James funded his hippie lifestyle by dealing drugs. When it all fell apart, you helped him get his life back.

For most of the last four decades, James was a drug-abusing hippie. Those are his own words. “I graduated from high school in Anaheim in 1965, moved to Laguna Beach, and became a hippie,” he says. “I got into drugs, and stayed on drugs for a long, long time.”

Over the next 40 years, James married twice, raised two kids and lived everywhere from San Clemente and Dana Point to Costa Rica and Hawaii — always within sight of the beach. He funded his laid-back lifestyle by dealing drugs.

But no party lasts forever. Not long ago, James found himself back in Orange County — out of drugs, out of money and with no place to call home. “I was stealing beer from liquor stores,” he recalls. “I was really in bad shape.”

Concerned, James’ daughter, who also lives in Orange County, asked what he was going to do to get his life back on track. “I don’t know” was his sad answer. “So she made some phone calls and found the Orange County Rescue Mission,” James says. “Three days later, she drove me to the Village of Hope. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to go,” James continues. “All I knew about it was they wouldn’t let me smoke. But my daughter said, ‘You don’t have a choice, Dad.’”

“Of course, now I love it here,” he adds with a laugh. “I’m lucky to be alive! I was abusing drugs horribly. They took me over, body, mind and soul. I never knew coming here would change my life.”

Your generosity made James’ story possible. He is grateful for you this Thanksgiving, and so are we. Thank you for helping transform lives.

Newport Beach's Daddy Cakes founder Dan Byers is using his specialty pancake mixes to bring assistance to families affected by the recession in Orange County. On Saturday, October 24, from 10:00 to noon, Daddy Cakes will host a pancake breakfast fundraiser for the Orange County Rescue Mission at the Village of Hope. Everyone is welcome to participate by paying $5 per person or donating five cans of food or other nonperishable items.

“When I learned that the Orange County Rescue Mission had distributed more than 84,000 meals to families in need of assistance in our community in the past six months, I knew I had to step in to help, and I urge others in the community to come together to help our neighbors in need.”

In addition to the fundraiser, Daddy Cakes will donate 150 packages of pancake and waffle mix (the equivalent of 3,150 pancakes) to be included in food boxes distributed to homeless individuals and families in Orange County, as well as feed the more than 200 residents of the Village of Hope. Serving the meal will be a smiling crew of volunteers. Peet's Coffee, who for years has been a regular donor to the Orange County Rescue Mission, will supply their famous brew.

Thank you to Daddy Cakes, Peet's Coffee and our faithful volunteers for bringing tangible hope to hurting people in some very tough times. God bless you!

The bad economy is making this the toughest holiday season ever. Please help!

Here at the Orange County Rescue Mission, requests for help have gone up more than 300 percent in the last 12 months. As a result, Thanksgiving 2009 is shaping up to be our busiest and most challenging holiday season ever. We need your help!

In Orange County, hungry old men, struggling single moms, and people battling homelessness and addiction know they can find help at the Mission. This year, they’re being joined in our dining room by families who last Thanksgiving were living comfortable, secure lives. It all changed so quickly. We’ve heard the story so many times this year: Before they knew what hit them, dad’s job was gone, or mom’s hours were cut to the point where the family couldn’t make ends meet anymore. Parents who never had to worry about feeding the kids are searching the yellow pages or Internet for help.

Through God’s grace, their search often leads them here to the Mission. Will you help us provide warm meals, comfort, shelter and God’s healing love for individuals and families who need them so badly? A gift of $29.60 will provide 20 meals this Thanksgiving season. Or maybe God has blessed you and you can give $74 to provide 50 meals.

Last summer, the lines of people coming to us for food boxes stretched longer than we’ve ever seen them. So many people need our help. And we really need yours. Whatever you can give, God will bless! Please do all you can today.

Alan Weisenberger is the Vice-President of Technology Services for the Evangelical Christian Credit Union where he has been employed for 16 years. Alan and his wife, Kerri, have three daughters. He is also an Elder at Grace Church of Orange.

Alan's first active involvement with the Mission was when his daughter was quite young; she chose to do a school project on homelessness. Alan drove her over to the Men's Residence, at that time located in Santa Ana, to observe a meal being served by volunteers on the sidewalk outside the facility. She and a friend decided to collect a jar full of change and donated it to the Rescue Mission to help the homeless.

