A home in National City was refurbished about six months ago and transformed into the first Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center in the South Bay. Now it’s home to 28 women undergoing a free six month recovery program.
“This house is a safe haven for our girls,” The Salvation Army Community Relations Manager Patty Zamora said.
Some women are referred to the program by loved ones or inquire about it themselves while others are mandated to go to an ARC through the court system. The Salvation Army ARC Administrator Iva West said the most common addictions women are recovering from at the center include alcohol, meth and heroin.
The program consists of work-therapy, counseling and going to chapel or Bible study everyday. Work-therapy consists of sorting items sold in The Salvation Army stores and taking responsibility for household chores, according to Zamora. Medical and dental services are also available to all program participants.
Though “spiritual redirection” is central to the program, Zamora said the religious practice aspect is disclosed when an intake coordinator first sits down with individuals that are interested. If women are given the option to go to an ARC after drug or alcohol related charges, they are not required to enroll in a faith-based program.
“This is a very empowering program. In just a short while I’ve seen the success stories,” Zamora said.
San Diego resident Shannon Brown-Cervantes, 44, is one of those success stories. She graduated from the program on July 31st and was able to recover from alcohol addiction.
From spending $700 a week on alcohol while her relationships with loved ones deteriorated to making her husband proud and being able to accompany him to bars without wanting alcohol, Brown-Cervantes said she feels like she can never fully repay The Salvation Army for the positive impact their program has had on her life.
“I lost a relationship with my husband and both of my children. So I had hit a brick wall and I came here and I got the emotional support I needed and the mental support I needed… they taught me how to be accountable,” Brown-Cervantes said.
Before being directed to The Salvation Army ARC and after serving time in jail for alcohol related charges, Brown-Cervantes said she had looked into other rehabilitation programs, but couldn’t afford any of them because she didn’t have medical insurance.
Zamora said the Salvation Army is able to run the program at no cost to any of the participants through funding from Salvation Army thrift stores and individual monetary donations.
“What you put into it you get out of it,” Brown-Cervantes said. “You have to want it, they’re willing to give you the help, but you have to be willing to participate.”
Zamora said the recovery program is designed to take six months, but participants can take up to a year to complete it if they need to. They can also live at the National City house for up to two years.
In addition to rehabilitation, one of the cornerstones of the program is to provide women with the resources they need to transition back into their families and find jobs.
After graduating, participants receive work training, resume assistance and guidance as they embark on their job search.
When Brown-Cervantes graduated from the program, an advocate from the Salvation Army was able to assist with getting a judge to wave approximately $15,000 in fees and fines that had accumulated from her previous charges.
She now works for The Salvation Army fulltime as a brick-a-brac sorter, and supports women through their rehabilitation process.
“I get to see the girls everyday and give them hope and strength,” Brown-Cervantes said.
She encourages anyone considering the program to move forward with it. For more information on The Salvation Army’s adult rehabilitation program and how to donate, visit their website at sandiegoarc.salvationarmy.org.
