The Mission at Kern County opened their women and children’s recovery home in May 2018, and they help about 20 to 25 women per year. For the mission, it’s not about the amount of women they help, but the long-term rehabilitation.
The Mission at Kern County's Carlos Baldavinos emphasized that the recovery home is not a shelter, but a program for women and children in need. The center aims to pinpoint underlying issues that lead to women experiencing homeless.
“I have yet to meet a woman to tell me, ‘hey Carlos, today i’m going to start using drugs,’ or ‘today i’m going to start abusing alcohol,” Carlos Baldovinos, Executive Director of The Mission at Kern County said. “It’s a gradual thing, of issues or circumstances to get them to that situation.”
The curriculum: one-on-one counseling, relapse prevention, budgeting workshops and essentially a ‘residency’ in the mission’s Encore Boutique to teach women long-term
job skills. And yes, there’s a graduation at the end of the 18-month program.
The center is not just a place to help moms, but a temporary home for the children that come with them.
“That’s our future and we need to start investing in that future,” Baldovinos said.
I’m very passionate about helping those children, helping the moms of course, but I do not want those children to fall into the path of drug or substance abuse.”
Baldovinos adds that about 25 percent of the children that enter the center with their mothers are babies. And with the 23ABC baby shower just around the corner, and the promise of a new class of women and children coming to the program in January, the mission is hoping to
gather sufficient resources as they expect more little ones.
“It's a community. That’s the beautiful thing about Kern County and Bakersfield: it’s a very loving and benevolent community,” Baldovinos said. “If there’s a need, everybody pitches in.”
You can find a full list of items that the pregnancy center is looking for here.
If you are unsure if your item qualifies or if you have any questions about what can be donated, call the Bakersfield Pregnancy Center at 661-326-1915.
