Valley Mission — Local services in Staunton

I have been reading some of the reviews on here and thought that my input would be useful. I was a resident at Valley Mission, for a little over a month, with my small child. I had no where to go with my child and they offered me a place to live, clothes, food, diapers and everything else I needed, in exchange for doing ONE chore and abiding by the rules they set forth. Rules that were simple and VERY logical: no drinking, no cursing, keep food out of the bedrooms, be polite, attend church services, and follow the program to get on your feet. Some of the staff were very strict about this, but it was for our own protection, and considering some of the people I saw living there I completely understood their mildly abrasive personalities. But it was all very straightforward and simple. My time there was pleasant, with the exception of a few of the residents that couldn't think of anything better to do than to complain that there were too many rules and they never help you... Well, you have to help yourself, that is the biggest rule in life. People aren't just going to hand you everything on a silver platter. Valley Mission DOES hand you everything you need, but you have to step up and do your part of the work on getting a place and getting out on your own. Within TWO MONTHS of first stepping foot in the shelter, and following their program, my child and I are living in our own apartment with everything we need to get through life, and STILL the Mission staff that we came to love as family contacts us to check in and see if we need anything that they can provide like food or diapers and wipes, or even counseling, and then they provide if needed. Its a wonderful service! If I had to change just one thing: I would encourage the community to donate more food items to the Mission, because that is the one thing that is needed. Yes, sometimes the food wasn't the best, but they are doing the best they can with what they have to work with, and if they had more fresh foods to prepare and serve, then it would truly help the residents and walk-ins they serve every day. Yes, EVERY SINGLE DAY. Valley Mission helped me when no one else would.. A woman, with a small child, being refused everywhere else... And they changed our lives, and continue to change the lives of people that walk through their doors everyday, even if some of them are too stubborn...

Ive been living at the mission for two months now. Its not a bad program. Its bot exactly designed to make you want to stay a long time buti suppose that's the point. The rules can be over whelming at times but once you get the hang it, it's not so bad. The staff has become like family. They are as good or bad as your additude basicaly. Id ypur additude stinks theyrw not going to waist there time on you. If your additude is good and they see that you are working hard to get your life turned around and aaving money to get out of there you will notice a huge differance in how much better the staff Treats you. I came to the mission from aahville after my car and every thing I owned was stolen. If it were for the mission, i wouldnt have had a place to stay thats close to my family. Living at the mission can really change the way your look at life if you let it. I don't take anything for granted anymore. Things i used to spend no thought on are now huge blessings. If you have no where to live, they will help you out. If you need a place to stay that will give you the additude and perspective you need to get your life and yourself to a higher level then take the program seriously and thats exactly what you will get. I've only been here two months and i have an awsome job and am close to getting out of here and into a place of my own. I was at the lowest point in my life when I came here but when ilm leave ill be a better...

Very welcomed, care and concern.

The above review was from over a year ago. I left The Valley Mission about 2 weeks shy of me being there a whole year. I left because... I MOVED INTO MY OWN PLACE DOWNTOWN Staunton!!! Of course none of this would have been possible if it wasn't for just that one door being open... The Valley Mission's door.

I'm not going to sit here and tell all the 'good feely feely' stuff, and I'm not going to say anything about the bad stuff either but... I do and will say this. If you put up with the stuff that was bad to and for you. how hard can it be to comply with something that is good for you. Then when you really look at it, everything is a process, and things are how they are for a reason. But I didn't understand, nor did I want to understand...and probably still don't either, but something happened.

The Mission has a rhythm. Most people don't hear it, and they don't need to. Then there are some who need to hear it, but don't want to. I'm glad I am one of the few who needed to hear it,...