Welcoming blessings, big and small, in 2022

2021 was a blessed year for the Rescue Mission Alliance San Fernando Valley and heading into 2022 the blessings have continued.

Let’s start with the BIG news: It’s a girl! Late last year, Baby Sophia was born to one of our clients and we have loved having her here while the rest of her family gets back on their feet. She was immediately adopted by the entire staff of Home Again and now has 13 self-appointed aunts and uncles.

In other news, after a long time of planning and looking for the right location, the Rescue Mission Alliance San Fernando Valley is blessed to announce that we have purchased a newly built, five-building property in Northridge in order to expand our programs.

This long-term, Life Recovery Program will be located just around the corner from Home Again, and will allow us to focus our reach and connections in the Valley. Our goal is to bring a renewed sense of hope to people in need in our community. It’s our goal to make this facility the gold standard of what the Rescue Mission Alliance offers to the most vulnerable members of our society and sets an example for every guest of the quality of life they should expect for themselves when they graduate our program.

Home Again has made great strides in family services despite the restrictions placed on us due to COVID. This year, 10 families successfully graduated our program, secured housing, and are no longer considered homeless. Two families were reunified with their children and both families had Department of Children and Family Services cases closed during their stay as a direct result of our program.

In the month of July, all of our teens attended and heard for the first time an orchestra in concert. And despite COVID, we managed to reconnect our families to churches throughout the Valley, even adding a new church partner for our Spanish speaking families (Iglesia Poder De Dios). This is a church where both adults and children can learn and grow in the word of God.

Thanks to our community partner Dignity Health, we were able to repurpose our computer room to serve as a multipurpose room. It is now being used as a space for tutoring, intake interviews, counseling, case management meetings and a small Bible study class. It is also used as our prayer or meditation room for Home Again families and staff when it’s needed.

Last year our outdoor eating area and playground received some love and care from volunteers from our wonderful partner, The Church at Rocky Peak.

In short, through these trying times, the San Fernando Valley continues to see the importance of helping its neighbors. We are grateful for all of you and look forward to what 2022 brings. Please reach out and become a part of the daily miracles that God provides at the Rescue Mission Alliance San Fernando Valley.