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Hundreds fed at 23rd annual Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast Thanksgiving banquet
By April Chavez / Santa Maria Times – November 19, 2022 (To read entire article CLICK HERE) Community members are coming together to make sure no one is left behind this holiday season. Aiming to instill more kindness in the community and share the festivities involved with the end of the year, 130 volunteers joined together…
AFTER FLEEING FROM THE LAW, BRIAN SETTLES INTO MISSION’S PROGRAM
Several stints in jail left him yearning for a heart change Brian was born to two teen parents in Santa Maria. After six years his young parents separated, leaving Brian and his sister to be raised by their father. “My dad took custody of my sister and me because he found out that bad things…
EVAN SEES FAMILY RESTORATION AND HEALING FROM ADDICTION IN PROGRAM
The goodness of God can be seen all throughout Evan’s life. Evan was raised alongside his older sister in Fallbrook, Calif. by two loving and committed parents. “I had a great childhood, and my parents are still married to this day, and school was great,” Evan said, adding that he has good memories of growing…
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Growing up in the Western United States my whole life, I’ve learned a deep respect for those who pioneered the West. Every time I drive south on the 101, south of Los Alamos, I become overwhelmed by the landscape. I think about how blessed we are to have well-maintained roads that cut through the beautiful…
DIRECTOR’S NOTE – How long does it take to break a bad habit?
I’m confident anyone who reads this knows what it’s like to break a bad habit, whether it’s to quit caffeine, stop negative speech, or resist road rage. When I was growing up, my father made the decision to stop smoking. He said it was one of the hardest things he ever did, but didn’t want…
Luis continues to build ‘spirit mind’ after graduation
About a year ago, Luis was 20, battling addiction, and coming off of two years in and out of jail. He had started hanging with gang members in high school, where he was introduced to meth. He cleaned up for a bit, but after graduating and going to work in the fields, Luis started using…
Deja comes to work at the mission after addiction, loss strike her family
Six months into her new job managing Santa Maria Super Thrift, the Mission’s thrift store, Deja is seeing how the trauma she experienced as a daughter of an addict, can result in a perspective that’s helpful in her role. Deja grew up locally with two younger siblings-their mother was addicted to heroin. “It was pretty…
Kylie revels in seeing god work in clients’ lives
“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-37. When Kylie Alsin was in college, she felt…
Dallas graduates program, begins his next chapter in life
It’s been nearly a year-and-a-half since Dallas got to the Mission, and as a recent graduate, he barely recognizes his past life, which was consumed by drugs, homelessness, and mental illness. “When I came into the program, I was a junkie and I never had a job in my life and I never really followed…
New program manager “taking the bull by it’s horns”
When Luke looks back at the several jobs he’s had in his 15 years of work experience, he points out one fork in the road that could have changed the trajectory of his career. One that, if he had taken a different path, would have likely never led to his role as the new Program…
James overcomes childhood trauma, seeks out life change
Despite being raised by a family who considered themselves Christians, James never had any desire to follow suit. As a 7-year-old, James was molested by a self-professed Christian man. “My whole family was Christian, but I didn’t want to be a Christian because I found out that the person who molested me was able to…
David warns against being too prideful to ask for help
David grew up “basically with a single mom,” although he also had a stepfather for some of his childhood. He was smart, but avoided showing it at school. “I didn’t want to look uncool,” he said, “so instead of being the smart kid, I was more of a bully. Because of the problems going on…
