Michael Darden is director of RMA VC.

This year, we will share the many ways the Mission opens doors

“Wait, where are my keys,” I asked myself. Then came that sinking feeling, the one you get when you realize you’ve locked yourself out. There I stood, in the middle of the parking lot, staring at my locked car door, willing it to open. But alas, it would not.

I could see my keys, sitting right there on the center console. They were close, so agonizingly close. Just a few feet away but effectively unobtainable. I continued jiggling the handle to no avail. I tried the keyless entry button but nope—deciding I was either a security risk or seeking revenge, my door remained unyielding. I joggled every door and window with increasing vigor as my car silently mocked me. Eventually, I tried the trunk and to my amazement it opened. Yes, I did it!

However, my victory quickly turned to humiliation as I began to understand the reality of what I must do next. There was only one way to reach my keys, and it would not be pretty. So, I swallowed my pride and dove headfirst into the trunk. My body half in, half out, legs thrashing about in an effort to propel the whole lot of me into the tiny bit of passageway that I had to traverse. Farther and farther into the cavernous trunk I squirmed and floundered and crawled, finally reaching the console where I triumphantly claimed my hard-earned prize. Then with equal parts of grace and composure I emerged victoriously from the car to a quickly dispersing yet wildly entertained crowd.

This is an example of what they call a first-world problem. A somewhat frustrating but ultimately non-life altering situation. My annoyance with locked doors and inaccessibility to amenities pales greatly in comparison to the many people who daily find themselves locked out of basic necessities, accommodations and opportunities that most of us take for granted.

Tonight, there will be families who will struggle to find sufficient food to feed their children. Others will endeavor to find a warm, safe place to sleep. There are many individuals who desire to better their situations but are lacking viable opportunities or are facing personal issues or setbacks which require the assistance of others. How frustrating and demoralizing must it be to look around to see food, shelter, sobriety, employment and other necessities that are so very close and enjoyed by others but essentially unobtainable to them?

This is where the ministries of Rescue Mission Alliance Ventura County can help. Opening doors that help to change lives for good is what we do. Together with our many community partners, we provide what we call the 3 Rs: Refuge, Recovery and Restoration. This means access to daily needs such as food, clothing and shelter, as well as support with addiction recovery, education, employment, family reconciliation, housing, and spiritual renewal.

In this newsletter you will meet J.R., who entered our Life Recovery Program several years ago without options or hope, and struggling with addiction. Soon he was sober, developed a relationship with Christ, reconciled with family, and found employment and housing. A few years later, J.R. returned to the Mission, this time as an employee. Now he spends each day helping to open doors for others so they too may access recovery and restoration.

It some point, each of us has benefited from someone who helped to open a closed door. Perhaps it was a teacher providing a college reference letter, an acquaintance putting in a good word with an employer, a manager who took a risk and recommended a promotion. We have all needed assistance and access from others to succeed.

This year we invite you to join us in opening doors for those in need. Will you partner with us through prayer, volunteering, networking and financial support? With your help, we can provide access to desperately needed resources and opportunities so people in need can find refuge, recovery and restoration.

Michael Darden
Director, RMA Ventura County