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Giving thanks for YOU

Thank you for giving Malinda a life-changing gift this Christmas!

“I’m 26 years sober now, so there’s a victory in that,” says Malinda of her journey. “But when it was ugly, it was very ugly.”

When she was just 7, she was separated from her mother. She and her brothers were placed in foster care, where she experienced abuse. When she was a bit older, a boyfriend introduced her to drugs, which merely helped her numb the pain.

All this led to stints of homelessness and abusive relationships. “My biggest challenge before coming to the Mission was feeling worthy,” she says. “I was never enough, to myself or anyone else.”

When Malinda enrolled in the New Life Program at Long Beach Rescue Mission, she found the help and support she was looking for.

“I’m 63 years old, but I’ve been given a tremendous opportunity to change my life,” she now shares. “It’s given my life purpose.”

“I have hope. There’s a reason to wake up every day.”

At the Mission, the weight she’s been carrying for so many years has lifted. Here, she found a community of caring individuals who want to help her succeed and stand on her own two feet. It’s a community she’s proud to be a part of.

“They say that I mother everybody, which is true, because I’m the eldest one on campus,” she shares. “We have little chores that keep us busy, but I try to be mindful of the Holy Spirit and go where I’m needed.”

Through accountability and support, Malinda is thriving and taking control of her life like never before. She adds, “I see myself the way God sees me because of being here.”

This Christmas, Malinda is experiencing the joy of the season because neighbors like YOU cared and helped her discover God’s healing embrace. “This is my forever family, and then maybe someday I can come and give back.”

To read the rest of this issue of Rescue Review, click here.