Merced Rescue Mission

10/13/2026

Michael's Story of Hope -
I was born in Modesto, California, and grew up with my two older sisters. My father struggled with alcohol, which made life at home difficult. Many days, it felt like we were walking on eggshells, never knowing what to expect.

When I was 22 years old, my mother was diagnosed with stage-four brain cancer and passed away just one month later. Losing her devastated our family. Not long afterward, I began using prescription pain medications, including Norco and OxyContin, along with co***ne. At the time, I convinced myself that the party lifestyle helped me cope with the pain. I continued working and appeared to function normally, but addiction was quietly taking hold of my life.

Before my mother's passing, I had moved to Southern California to pursue music, playing in bars and anywhere our band could find a venue. During that time, I also studied fitness and strength training online, hoping to become a personal trainer. After my mother's death, I returned briefly to Modesto before relocating to Sacramento, where my addiction continued to grow.

From 2017 through 2022, I relied on a m**hadone clinic to manage my addiction while continuing to work. I lived in the Sacramento area for about 15 years and went through several unhealthy relationships that enabled my lifestyle. By 2024, I was sharing a home with friends who were also using drugs and partying. Nearly everything I earned went toward drugs and alcohol. Eventually, I lost my housing and found myself homeless for several weeks.

I knew I needed help, but I didn't know where to turn. My sister and her husband, who had also experienced recovery, told me about the Merced County Rescue Mission. In January 2025, I entered the Hope for Men program.

The beginning wasn't easy, but the program's curriculum, the compassion of the facilitators, and the genuine care shown by the staff helped transform my life. In December 2025, I graduated from the Hope for Men program. Today, I work in Operations and Maintenance at the Merced County Rescue Mission, and I am studying through the Department of Education to become a certified electrician.

As a child, I attended church regularly, but I never truly had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Through my time at the Rescue Mission, I was given the opportunity to place my faith in Christ as my Lord and Savior. That decision has changed my life in ways I never imagined. Today, I have purpose, peace, fulfillment, and joy, all things I had never truly experienced before.

I am deeply grateful to the Merced County Rescue Mission for welcoming me with compassion, believing in me, and helping me build a new life. I will always be thankful for the hope I found there and for the opportunity to live with purpose, one day at a time.

10/10/2026

GIVE THE GIFT OF A MEAL
Help Feed Our Neighbors This Holiday Season
Merced County Rescue Mission's Annual Food Drive is now through December 18.

A simple donation can make a meaningful difference.

Please donate canned goods and non-perishable foods to help provide meals for low-income families and individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.

Your donations help provide food for Mission programs throughout the year and make our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday banquets possible - serving more than 1,000 people each holiday season.

OUR MOST-NEEDED HOLIDAY ITEMS
Stuffing Mix - #10 Cans of Corn - #10 Cans of Green Beans

Drop off your donations at Merced County Rescue Mission, 644 W. 20th Street, Merced.

WANT TO HELP EVEN MORE?
Businesses & Churches: Host a food collection at your location! Call us to request a food collection barrel and help us gather food for our neighbors in need!

Together, we can help fill a table - and a heart.

10/09/2026

The Tough Decision, by David Carr
As I look at the men's program, I am reminded of how difficult it is for someone to walk through our doors with no hope, broken by addiction, and physically sick from years of drug use. I know what that feels like because I have been there myself.

Making the decision to enter a recovery program is one of the toughest decisions a person will ever make. Addiction convinces you that you cannot live without the very thing that is destroying your life. Fear of withdrawal, fear of failure, and fear of the unknown often keep people trapped for years.

I remember what it was like to believe there was no way out. My life had become unmanageable, and hope seemed impossible to find. But the day I made the decision to ask for help was the day everything began to change. It wasn't easy. Recovery required honesty, humility, hard work, and a willingness to trust God even when I couldn't see what was ahead.

Every person who enters our program faces that same difficult choice. They leave behind the only life they have known and step into a future filled with uncertainty. Some arrive with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Many have lost their families, their jobs, and their self-respect. Yet despite all of that, they have taken the first step toward a new life.

At the Mission, we don't just offer a bed and a meal. We offer HOPE. We provide a safe place where people can begin to heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually. They learn life skills, build healthy relationships, develop a strong work ethic, and most importantly, discover that God has a purpose for their lives.

Recovery is not easy, but it is worth it. Every success story began with one difficult decision - the decision to say, "I can't do this on my own anymore."

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, don't wait for tomorrow. Make the tough decision today. It may be the hardest choice you'll ever make, but it could also become the greatest decision of your life. THERE IS HOPE, THERE IS HEALING, and with God's help, there is always a NEW BEGINNING.

To learn about our programs, visit the About section of our website. To refer anyone to any of our programs, call the Mission office at (209) 722-9269. The office is open Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We're closed for lunch from 12:30-1:00 p.m.

https://www.mercedcountyrescuemission.org/

10/08/2026

Growing Hope, One Story at a Time -
At Hope Respite, transformation happens every day, and much of that is thanks to the incredible dedication of Trina, our Peer Navigator and Activities Coordinator.
Two days each week, Trina fills the program with engaging, spirit-filled & spirit-lifting activities that bring our community together through laughter, encouragement, and meaningful connection.

One of the most impactful aspects of her work is creating a safe, loving space where members can share their personal testimonies and celebrate how far they’ve come on Testimonial Thursdays (resident edition). In addition to having the residents share, Trina welcomes Hope Respite staff to share their testimonials of hope and resilience, helping to break down barriers and build genuine trust between staff and members.

