Stories that Inspire.
Victories to Celebrate.
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Here’s what you made possible in 2025
As we reflect on the past year, we are deeply grateful for the hope you’ve made possible. Here are some updates on some of the men and women you’ve read about this year. Because of you, many reached incredible milestones: finding steady work and stable housing, restoring family relationships, deepening their walk with Christ, and…
Rescue and restore: helping trafficking survivors heal
This month, we acknowledge this crisis in our community Every January, we observe Human Trafficking Prevention Month – a time to confront one of the most devastating injustices affecting our communities. Human trafficking is not just a global crisis; it is happening here at home. Those facing homelessness, addiction, or domestic violence are especially vulnerable.…
RMA CC embraces ‘true spirit of Christmas’
As the Christmas season approaches, we are reminded once again of the powerful truth that hope is born in the most unexpected places. For many in our community, this year has been especially challenging. Food costs have risen, jobs have been harder to find, and more families are facing scarcity than ever before. Yet even…
Even in jail, God answered Melissa’s prayers
Born and raised in Lompoc, life for Melissa was “chaotic.” Her parents were unmarried, and her father soon disappeared from her life. “My last memory of him,” she recalled, “was watching him beat my mom while I was holding my little sister.” Her mother raised Melissa and her siblings mostly on her own, later remarrying.…
Keno is ‘living proof’ that change is possible
Keno, 50, recalls growing up in a “broken home. Not so much drugs, but a lot of alcohol and child abuse,” he said. “If dad was having a bad day, he’d come home from work, and we’d all absorb it from him.” It was at the age of 11, shared Keno, when everything started to…
Meet Luke Johnson, Director at RMA Central Coast
He was previously the men’s program manager In 2020, Luke Johnson joined the RMA Central Coast team as the Men’s Program Manager, a role that aligns perfectly with both his calling and his deep roots in the community. Born and raised on the Central Coast, Luke carries a genuine passion for serving the very community…
A heartful goodbye
It is with bittersweet emotions that my family and I say goodbye to the Central Coast, a place we’ve been honored to call home for eight years. We are taking a new step in ministry as I accept the role of Executive Director at Fairhaven Rescue Mission in Covington, Kentucky. I want to extend my…
Gina spent her life helping others, until she needed help herself
“I’m so grateful to the Mission; you literally rescued my life,” Gina said quietly. For over 20 years, Gina worked as a certified nursing assistant. Helping others was something she always wanted to do, and it brought her immense joy. “I’ve loved taking care of people, helping people. I got my CNA license when I…
Program teaches Jasson it’s ‘okay to be vulnerable’
Jasson, born in El Salvador, was 2 years old when his mother moved to the United States to better support her son. “When she left, the first couple years I was bounced around with her friends or family,” he said. “They didn’t really want me there though. There was a lot of physical abuse. I…
Fighting hunger, feeding hope, fueling change
It all starts with a meal In April 2024, a stark reality was unfolding in Santa Maria. From the 101 overpass, visible on the dirt paths of the riverbed between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, a sprawling encampment had taken root. Old tents, rusty, stolen bicycles, and dirty tarps stretched over dying plants…
The one message that changed Jocelyn’s life
Jocelyn’s early life was chaotic; her parents separated when she was young, and she primarily lived with her mother. “I wasn’t normalized into having a family. I was separated between holidays and weekends between my parents,” she said. “I mostly stayed with my mom, taking care of her. My mom was into partying, clubbing, drinking,…
Cesar appreciates support, accountability at the Mission
The youngest of 13 children, Cesar was raised by a single mother after his parents separated shortly after his birth. He never saw his father again. That early abandonment became the root of much of the trauma he would carry throughout his life.”I started drugs at a very young age. My mom wasn’t around very…
