REBIRTH AT THE LONG BEACH RESCUE MISSION

Tragic Fire Leads To Beautiful Renovation and Expansion for the Lydia House Shelter for Women and Children

By John Grossi

Photo by Monique Kuhlman

A lot can happen in nine months. 

Human creation and birth, of course. Moms, even when unhoused, living in their car, at the edge of their luck… will never forget the beauty of that miracle. 

But what about rebirth? 

Unfortunately, the proposition of changing one’s own circumstances in life can seem insurmountable, especially when things aren’t going your way.

Around 10pm on December 22nd, 2023, the Long Beach Rescue Mission’s “Lydia House” shelter for women and children burned down.  

Arson.

Thankfully, all residents were able to escape the smoke and flames, physically safe. But as they stood outside watching the fire department douse the flames, many could not fight the mental demons that began to prey upon them.

The Rescue Mission can offer a glimmer of hope to a mother and child with nowhere else to go. But to have nowhere to go, then find a shelter, only to see it burn to the ground three days before Christmas - that type of experience can devastate the most hopeful.

“I Just Want To Die”

Jeff Levine, President and CEO of the Long Beach Rescue Mission (LBRM), well remembers the night of that fire on December 22nd, 2023. He spent significant time with one of the newer residents in the shelter, a woman named Norma who had shown up to the shelter just three days prior with her daughter (16) and mother (74).  

 “I just want to die,” Norma kept muttering. And she meant it. She was not in a good place mentally.

Norma’s experience with the fire was particularly a hard one. She had whisked her daughter and mother to safety when the fire alarm first went off, only to feel her asthma aggravated from the smoke. Running back into the house for her inhaler, she was cut off by another resident who said re-entry had become too dangerous.

When the fire was out, Jeff was eventually able to get her purse with her inhaler. Finally able to breathe correctly, she went to her car to grab more belongings. But when she walked to the parking lot, Norma was devastated to find that her car had been broken into, in a completely separate and random incident of misfortune. All her belongings—including Christmas gifts for her family—had been stolen. 

“It was one of those situations where it didn’t feel appropriate to quote verses like ‘God will bring good from evil and light from darkness,’” remembers Jeff. “When you’re standing in the middle of the evil sometimes it’s okay to recognize that right now in this moment, this situation just really sucks.” 

But in the aftermath of the fire, LBRM and its supporters surprised Norma and the other residents at a time when there were reasons not to stay hopeful.

Donors rallied around Jeff Levine’s cry for help and accommodated a stay for the residents of Lydia House at The Westin in Downtown Long Beach. Here, these long-suffering women and children experienced a premium hotel experience for a few weeks, until more long-term living arrangements could be made for residents in their one-year “New Life” Program.

Her outlook started to shift as Norma saw simple things like blankets being provided, as well as the hotel room accommodations. “I just want to say thank you to every single donor. You have no idea how much it meant to us. We don’t get to meet you but we think about you all the time.” 

Norma decided to join a group led by a woman who came by once a week to hold bible study. She had already begun to feel the love of the LBRM. “I was like, okay… this is probably the door I was looking to be able to open.”

Meanwhile, the fire afforded The Lydia House the perfect opportunity to undertake major (and much needed) improvements, upgrades, and a remodel.

On September 1st, 2024, about nine months later, the new and improved Lydia House opened its doors with a grand welcome to residents.

New Life

The Lydia House is back and better than ever. Jeff Levine gets emotional thinking back to the memories and milestones he and fellow staff had made in that house over 20 years; then to the night of the fire; the despair in the hearts of residents and staff; and now to its renovation.

“When they ripped the fire-damaged drywall off, we could see the original wood framing. It looked brand new. God was just letting Lydia House breathe for a minute before he restored, renewed, and improved her,” marvels Jeff.

In addition to upgrading the facilities, 60 more beds for women and children will be added. That ups the total number of residents housed at LBRM to 275, both men and women. A fortunate 275 people who would otherwise be on the streets or living in their cars, will now experience love and the opportunity to experience a “new life.”

No one can speak about “new life” quite like Marissa, who we wrote about in our March 2024 issue of LB908. A mother of two, she had never thought she would end up homeless. But her determined spirit has made her another success story for LBRM.  

Over a year since she and her kids were taken in by Lydia House, Marissa is now working full-time as a secretary at the Mission and has her own apartment for the first time ever.

Originally a schoolteacher in Mexico, Marissa came to America without knowing the language. She did not work while raising her babies, who are now in middle school and high school.

When the three of them landed at Lydia House, Marissa says she was in a deep depression. “I was exhausted. I was very, very sad. I had no motivation to continue my life. I was feeling like I was the worst mother in the world, and I believed I had the potential to destroy everybody’s life,” said Marissa.

Marissa saw an opportunity through the LBRM to participate in the Long Beach Marathon. She decided to dedicate herself to running a half marathon and began to train every day. She also took in everything the mission had to offer… from case management to job training, and what she describes as most important... developing a relationship with God.

“I started to have faith in God. And that changed my life. In every situation, in every event, I was praying in my head.”

She beams with pride now about the positive change in her life and having her own apartment where she can cook every night for her children. “We have dreams again, we have goals again,” she says about her family.

She says her son has experienced a rebirth in his perception about homeless people since their experience. “He used to think homeless people all did drugs or were lazy or something like that,” says Marissa. “Now his viewpoint is different. He knows our situation.”

Dignity For All

Marissa beams about the reopening of Lydia House just as she does her own apartment. For her, LBRM is such a special place because of the dignity shown to each and every person.

“They make sure everything is so nice for the residents who are coming here with no hope and totally exhausted. I felt dignity living at the Lydia House. And the people who live in the renovated house will feel dignity too.”

Dignity is something Jeff Levine speaks to as well. Seeing the transformations in residents such as Norma and Marissa only strengthens his convictions and the pride of staff around him.

“You hear stories about the way God works… but to see it firsthand… the provision, the renewal, the movement… this is one of the most exciting seasons at the Long Beach Rescue Mission. The staff, many of whom have been at the Lydia House for a long time and are graduates of the program... their love for this house shines through and their faith continues to grow.” 

With so much growth and renovation at the shelter itself, rebirth and renewal may hopefully seem less scary for the residents, each facing their own personal challenges. After all, inspiring a “new life” is what this place has always been about.

“August 7th 1972, is the day Long Beach Rescue Mission opened their doors. They were full the next day,” quotes Jeff. “This shelter has been pretty much full ever since.”