At 5 p.m. Saturday, March 2, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission will honor the accomplishments of 11 men and eight women graduating from the 12-month residential drug and alcohol treatment program.
In the past 15 years, the Rescue Mission has helped more than 500 people achieve recovery through the completion of this year-long process.
“On March 2, before a packed house at Calvary Chapel, 19 courageous men and women will mark the end of a year-long journey that has brought them from the depths of addiction to a world of exciting possibilities,” said Rolf Geyling, president of the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission. “They are the latest graduates of the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission’s 12-month residential treatment program. Their words are a powerful testimony to the grace of God and the power of love.”
In contrast to national statistics that show only 21 percent of those who complete addiction recovery programs not returning to dependency within five years (SAMSHA, 1998), more than 57 percent of Rescue Mission graduates maintain recovery over this same time period.
The public is invited to come and hear the men and women share their personal stories of recovery. The ceremony will be held at Calvary Chapel, 1 North Calle Cesar Chavez, Suite 21 in Santa Barbara.
— Rebecca Weber is the director of communications and constituent relations for the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission.