About two years ago Alan became aware that God wanted him to express his love for others in a more practical way than by financial donations alone. As he puts it: "...God expects those who have been blessed with abundance to use that abundance for the benefit of those who have not been so blessed." That includes time, skills and any other resources available to us.

"Once you become aware of something that is important to God,” says Alan, “you can’t ignore it if you want to continue to get closer to Him and to know Him better."

After searching the OCRM Web site, Alan began by volunteering for the once-a-month workdays at Double R Ranch. However, Alan also wanted to be involved in something closer where he could serve more frequently. After discussing the opportunities with Volunteer Manager, Brandi Schlechter, he opted to volunteer for an evening shift with the Village of Hope security patrol. This was something that Alan could fit into his life for one evening a week.

"The Ranch has allowed me to use abilities and knowledge that I’ve acquired throughout my life to contribute to the effectiveness of that ministry,” Alan mused. “Working security at the Village of Hope has been a very different experience. To put the uniqueness of this blessing in perspective, you need to understand that most of my life is spent doing things that use my particular skills and being a leader. But those experiences can make a person very self-reliant. God wanted me to become more aware that pleasing Him isn’t about who I am, what I can do, or what I have: It is all about who He is, what He can do, and what He has and freely gives to us. My job is just to be available for Him. My volunteering at the Village of Hope hasn’t required any particular skills I brought, it just requires me to be willing and available. The rest is up to Him.”

The greatest gain from Alan's experience has been the realization that homeless people have the same social, spiritual and material needs as everyone else. The relationships have been very important to him, and it has been his delight to get to know both staff and students at both locations.

Finally, Alan adds that he has been amazed at the ways in which the Village of Hope and the Ranch have changed lives in deep, long-lasting ways. He recalls a woman who appeared sullen and withdrawn when he first saw her, who was transformed into a cheerful, confident and outgoing person within a short period of time.

Thank you, Alan, for your selfless service to the Least, the Last and the Lost.

As soon as Tim Telles, owner and operator of the celebrated Tribeca Salon in Aliso Viejo, heard about what the Orange County Rescue Mission is doing at the Village of Hope, his compassion for the homeless was aroused and he decided there and then to get involved. Being a man of both cosmetological skill and experience, he began to apply himself where he could do the most good.

Tim has donated hair products, procured the donation of salon chairs, and regularly offers his time and talent to the residents of the Village of hope, bringing an added measure of self esteem and confidence to those in great need of it. But Tim's interest in giving to the students at the Village goes far beyond that of a tradesman working his craft pro bono. Tim is motivated by his Christian faith to approach his volunteer service from an eternal perspective, and views his time with the students as an opportunity to impart God's love to them.

But that's not all. Tim is making his salon available on October 18, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for what he is calling the Cut-A-Thon for the Village of Hope. Tribeca’s talented team will provide an array of luxury beauty services. Call for an appointment (949-916-2400) or simply walk in for $30 haircuts and massages and $10 eyebrow threading. There will be live music, food and a great gift basket raffle. Please bring nonperishable food items. All proceeds will benefit the Orange County Rescue Mission.

Tribeca Salon
6 Journey, Suite 155
Aliso Viejo, Ca 92656
(949) 916-2400

For more information, call (714) 247-4326. Thank you.

Last July, Saddleback Church brought hundreds of kids together for the Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry conference. Groups were given one hour and $1 and told to multiply it for God’s glory. Three teens from The Rock Church of Sahuarita, Arizona chose to support Orange County Rescue Mission. By canvassing local businesses for donations, they raised $33. One store also donated several dozen brand new toothbrushes.

“Even small things can help a lot when people don’t have anything,” Brianna says. “I can’t imagine what we could do if we had worked on this for a whole year.”

Thank you, kids, for your hard work to help people in need in Orange County. We appreciate your generosity!

That's what we asked people at the Rescue Mission...

In all my years at the Mission, I have never seen anything like the past 12 months. It’s not just that so many homeless and hungry people are coming to us for help — it’s that so many of them are homeless for the first time. People who have never before faced real hardship are now wondering where their next meal will come from. Can you imagine the helplessness and fear created by that kind of uncertainty?

