I came to the Merced Rescue Mission when it was located on Canal Street when I became homeless. I remember sleeping on a yoga mat on the floor and being grateful to be out of the cold.
Over the years, I stayed with the Rescue Mission in their transitional program for men. I have come a long way on this journey. I am now in my own apartment and so thankful for everything the Merced Rescue Mission has done for me.
Read more powerful testimonies from Mission participants, click here.
Hi, my name is Mona Lisa. Before coming to the Hope for Women program, I was incarcerated. I had a long history of using drugs and going to rehab. I would never be where I am today without the Lord. I graduated from the Hope for Women program. I now have a job, a relationship with my dad, a relationship with my husband, and can now fight to get my children back. Regardless of my past, or what the judge decides, I will keep fighting to get to see my kids. I give all the glory and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ! Thank you, Merced Rescue Mission and the Hope for Women program!
“I found myself in Los Banos shortly after getting in an argument with my younger brother while driving up north. It just happened to be the first town we came across after our talking ceased. He unloaded my wheelchair and some of my belongings in a hospital parking lot and wished me good luck. I had first heard of the Merced Mission a couple of days later while lying in Los Banos memorial hospital anxiously contemplating what to do after my impending discharge. I had serious doubts regarding what they could do for me and was expecting something akin to the homeless shelter that I provided medical care for in Santa Monica. I was extremely surprised to find a new wheelchair-accessible van waiting to take me to the Mission’s respite house in LB. Bobby, Jason, Jamie, Anthony, and the rest of the staff at the house were amazingly proactive and resourceful in helping me with everything that I needed, whether I requested it or not. They had even found $500 to pay for my prescriptions. I had gotten well enough to move out of the respite house and into the Mission’s local SLE. I’m currently working with an associated housing resource which has given me a second chance at living a full and productive life, thanks to the rescue mission. I truly don’t know what my life would be like without all these beautiful people.”
With its commercial kitchen, the new Hope Respite Care facility on the Village of Hope campus will need a Kitchen Manager. Jolene, a graduate of our Hope for Women program, has been hired to fill this position. Her experience working as the assistant to the Navigation Center Kitchen Manager has proved that she will be a valuable asset.
My name is Jolene. Within two years of being released after serving a fifteen-year sentence at Chowchilla’s Women’s Facility, I was arrested and spent two years at Sandy Mush Correctional Facility. I was looking at a life sentence and I was at my rock bottom once again. I have never really believed in any kind of faith or God. Every week the Merced County Jail Ministry would come into the jail, Ms. Gina would always make time to come talk to me. She began to pray with me and over me, she also started talking to me about the Merced Rescue Mission and their Hope for Women program. I applied and decided that I needed to believe in something bigger than me. I made the decision to believe in God and have faith that God would carry me through this time. I was accepted into the Hope for Women program and have since graduated from the program. I have a full-time job with the Merced Rescue Mission serving at the Navigation Center. I am clean and sober and living my best life today. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for God, Ms. Gina coming in with the Jail Ministry and the Merced Rescue Mission.
Hi, my name is Jesse. I’m here to give witness to how my Lord and Savior redeemed, restored, and strengthened my life through the Merced Rescue Mission.
My life’s purpose is to give hope to those who are struggling and are fighting the same fight I did. My life has taken me on a path through who I was in the past, and what brought me to Merced Rescue Mission. Through the Rescue Mission, I have become the person I am today.
I’m a recovering meth addict who suffered many years of being incarcerated, living that life of that revolving door. At the age of 16, living on my own, then to prison, I had no source of direction. I had no purpose in life, and I didn’t understand why I was put on this earth.
In 2015, I came to the Mission and reached out for help. I needed hope, and my life was falling apart. My family and children wanted nothing to do with me because of my addiction. I went through the Mission program many times. The people at the Mission showed me so much grace and didn’t give up on me. In 2019, I finally surrendered my will to the Lord and committed myself to the Hope for Men program. After nine months, I completed the program, and I was able to put what I learned from the Mission into action. I now have my driver’s license at the age of 50! I did not have it until now. The Mission and Restore Merced have shown me a good work ethic. I now have a full-time career as a maintenance engineer at a nice hotel. By putting God first in my life, God has made all things possible. I have a purpose in life, and I am doing His will in my life. My life has been restored through Jesus Christ. There is HOPE and freedom in Jesus. God bless you!
