1970 — North County residents met to start a grass roots organization, Lifeline, to address drug issues among local youth.
1971 — A centrally located storefront opened in Vista with funds from Vista, Carlsbad, Oceanside, and private donors.
1972 — The United Way of San Diego funded Lifeline with core staff and expanded hours for its youth programs.
1973 — Along with becoming incorporated, Lifeline began its first Legal Advice Clinic and Transportation Services.
1975 — The Services to the Poor contract began which allowed for a case management approach to service delivery.
1976 — With the development of a Lifeline Membership Club, Lifeline supported emergency assistance services.
1978 — Services for the Disabled were officially funded through the County and the Transit District.
1979 — Student interns from local colleges and universities were recruited, trained and supervised to provide client work.
1981 — Prevention and group services were added with particular focus on troubled youth.
1982 — The Vista Juvenile Justice Center Collaborative was created.
1983 — Lifeline became the North County representative for the first countywide collaborative — the Emergency Resources Group— providing emergency assistance to the poor.
1984 — Lifeline became involved in housing services, implementing a Shared Housing Program and becoming a partner of the Emergency Shelter.
1986 — Vista Unified School District began to fund youth counseling and groups programs to be provided on school sites.
1987 — Lifeline's Coastal Office opened in Oceanside, focusing on youth delinquency diversion services.
1988 — The children’s therapy room was stocked with specialized therapeutic tools. Parenting classes were facilitated in English and Spanish.
1989 — The county-wide Gang Alternatives Program began and the Juvenile Justice Center was duplicated in Oceanside.
1993 — Lifeline’s Services to the Poor contract expanded to the County's North Inland region.
1994 — The Making a Living contract focused on long-term employment for the chronically unemployed.
1994 — The addition of the North County Court Alternatives Program formalized Lifeline's mediation services and Dispute Resolution Program.
1996 — Lifeline becomes a partner in the County’s Title V grants, supporting the after school program at the San Luis Rey Community Resource Center in Oceanside.
1997 — The Youth Services experienced a growth spurt with the addition of the Community Assessment Team, Breaking cycles, and Critical Hours After School programs.
1998 — Lifeline purchases real estate to house its LIFT Transportation Program and the new Mobility Training Program.
1998 — The Workforce Partnership funds Lifeline to offer a large scale employment program with a performance-based contract.
1999 — Lifeline’s Counseling Department expanded to provide intensive domestic violence intervention services and EPSDT mental health services to youth.
2000 — Lifeline worked with youth transitioning out of the foster care system through the Independent Living Skills program.
2002 — Lifeline began organized tax preparation services for low-income residents to help them capture Earned Income Tax Credit dollars they were not utilizing.
2003 — Lifeline organized the North County Community Services for Families Collaborative to eliminate child abuse and provide kinship and reunification services for families in the child welfare system.
2004 — Lifeline expanded its youth counseling services through the state’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), creating school-based services.
2005 — Lifeline began on-site mediation services at the North County Courthouse.
2006 — Lifeline purchased and renovated a facility in Oceanside to permanently co-locate all its programs targeting Coastal North County.
2007 — Executive Director Shirley Cole retires after 25 years of leadership; Donald Stump becomes Lifeline's Executive Director.
2008 — Began working in partnership with the City of Oceanside to develop the Targeted Outreach Program (TOP) to provide gang intervention services.
2009 — Funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) allowed Lifeline to develop comprehensive new services for unemployed individuals and homeless families.
2010 — Launched the "It's Now! It's Wow!" youth art fundraising event in May of 2010 that resulted in tremendous community support.
2011 — The San Diego Workforce Partnership invests in Lifeline’s employment services by funding Bridges to Employment to help low income people achieve careers in the healthcare industry.
2012 — Project L.I.F.E. (Living In Freedom from Exploitation) launches to serve victims of human trafficking in collaboration with the 14-member North County Human Trafficking Task Force.
2013 — The LifeSpring House opens for youth who have aged out of foster care.
2014 — Lifeline’s youth services expand with the merger of two long-term prevention and early intervention programs, Juvenile Diversion and the Community Assessment Team, under a new San Diego County Probation contract.
2015 – Lifeline expanded our juvenile delinquency prevention services with “Alternatives to Detention” by developing local supportive foster homes as an alternative to juvenile lockup. Additionally, Lifeline’s Youthful Offender Rehabilitation Program helps youth who are re-entering the community after juvenile lockup and are seeking housing, work, and education.
2016 – Lifeline expands the child abuse prevention and intervention program, Community Services for Families, to include evidence and strengths-based coaching for parents during visitation sessions, as well as mental health assessments for all family members who have active child dependency services.
2017 - HERE Now (Helping, Engaging, Reconnecting, and Educating Now) Suicide Prevention Program is launched in partnership with San Diego Youth Services.
2018 – Lifeline Community Services Expands by opening a client center and program office in San Marcos
2019 – Lifeline Community Services partners with Just in Time for Foster Youth to open The House, a drop-in Center for transition age youth (TAY), former foster youth and young adults, and at-risk homeless youth and young adults in North San Diego County.