But when people show up at the doors of our Mission, it doesn’t matter who or what they were last year. We love and welcome them for who they are today: men, women and children created in the image of God who need food, shelter and a place to rest.

That’s why I’m so grateful for your generosity. I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to send a gift today. You will be doing more than just sharing a meal. You will also be demonstrating to people who may be at the very lowest point in their lives that God’s love is more powerful than fear and uncertainty. You have it in your power to bless them tremendously. Thank you for caring about others at this critical time.

In His service,

The mission of Blue Shield of California Foundation is to “improve the lives of Californians by making health care effective, safe, and accessible for all Californians, particularly underserved populations, and by ending domestic violence”. In 2009, the Foundation is focusing $30 million on two program areas: Health Care and Coverage and Blue Shield Against Violence. The Foundation supports key healthcare safety net programs that address the health needs of the poor and uninsured.

Blue Shield of California Foundation has supported the efforts of the Orange County Rescue Mission to provide health care services to the medically underserved, homeless and poor of Orange County over several years. The partnership began initially when the Foundation provided core operating support in 2004 for the Mission’s healthcare programs, which provided services to homeless people living on the streets or in shelters. Since then, Blue Shield of California Foundation has continued to generously provide core operating support for the Hurtt Family Health Clinic, a community-based clinic located on the Village of Hope which serves the poor and homeless. Foundation support has helped with laboratory tests and pharmaceuticals, as the majority of the nearly 8,000 patient visits to Hurtt in 2008 were from uninsured patients who could not afford the high costs of medication or lab work.

The support of Blue Shield of California Foundation has been critical to the delivery of healthcare services to the poor and homeless in Orange County. The Foundation is meeting urgent community needs and improving the lives of Californians by helping to make health care effective, safe, and also accessible through programs like the Hurtt Family Health Clinic. We are greatly appreciative of their contributions to our health programs and their commitment to improve lives.

The Orange County Rescue Mission is committed to helping you assist the poor in the most cost-effective way possible. That’s why we take extra care to use every penny efficiently. As part of that effort, we are governed by an independent Board of Directors. We are also a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Upon your request, we will send you an audited financial statement prepared by an independent certified public accountant.

At the Orange County Rescue Mission, averaged over the last 10 years, a full 79 cents of every dollar given has gone directly to help the homeless. If gifts received are above a specific need, they will be used for Mission programs where the need is greatest. Your support is greatly appreciated. With your help, the Orange County Rescue Mission works to make our community a better place for everyone to live.

Re-enrollment Time in Ralphs Community Contributions Program!
Congratulations to Ralphs for donating almost $3 million this past year through its Community Contributions Program. If you are signed up through your Ralphs Rewards card, and have designated the Orange County Rescue Mission as the beneficiary, then a portion of these funds have been donated to assist us in bringing hope to the Least, the Last and the Lost of Orange County. Here are a couple of things to remember:

• If you are currently enrolled in the Ralphs Community Contributions Program, your registration will expire on August 31, 2009 and you must re-register on or after September 1, 2009 in order to continue assisting the homeless as you shop at Ralphs.
• If you are not currently enrolled, new registrants will be accepted starting September 1.

This quarter, 19 people used their Ralph’s cards to provide $130.07 for homeless families!

Albertsons Community Partners Program
Albertsons Community Partners Program will continue to accept registrations as usual. By using your Preferred Savings Card, and designating the Orange County Rescue Mission as the beneficiary, you can bring hope to the homeless of Orange County.

TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE!! If just 60 people sign up and use their Ralphs Rewards and/or Albertsons Preferred Savings cards, and the average quarterly shopping percentage brings in a modest $3.15 each, then those 60 people could make $756.00 a year JUST BY DOING OUR OWN GROCERY SHOPPING! Of course, the more you purchase, the more you earn for OCRM. (We'll keep you updated on the quarterly progress!)

Click the following links to sign up:

Starting September 1
Ralphs Community Contribution (Enter Non Profit Organization # 91204)

Now
Albertsons Community Partners (Enter ID # 49000125638)

Thank you!