“Homeless to Healthy” Initiative

Street Life Ministries is banding together with a handful of local organizations to launch a twelve-month Christian Freedom House of Restoration program that will take 20-30 homeless people struggling with addiction and help them fully recover and rejoin our community.

Our mission is to restore broken lives and broken families through the power of God’s love carried out in the service of God’s people.

We envision a world in which every addict is given a chance to experience the healing power of God through the love of his people by giving those on the street struggling with addiction a safe place to recover and a new start at a life connected to God.

Update

A lot has been happening behind the scenes to bring this vision to life. We have reached our goal of raising $1 million for our Freedom House of Restoration program! That amount has been matched in full, meaning we now have $2 million raised to launch and sustain Freedom House, the first Christian residential rehab program between San Jose and San Francisco!

The building purchase marks a major milestone, and even more progress will unfold as construction turns the space into a home for our street friends. As construction moves forward, the work doesn’t end there. We ask for your continued financial and prayerful support to help build a strong foundation through both the building and the transformative program that will change lives in our community.

Again, we sincerely thank everyone who has made these moments and steps a reality.

Testimonies

Although we don’t have our own rehab program (yet 🙂), we are still making a real difference in helping people transition off the streets. Check out some of our testimonials!

Street Life Team

Meet the Team

David Shearin

Lead Pastor & Executive Director

Vicky Lanzone

Program Manger

Shawn Shearin

Female Outreach Coordinator

Nicholas Rubingh

Development Manager

Craig Forbes

Board Member

Ernie Morales

Board Member

Rick Carbonneau

Board Member

Kevin Valley

Security & Facilities Manager

David Shearin

Lead Pastor & Executive Director

Vicky Lanzone

Program Manger

Shawn Shearin

Female Outreach Coordinator

Nicholas Rubingh

Development Manager

Craig Forbes

Board Member

Ernie Morales

Board Member

Rick Carbonneau

Board Member

Kevin Valley

Security & Facilities Manager

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We will first establish a physical Street Life facility
  • Then take people off the street who we have built relationships with
  • Put them in housing provided by our partners
  • Assign them a case worker to work with them directly
  • Provide classes to help them conquer addiction and find employment

San Mateo County has smaller shelters and programs, but none like this—a holistic, faith-based approach that heals addiction, provides job skills, and helps secure housing. A major challenge for programs is getting people to join, but after 20+ years of building trust with those on the streets, we already have individuals ready to enter, we just need to open the program.

Homelessness is often caused by drug addiction and mental illness, which numb the pain but destroy lives, making escape difficult. Without basic needs like hygiene, transportation, or proper interview attire, finding and keeping a job is also challenging. That’s why we prioritize helping people get clean and sober first, then focus on housing and employment.

~$27,900 for 1-year and help them become a full particiapting memeber of our community. If we do nothing and leave someone on the streets, it will cost society $830,000 over the next 10 years, according to a Santa Clara County study.

We will start with a smaller number of participants, but once it gets going we anticipate up to 20 to 30 people per year. We will regularly share stories and interviews from people in the program, so you can share in their successes.

We have worked closely in partnership with many established organizations, such as LifeMoves, to base our programs off of ones that are proven to work. Studies of similar faith-based addiction recovery programs such as “Adult & Teen Challenge” have shown them to be very successful. In a 2019 study of “Adult & Teen Challenge”, they surveyed 340 graduates and found that 78% of them remained sober and substance-free following graduation. Homeless to Healthy is particularly tailored for the chronically homeless- a crowd that needs help in more ways than just recovery, and a crowd whose needs we are prepared to meet.

Even without currently having a rehab program of our own, we are successfully helping people get off the Streets.

SLM began in 2001 at the downtown Menlo Park train station.
Today, due to the help of many people, it now serves over 35,000 meals a year, five nights a week, in Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Redwood City. For 20 years SLM gatherings have built a reputation as the one consistent place the homeless can count on. Whether it is a holiday, a cloudy or rainy day, SLM never varies from the set schedule, giving the homeless a stable option throughout the year.

SLM is an established 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a board of directors, and is very different from many “feeding ministries.” It serves a unique role in the way it cares for the homeless and the hungry in San Mateo/Santa Clara Counties. Hot, home cooked meals served in outdoor venues are less threatening for our homeless neighbors, fostering a safe environment for relational connections to develop with the SLM leaders and volunteers. These connections build trust for guiding homeless friends toward healthier decisions, medical assistance, detox, rehab, housing, mentorship and counseling. In addition to food and encouragement, SLM provides clothing, toiletry kits, sleeping bags, medical supplies, temporary shelter, recovery services and job assistance to those in need. 

SLM is also unique because it places its staff and its services “in the streets”, and “in the camps”, where the homeless live. It reaches more homeless people

Partners

Help Build Freedom House!

The building is secured, and construction is underway—
but we need your support to complete this life-changing mission.