San Diego Rescue Mission

05/27/2026

Just a few days left to DOUBLE your impact through May 31!

Thanks to our $150,000 Board of Directors’ Matching Challenge, every gift will be doubled to provide life changing care and lasting hope for neighbors facing homelessness, addiction, and trauma in the name of Jesus.

Neighbors like Karen. After a year of recovery and restoration, she and her children now have safe housing, and she is attending college and thriving.

Give now while the Matching Challenge is still live and help more families across San Diego County find hope, healing, and a fresh start.
🔗 https://bit.ly/4tALj8a

05/25/2026

💡Jerry's Journey to Mental Stability 💡

Before arriving at the Mission, Jerry had been struggling with homelessness for almost three years. He had untreated bipolar disorder, and when he lost his mother to alcoholism, he lost his support system.

Jerry’s troubles began when his closest school friend got hurt in a van crash resulting in a lifelong coma. To cope, Scott turned to drinking at 11, and by the age of 20, he was in a downward spiral of drug use, hopelessness, and homelessness.

Jerry mostly lived on the streets but when he was living at a local Motel 6, a housekeeper noticed his daily drinking. Feeling the need for change, he confided in her. She shared her sister's positive experience with the San Diego Rescue Mission and encouraged him to enroll in Mission Academy, our one-year rehabilitation program.

His time with us became a turning point in his life. Jerry found renewed faith, received crucial medical attention, and gained access to mental health services, including medication and therapy, which he had been deprived of due to financial constraints. “I’m grateful…I went 20 years without any insurance, and I think that was part of the reason why I didn’t want to get on meds.”

Jerry has gratitude for the holistic approach provided by the Mission, addressing not only his immediate needs for shelter and sustenance but also offering resources for mental and emotional healing, and spiritual development. “I am a child of God and I know he’s got a purpose for my life… Now I just want to deal with the issues and let Him get the glory.”

It is not too late to help one of our Mission Academy Graduates! For close to $100 dollars, you can give a Mission Academy student one night of care including food, shelter and mental health resources and more tools to help them thrive. When you give by the end of today, your gift will have TWICE the power to change lives through our $150,000 May Matching Challenge! https://bit.ly/4kjQvbw

05/23/2026

05/21/2026

Has your life been changed by someone’s kindness or generosity?

At the San Diego Rescue Mission, every man, woman, and child we serve is a reminder of the life changing power of compassion. Your support brings hope to people facing homelessness, and now you have the chance to make that hope last for generations to come.

Legacy giving is about more than money. It is about the values you care about and the impact you want to leave behind. If helping people overcome poverty and hopelessness matters to you, this is a meaningful time to take action.

💛 Anyone can leave a legacy. 👉 Learn how you can create or update your will or trust today and leave a lasting impact: 🔗 www.sdrescue.org/ways-to-give/legacy-giving/

05/19/2026

🏆 Congratulations to Joanna, this year’s Barbara Lee Edwards Scholarship recipient!

The Barbara Lee Edwards Scholarship is awarded at each Mission Academy graduation to a woman who has shown strength, commitment, and hope for the future. The scholarship helps support housing and education as she continues building a new life after graduation.

This scholarship was created in honor of Barbara Lee Edwards, whose story reminds us that healing and hope matter. Through this scholarship, her legacy continues by helping women in our program move forward with confidence and support.

Past recipients include:
• Marissa
• Cherrelle
• Alondra
• Colleen
• Barbara
• Windy
• Jan Marie
• Danielle
• Nekaiya
• Jimika
💛 Want to help change more lives like Joanna’s?

Now through May 31, every gift will be doubled to support Mission Academy and other life-changing programs.

📲 Give now or explore more resources: linktr.ee/sdrescue


📸

05/18/2026

Amanda felt powerless in her family due to a volatile, abusive stepfather who was battling alcoholism. Her silent battle with disordered eating began at age 12, a serious mental health challenge often overlooked. Additionally, she turned to substance abuse to cope with her pain.

Things got worse when Amanda was tragically r***d at the age of 16. “I kind of fell apart after that.”

Slipping into a downward spiral, she bounced from place to place drowning her sorrows in alcohol and drugs. At 20 years old, in the depths of despair, she landed in detox. She found the Rescue Mission shortly after, and things began to drastically change as she took back her life.

"...Not until I came here did my mom tell me that there were possible signs of borderline personality disorder." While at the Mission, Amanda had access to therapy and medical resources and was able to gain a borderline personality disorder diagnosis and treatment.

Amanda is continuing her journey of self-discovery and personal growth, "I know what I love to do...I feel like even if there are hard days...I'm doing pretty good."

May Amanda's resilience inspire others to navigate their own paths toward mental stability and wholeness in the face of adversity.

Do you need help overcoming homelessness? Our focus lies in providing personalized, trauma-informed support to the most vulnerable members of our county. www.sdrescue.org/what-we-do/get-help-now/

05/15/2026

“‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ When you are crushed, you are finally in a position for God to reshape you.”
Moises, Spring 2026 Graduate Speaker

Because of your generosity, 46 students, including one family, graduated this spring from our year long, faith based recovery program for people facing homelessness.

Visit our graduation page to see what it’s all about: www.sdrescue.org/graduations/

05/14/2026

🏆 Shoutout to WeRevive for Being a Partner in Changing Lives!
WeRevive is a local real estate company that cares deeply about the community. They work to improve neighborhoods and help people find safe places to call home.

They started a scholarship for male Mission Academy graduates. The scholarship helps cover housing costs after completing the Rescue Mission’s year long, faith based recovery program.

Their goal is to help one deserving graduate start a new chapter with stable housing and hope for the future.
Past recipients include:
• Randy
• Jesse
• Lorenzo
• Ramon
• Kyle
• D-ray
At this spring’s graduation, the WeRevive Scholarship was awarded to Ezekiel. Congratulations Ezekiel! 🙏

💛 Thank you to WeRevive and all of our amazing partners and supporters. Your generosity is changing lives.

➡️ Want to help end homelessness one life at a time? Learn more at sdrescue.org/corporate-partnerships



📸Gilda Adler Photography

05/13/2026

Nearly 10,000 neighbors are experiencing homelessness in San Diego. More than half are living outside in streets vehicles or encampments and about half are experiencing homelessness for the first time. 80% became homeless right here in San Diego.

We are proud to support some of the 48% who are sheltered or connected to programs and pathways forward.

Watch this news clip with Paul Armstrong for more on what these PIT Count results mean for our region.

Read more about how we are working to solve our county’s number one problem here: www.sdrescue.org/what-we-do/

05/11/2026

Meet Chelsea

Chelsea grew up in Poway, an “A” student with a solid upbringing and a bright future. After her high school best friend murdered her own mother, Chelsea’s classmates turned against her friend and Chelsea.

This trauma caused Chelsea a decade-long struggle with mental health issues and addiction to numb her pain. She spiraled out of control until she lost everything and became homeless. Later, she was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, learning that her biological mother suffered from mental illness.

For five years she survived on the streets. After escaping s*x trafficking, Chelsea met a woman who gave her a Bible and told her that God protected her for a reason. Determined to change her life, she came to the Rescue Mission, ready to embrace God.

“I learned how to take care of my mental health. The Rescue Mission gave me so many tools, therapy, trauma care, grief share, and in-house classes that really helped me overcome a lot of barriers and situations.”

Chelsea is a successful graduate of our Mission Academy program. “My testimony is not over. The chapters are still being written. God’s still writing my story.”

🌐👀 See more stories of people overcoming homelessness here: www.sdrescue.org/real-stories/transformation-videos/