WE DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP!

Food donations have gone way down this summer and the demand for food has gone way up! We are happy to say that we have moved 56 homeless men, women and children into the Village of Hope, but that also means we have many more mouths to feed! Summer also means that homeless children, who would have received at least a lunch at school, now don’t have that meal to depend on!

Because of this critical shortage, our warehouse food supply has reached its lowest level in years and we do not have enough food boxes filled to deliver to the hungry in our community. THIS NEED IS IMMEDIATE!

Please consider personally donating food and encourage your church, home owners association, employer, etc. to sponsor a food drive. You can deliver food you gather to the Warehouse of the Orange County Rescue Mission located at the Village of Hope at One Hope Drive, Tustin, CA. If you are interested in conducting a food drive to help supply this need, follow the instructions below or download the instructions and materials you need from our Web site. For more information, you may e-mail our Volunteer Department or call 714-247-4326.

How to Conduct a Food Drive

1. Select the dates of your drive. Three to five days is ideal, but plan to receive donations two to three days after the due date.
2. Make some noise! Publicity is the key to a successful drive.
3. Distribute printed publicity materials.
4. Announce the drop-off point for donations.
5. Collect, collect, collect!
6. Deliver the Food to OCRM (One Hope Drive, Tustin, CA 92782)

Download Food Drive Materials Here

• How to conduct a food drive
• Food drive needs list
• Food drive announcement flier
• Drop off location poster (8.5 X 11)
• Drop off location poster (11 X 17)
• Food drive advertisement poster (8.5 X 11)
• Food drive advertisement poster (11 X 17)
• Download all materials in one zipped file (2.4 MB)

Thank you in advance for responding to this critical need! So many hungry men, women and children are counting on your help!

After 15 years working full-time, Fred lost his job. Then he lost his apartment. Determined that his young son would not end up on the street, he spent his last few hundred dollars to rent a motel room. Fred thought it would only be a few weeks until he got a regular job. A year and a half later, he was still struggling at day labor jobs.

When Social Services found out Fred was homeless, they picked up his son. Fred went to court to get his son back, but he wasn’t even allowed to see the youngster. The court won’t let a homeless man take custody of a child — even his own child. Sitting on a bus on his way to see a social worker about getting his son back, Fred met a stranger who told him about the Orange County Rescue Mission. Fred told the social worker, and she called the Mission.

She determined that through the Mission’s program, Fred could complete all the steps necessary to get his son back. Fred signed up for our New Life Program, prayed with the pastor, and started working the program. One year later, every prayer request Fred and the Mission pastor made has been answered! With the help of the Mission, Fred got a job with a wireless Internet company, saved up $2,400, moved into an apartment, and bought a car. Now he has custody of his son again.

The experience transformed Fred’s life. He still attends church at the Mission. He volunteers, too, because he wants his son to be a godly man. “I know God answers prayers,” Fred says. “I know God is using the Mission to change lives. And I’m going to do everything I can to give something back.”

Please join us for this great historical day in the life of the Orange County Rescue Mission as we celebrate the Grand Opening of the Village of Hope! This will be an exciting and colorful, fun family festival complete with food, tours, live music, art exhibitions and art lectures from renowned artists, Albert Paley and Peter Brandes. Come and see the newest, nationally recognized, and most comprehensive homeless facility in the country!

Sunday, September 14, 2008
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Village of Hope
One Hope Drive, Tustin, CA 92782

(free to the public)

Dinner Gala and Concert Performance with Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale

Orange County Performing Artscenter
Saturday, 13 September 2008
5:00 p.m. Dinner Gala
8:00 p.m. Concert

A cantata has been written in honor of the grand opening of the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope (entitled From Greater Light). The introduction of this new cantata, commissioned by Roberta and Howard Ahmanson and composed by Alva Henderson, will be highlighted in a concert featuring Jubilant Sykes singing Aaron Copland's Old American Songs. The concert will be performed at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

Get your concert tickets NOW through the Orange County Performing Artscenter.

