When it comes down to it, most of life is about our relationships and our shared sense of community. That applies to our family, our friends and our neighbors, and to the people who are homeless and struggling with addictions. The simple solutions of handouts, bailouts, and housing don’t create lasting change. Building relationships, living in community, and knowing Jesus are what truly change lives. Jonathan Anderson, the Executive Director of the Good News Rescue Mission, here in Redding California sits down with Justin Wandro, Director of Development to talk about building true community.
Leaving Addictionville is a Good News Rescue Mission podcast about the national epidemic of addiction and homelessness, looking at what it takes to overcome adversity when you're born into a world that seems dead set against you. Each episode will tell stories, gritty stories. Stories that will make you think and cry, and sometimes you'll find them to be surprisingly relatable. This episode tells Deena's story--abuse, drugs and homelessness defined her life until a drifter on the street told her "You don't belong here." Find more stories of transformation at gnrm.org/blog
In this episode Jonathan and Justin talk about Trauma and the importance of community to make it through traumatic events. Jonathan shares his personal story of the trauma from his son having major brain surgery--and how important his community was in going through that. Find out more about the Good News Rescue Mission at: www.gnrm.org Visit our podcast page at: www.gnrm.org/podcast/
It's part of the Mission's name and on the letterhead, but it doesn't stop there. The Good News is central to everything the Mission is working to do in Shasta County. It's part of our DNA. In this Episode, Jonathan talks about his new life in Christ and how it's an example of what the Mission is helping people find every day. Jonathan and Justin also discuss: What is the heart of God for the people the Mission serves? When you're living on the street, don't have food, trying to sleep under a bridge life is all bad news. How can hearing some Good News help with things like that? How can Christians right here in Shasta County turn our faith outward into the community and reach people who are hurting? Visit our website at gnrm.org to learn more about what the Mission is doing in Shasta County!
In this week's episode, Jonathan and Justin talk about the Good News Rescue Mission's New Life Recovery Program. The New Life Recovery Program is central to the Mission's efforts in building "true" community for anyone who is battling addiction or substance abuse. The program is 18 months, and usually the last 5 months are offsite learning how to transition back into the community. It helps people establish a solid foundation to build new and better habits to reduce the likelihood of relapsing into their addiction. Jonathan and Justin also discuss: Why is the program 18 months? Why is the program free? How can Jonathan tell at what age someone started using drugs? Visit our website at gnrm.org to learn more about what the Mission is doing in our community!
We've seen people as we drive around town, maybe at the library, on the side of the highway, or in a camp. And that's what probably comes to mind when you think of "homelessness". You'd be right, but there's also more varieties of ways to be homeless than those. In Episode 2, Jonathan and Justin talk about the demographics of homelessness in our community, and what it looks like to be homeless in Redding and Shasta County.
In the first episode, Jonathan and Justin talk about why relationships and community are so important. Many of us take those things for granted when we have them, but they're the foundation of our lives--and it's almost impossible to change your life without good ones.
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