Train up a child n the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Like the father whose name he shares, Leo Gray shares a passion for the work at the Waterfront Rescue Mission.

It is a labor of love and his goal is to rescue...And recover.

Voice of Leo Gray, Waterfront Rescue Mission; My dad came in 1963. So, I grew up around the mission. I was in 4th grade. He always had us work with him in the summer time; cleaning up around the mission, or helping in the kitchen or doing something.

Even as a child, those whom others might shun, Leo Gray welcomed with open arms. Whether they walked or rode the rails of hard times, they found a refuge at the mission.

Leo Gray; They were like family to our family and we got to know them as friends. And we saw a lot of people ge the help that they need and that's what we were there for.

A compassionate heart allows him to see what many of us can't, beyond a rugged exterior. He searches for what led them to his doors.

Leo; That's usually been triggered by some catastrophic event in their lives that sent them off in the wrong direction, making a series of bad decisions.

John Cole, Rescued at the mission; I graduated college about six years ago and I go into aviation and I started getting into different type drugs. I started spiraling out of hand; lost my job, almost my family.
This was my last hope to get my life back together.

The first thing John and others find here is a lifeline, it's the rescue part of the mission.

Leo; It's food, it's shelter, it's a chaplain to talk to and it's clothing.

Then, for those serious about making a life change, there is recovery. The mission runs a men's and women's group home that offers intensive counseling and education.

Leo; You can come in homeless with an alcohol or drug problem and leave with a college degree.

John; I get to see my daughters regularly now. My wife, we're back together. I have my hope for my future for the first time in a long time.

Thousands of success stories like these are what keep Leo committed to the least, the last and the lost.

Leo; I'm surrounded by a real good staff that love what they're doing as much as I do. Who love people, love the Lord, love the community that we serve.

John; I just say, thank you, from all of my family