Client Stories

Each client who comes to The Mustard Seed has a unique story, and all of them have the same goal – to turn their house into a home so they can rebuild their lives. Your support of The Mustard Seed truly transforms lives and helps makes our community a better place for all. You make all the difference. Learn about your impact by reading the stories below.

Client Story: LaMontavia

LaMontavia and her children, ages 13, 9 and 5, lived in a high-crime Miami neighborhood rife with multiple shootings per month and drug deals, she said. So the mother of three moved to Orlando in 2014 “to have a better life.” 
“I d… continue reading

Client Story: Tenyka

Tenyka “Nikki” Phillips lost her friend, Cindy Jackson, and her sister, Krystal T. Phillips, to murder within seven months of each other.
A man killed Jackson on her birthday on Christmas Day of 2017 in Eatonville, and a man who said he w… continue reading

Client Story: Joseph

Joseph moved to Orlando from Philadelphia seven months ago after his mother passed away. He left his job at a mall and came to Florida, “with $300 in my pocket, a book, a box of clothes and a hope and a dream,” he said.
Joseph moved to Or… continue reading

Client Story: Darnell

Darnell and his 13-year-old daughter, Haile, lived out of a car for several months after Darnell got injured working on the I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project. Heat produced from a welding arc and spark damaged Darnell’s eyes rendering him legall… continue reading

Client Story: Cecille

Tears streamed down Cecille’s face as she talked about losing her boyfriend of 10 years to Hurricane Maria. A mudslide swept him away while he was sleeping in his home in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“When we were searching for him we didn&#… continue reading

A Home That Reflects Wilna’s Glamorous Resilience

When Hurricane Milton swept through Central Florida, it destroyed the transitional housing where Wilna and her two children were staying in Apopka. “The house was messed up, the lights were cut off… and they just left us there,” she recalled. Though FEMA offered some help, the funds weren’t …

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Vanessa and Titus’s Journey Fueled with Faith

Vanessa and her husband, Titus, arrived in Florida earlier this year with their five children, one car, one RV—and hope. They had made the move from Ohio, believing they could start fresh. But almost immediately, unexpected challenges piled up: their car broke down, their RV was towed, and they fo…

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A Living Room for Katherine and Her Children

After 19 years of marriage, Katherine found herself navigating life as a newly single mother. “He took everything pretty much in the divorce,” she shared. With two children to care for, Katherine was trying to rebuild—not just emotionally, but physically—with very few belongings. Then disast…

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Latest News

Interview with a Board Member: Stephanie Philips

May 8, 2025

The Mustard Seed of Central Florida is grateful for the commitment of our dedicated board members. Stephanie Philips is Executive Director for Patient Safety at AdventHealth in Central Florida, leading and supporting efforts to ensure patient and workforce safety. A nurse for 30+ years, Stephanie is… read more

Throwback to Chairs for Charity and Raise the Table’s of the Past!

March 19, 2025

We are just six weeks away from our upcoming fundraiser, Raise the Table! Raise the Table is an exciting night of dinner and dancing to support the mission of The Mustard Seed of Central Florida to help rebuild the lives of families and individuals emerging from crisis. Let’s “throwback” to some of … read more