Meet Terresa Wood — a shining light at the Rescue Mission Women’s Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Terresa’s journey is one of transformation, resilience, and the power of God’s grace.
“I thought the rest of my life would be spent on the streets,” Terresa shares. For four years, she faced homelessness and addiction, believing that was all life had left for her. But God had a bigger plan. After graduating from the Rescue Mission’s program seven years ago, Terresa was hired as the house manager — a role that ignited a passion for serving others walking a similar path.
Determined to grow and serve even better, Terresa found City Vision University, a place that offered the structured, Christ-centered learning she needed for ministry to those experiencing homelessness and addiction. Even after suffering a severe accident that fractured her face, Terresa persisted — earning her associate’s degree and peer support certificate while continuing to lead, teach Bible studies, and coach others through Genesis Recovery.
“I’m 57 years old. I didn’t think I’d ever go back to school. But thanks to City Vision, I did. You made it possible for people like me — who thought our lives were over — to see that God’s not done with us yet.”
Today, Terresa keeps pouring her heart into the Rescue Mission while looking ahead to her bachelor’s degree. She reminds us all that you’re never too old, and God never wastes a life.