Making A Difference That Matters
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Quinceañera honors special resident on her 15th birthday
A quinceañera is considered a rite of passage for some Hispanic families and as Amber’s 15th birthday was approaching I asked her if she had a wish for that day. She stated that she would love to have a quinceañera, but that she knew that couldn’t happen given their situation. Her family has experienced homeless-ness…
Recent graduate moves on after welcoming, supportive stay
Juanita struggles to reflect on her childhood. “It was so full of trauma that it’s even hard to talk about as an adult,” she said. Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Juanita was brought up by a single mother when she was young. But in her later childhood years, she started getting shuffled around. “I didn’t…
Jim takes unexpected journey to restoration
Seven months ago, a 65-year-old man named Jim came to the Mission’s shower program for the first time. He was kind and unassuming, always carrying a small suitcase and keeping to himself. Jim began to come daily, and staff began to connect with Him. He shared that he had lost his job as a tour…
Peace is restored to a family after two brothers’ healing
George and Sonny grew up in a large and loving home in Northridge, California. They were two of five children to parents that cared for them and made family a priority. They shared weekly family dinners together and enjoyed playing soccer with their older brother Juan Carlos. As children, they saw the effects of alcohol…
Mission celebrates new campus opening in northridge
The Rescue Mission Alliance San Fernando Valley is growing to accommodate Los Angeles’ great need for more effective services for those experiencing homelessness, addiction and poverty. On the evening of April 21, more than 200 local government officials, community members, business owners, and supporters came together to celebrate the opening of the Rescue Mission Alliance…
Jose restores his connection with god after life in gangs, drugs
A turning point came after an altercation at home. Jose was high, and his brother didn’t acknowledge something Jose had said to him. “I thought it was disrespectful that he didn’t (respond) to me,” he said. “We got into an argument-he’d had it with me. I’ve been such a disappointment to him-and I just grabbed…
William refocuses his life to put his son first
William grew up all over Los Angeles, and was raised by a single mother. For years his father was in and out of his life, and William turned to crime in order to survive. While he didn’t go into much detail, William said he saw his first murder when he was just 5 years old.…
Keeping her family together and safe is Sherley’s priority
Sherley and her three children have found security and comfort at Home Again, but the journey to get there has not been easy. Sherley grew up in the Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights area. At the age of 12, her father was deported to Salvador, leaving her mom to raise her with the help of her…
Jon rebuilds himself with God in order to tackle his addition
A couple years ago, Jon had an accident that easily could have resulted in his death. He calls the incident his “rock bottom” and is now accepting it as the wakeup call he needed. “I got to the point where, when I put drugs in my body, I’d be up for days and then I’d…
Pedro reconnects with his children after finding hope to change
Pedro was only 8 years old when he started working full time selling tortillas with his mom in order to support his family, dropping out of school completely when he was in sixth grade. He was raised by his mother in Honduras and is the oldest of five sons. “My father left the home and…
Ashley overcomes hurdles, gets protection for her daughter and family
Ashley didn’t see her father much growing up, as he was in and out of jail. And when she was still a child, her dad got into a fight with her mom and he was deported—she hasn’t seen him since that day. Ashley dropped out of high school in 11th grade when she got pregnant,…
Samuel says ‘the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter’
Samuel was born in Uganda in 1978. He grew up in a loving, Christian home, for the most part, he said, with eighteen siblings-eight boys and ten girls. “I was provided for and we went to good schools-we had enough to live a decent life, by East African standards,” Samuel said. Samuel immigrated to the…
