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Giuseppe ‘Chef G’ begins his newest adventure as Mission chef
Bringing almost a decade worth of experience in the culinary field, Giuseppe, or ‘Chef G’ as many call him, is excited to be the new chef at Rescue Mission Alliance San Fernando Valley. Though ‘typical’ isn’t a word Giuseppe would use to describe his career, he’s looking forward to sharing his unique perspective with the…
Scott creates simple list to thank local pantry
This list is “simply put,” why the food pantry is such a blessing to Scott. He wrote: “Simply Put: I come to the food pantry for the great food, which helps my monthly budget as my finances have been more difficult to handle. I appreciate the hot meal that is prepared for lunch. I am…
Eva is no longer ashamed of asking for help
Eva has been visiting the food pantry at La Voz Seventh-Day Adventist Church for about a year. “One never thinks they would have that need, but my children’s tuition was diminishing my savings,” Eva said. “We had the help of sports scholarships, which helped relieve the payments, but when my son had to move out…
Veteran is grateful he happened upon Common Grounds pantry
John, a 72-year-old veteran, was on the bus and noticed a lot of activity at Reseda United Methodist Church. He decided to stop by one day, and was glad he did, as he felt very welcomed to the Kingdom Common Grounds Food Pantry. John enjoyed a hot lunch and fellowship before coming out to the…
As Jose nears 50, he commits to growth
ENGLISH SPANISH Jose is a current resident at Renewed Hope, the men’s Life Recovery Program at RMA SFV. This is his story: Jose said that when he was a kid growing up in Oxnard, he had more energy than the average child. In fact, he was diagnosed with Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when he was…
New program manager focuses on ‘God’s restoration in men’
Oscar feels prepared to minister to Renewed Hope residents As the new Program Manager of the men’s Life Recovery Program at Renewed Hope, Oscar said he’s feeling most fulfilled when he’s ministering to the men. “Restoring men is restoring families,” he said. “It’s not just about the man, it’s restoring his legacy and the generations…
Mom, 4 children regroup at Home Again after tough year
Jennifer struggled after losing her mother After a “hard, tough year,” Jennifer said she knew things needed to change. In 2023, Jennifer’s mother, who she was very close with, passed away from anemia complications and colon cancer. “We grew up without a dad figure,”she said. “It was just my mom, so it was sometimes hard……
Erika is ‘walking into the light’ after years of darkness
She is excitedly welcoming Jesus into her life While her life didn’t go the traditional route, Erika was more or less “the responsible one” for most of her young life. She grew up in San Luis Obispo in a “dysfunctional family, so everything that comes with that,” Erika said, “verbal abuse, physical, visitation fights, substance…
Erik is in it for ‘the long run’ and committed to change
After 5 months in the Mission’s Life Recovery Program, he has a relationship with God for the first time Last year, while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, Erik decided he wanted to drive from his home in San Jose to Tijuana. “I hadn’t slept for days,” he said. “I was hearing voices. I…
Derrick leaves ‘hustler’ lifestyle behind, becomes the father God called him to be
Continuing our 2024 focus on “Engagement,” we follow Derrick as he re-engages with family, work, and church. On Sunday mornings you can find program graduate Derrick and his son Isaiah at the Church for the Nations in downtown Oxnard. This was Derrick’s childhood church, and he is overjoyed being back there and seeing his son’s…
Program gives Delphina time to heal from years of abuse
She’s recognizing generational trauma and patterns “It’s kind of a long story,” Delphina says when asked about her upbringing. She explains her mother was “really into drugs and partying” and often cheated on her partner. Delphina and her sisters were the products of these affairs. “We all had his last name, but he never treated…
Women look to local pantries to help stay afloat
LaTashia LaTashia became a single parent shortly after giving birth to her now 6-year-old daughter. LaTashia’s income from her job at that time was barely enough to pay the rent, bills and daycare. “I prayed for help, but because of my pride, I never thought about getting food from the food pantry ministry of the…
