Road Trip Fellowship

On September 8th, the HOPE for Men program participants was excited to spend the day at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. They were able to fellowship and enjoy the day under the sun. While some of the men headed straight for the water, others were thrilled to just walk in the sand and leave a footprint or two.

The men enjoyed leisure time and then gathered for lunch. After a prayer for the food, everyone humbly enjoyed their sandwiches and chips. They were eager to start a game of volleyball, so they divided into two teams. Although their competitiveness was clearly seen, it was genuinely nice to see them trust one another and their brotherhood as they played.

The time flew by, and it was soon time to return to Merced. The conversations that took place during the car ride home, confirmed how much they enjoyed their time of fellowship with one another.

While in our HOPE for Men and Women program, participants have many opportunities to experience fellowship, wherever they may be. These road trips are in addition to daily devotions, four Bible Studies per week, 10 hours of community service per week, 12 hours of classes per week, Celebrate Recovery and church!

Thank you for keeping our HOPE for Men and Women program going strong throughout the year! You are changing the lives of many men and women in Merced County.

THANK YOU, HILMAR HELPING HANDS!

Thank you, Hilmar Helping Hands, for blessing the Mission with a generous donation of food for our programs! Special thanks to Josh Santos for helping to load the donation with a forklift.

A Privilege to Help

The Mission was privileged for a second year to assist students at the University of San Francisco with the process of moving into their dorms for the new school year. From August 11th-14th, a group from our Men’s Program and Women’s Program, 12 clients and 2 counselors were at the campus in San Francisco to help students check in and then line up to receive a COVID test. The group also directed students (and parents) to their assigned dorms and helped them move into their dorm rooms.

Everyone in our Mission group developed a special bond as they worked hard and as a team. Even though they were tired at the end of each day, they kept smiles on their faces as they enjoyed this opportunity to help others. Many parents even stopped to thank them for all of their smiles!

It was a wonderful experience for all. They felt privileged to represent the Mission as they helped the University of San Francisco students with the moving-in process. Many even shared that this was something they would enjoy doing again, even after they graduate from the Men’s or Women’s Program.

Congrats to our Graduates!

Congratulations to six men and three women who graduated from the Mission program on July 27th at our graduation ceremony. Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate. By the grace of God, you are changed! Hope grows here!

Counseled to Counselor

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

- Isaiah 40:31

DAVID CARR, CADC II, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER -

When I think of being a counselor, I am reminded of the honor it is to be part of a profession that helps clients on a pathway to recovery. I am also reminded of my own pathway that led up to being a counselor. I am a person who struggled with the disease of addiction for over 25 years, and my choices lead me on a pathway that would take me in and out of jails and prisons for many years until I came to the Merced Rescue Mission. I enrolled in the Hope for Men program where I was on a pathway that would lead to recovery.

During this recovery, I began thinking that I needed to change my career from a custom cabinet maker to a counselor. I signed up for the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) with the help of others around me.

The day finally came when I was sitting in class and was about to begin my journey of being a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC I). The instructor informed us that during the next 14 months, we would be challenged to learn and that we would be different people at the end of that time. She was right and going through school challenged me to be a better person. I finished the class and completed 4,000 hours of supervised counseling of others to submit my portfolio to take the state test to be certified as a CADC I. I am grateful to now be a professional counselor, meeting the needs of people and providing direction to others in their training to become counselors as well. I have now been on this counselor pathway for a number of years, and through this process, I have been able to sign off on the training hours for many others who are striving to become counselors themselves. I began pouring myself into other counselors so that they could have the same opportunity that I had.

Today I am a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor II (CADC II), and I am humbly willing to continue to serve to help others and bring co-workers along the same pathway to become professional counselors. 16 people from our staff have pursued training to be a counselor.

MISTY - Being a counselor means I can give back what was given to me. I believe you can only keep what you have by giving it away. It’s an opportunity to help another recovering addict live and not die. Thank you, Jesus! Addicts do recover, one day at a time, one step at a time, and we never have to do this alone!

HANNAH - Being a counselor for me means having the opportunity to help people develop meaningful and lasting relationships with themselves and others around them. I can assist people in finding their truth and living firmly in it with the realization that growth is something we carry with us daily.

DAVID - Becoming an Alcohol and Drug Counselor is very special to me. I believe I have found purpose in life and am confident that I will be able to help others.

RENEE - I have the opportunity to remind people that they matter - their story matters. I am honored to encourage people and let them know there is HOPE and steer them toward the type of environment that encourages growth. I see the whole person - spiritual, physical, and emotional - and share that all these things working together is vital to success.

STEPHEN - There was a time in my life when I was broken and lost. Thanks to the grace of God, a counselor helped me find purpose in my life. He guided me to a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle and to where I am today. As a counselor, I can pour the guidance of Jesus Christ into others. I help others realize they don’t need to use drugs. I help them find true meaning and purpose in their lives. I am a change agent for positive change!

