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Ministry of the Yuba/Sutter Corps recognizes clients’ achievements.
The graduates’ stories were different—yet all had the common elements of addiction, alcoholism, and most importantly a desire to finally change their lives. This desire led them to The Salvation Army’s Depot Family Crisis Center, a ministry of the Yuba/Sutter Corps located in Marysville, Calif.
The Depot’s six-month in-house treatment program includes daily group therapy, which addresses substance abuse, codependency, anger management, vocational education, relationships and other life skills issues. Depot staff members and Yuba/Sutter Corps Officers Captains Thomas and Kimberly Stambaugh create a structured and supportive environment that encourages clients to get their lives back on track.
Each month, the Depot holds a graduation ceremony for participants who have completed the program requirements. They share their achievements with fellow clients, staff, friends and family. At the February ceremony, five graduates shared a PowerPoint presentation depicting their stories with about 60 people. These tales of pain, hopelessness and despair eventually led each of them to The Salvation Army for refuge.
Alexis Montes’ story began when she was age 12, when she started drinking and smoking marijuana regularly and soon discovered methamphetamine. “Meth was the only thing I cared about and the only thing that cared about me,” she said.
Through the treatment she received at The Salvation Army, she learned that life was still worth living and that we do have choices. “We never do know what the future holds for any of us and we are not guaranteed tomorrow,” she said, “so what does that leave us—just today.” Montes, now with goals and hope for the future, witnessed to the grace of Jesus, who resurrected her from a life of pain.
Each month at these ceremonies, Depot graduates—people whom society often view only as statistics—share similar stories of transformation and redemption, thanks to the strength and guidance of Jesus Christ and The Salvation Army.