RMA VV Director, Bill Edwards

Freedom is hard to come by for the unhoused

What is the thing we will do next? In most of our lives we have great autonomy to choose what is next in our day, week, and years. Maybe we have a lot on our to-do lists today or we have a vacation coming up for which to prepare—we have so much freedom to do these things and make these choices.

Even when a person is experiencing homelessness, they may still have big plans. They may wake up that day and have the best intentions to achieve those goals. Then IT happens. What I mean by “it” is simply life and the circumstances they are in day by day. They wake up and all their things are stolen, or someone has attacked them—and that can be because they simply are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I have also seen instances where an individual has what seems like everything, and it’s all going right and, in an instant, they were left without any resources and become homeless. Now the person facing these challenges has a decision to make about what to do next, and that is where the Mission and our community resources can help.

Every week we have one of these scenarios come to the Mission, and staff and volunteers are there to help the individual on their next steps. After 17 years of being with the Mission, I have had the privilege of being part of this team, helping hundreds of people to make the next best choice. Now I wish I could tell you the decision to enter our Life Recovery Program was always made, but that’s not always the case. So we pray for those strongholds of addiction and alcoholism to be broken. We do not know who will make the decision next to choose a recovery program or choose another path out of homelessness, but we will be here for them when they do.

Thank you for your gifts to the Mission’s work of offering life-saving resources to our local broken, lost and hurting neighbors to do the next right choice.

God bless you,Bill Edwards, Director

If you would like to help by volunteering or donating, you can call Mission at 760-955-5958. We have many opportunities available for you to serve those in need.