The mission has accomplished so much. In this last year we celebrated 20 years of service to the Victor Valley community, and the number of lives that have been changed in that time is amazing. All of this work has been made possible by the grace of God and the partnership of our donors.

After 40 years of drinking, Bob had followed his brother’s example from a decade earlier, and entered the Life Recovery Program. Bob graduated in February, has moved to independent living, was rehired by his employer who held his job for him, and has stayed sober and drug-free since his graduation. “The program is amazing. … to anybody who needs it, I’ll take them there right now. It’s totally life changing and life rebuilding.”

Joseph spent more than half of his life in prison before coming to the mission. “I lived my life like I didn’t really care. I just thought, ‘I don’t have a future; I don’t have anything to live for.’ I believe now that my life is valuable.” Joseph is still full-time self-employed driving for Swift transportation interstate and is committed member of his church and has remained sober and drug-free since his graduation.

This past fall, we celebrated 20 years of service to our High Desert neighbors experiencing hunger and homelessness with a banquet, stories from our graduates, and a great mosaic visual of how we all come together to Change Lives for Good!

This year’s Easter EggStravaganza was amazing…with 1148 guests, 10 partnering agencies offering services, and 8 churches providing volunteers and words of encouragement.

Rescue Mission Alliance Victor Valley has been nominated to Victorville City’s Taskforce on Homelessness as one of the lead organizations, with the goal to help the city of Victorville put together a strategic action plan to create resources through the city to help the homeless.

Our own Community Relations Coordinator, Dawn Quigg, was honored by Department of Behavioral Health for Prevention Advocate of the Year. We are so proud of our selfless staff, and Dawn is just one shining example.

In 2019 we added a mobile shower truck and food truck to expand our services. So far the food truck has been primarily used for special events, but they have already opened doors to new relationships and opportunities of service to the community that would not have happened otherwise. Some of these new partnerships include Inroads Partners (county), Church of the Valley (Apple Valley), Women of Noble Character, Theology University of Mexico City, and Redeemer Church Apple Valley.

Over 1,300 backpacks were given to children from our community during our annual Back-to-School give-away in partnership with Impact Church. It was especially touching to be able to provide new backpacks to all 295 Trona School students affected by the Ridgecrest earthquake.

OUR GOAL FOR 2020

In the upcoming year we are focusing on bringing the mobile outreaches to more of the community, we are using the Showers of Blessing mobile trailer four days a week. And, we are working on developing the Mobile Meals food truck to be used regularly in 2020. One of our main goals is to identify a property to purchase so we can expand the men’s program. And, with the addition of a commercial kitchen, we can have the food truck operating in the community on a regular basis.

We are praying and asking God for wisdom in all of this, will you please join us in prayer. God has accomplished so much in 2019, I know that 2020 will be amazing, with many opportunities to share with you about God Changing Lives for Good. ~ Bill Edwards