determined to keep that appointment. He at least needed a good night's sleep, a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Then just in time-just in God's time-someone told him about The Foundry. "I didn't think of it as a place to rebuild myself," he recalls. "I came here thinking I'd stay a couple of nights while I figured things out." That's when his life turned around.

Robert got the job, but he didn't have a car. So he'd leave The Foundry at 1 a.m., walking several miles to make it to work by 3:55 in the morning. One of our staff members noticed Robert's daily treks and offered to help Robert get a ride if he could come up with part of the gas money. "I donated plasma," Robert says. Soon, Executive Director Bill Heintz heard of Robert's determination to build a stable life for himself and offered him a job. "Pastor Bill recognized the real me, and I thank God for that."

Today, Robert works four days a week in The Foundry's warehouse, in addition to the job he used to travel to on foot (The Foundry now provides his transportation). And his "what ifs" reflect his new outlook on life.

What if I earn enough to afford an apartment and a car ... get an education ... do something meaningful with my life? "I want to share my determination with others," he says, and he lives by the words of Mark 12:31 ... Love your neighbor as yourself. "The Foundry took in a guy who comes from nothing, but they saw ME. They didn't judge. That's what I want to do."

And that's what you, dear friend, do too, every time you bless The Foundry and men like Robert with your gifts and prayers. Thank you for your ongoing generosity