My name is Jacob, and I am a recovering meth-addict. I began using at the age of 16 and have suffered from this addiction for over 20 years. Now, 38 years old, I have been in and out of jail since I began using. It seemed I would never learn my lesson. The last time I was on probation I remember my probation officer telling me he was going to discharge me from probation, even though he knew I had used a month before. He told me, “Jacob, I’m going to let you hang yourself.” I was shocked, but he was right. Six years later, on December 3, 2019, I would be arrested for an attempted car jacking and several other crimes. I already knew I had one strike on my record. At my court date I was notified by my public defender that I was facing a life sentence and that they were trying to strike me out. I fought my case for eight months believing I was going to prison for the rest of my life. God blessed me when I was told that they had made a mistake on my case. I was released from prison on March 29, 2021. Since then I have learned to have people as an important part of my accountability team. I entered the Merced County Navigation Center operated by the Merced Rescue Mission and there I met staff members who had been in a similar position to mine. I am very thankful for the Navigation Center and the staff. Without their influence I would not have made important changes in my life and made significant progress. I was reluctant to leave the Navigation Center, but I was encouraged to take a spot in the Rescue Mission’s Transition to Hope (Sober Living) house where a bed had opened up. After two months of residing in the Transition to Hope house, my Service Coordinator (Case Manager), Warren, encouraged me to apply for a resident advisor position. I am now a resident advisor, have a paying job, and I am looking at an early discharge from parole. All of this due to God’s grace and the very special people from the Rescue Mission who have helped and supported me. I cannot thank God enough for watching over me and sending people my way who have had my best interest in mind.
My name is Boone, and I was an addict for many years. I started using meth at the age of 27, and it became my drug of choice. I lost everything, including my kids, my home & my own life. No one was important to me, only the drugs I craved. I was homeless, lost and confused. I got locked up for two years. When I was eligible to be released from county jail, I asked for a program and I was assigned to drug court. I remained in drug court from 2008-2012. It was in 2008 that I was able to get sober. With God’s help and the help of the Merced Rescue Mission, I have been able to remain sober since that time. While I did not go through the program at the Rescue Mission, it was through my connection with the Rescue Mission that I was able to stay out of trouble. After working as a volunteer for the Mission for a number of years, I am now an employee with the Merced Rescue Mission. I owe my life to the Mission as they have helped me to stay clean and sober now for 12 years.
My life has changed a great deal. Now I have my kids in my life, a home, a job, and my own car. I don’t have to worry about waking up and figuring out where my next meal is coming from. I love my sober life! It’s wonderful to call myself a father because I was not there for my kids or for my wife. I am so grateful for the role the Rescue Mission has played in my life and for the way God has worked to transform my life. I just hope that the change God has brought about in my life will be a witness to others so that they can also experience this wonderful change in their lives. Staying sober and trusting in God is a real blessing in my life and has given me back my family.
My name is Tracey. I was an addict from the age of 9. Addiction was all I knew until I came to the Mission. It means more than words can explain to work here since this is the organization that helped me stay connected to Christ by accountability and spiritual growth. I hope to shine the light of Jesus on others as it was shined on me! I hope to spark change in others' lives! Thank you again, Merced Rescue Mission!
Hello, my name is Sabrina. I was an addict for most of my life, and in and out of jail. I was living homeless on the streets until I entered the Mission's Hope for Women program. It's amazing to be working for the Mission that saved my life. I love being able to give back to those who are where I once was. I feel my experience will help participants by showing them there is HOPE. If I can change my life, then anyone can.
Hi, my name is Michelle. I'm 28 and from Chowchilla. I grew up in a church, yet somehow, I went down the road of destruction, which led me to live like an animal. I was hopeless, depressed, and angry. With my mind full of good and a body full of drugs, I became desperate for change and went through a Mission program. Now I am part of the Mission team. Being able to help and give back what was given to me makes my heart happy. I hope everyone I help can see what God has done in my life and they will want the same.
My name is Melissa, and this is my testimony. I have a long history of drug abuse and tried to get clean many times. I failed and never quite understood why until I entered the Merced County Rescue Mission. In the Mission program, I learned many techniques and tools that I needed to build a foundation. Not just any foundation, a foundation built on God. Today I have two years and 9 months of sobriety and am so grateful. I have my life back and get to help others find a new life filled with HOPE, joy, and new beginnings. I know my story is helping others. My support team, the Mission, and my coworkers continue to guide me and give me strength, HOPE, and wisdom through my heavenly Father.
Hello, my name is Marissa. Before the Mission, I was a mess and dealing with a lot of pain from my past - things that were done to me and my own choices and reactions to the pain. I went into the Mission's Hope for Women program on June 8, 2015, and graduated a year later. I worked hard and got my kids back. My life has been nothing but blessed since allowing God to come in and heal me. He will always be my foundation and my guide for everything in life. I am thankful to be working for the same program that I so proudly graduated from. It means so much to me to help women to see their worth through God's eyes. I know God will always use my experiences for good. I pray they will help other women in the program succeed.