We’ve watched members with the hardest shells and barriers come out of their comfort zones and discover renewed confidence and a fresh perspective. These powerful moments remind everyone who comes into Hope Respite that healing is possible, not only for their bodies, but, more importantly, their spirit, their mind, and soul. Her contagious overflow of the Holy Spirit continues to inspire hope and create the kind of supportive community where long-term change can truly take root.

She also makes sure to encourage our residents and our staff by letting them know that, if they’re in a position of feeling down, discouraged, or anxious, she’s available for encouragement or prayer, depending on the need. Through her compassion, creativity, and unwavering commitment, Trina has helped open doors for healing, friendship, lasting rehabilitation, and meaningful associations that they know that they can carry with them even after their recuperative care here at Respite is over.

Thank you, Trina, for the heart, joy, and encouragement you bring to Hope Respite each and every day. Your impact in Christ here at Hope Respite reaches far beyond activities. You are helping change lives, one person and one story at a time.

10/07/2026

Remembering Scott Dustin: A Cherished Member of the Mission Community -
Scott Dustin was a beloved member of the Merced Rescue Mission family. Like many of our staff, Scott was a graduate of the Hope for Men program and went on to spend many years serving the Mission.

Scott had a gift for fixing things and was always willing to put his skills to work. Whether repairing walls, painting, cleaning, or caring for the landscaping, his work made a lasting difference throughout the Village of Hope campus and the Mission’s many facilities.

Scott often carried a tough exterior, but beneath it was a man who genuinely cared about people. He was a helper at heart and would go to great lengths to lend a hand to someone in need. In his spare time he loved to fish.

Most importantly, Scott loved the Lord. We are grateful for the years we shared with him, for the many ways he served others, and for the memories he leaves with us. We take comfort in knowing that Scott is now in the presence of his Savior, enjoying the eternal kingdom Jesus has prepared for all who believe.

10/07/2026

Thank you to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for donating 25 pallets of food. Lowe's of Merced allowed us to use their parking lot for the distribution and provided the forklift to help unload and move the pallets. Volunteers helped pack hygiene kits that our ECM workers will distribute to people experiencing homelessness in Merced. Volunteers also helped load vehicles with the food to be distributed across our program locations.

10/07/2026

Sam, one of our Hope for Men participants, was baptized at Summit Church this summer. Praise the Lord!

10/06/2026

Mike's Story of Hope -
I was born here in Merced, the third of four. My parents divorced when I was a baby, and I didn’t meet my father until I was around thirteen. When I was 15, my mother and stepdad moved us to Los Banos, and it was then that I dropped out of school to go to work. At the age of seventeen, I began to use crystal m**h, which took me down a path of destruction that went on for longer than I expected.

At eighteen, I was arrested for possession of an illegal substance and spent a week in jail. After my release, I didn’t change my ways, but instead I ran headlong into my debauchery. My attitude was that I wouldn’t listen to anyone trying to help me, and that led to me being arrested at nineteen and given a four-year sentence. Upon my release and for the next decade, I spent more time in prison than I did outside of prison. During that time, eighty-two days was the longest time between my prison terms.

In 2010, I was released from incarceration for the last time. I found a job in Los Banos, and within two years I was promoted to a supervisor position. I was doing well. Unfortunately, in 2015, I relapsed.

While in my addiction, I was in a horrific motorcycle accident which resulted in sixty-one broken bones, losing most of my teeth, and roughly forty percent of my skin was lost due to sliding two hundred yards on the road. I was transported to Davis Medical Center, where I spent two and a half months recuperating. Upon my release and with nowhere to go, I became homeless for the next six years, doing what I could to survive and support my addiction. I knew I needed help and change.

In 2022, with my mother needing someone to care for her, I decided to move in with my mother and cared for her until her passing three years later. It was during this time with my mother that I began listening to Christian broadcasting. I rededicated my life to Jesus Christ, and it was also during this time that my mother and I were baptized on the same night during a Celebrate Recovery meeting at Yosemite Church.

My life was turned around, and in 2023 I began working at the Merced County Rescue Mission. I started at the Sobering Center as a peer support person for six months before being offered a position at the Respite Care facility in Los Banos as the Service Coordinator. I now work as the Program Manager there, which I truly love doing. Helping people with their homelessness and physical needs reminds me of the help I was given, and for that I will continue to serve our community in this capacity. Thank you, my LORD and Merced County Rescue Mission, for this amazing opportunity.

08/06/2026

So far this year at the Mission -
110 men and women found permanent housing
185,763 nutritious meals were served
64,036 nights of safety and restful sleep were provided
19 men and women committed their lives to Christ

We currently have 329 participants enrolled in our Hope programs. We've helped 44 individuals graduate from Homeless Court.

These numbers represent lives being changed, and none of it would be possible without your faithful prayers, generous donations, and volunteer support. Thank you for being part of the Mission's work!

To learn more about our programs, including Homeless Court, please visit:
https://www.mercedcountyrescuemission.org/

To refer anyone to any of our programs, call the Mission office, (209) 722-9269.

The Merced County Rescue Mission offers life-changing programs and provides hope to the homeless and needy people of Merced County.

08/04/2026

The Hope for Men program participants spent a day in the sun in Santa Cruz. They enjoyed fellowship and a fun day out together.

These trips are so meaningful to our participants, as they live and grow together. Thank you for your support of our faith-based programs!