Give a Meal.
Change a Life.

Each $2.21 you give provides a Thanksgiving meal for someone in need in Santa Barbara.

Give Meals

The Last Stop.

Right now, we have neighbors who are hungry, homeless, addicted, and trapped in the despair and trauma of a painful, heartbreaking life.

As the only place between Ventura and Santa Maria that is OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR, for many people, the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission is their last stop.

Their last hope. Their last chance.

With the support of people like you, each year we can:

SERVE 140,000
MEALS

PROVIDE 45,000
NIGHTS OF SHELTER

Only One Rescue Mission

“I strongly support all the programs at the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission because they result in giving hope to those struggling to find hope, and in doing so prevent crime and support public safety. Although there is a tremendous need for residential treatment programs in Santa Barbara County, there is only one Rescue Mission.”

–Joyce Dudley, Santa Barbara District Attorney

His last chance.
The biggest change.

When Rick came to the Mission, he knew it was his last chance. He was homeless, hungry, and had battled addiction for over 30 years.

“This was pretty much the end for me,” he says. “I came in with ripped up shoes. My Vans had holes in them. I had long hair. My t-shirts had holes. I wasn’t expected to pull through.”

At the Mission, Rick found the biggest change he could have ever imagined — a whole new life. He completed our certified Residential Program 9 years ago. He's still sober, has a great job, and a home. He's happy and healthy. As you can see from his photo, he looks nothing like the hungry, homeless, desperate man who first came to our door.

“Thank you for everything you do, because without your donations, none of this could be possible,” he says.

Graduates of our certified 12-month Residential Recovery Program, like Rick, have twice the success rate of the national average. Often people learn about the program because they come in for a meal.

We need each other

Rolf Geyling | President

I recently did something some people might think of as impossible.

I completed the 100-mile endurance paddleboard race, California River Quest. Some of my friends and family thought I was crazy for even trying it, but they were still willing to support me.

And while an endurance race isn't anywhere near the depth of challenge that Rick has overcome, it still gives me a different vantage point of just how hard the men and women in the Recovery Program have to work.

Overcoming the trauma of hunger, homelessness, and addiction is grueling and painful, and it can't be done alone.

I never would have been able to finish the 100-mile race with support. Rick would have never gotten to the place he is today on his own.

Caring people like you helped make his tranformation possible. Together, I know we can keep doing it for more of the men and women in our community who are in desperate need.

For many, it can start this Thanksgiving.

“We love because he first loved us.”—1 John 4:19