AMANDA - I have been employed with Merced Rescue Mission for almost two years. I am currently the Housing Navigator for the Navigation Center and studying to become a drug and alcohol counselor. Deciding to become a drug and alcohol counselor may not be a path most people choose, but I believe it to be the perfect path for me. Being able to connect with clients while working with them through many different struggles, and knowing I have made a positive impact on someone's life is awesome.

JENNIFER - I am the Director of the Navigation Center and a Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician (RADT). I chose to go into this field because I am also a recovering addict. I know the struggles of addiction and have a passion for helping others understand and overcome their addictions.

BOBBY - I am called to give back and being a counselor helps me do that. I have emotional conversations, as people have with friends, where I practice being the person who actively listens and supports the other person. It’s a rewarding career for those who choose to invest themselves in helping clients.

MARK - I am able to help guide others to make healthier choices the way others helped me.

JENNIFER - Being a counselor means I am a change agent. I help people understand what they have been through and give them the tools to help get through the challenges they face. Most importantly, I let people know they are not alone.

MARISSA - I am part of something big. I am a part of helping someone change their future.

ACE Overcomers named Central Valley Opportunity Fund Grantee in collaboration with UC Merced and Merced Mission

ACE Overcomers, in partnership with Merced County Navigation Center and UC Merced, will launch a new program to provide individuals experiencing homelessness with life skills training to help them move toward employment and housing stability.

Funded by a grant from the Central Valley Opportunity Fund at the Central Valley Community Foundation, ACE Overcomers’ “Building Healthy Life Skills” project draws on a proven curriculum to address the effects of childhood trauma on teens and adults through evidence-based intervention.

“We are excited to collaborate with our partners at the Merced County Navigation Center and UC Merced Translational Research Center on this innovative project to address the psycho/social needs of individuals experiencing homelessness,” said Dave Lockridge, Founder, and CEO of ACE Overcomers. “Individuals in residence at the Navigation Center will have the opportunity to attend ACE Overcomers Building Healthy Life Skills classes that will give them the tools necessary to overcome some of the barriers they may be facing as a result of experienced trauma. UC Merced’s Transitional Research Center will study and evaluate the effectiveness of the program in real-time.”

“None of this would be possible without the funding provided by the Central Valley Opportunity Fund,” Lockridge continues. “The Fund’s commitment to addressing the underlying issues contributing to homelessness in our community and their trust in our vision to doing this work means so much. We are grateful for their support!”

The Central Valley Opportunity Fund (CVOF) is dedicated to improving the lives of residents of the greater Merced community. Founded in 2017 by private, philanthropic investors with a passion for Merced, CVOF is administered by the Central Valley Community Foundation (CVCF). Prioritizing three focus areas - Youth Development, Economic & Workforce Development, and Housing & Homelessness - CVOF seeks to utilize the power of collective impact philanthropy by serving as a catalyst to draw in additional public and private resources and establishing regional partnerships to pursue strategic, research-driven investments aimed at equitable, lasting, and systemic change.

For more information about the Building Healthy Life Skills project and other ACE Overcomers programs, please visit: www.aceovercomers.org

For more information on the Central Valley Opportunity Fund and other Central Valley Community Foundation funds, please visit: www.centralvalleycf.org

To learn more, click here.

Quilts of Love

Quilting group from Hilmar

We have all heard the phrase, “A stitch in time saves nine.” A group of ladies in Hilmar have been lovingly stitching quilts together to change and save lives. Through their hard work and generous spirits, they are making a difference in the lives of many. Their quilts provide warmth, beauty and cheer to people in our Mission programs. The colorful quilt hanging in the lounge for the Hope for Families apartments, located on the Village of Hope campus, brightens the day for families with young children staying there. The child-size quilts also bring joy to the children. Men and women in the Hope for Veterans apartments, also located on the Village of Hope campus, are enjoying the patriotic theme on the quilt that brightens their lounge. In addition, the quilts provide warmth and beauty to make the living quarters for the women in the Hope for Women program bright and cheerful.

Jenifer Schaper, Hilmar High School Home Economics teacher, started an adult quilting group in her classroom in 2007. In 2013 when Jenifer retired, the group needed a place to meet. A shop at one of the ladies’ homes was quickly converted into a sewing room.

Several ladies approached Jenifer and Yvonne, the leaders of the group, asking if they would consider starting a second group. In 2015 that happened. Both groups started with a mutual interest in quilting. It has led to great friendships and fellowship. The ladies find it a bonus to share their quilts with the Merced Rescue Mission.

The Mission wants to express its gratitude to the quilting group in Hilmar for their wonderful contribution that brings warmth, love, and joy to so many on a daily basis.

Pictured here are women in the Hope for Women program who are recipients of some of the quiltes.