Concert performance only:  COST — $75 and $35. One hundred percent of the ticket price goes to the Village of Hope!

Skilled Aerospace Engineer Stunned to Be Homeless

Like most of us, Marcus never thought he would be homeless. He worked. He has no addiction problems. He had a few months’ worth of living expenses saved in the bank. When he got laid off from his aerospace job, his savings seemed to evaporate, and his unemployment insurance wasn’t enough to keep a roof over his head.

Marcus was stunned to find himself on the street. He had no idea how to work “the system,” but when he picked up the phone and started making calls, God led him to the Mission. “I grew up in church, but hadn’t been practicing my faith. I love the spiritual dimension here,” he says.

Marcus found another job right away and began saving up to get back on his feet. Then he was laid off a second time. “The newspapers say we’re in a recession,” he says. “All I know is there are more people competing for the jobs I’m trying out for.” In the meantime, Marcus is taking full advantage of the opportunity for spiritual growth here. He is grateful for the Orange County Rescue Mission, explaining that he is trusting God to find him the right job.

“For those who want it,” he says, “this place gives people three meals, a roof over their head and a chance to get back on their feet. Thank you.”

Priscilla had been a stay-at-home mom for 12 years while raising her kids. Her husband was abusive, but she was so dependent on him, she was afraid to leave. He swore if she ever left him, she would get nothing. “But I had to leave,” she says. And sure enough, she ended up with nothing.

Priscilla couldn’t earn enough to live on, much less save any money, so when she got laid off from her job, she became desperate. She moved into a garage with no bathroom or kitchen. It was during this time that a friend told her about the Orange County Rescue Mission Strong Beginnings Program. “It’s been wonderful,” she beams. The Mission helped her get subsidized housing, and helped keep her afloat with groceries, clothes and gas cards while she was in job training.

After graduation, she searched and searched for a job. Even though her training only qualified her for a $12-an-hour job, she was thrilled to get one. Then, six weeks later, she got laid off! The good news: Priscilla has found another job. With the Mission’s help, she will be able to make ends meet while she goes to school to improve her job skills.

With tears in her eyes, Priscilla says “thank you” to everyone who gives to keep the Mission going. “Where would I be without this? Sleeping on relatives’ floors? Sending my kids to live somewhere else?” Priscilla believes that one day soon, she will be able to support her children on her own. She says, “Thank you!”

With three college degrees, five years of management experience, and a six-figure salary, Keith didn’t think he had anything to worry about. But Keith worked in the sub-prime mortgage industry. When it hit bottom, it took Keith and thousands of other Orange County residents with it. With a wife and three daughters to support, Keith immediately hit the bricks, but no other employers wanted to touch anyone associated with the sub-prime loan industry.

Keith went to work for his father-in-law, but his father-in-law’s company also fell victim to the economic downturn. Then his father-in-law lost his house, too! They all took refuge in a commercial warehouse. He was depressed, his wife was in denial, and he had a fourth child on the way. Then they found the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Strong Beginnings Program.

The Mission will help him with everything from finding an apartment, to extra food and gas cards when needed, to job search resources. “Honestly, I used to look down on people who were homeless or needed services from a place like this,” admits Keith. But not anymore. Keith hasn’t found work yet and is currently retraining. But thanks to you, his family has the two things they needed most: hope, and a helping hand to get them through this tough time.

In the turbulent economic times in which we live, we rely more than ever on your support in reaching out and providing a “hand up” to struggling homeless individuals and families. Thank you for your generosity.

“Over the telephone, Sharon Thompson sounds like a warm, friendly person who could be anybody's grandmother. It's easy to see that she is a person who cares deeply about other people.

