Stories that Inspire.
Victories to Celebrate.
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Director’s Note
By this time of the year at the Mission, our emotions are high and our tanks are nearing empty. We served 1,000 meals at our annual Thanksgiving Banquet. And at our Christmas Banquet we’re gearing up to serve 1,200 meals and give out 600 Christmas gifts! We mourned another year of the to-go style banquets,…
Alex reconnects with his son, makes plans for the future
Alex was raised in Santa Maria with his older brother and sister, and initially, both of his parents. “My mom ended up leaving my dad to pursue another relationship,” he said. “A year later my mom was found dead in a motel room. It’s a cold case-no one has ever been arrested in connection to…
Luis putting ‘foolish mistakes’ behind him
Luis’ parents were together until he was 6 or 7 years old. “My dad was really smart and was a mechanic,” Luis said. “He was a terrible husband, but a great father to us. He was an alcoholic and a drug user, and was abusive to my mom.” The family, which included Luis’ twin and…
Hardworking Valentin is committed to getting back on his feet
Valentin said he had a typical upbringing in Mexico, which is a little different than childhood here in the Unites States. “Here you go to a park, but I grew up in a rural ranch area,” he said. “But I would get toys and balls and toy figurines and play. And at a very young…
Mark is focused and facing his missteps head on
Mark was born and raised on the Central Coast, primarily by his mom. “I’ve lived here my whole life,” he said. “I attended church here from a young age. I played sports-basketball and football in high school-and got my diploma.” Mark enrolled in college and attended for a couple semesters. He’s always worked, mostly in…
Luis works on ‘building up spirit and mind’
After two difficult years in and out of jail and seeing his relationship with his family suffer, Luis decided to ask for help. He had tried to battle his addiction on his own, and at just 21, recognized that he needed more support. “I’d try to bring myself up and out of it,” he said.…
‘Why can’t someone just fix this?’
Everyone experiencing homelessness has a different story These days we see the tents and camps of those experiencing homelessness all around us. The population of those living on the streets seems to be ballooning in many cities. Why can’t someone just fix this? It’s a question we grapple with, and the answer is simply not…
Director’s Note
At the Mission we strive to make our Life Recovery Program holistic. What that means is we don’t just focus on one thing when it comes to recovery. We address the whole person, and address the issues as if they were interconnected. For instance, most of our clients have experience with homelessness, so we want…
Alex wants stability, and a future with his daughters
Alex was exposed to drugs as a child, smoking marijuana when he was just 8 and starting to experiment with other drugs by the time he was 11. “It was whatever I could get my hands on,” he said. At 13, he started selling. “I was a full-on drug dealer, picking up pounds (of drugs).…
YEARS LATER, ANTHONY IS ‘PROUD’ TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE MISSION PROGRAM
When Anthony arrived at the Mission a few years ago, he was coming off a long time on the streets, including on Skid Row. “If I saw a needle on the ground with a little something in it, I would pick it up and stick it in my arm,” he said. “That’s how bad it…
DIRECTOR’S NOTE – Let’s talk about alumni
This month I connected with five past graduates of our Life Recovery Program, and three clients who didn’t complete the program. These connections fill my heart and encourage me. They remind me to show grace to current clients, especially the troublemakers! In recent years, the Mission has been focusing intently on alumni. We do this…
VICTOR RECOMMITS TO THE PROGRAM, EXPERIENCES THE DIGNITY OF WORK
After being recently dismissed, Victor returned to the Mission’s Life Recovery Program to give it another try. He was welcomed back by the other guys in program, got his things unpacked, and set up near his old bed. Then he said he wanted to head to the thrift store for his vocational training. He was…