Hi, my name is Jolene. After serving a 15-year sentence, I re-entered society feeling lost and weighed down by old and new challenges. With only $200 dollars in my pocket upon release, I leaned on God and found the Mission. At the Mission, I found fellow brothers and sisters with similar backgrounds and experiences which really made an impact on me and created enthusiasm in me that I never felt before. It was a lot of support to success from people who already overcame or who were overcoming the same challenges - and I thought, "If God can do that with them, then maybe He could do that with me too."
Now I'm a house manager for one of the Mission's Bridging Houses, helping women gain the same direction and foundation that I and so many others here at the Mission have found in God. I also work at the Navigation Center, which works in partnership with Merced County. I meet people in a very delicate state, and I can relate to that. I feel responsible for encouraging them and being a friendly and understanding person they can turn to. Only Jesus and His work through my past experiences could have prepared me for this role; the Mission helped fine-tune me, and now I'm here to serve and help the same way others have done for me.
Some participants will say, "You don't understand" or "You don't know what I've been through". After getting to know me, they find someone who can relate, who can sit with them as an ally and model the thought process out of their dilemma. This is important, impactful, and deeply rewarding.
Hi, my name is Jeremiah. I come from a mixed background of trials and tribulations. I was lost before I found the guiding light of the Rescue Mission. Working for the Mission gives me the opportunity to pay it forward. The Mission inspires me to be a better father, brother, and better Christian. Helping the lost gives me the opportunity to offer guidance. We may not have had the same struggle, but I can relate to my brothers and sisters. We are here for each other. Amen.
Hello, my name is Jennifer. I was addicted to meth and found myself facing a 12-year prison sentence in 2012. The judge had grace on me and sent me to complete a Mission program. I had lost custody of my daughter, and the program saved my life. I learned about God and learned valuable skills which helped me to regain custody of my daughter. After graduating from the Mission, I became part of the Mission team. I can share with the women in our programs about my experience, and how important it is to get a foundation in Christ - and to build on it. It helps give the women faith that they can do it too.
Hi, my name is Dorothy. I spent 8 1/2 years in prison. My daughter went into protective custody, and then I lost my mother. When I got out, I had nothing and felt alone. I spent 10 months in a program in Atwater, then applied for a program at the Rescue Mission. I needed to find a purpose and was crying out to God for help. My life changed, God opened my eyes, my purpose is to help others and share my experiences, my losses, and my HOPE to everyone that I can. The Mission gave me my first job ever. I am now married and have my own place. I am so grateful to God and the Merced Rescue Mission for the opportunity. I will continue to pass that on to the people around me. Thank you!
Hello, my name is David Carr. I spent over 25 years in and out of prison, addicted to anything I could get my hands on. I had no hope and drugs were my life. It's humbling, and an honor to work with people who come into the Mission. My attitude of gratitude is, "I get to work" at the Rescue Mission. I've walked the same path as a lot of folks that come through, and I never forget what it's like on the first day when you're fighting the battle on the inside. I understand the fight, and through my own personal experience and growth, I can prayerfully encourage others that it will be okay.
Hi, my name is Cecilia. I am a mother of five kids. I used drugs and I was homeless for about a year and a half when I went to jail for two years. When I got out in February of 2020, I was at a residential program in Atwater for eight months and graduated from Tranquility. Then I went to a Mission program and graduated. I am a recovering drug addict who learned to overcome my fears, my Giants, and got a job. I am living proof. I am part of the Mission team and showing others if I can do it, there is HOPE, they can change too, it's never too late.
My name is Stephen and finding the Merced Rescue Mission was in God’s anointed timing. I was going through a difficult time in my life and was faced with many obstacles. I had financial hardships, legal matters, and a crumbling marriage. An acquaintance told me about the Mission and I reached out. I was housed in their Transition to Hope program and they advocated for me with my legal matters.
I was able to continue with my sobriety by keeping my faith in God and following His lead and guidance. I was given the opportunity to be part of the team. I can share my story, strength, and hope to others with addictions. I knew I could contribute by being an example of positive lasting change, and by offering my story. Thanks to the grace of God and the help of the Mission. I am now studying to be a drug and alcohol addiction counselor and I am fulfilling a lifelong dream.
My name is Sunnie, and I have been an addict since age 15. I had to realize I had to do it for myself before I could do it for anyone else. I also realized I needed God more than I needed anything or anyone.
I feel very blessed that the Mission gave me the chance to prove to myself that I could work again. They had faith in me when I didn’t have faith in myself, and that was an awesome feeling. I went through the Hope for Women program twice. The first time I lasted two months. I graduated from the 9-month program the second time. Now I want to show people how great you can be on the other side with God by your side.
I have patience and understanding now and when you show people that you care, you can change lives. It may not happen overnight but remembering where you came from and where you are now is important. The Mission helped me change my life and now I want to help the Mission change more lives.
