There Is Salvation in Christ

HOPE FOR MY CITY

is a program inspired by the impact of homelessness in 2005. We have seen people lost and without hope on the streets, with no one to turn to, longing for a change in their lives and a way out of that world of loneliness and danger. As homelessness grew, we decided to rent one house to help and provide a safe refuge for those willing to make a change. Today, we help people in 30 rehabilitation homes in different cities throughout CA. We have been operating successfully for the past 18 years, and 2 of the 30 homes where we help people are for women. We strive to share successful testimonies of people who came from rock bottom (feeling worthless) to build successful lives and become contributing members of society. Our desire to help people experiencing homelessness has grown   

Because our approach of providing rehabilitation homes for men and women has been successful, we have set a goal of opening 100 rehabilitation homes in the state of CA. It’s been 18 years, but our journey is only just beginning to expand. Many like-minded people are embracing the vision of making a difference in their cities. We don’t just help people experiencing homelessness; we also provide guidance and counseling to those committed to opening their own Esperanza para mi ciudad rehabilitation home.

One of the questions we’re asked most often at first is: “How much do you charge to help my loved one?”

Our answer is simple: we don’t charge for help or for our services. We’re grateful to God for all He has done in our lives, and we want to extend that same help to others who are going through a difficult time.

The only thing we ask of the family is that we work together to help your loved one move forward. While the person is with us, we ask for a contribution of $170 per week, primarily to cover food and basic needs.

After the first month, we conduct an assessment to see how the person is progressing and determine whether they are ready to start working. When the time comes, they can find a job on their own, or we can also help them find a job opportunity.

It’s important to clarify that the money a person earns from working belongs to them; we don’t keep their wages. From that point on, the person begins taking responsibility for their own weekly contribution toward food and other needs.

We ask families for their initial support because we currently have no sponsors, government agencies, or organizations funding our work. We carry out this ministry through hard work, faith, and the commitment of pastors, churches, and people who work directly or indirectly to help men and women we often don’t even know, but who are going through very difficult times.

Our purpose is not to profit from anyone’s need. Our purpose is to help, restore lives, and offer a chance to start over, with God’s help.

One of the questions I’m asked most often is: What does someone need to do to join the program?

The number one requirement is that the person must want to change. We can’t force anyone to join the program against their will.

Here in the United States, the laws are different from those in Mexico. If an adult is admitted to or held in a program against their will, this could have legal consequences. That’s why it’s very important to us that the person is willing to receive help and wants to begin the process of change.

Now, if your loved one is still not ready to join the program, we may be able to help, depending on the city they’re in. In some cities, we have people who can visit them, talk with them, and encourage them to seek help.

As a Mexican saying goes: “One nail drives out another.” Many of the people who work with us have been through similar situations and know firsthand about drug and alcohol addiction. Because of that experience, they know how to approach someone, how to talk with them, and how to reach their conscience and heart.

We can't guarantee that someone will change immediately, but often, after hearing a testimony, receiving words of encouragement, and realizing that there is a way out, the person begins to respond and consider the opportunity to change their life.

The first step is always for the person to want to receive help.

People often ask me if we can come to their city to do evangelism. We currently serve in different cities across California and also go on mission trips, where we spend about a week in select cities to meet the needs of families and the community.

Our evangelism work is extensive. Churches are joining this vision to help us follow up with the families of people we take to rehabilitation homes. This way, we help not only the person who wants to overcome drug or alcohol addiction or a difficult situation, but also seek to support and guide their family.

During our evangelism outreaches, we go to different locations throughout each city. We knock on doors from house to house, visit apartment buildings, mobile home parks, and different neighborhoods. We also go to rivers, beneath bridges, and to encampments where people experiencing homelessness live.

Our purpose is to bring them a message of hope and offer an opportunity to those who truly want to get out of the situation they’re in. When someone is willing to change and accepts help, we find a way to support them and take them somewhere they can begin the restoration process.

That’s why our evangelism isn’t limited to preaching on the streets. We work with families, individuals, churches, and everyone who is part of the community. Our vision is to reach those who need it most, share the message of Jesus Christ, and help them find a new opportunity in life.

We are currently based primarily in the state of California. However, we welcome people from different states, including Washington, Oregon, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona, among others.

This movement began in the city of Winton, in Merced County, California, and little by little God has allowed us to expand into different cities.

We currently have homes and a ministry presence in:

Winton, Merced, Keyes, Modesto, Gustine, Stockton, Chowchilla, Fresno, Selma, Tulare, Los Angeles, and Hesperia, in the High Desert.

These are the cities where we are currently established, as of August 2026. Our vision is to keep growing and extend this ministry to more cities and other states.

For this reason, we are looking for churches and ministries willing to join this vision and serve in evangelism, restoration, and rehabilitation.

We’re ready to share our experience and train churches and leaders who want to get involved, to the best of our ability, so that together we can reach more people, help more families, and bring this work to more communities.

Our vision is not to stay in just one city, but to bring hope and restoration wherever there is a person or family in need of help.

We work toward this vision because we want to help the many people whose lives have been destroyed, or are slowly being destroyed, by addiction. Many of them want to break free, but don’t know how or can’t find anyone to lend a hand.

Our vision is to reach out to these individuals, support them, and help them find an opportunity to start over. Most of us on this team have also been affected by drug and alcohol addiction. That’s why we understand firsthand the pain, desperation, and consequences addiction can bring.

We know there are many people out there waiting for someone to come, lend them a hand, and help them break out of the vicious cycle they’re trapped in.

We do this work because we ourselves suffered greatly while we were trapped in addiction. The world often says that way of life is “enjoying life,” but in reality, people destroy their own lives without realizing it. And it’s not only the person using who suffers; their parents, wives, husbands, children, and other loved ones suffer deeply too.

That’s why we work with rehabilitation homes: to offer a place where people can get away from what is destroying them, receive support and guidance, and have a new opportunity.

Our desire is for God to do beautiful things in their lives, restore families, and ease the suffering of both the person caught in addiction and all their loved ones.

We believe a life can be restored when someone is willing to reach out and help.

A person can stay in our program indefinitely, since everyone is different and each restoration journey takes its own time. As the saying goes, “Everyone sees the world differently.”

A person may stay for a month, six months, a year, or even several years. We’ve had people choose to remain in the program for five or even ten years.

This happens because, after making progress in the program and starting work, some people prefer to continue living in the house and contribute toward food and operating expenses rather than rent a room or live on their own. As long as they follow the program rules and continue making progress in their lives, they can stay with us.

However, there are situations where, unfortunately, we have to ask someone to leave the program. This mainly happens when someone secretly brings or uses drugs or alcohol in the homes, or starts encouraging other residents to do the same.

Our purpose is to protect everyone who truly wants to change and move forward. We cannot allow anyone to put someone else’s recovery at risk. As the familiar example goes: if a bad apple stays among the others, it can end up affecting them.

For this reason, when we have to make a decision of this nature, it is very important for the family to stay in direct communication with us. That way, we can clearly explain what happened and why it was necessary for their loved one to leave the program.

Sometimes, after being removed for breaking the rules, certain people may make negative comments or say they were treated unfairly without fully explaining what happened. That’s why we always recommend speaking directly with those in charge before reaching a conclusion.

Our desire is not to remove anyone from the program without a valid reason. On the contrary, we want every person to be restored, to move forward, and to have a stable, blessed life.

Our greatest desire is to see them thrive not only as individuals, but also in their relationships with their children, parents, wives, husbands, and other loved ones.

We want to see families restored, lives transformed, and people return to society with a new opportunity and a new purpose.