Crossroads Mission celebrates 60 years; Road to recovery leads to love story

October marks the Crossroads Mission’s 60th anniversary.

The mission has made significant contributions to Yuma’s community, helping everyone from the homeless to those addicted to drugs.

Before cooking meals and running the kitchen at the crossroads mission, Leticia Diaz battled with drug addiction.

She said it started when she was 15-years-old.

By the time Diaz was a mother of five, she referred to herself as a functioning addict.

” I thought I was a great mom. I thought as long as I had a roof over their head, and they had something to eat I thought that my addiction wasn’t a problem, ” Diaz said.

In 2013, she remembers hitting rock bottom, living in the streets and lost her children to foster care.

“I knew I wanted to get my kids back, and I still didn’t know the process, but I was guided through that [at the Crossroads Mission],” she said.

Diaz accepted responsibility for her addiction and committed herself to a 6-month homeless and addiction recovery program at the mission.

Although it was hard to learn a different way of living, Diaz successfully graduated from the program and was offered a job at the mission.

Eventually, she reconnected with someone she’d known from her past life of addiction.

Reyes Moreno checked into the New Life recovery program at the mission after suffering from drug addiction.

Diaz said, ” I was already working, and he was in the program, and he would always come and talk to me. ”

Seeing Diaz’s familiar face helped Moreno get through the four-month program.

Several years later, the couple’s story came full circle and the two married in June 2019.

The newly-weds now have a blended family of their 6 children and continue attending recovery meetings as a couple.

They will also be traveling to Mexico next month to share their story at those recovery centers.

On October 12th the Crossroads Mission will host their 60th Anniversary Jubilee to benefit their new men’s center project. For more tickets and other details visit their website.