“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire; He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing… Many will see what He has done and put their trust in the Lord.” — Psalm 40:2–3

My name is Kelly Reza, Founder of Arise Outreach. My heart for the least, the last, and the lost is deeply personal—because that was once me.

I was raised in a home filled with chaos, addiction, abuse, and unspoken pain. Though we called ourselves Christians, God felt distant—watching from afar but not intervening in the darkness that surrounded us. Trauma shaped my family, and without realizing it, it began shaping me. Fear, confusion, and broken identity followed me into my teenage years, and by thirteen I was drinking and living recklessly.

By fifteen, I was a mother. By nineteen, I was spiraling through stripping, prostitution, drugs, abortions, and deep depression. I carried overwhelming shame and believed my children would be better off without me. I tried to outrun God, experimenting with drugs, witchcraft, and other religions—anything to silence the ache inside of me. But no matter how far I ran, His hand remained on my life.

One night, determined to end it all, I found myself surrounded by chaos in a club when suddenly everything went quiet. In an instant, I was sober. I heard the Lord say, “Look.” As I looked around, I no longer saw partying faces—I saw pain. It was as if God allowed me to see what He sees. Even in my rebellion, He was calling me.

Not long after, I walked into a women’s recovery home in Pasadena, California—the Walter Hoving Home. The moment I stepped inside, I encountered the tangible presence of God. I knew I was caught—not by judgment, but by love. That day, I surrendered my life to Jesus.

God restored what I had nearly destroyed. Within months, I regained custody of my children. A year later, I married the man who brought me to that home. Today, we are blessed with a beautiful family—six children, eight grandchildren, and over two decades of marriage. Our journey has required deep healing, forgiveness, discipleship, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. But God has been faithful through it all.

Arise Outreach was born from that redemption.

We go into the streets, the neighborhoods, and the forgotten places to bring food, clothing, prayer, and the Gospel to the least, the last, and the lost. We travel on mission trips, serve our communities, and believe in reaching people by any means necessary with the love of Christ.

Through our Word and Spirit Training Center, we equip believers with strong biblical foundations and teach them how to apply the Word of God to everyday life. Through discipleship and mentorship, we walk alongside individuals as they discover their identity, purpose, and calling. And as part of our future vision, we are preparing to launch the Arise Recovery Life Home—a place of refuge where women can experience healing, restoration, structure, and transformation just as I once did.

Arise exists because God still lifts people out of pits.
He still restores families.
He still gives new songs.

My story is proof that no one is too far gone, too broken, or too lost for God’s redeeming love. And now, our lives are devoted to helping others arise into the purpose He has always had for them.