New partnership expands educational opportunities for Rescue Mission Alliance residents and employees, creating pathways to workforce development, social mobility, and lasting transformation.
Life Pacific University and Rescue Mission Alliance officially signed a partnership agreement at LPU’s San Dimas campus, uniting around a shared commitment to restore hope, expand opportunity, and help individuals pursue stronger futures through Christ-centered education.
Rescue Mission Alliance is a Christian nonprofit organization serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness, addiction, human trafficking, poverty, and crisis throughout California. Through shelter, recovery programs, supportive services, and pathways toward long-term stability, RMA helps people overcome barriers and move toward lasting transformation.
The new partnership with Life Pacific University extends that mission by creating greater access to affordable, online, Christ-centered education for RMA residents, employees, and families across its network of locations.
“Rescue Mission Alliance is doing extraordinary work to restore hope, break cycles, and help individuals build stronger futures for themselves and their families,” said Dr. Angie Richey, President of Life Pacific University. “Life Pacific University is honored to partner by providing accessible, Christ-centered education that supports this life-changing mission. As a university ranked No. 2 in the West for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report, we have seen how education can transform lives and lift communities. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Rescue Mission Alliance as they empower individuals toward a new future.”
“We are honored and excited to partner with Life Pacific University to provide our residents and employees with Christ-centered education,” said Todd White, Chief Executive Officer of Rescue Mission Alliance. “This access has the power to transform lives for generations to come. At RMA, we believe true life change happens when people are given not only hope, but opportunity. This partnership creates new pathways for the men and women we serve throughout California.”
For both organizations, the partnership represents far more than access to higher education. It reflects a shared conviction that Christ-centered education can restore hope, strengthen faith, prepare people for meaningful work, and create lasting pathways toward personal, professional, and spiritual transformation.
“Across every level of our community, from the first step into recovery to the doorway of a new future, we believe the mind is not meant to stay capped by circumstance,” said Darlene Santiago, Community Partnerships Officer for Rescue Mission Alliance. “This partnership with Life Pacific University is an invitation to think beyond survival and into purpose. It is the difference between existing within a system and becoming the architect of your own future.”
Michael Darden, Director of Rescue Mission Alliance Ventura County, added, “Recovery is about more than overcoming a past of addiction or homelessness; it is also about building a new future of hope and opportunity. Through our partnership with Life Pacific University, our residents will have access to educational opportunities that expand their horizons, strengthen their faith, and prepare them for meaningful employment and lifelong growth. We are grateful to partner with an institution that shares our commitment to transforming lives through Christ-centered education.”
The partnership will also support women and families served through RMA’s programs.
“The women and children we serve often come to our doors without hope for the future,” said Leslie Painter, Director of the Lighthouse for Women and Children. “Through this partnership between LPU and RMA, they will have access to the tools they need to be successful, pursue new opportunities, and draw closer to the Lord.”
The signing marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration between two organizations committed to helping people grow spiritually, personally, and professionally. Through the partnership, eligible RMA residents and employees will have access to online degree and certificate programs in areas such as ministry and leadership, business, psychology, worship arts, and other fields.
Together, Life Pacific University and Rescue Mission Alliance are creating new pathways from crisis to stability, from recovery to purpose, and from opportunity to lasting transformation—equipping individuals and families to flourish.
About Life Pacific University
Founded in 1923, Life Pacific University is a Christ-centered, Spirit-filled accredited university committed to the transformational development of students into leaders prepared to serve God in the Church, the workplace, and the world. LPU offers campus and online undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs in English and Spanish. Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Top Regional Colleges in the West, a Top Value School, and No. 2 in the West for Social Mobility, LPU equips students with the knowledge, character, and practical experience to make a lasting impact.
About Rescue Mission Alliance
Founded in 1972, Rescue Mission Alliance is a Christ-centered nonprofit serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness, hunger, poverty, addiction, human trafficking, and crisis throughout California. Through compassionate care, recovery programs, supportive services, and long-term transformation, Rescue Mission Alliance helps people overcome barriers, discover hope, and realize their God-given potential while partnering with local churches to foster lasting spiritual growth.
