San Diego Rescue Mission: 2008 Year in Review

2008 Year in Review

On behalf of the board of directors, the staff, and the residents here at San Diego Rescue Mission, I thank you and all of our faithful partners for your support throughout 2008. Your generosity enabled the Mission to offer healing and hope to homeless, abused, addicted and poor men, women, and children every single day. Together, we showed San Diegans in need what real love looks like.

Below is just a partial report on how you and the Mission helped people in 2008.

701 women (including 139 senior citizens) and 301 children were safe in our emergency shelter in stead of being out on the cold, dangerous streets

482,394 nutritious meals were served to homeless and hungry local San Diegans

16 women graduated from the Women and Children's Center - equipped with confidence and the tools for long-term success and independence

66 additional women working towards graduating and 70 children received the help and healing they needed in the Women & Children's Center

4 babies were born by mothers in our Women and Children's Center - starting their lives off in a safe, comfortable, and hopeful environment

91 men graduated from the Men's Center - ready to start a new life re-united with their families, working, and ready to return to being productive, contributing citizens

444 additional men continued to work on their graduation requirements and got help and the tools for recovery in our Men's Center

1,340 morning and evening chapel services for our long-term men and women were led by dozens of local churches and staff to share God's love, healing, and hope

40 men, women, and children from throughout San Diego got free therapy they needed in our Outpatient Clinic

3,091,268 lbs of extra food were recovered from local grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, etc. by our Partners for Hunger Relief Program and re-distributed to feed the hungry

As always, however, numbers tell only part of the story.

In April we celebrated the huge success of our 2nd Annual Sleepless in San Diego sleepout benefit. More than 700 sleepers and volunteers came together that night to stand in support of the homeless and raise vital funds for our life-saving programs. Stay tuned for Sleepless 2009 - coming early May!

This summer, when our Receiving Center Warehouse suffered devastating losses from a fire, I saw the community rally around in support of the Mission as I could never have imagined. That outpouring of love and support during one of our darkest hours got us through that difficult time. It made us stronger than ever.

Click on the photos below to enlarge.

Easter Banquet

Sleepless in San Diego

Warehouse Fire

Spring Graduation

Interfaith Candlelight Vigil

Thanksgiving Banquet

Christmas Banquet

A week after the fire, in God's perfect timing to lift everyone's spirits, the Mission celebrated its largest graduating class in history! It was simply an amazing evening to celebrate the miracles of changed lives that you helped make possible. Click here to see testimonies of recent graduates you have helped.

Finally, some of the most powerful memories from 2008 come from our Thanksgiving and Christmas Banquets. The lines that wrapped around the building were some of the longest in recent memory. These homeless and poor guests looked particularly more tired, more worn, out and more desperate. Several families I spoke with had just recently lost their homes and had no money left to even get into an apartment. They went from house to the streets!

During these difficult economic times, more desperate men, women, and children will be coming to us for help. With continued support from our faithful friends like you, San Diego Rescue Mission will be here to welcome them with love, hope, and the tools to get back on their feet and off the streets.

Thank you for your prayers and generosity to help San Diego's homeless and poor.

God bless you and your family in 2009!

Sincerely,

Herb Johnson
President / CEO

Please help us ensure we can feed everyone in need in 2009.