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By Steve McRee One of my greatest privileges at Shepherd’s Gate is witnessing the healing that takes place between our women and their families. Sometimes I see mothers and children being reunited and restoring the bond of trust that was lost. I see mothers finally becoming the kind of parent they know their children need….

By Vernon Hills We recently took a look at schools in our area, and the numbers were shocking: 1 in 3 kids receive free or reduced-cost lunches (and sometimes breakfast too) at school. In Alameda Unified School District alone, that’s over 3,000 kids. During the summer months, that’s 3,000 kids who may go hungry unless…

By Carla McRee When we asked 37-year-old Bethany what her best day at Shepherd’s Gate was, she replied, “Every day has been a blessing! I mean, I won’t lie — it’s hard, but it’s amazing, and every day I learn something new.” Bethany was introduced to drugs by a family member at the age of…

By Steve and Carla McRee Although we meet many amazing women at SG, sometimes we meet women whose stories of courage and determination really stick out. Lydia’s* story is one of them. Lydia is one of those mothers who is striving to give her son Luke* the love and stability she never had as a…

By Steve McRee “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” — Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT) One of the things we constantly remind our…

For many of us, Easter is a time of reflection and renewed hope in Christ. We rejoice in His love for us and His selfless sacrifice on our behalf. And we celebrate the hope we have – over sin and death – because of Him. When women come to Shepherd’s Gate, many of them have…

Desiree was sitting in the ER when she first felt God speak to her. After years of struggling with drug addiction, Desiree was disgusted with what they had done to her life. She had been sober for 30 days when her boyfriend beat her. Although it was far from the first time, this would be…

By Steve McRee “. . . those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned . . . they have already passed from death into life.”—John 5:24 (NLT) At Easter, I’m always humbled and amazed to think of how far God went to…

By Stephanie Davis Recently we wrote to you about Erin*, one of our Shepherd’s Gate program graduates. Although she stood strong through her younger years, eventually her mother’s neglect and incarceration took a toll. Erin’s mother introduced Erin to meth, and her life quickly spun out of control. She was so desperate for drugs that…

By Carla McRee At Valentine’s Day, many of us stop to celebrate our loved ones — perhaps a spouse, or a friend, or family members. We pause to share with them how much they mean to us and how much joy they’ve brought to our lives. But for many of the women at Shepherd’s Gate,…