ISP San Diego
“I wanted to let go of my own shame so I can help others in the future. This retreat helped me do that.”
ISP San Diego participant
Awakening the Spirit: October 24, 2026
Join ISP San Diego for Awakening the Spirit on Saturday, October 24th, 2026 at La Mesa First United Methodist Church. Together we will explore the spiritual journeys of people in recovery from homelessness and addiction. Come as you are to listen, reflect, and discover what can awaken within us when receive another’s story with open hearts.
About Us
ISP San Diego began with a women’s retreat in 2015 and a men’s retreat the following year; in 2025 the women’s team hosted the first ISP retreat in Spanish. As one of over 20 cities within the ISP Network, ISP San Diego has brought experiences of love, hope and healing to thousands of individuals in the San Diego area.
ISP San Diego is thriving thanks to a robust volunteer team, an active advisory council, and a growing circle of supporters. The team currently hosts 6 overnight retreats per year and more than a dozen spiritual reflections each month. In 2024, two team members joined the 3rd Ambassadors of Hope cohort. See the ISP San Diego Information Sheet for more information.
Alumni Voices
Many ISP participants become retreat witnesses, team leaders, and facilitators and are a part of the leadership opportunities offered by the ISP Network. We are so grateful for their authenticity and willingness to share their stories with the community. Sean and Alice are two alums who found ISP to be a turning point in their recovery. Read Sean’s and Alice’s stories other stories of hope and belonging here.
Love, Hope, and Healing
July 2026: The women’s team welcomed participants from Father Joe’s Villages and Rachel’s Promise for a Spanish overnight retreat in late July. Although the women began the retreat with some trepidation, by the end of the weekend they were sharing openly about their hopes, takeaways, and gratitudes. The Witness was an especially powerful turning point as the women realized they could share openly without judgment.
The men’s team, after much work and planning, hosted its first Spanish overnight retreat in late July, welcoming participants from Father Joe’s Villages and Veter
ans Village of San Diego. The retreat highlights included the Witness and the Healing of Memories. The men were engaged, thoughtful, and enthusiastic participants! As we often hear, a few people said, “I wish it was longer,” and “Can I come again?” Here are a few highlights from the evaluations:
“I got to experience God’s love firsthand.”
“This changed my way of thinking and straightened out my life to become a better person.”
“I see that I’m not the only one in this spot; there are more of us and we can move forward together.”
We are so grateful for our team, supporters, and participants who make these ISP retreats possible!
Contact us
For more information about joining ISP San Diego as a volunteer, general supporter, or partner agency, please contact
Matt Meyers, Director of Programs
mmeyers@ispretreats.org
Community Partners
ISP is grateful for the many agencies, retreat centers, and parishes that are a part of our work including:
- Father Joe’s Villages
- Mission San Luis Rey
- Rachel’s Promise
- Uptown Safe Haven
- La Mesa First United Methodist
…and many more
Interested in becoming a community partner? Contact us or read more about retreats and spiritual reflections here.
Events
In the fall of 2025, ISP San Diego hosted Awaken the Spirit—an event organized by the team and Advisory Council to celebrate storytelling, recovery, and hope in the San Diego area.Highlights included a keynote by ISP’s executive director Christine Curran, powerful impact stories from Kevin and Angelica, and the presentation of the Magis Award to Mo Panuco in recognition of her tireless commitment to the mission of ISP. Stay tuned for more events in ISP San Diego!
Join the Movement
All ISP programs are offered free of charge to participants and agencies. By choosing to support ISP San Diego, your donation funds programs in this community. Lets do more together!
2,000
spiritual reflection participants
275
retreat participants
25
volunteers
ISP San Diego
Since 2015



