The Orange County Rescue Mission E-news: February 2006

For many people, the Mission’s mobile New Life Medical Clinic (NLMC) is the only health care they can afford — because it’s free. And often, that help makes the difference between life and death for the homeless, out-of-work, or working poor here in Orange County. Your gifts are bringing compassionate care, healing and hope to nearly 5,000 people a year. Thank you.

Vicki can afford rent — but not her asthma inhaler...

I have a Union job, but I only get benefits during months when I’ve worked enough hours — that’s only about half the time. I have asthma so I have to buy inhalers, $26.99 each. My boss told me about the New Life Medical Clinic. They help me get my inhaler now and then — which really helps ends meet. I also pulled my hamstring and it doesn’t seem to be healing — if the NLMC weren’t here I couldn’t go to the doctor.”

Edie can't afford her $80 prescription...

“I’ve been on the streets three times in the past. I walked around with pneumonia for eight months last year — everyone at the shelter just kept passing it back and forth. I lost my job six months ago. With no insurance, the emergency room is my primary care center. I came today because of this large black and blue abscess on my arm. The ER drained it and gave me an antibiotic prescription — but it costs $80 so I can’t afford it. I came by the church for food and saw the medical vehicle — it’s a miracle! They are going to fill my prescription, so hopefully, the abscess can begin healing.”

Helen's diabetes treatments cost too much — so she doesn't go...

“A friend referred me to the NLMC. I’ve had diabetes for 25 years, so I can’t get health insurance. My husband’s work has health insurance for him, but it doesn’t cover spouses, so I try to share medicines with him when I can. It’s very expensive buying insulin ($38 per bottle) and test strips every month. My doctor charges me for every office visit, so I try not to go see him. Today, the Mission is supplying me with 4 months of insulin — which will really help.”

Technology Education Vehicle: Computer Skills, Résumés, Job Training and Hope...

The Tech Vehicle helps people in very practical ways. Things like learning basic job skills, résumé help, mental wellness assessment, access to Internet job searches — up to full Microsoft certification — all free of cost.

We live in an information age,” says Strong Beginnings Career Developer George Mulak. “We have warehouse workers losing their jobs because they can’t use the computer to pick parts.” Education is a huge key to boosting a poverty-level income. It doesn’t take a four-year degree. Just getting their skills up to par can make a huge difference. Someone working 40 hours a week at $7.50 an hour brings home less than $1,000 a month. An average studio apartment in Orange County costs $1,100 a month! If we can get their skill level up to a $13.50-an-hour job, they can begin to support themselves.

But hourly wages and skill levels aside, we emphasize a relationship with God through Jesus Christ as a priority. We teach them that their reliance, if placed anywhere else but on Him, is misplaced. The encouragement that God can be their advocate is the most important thing we offer.

Work or Welfare? The Tech Vehicle Makes all the Difference

Mark LittleJohn had been working successfully as an auto mechanic for years — then he got in trouble. He paid his debt with a long prison term. But by the time he got out, automobiles were filled with computer chips and other technology he knew nothing about. With his old-fashioned auto mechanic skills, he couldn’t get a job anywhere. He floundered in motel life, seeking comfort in narcotics. He couldn’t afford to repair his glasses when they broke. Life felt hopeless.

Then a friend told him about the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Technology Education Vehicle. Nervous, but desperate, he went to check it out right away. The first things George Mulak did for Mark were to get him a pair of glasses and get him into Narcotics Anonymous. Then, George did a full career assessment with him. Mark had never even touched a computer. Without computer skills you can’t even get a warehouse job these days. Mark has steadily been receiving computer skills instruction and his confidence has soared. He is considering work in the field of electronic music or the Internet. He has a long way to go, but now he has something he says he has never had before — help and hope.

War on Hunger Vehicle: A Helping Hand Till They are on Their Feet

The War on Hunger Vehicle takes food, hygiene items, diapers, and more to the families in motels who are actively working with us to get out of the motels. Adults work on job skills, get credit counseling, learn to budget, take parenting classes — whatever is needed to assist them in becoming self-sufficient and in moving out of the motels into their own places.

Forty-three-year-old Mercy has just moved into her own apartment for the first time in her life. She shared a home with her husband all the years she spent raising their children. But when he divorced her, she was left without money, a home and job skills.

Mercy stayed with friends. She found a part-time, minimum-wage job. If she skips meals and gets help from her adult children, she can afford a motel room most nights of the month. When we met her, she had been struggling at this subsistence level for years — with no idea where to turn for help.

