The San Diego Rescue Mission, city leaders and representatives from the San Diego Padres are celebrating Thursday the opening of the first permanent 30-day homeless emergency shelter in National City.
The South County Lighthouse is a referral-only, 162-bed shelter providing men, women and families with beds, hot meals, clothing, showers, laundry and wrap-around services. Additionally, people staying at the facility will receive weekly case management to help them locate rehabilitation services and stable housing.
"The South County Lighthouse is a beacon of hope for individuals experiencing homelessness and represents a bold solution to South County's crisis by providing first-class emergency shelter to our communities' most vulnerable," Donnie Dee, president and CEO of the San Diego Rescue Mission, founded in 1955, said Wednesday. "We're incredibly grateful to our generous donors who have made possible the establishment of our newest shelter in National City to be a guiding light and a pivotal part of the system we are building to change the state of homelessness in San Diego County, one life at a time."
According to the nonprofit, San Diego Rescue Mission is expanding its footprint countywide, part of an effort to integrate shelters and support services as the homelessness crisis continues unabated.
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"I applaud the Rescue Mission for expanding their proven, compassionate approach in addressing homelessness in Oceanside and downtown San Diego and bringing it to South County," National City Mayor Ron Morrison said. "By meeting people where they are, providing trauma-informed care, and wrap- around services, the Lighthouse will help us get people off the streets immediately so that their homelessness can be ended permanently."
In 2023, the SDRM helped 1,433 people get off the streets immediately, 314 people end their homelessness permanently, and celebrated a record 127 Mission Academy Residential Program graduates, officials said. That latter program is a long-term recovery program for men, women and single parents with children.
"San Diego needs more emergency shelters like the South County Lighthouse where guests' immediate needs like food and shelter are met and they are provided with their first step toward ending their homelessness for good," said Tom Seidler, president of the Padres Foundation. "The Padres players and front office have been longtime supporters of the rescue mission. We are honored to provide funding to this impactful Lighthouse project and committed to continue our support in other areas."
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According to the nonprofit, South County Lighthouse was privately funded and built on 8 acres on Euclid Avenue.
"As the San Diego Rescue Mission continues to innovate and grow, the community's unwavering support and generous contributions will be essential in sustaining these life-changing initiatives," Dee said. "Together, we can make a lasting difference in the fight against homelessness, one person at a time."
