Making A Difference That Matters
Stories that Inspire.
Victories to Celebrate.
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Christina hopes to find stability and freedom from addiction
When asked if she grew up with both parents, Christina takes a pause. She was raised with the man she believed was her father. However, she found out later that her mom had an affair, and she was a product of that. At 5 years old, her mom married her biological father. This was a…
Volunteer helps get running club off the ground
Edgar Rivera first came to the Mission with his church, Calvary Ventura. The group served a meal and Edgar immediately wanted to get more involved. What happened after that first volunteer experience? Something got through to my heart. It was really just an idea I had to tie spiritual and physical health together. That’s what…
Running club offers opportunities to create goals and cross finish lines
When Francisco and his wife first met in high school, they had their whole futures ahead of them. They graduated and Francisco attended college for a few years. They spent 15 years together in Utah, and had two children. But about five years ago, things took a turn. “We had our lives together and then…
Diana is ‘keeping a strong grip’ on Jesus as she heals
As Diana grew older, she felt out of place. When she was 13 years old, Diana learned that she had been adopted as an infant. “I felt betrayed, but finally understood why I didn’t fit in and felt disconnected from other family members,” she said. After learning she had been lied to, tension grew between…
Vocational programs are meant to build ‘confidence in recovery’
This is the third story in a series chronicling “The Journey from Homelessness to Home,” a theme the Ventura County Rescue Mission is honoring this year. This month, we look into the Mission’s vocational programs and how they provide the men with skills, confidence, and hope for the future. Since a very young age, Adam…
LIFE RECOVERY PROGRAM OFFERS VINNY, OTHERS, THE SUPPORT TO HEAL AND GROW
Vinny’s father was an alcoholic, and was abusive to him and his mother. When he was 10, his parents divorced. “We left him,” said Vinny, who lived in Port Hueneme. “So I grew up with a single mother raising three kids. My dad was in and out of the picture. He’d appear and disappear.” When…
AFTER YEARS OF TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE, VICTORIA FINDS HEALING AT THE LIGHTHOUSE
Growing up, Victoria constantly felt less-than. Both of her parents had other children and their affection for them was greater than that for Victoria. “I was told I was unwanted as a child, so I did whatever it took to get any attention from them.” Victoria started harming herself in sixth grade. Over the next…
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
They say that home is where the heart is, but what if your heart is broken? What if your heart is full of sadness, loneliness, and despair? What kind of home is that? For many of our unhoused neighbors, each day is about survival. Each day they are in search of the things that many…
OUTREACH EFFORTS BRING MANY IN NEED, LIKE WILLIAM, TO THE MISSION
After finishing a nearly 20-year prison sentence-serving the first half in San Quintin and the second in Susanville where he trained in wildland firefighting- William wanted to change his life. He had regrets. While he was in prison, his mom had visited. “It was two days before Mother’s Day,” William said. “She looked at me…
VIOLET WORKS THROUGH CHILDHOOD PAIN, REUNITES WITH CHILDREN
Born to a drug addicted mother, Violet was adopted at 5 years old, but after three years, her parents gave up their rights. Violet was adopted again by another couple. “It was not a good experience-a lot like Cinderella’s story,” Violet said. “They had other children that were jealous, they started fostering, and I was…
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
The party might be over but the work continues. As we sweep up the confetti from our 50th anniversary last year, the Ventura County Rescue Mission enters 2023 with anticipation for the next 50 years. Encouraged from stories of the past and bolstered by the extraordinary level of need within our community, we refuse to…
AFTER GRADUATING THE PROGRAM, FRANK TAKES HELM OF KITCHEN AT A SISTER MISSION
Frank has good memories from his childhood, growing up in Oxnard with his parents and two siblings, spending time in the kitchen. “I remember watching my mom cook and helping out when the family got together.” This is when his love for cooking was born. In his 30s, Frank started drinking, and it became so…