Immediately, we were able to help her with food from the War on Hunger Vehicle. Then her Strong Beginnings Case Manager, Daniel Saunders, helped her create a plan for the future. The first step was to explain her situation to her boss, and ask for more hours or more training to earn more money. Mercy was scared. She thought if they knew she was homeless, they would fire her. But her boss was wonderful and found more hours and training for Mercy. Today Mercy is making enough to share an apartment with a roommate — and a new apartment is right around the corner.

Because you give to keep these programs going, we have been able to move Mercy — and thousands of others — from being dependent on the state to being tax-paying contributors. From helpless to hopeful. Thank you.

High School Students “Attack” the Village of Hope...

On Friday morning, January 27, 263 seniors from Lutheran High School of Orange arrived aboard five school buses and stormed the campus at the Village of Hope armed with paper towels, window cleaner, mops, screwdrivers and hearts eager to serve those less fortunate than themselves. Throughout the morning, these students unloaded and sorted donated items, cleaned windows, removed closet locks and installed magnetic door catches, cleaned and treated floors in the Healthcare Center and cleaned up the grounds.

This student volunteer effort is an outgrowth of a partnership formed in response to the Disney “Show Your Character” community outreach program, designed to partner local high schools with local non-profits for the purpose of teaching high schoolers firsthand about community service. For already service-minded Lutheran High, it was just a matter of matching motivation with opportunity.

Little by little, the Village of Hope is steadily progressing toward its projected completion and occupancy by the end of summer 2006. Water, gas and electricity are in the process of being routed to the facility, while internal on-site utility installations are slated for the beginning of February. Framing of the stairwells and cafeteria columns is nearly complete. Interior framing of the kitchen and cafeteria is underway with a targeted completion date of May 1.

Community groups, churches, families, individuals, and businesses—here’s a great way to help homeless families stay together while they rebuild their lives and become self-supporting.

Adopt a family suite or a room in the Village of Hope! The Village of Hope is an innovative, faith-based, transitional facility that will keep homeless dads, moms, and kids together, while giving parents 12 to 24 months to work on job training and life skills. To make this dream a reality, we must transform two existing military dormitories into 128 rooms for homeless families. A plaque with your name, or your group’s name, will be placed in the room. More importantly, your group will be part of creating modern-day miracles in the lives of hurting families in Orange County.

Please email Joe Wheeler or call (714) 247-4325 for more info. You can also check our Web site for volunteer work dates, construction needs, prayer requests, and more.

Here in Orange County, 70% of the homeless are families with children! With the astronomical costs of housing here, one job loss or medical emergency can send middle class families over the edge. There is no affordable low-income area here where poor people can live or struggling people can start over. Originally, the Mission wanted to set up facilities in as many cities around the county as possible. But we faced enormous pressure not to! Many communities felt homeless programs would simply attract more homeless people. The government regulations seemed overwhelming. And the cost of building — $300 a square foot, on million-dollar empty lots — outrageous!

Then God inspired us to look at mobile services. A mobile medical clinic can serve 5,000 people per year — a building serves only 3,500. A mobile clinic costs $250,000 compared to a $4 million medical building. There are NO building regulations. And no city can tell us not to drive there.

Most important, it gives us the ability to go where the people need help! That’s what Jesus told us to do: Go out, find them, serve them, share His love. The results have been unprecedented. Read for yourself; your gifts to support our mobile ministries are moving people from poverty and homelessness to independence every day. Thank you!

Gratefully,

Jim Palmer & Staff

God’s love — the main life-changing ingredient we offer to all our clients through all our ministries.
Technology Vehicle provides job training and job placement to move people into better paying jobs so they can support themselves.
Veteran’s Program reaches out to our unfortunate service men and women who have not reentered civilian life well.
Shower Program gives homeless women some dignity.
Men’s Shelter provides emergency shelter to keep old men and weakened addicts off cold, wet park benches at night.
Strong Beginnings Program assists and guides families in motels while they rebuild their lives and move into their own apartments.
House of Hope gives moms and their children a place to live, while moms learn job and parenting skills and plan for the future.
War on Hunger Vehicle keeps children in motels from going hungry.
Through Operation OC, we have assisted nearly 800 individuals victimized by recent hurricanes in the Gulf.
New Life Medical Clinic saves lives, stops the spread of communicable diseases.

What it means to be a Christian

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4007 Santa Ana, CA 92702
Street Address: 1421 Edinger Ste. B Tustin, CA 92780
Phone: (714) 247-4300 Fax: (714) 258-4451
Toll free: (888) 946-HOPE (4673)
Web: www.rescuemission.org