SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Rescue Mission held a graduation ceremony Saturday for its 12-month drug and alcohol treatment program.
The ceremony, typically held at a local church, was held at the Rescue Mission’s parking lot due to local health protocols because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Celebrated on Saturday were 15 graduates, including four women and 11 men, said Rebecca Weber, director of communications and constituent relations for the Rescue Mission.
The event was streamed live on the Rescue Mission’s Facebook page. To view the ceremony, visit www.facebook.com/SantaBarbaraRescueMission/videos/1161348790913717/?vh=e&extid=mTcYwrCecNyMtgsy&d=n.
The local nonprofit has served the Santa Barbara area for 55 years, providing emergency services and long-term recovery for the homeless and addicted. It is the only emergency shelter that is open 365 nights of the year between Santa Maria and Ventura, with 94 beds for men and 38 for women.
The Rescue Mission’s 12-month residential recovery program aims to bring individuals from decades of addiction, institutionalization, and homelessness back to sobriety, health, and wholeness. Certification through the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs ensures that participants receive the highest standard of treatment in a non-medical facility.
For more information, visit www.sbrm.org.