Having enjoyed a successful career in Health Care, Sharon soon got bored with retirement and decided to devote her extraordinary talents and energy to a new career working in Hotel Management. After six years, Sharon retired from work for the second time. She wanted to give back some of the blessings God had given to her so she directed her considerable talents to the Orange County Rescue Mission. Sharon lives Christ's words, "It is more blessed to give than receive." Her motivation for volunteering with OCRM is the joy of service to God and others through the use of her abilities.

Sharon has been a volunteer for the Orange County Rescue Mission since May 2006. She performs clerical tasks in the administrative office as well as volunteering for a wide range of special projects for events held at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and in food drives. Although Sharon emphasizes the breadth of available volunteer opportunities she has been involved in, she particularly enjoys communicating with potential volunteers over the telephone and by e-mail. She also occasionally works in the warehouse.

Sharon recently acted as a judge in a "can castle" competition for a food drive at Eastside Christian School. As it happened, this school is run by a church she attended for 22 years, until 1990 when she moved out of the area. She not only had the delight of judging the competition but also in reuniting with several friends who continue to worship there.

Sharon enjoys her voluntary work for the Rescue Mission because it touches so many lives. She has become aware of the crucial needs that the Mission meets while caring for the homeless in Orange County. These needs are often of the most basic, like soap, clothes and shoes. Using her knowledge and skill, as well as her personal resources, to meet the needs of the homeless in a Christian context gives her immense personal satisfaction. She is impressed that the Rescue Mission, in the words of Founder Jim Palmer, gives the homeless "a hand up, not a hand out" by providing job and life-skills training. Sharon is looking forward to the future of the new Village of Hope facility, making possible the continued expansion of the Mission's good work.

She says, "If anyone thinks that one person can't make a difference, then they're dead wrong." Sharon is a powerful example of one person making a huge difference by returning the blessings that God has given to her in the service of others. She would encourage anyone thinking about volunteering to visit the Web site and choose from the many available opportunities to get involved in giving hope to the less fortunate.

Founded in 1915, the California Community Foundation (CCF) has become an integral part of Los Angeles history. From humble beginnings at Security Pacific National Bank, the foundation has grown tremendously to become a community leader that strengthens Los Angeles communities through effective philanthropy and civic engagement. By creating sustainable communities that are healthier and stronger, the foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for all Los Angeles residents, especially the most underserved populations.

The foundation promotes philanthropy and works with others to address the key issues facing its communities. CCF seeks to build a brighter future for Los Angeles County made up of safe, thriving and diverse communities through decent, affordable housing, accessible health care, quality education and enhanced human development opportunities, including arts and culture.

The foundation is also actively involved with supporting domestic and international emergency recovery efforts after a major disaster. In 2003, the foundation established the Southern California Wildfire Relief Fund to support disaster recovery efforts in the aftermath of wildfires in the impacted counties. In response to the October 2007 Southern California wildfires, the foundation reactivated the Southern California Wildfire Relief Fund, raising more than $2 million dollars to support disaster recovery efforts throughout the area.

The Orange County Rescue Mission received $62,500 from the California Wildfire Relief Fund to buy a generator back-up system for the OperationOC Emergency and Disaster Assistance Center at the Village of Hope in Tustin. OperationOC is the public and private partnership for the coordination of disaster services and disaster recovery efforts, including emergency mobile medical services.

The Rescue Mission is developing the infrastructure to operate and maintain a rapid response Emergency Operations Center at the Village of Hope. The center would support the county’s disaster recovery services, including participation with the Operational Area’s Emergency Management Team.

We would like to express our thanks to Alvertha Penny, Gabriele Burkard and their team for their hard work on behalf of those in crisis!

Calvary Chapel Living Word held a concert and food drive benefitting the Orange County Rescue Mission on Saturday, July 19 from 1 pm to 4 pm at the District in Tustin. The concert included performances by Joe Arant, Elva Frye, and Marnie Ann. They collected 750 pounds of food and 20 pounds of hygiene items.

Thank you, CCLW, and God bless you!