The Orange County Rescue Mission E-news: June 2006

You’ve given third-generation motel child, Lazarus, a new future...

Traveling around the country with her dad and brother, Rachel grew up living in motels, shelters and cars. She was never in one place long enough to earn a high school diploma. Mark Long was born in a motel, and spent 17 of his 21 years living in one. The two families were neighbors in a Southern California motel when Mark and Rachel met and fell in love. Soon, they moved into a motel room one floor up. They lived from day to day, sometimes working, sometimes not — until their son, Lazarus, was born. Neither of them really knew any other life. But they told themselves they didn’t want their son growing up like they did.

One day, the Orange County Rescue Mission held a barbecue at their motel. The Mission handed out flyers saying they could help people get out of motel life. Mark called immediately. The first thing we did was help them see their potential. In multi-generational motel families, many people have no idea what their lives could be like. We gave them something to strive for and offered them a helping hand to get there. Mark and Rachel worked on their job skills, began attending church and went to credit counseling. We helped them make ends meet — bus passes, food and occasional help with the rent — until they saved up for their own place.

Once families have enough income to meet monthly expenses, we help find them an apartment and assist with moving costs, first and last month’s rent, utility deposits and furniture. The day the pictures for this story were taken, the Long family moved into their very first apartment. Now, Mark and Rachel have begun putting their first 5-year plan in place — to get new jobs, to get out of debt and to start saving for a down payment on a house. Once that’s accomplished, they would like to move to a more affordable part of the country where they can buy a home.

At last, the cycle has been broken! “We’ve been absolutely blessed,” says Mark. “We’ve gone from barely getting by to having more than we know what to do with. It’s a miracle — there’s no other way to put it.” Yes, their son, Lazarus, was born into motel life. But thanks to you, he will never live in one again. God bless you!

When Betty Alford got married, she left her successful career in city planning to stay at home, support her husband and have children. Eleven years later, when her husband walked out on her and her daughter, Betty didn’t know what to do. Her husband had always put her down, telling her she could never make it without him. Now she was at the point where she believed him. She was no longer marketable in her field and the only job she could find barely paid for a motel room. She looked for help, only to be told she didn’t qualify for any help. After all, she wasn’t a drug addict, or a high school dropout, or a battered wife.

After two years of horrifying motel life, Betty met Joel Gumbayan of the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Strong Beginnings Program. “The most important thing Joel did for me was encourage me,” says Betty. “Then he backed up the encouragement with practical help — like rent and extra food.” The Mission is helping Betty make ends meet while she works toward independence. She is enrolled in 9 units at school. With re-certification and updated computer skills, Betty will soon be eligible to return to her former line of work making $25-30 an hour.

During Joseph Milsap’s early years, his drug use got him into trouble — a failed marriage, discharge from the Marines, lost jobs. But a stint in rehab and some time spent at church got him on the right track. For 15 years he was sober and worked all the time — 365 days a year, never taking a vacation. Then one day someone just mentioned the drug term “eight ball.” Suddenly all the craving Joseph ever had for drugs came rushing back into the “empty hole” inside him. He went through $10,000 in savings, maxed out $30,000 in credit cards and finally lost his job and got evicted.

Eventually, Joseph came by the Mission for a bed and a meal. During chapel service, the emptiness of his life hit him full force. He wanted to change and joined our program. “This is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” says Joseph. “Now I’m filling the empty spot inside me with God, and creating a new solid foundation to stand on and build a life.”

ADVANCO has begun installing fire sprinklers in the warehouse, administrative offices and cafeteria.
When the fire sprinklers are complete, American Contractors will begin internal plumbing, electrical and framing of the new construction.
Mammoth Electric is in the process of providing electricity for on-site distribution.
So. Cal Steel completed the remaining steel work on the chapel foyer (pictured right). Fine grade and plaster crew will follow.
Vargas Engineering will begin installing the sewer lines in the third week of June.
Final grading of the site will begin in the first week of July.

Good progress is being made toward the completion and eventual opening of the Village of Hope, but more help is needed. If you are interested in investing your resources, whether financial or otherwise, into this much-needed facility, please call (714) 247-4306. Thank you.

With a family of 12, the Belt/Bentley family needed a lot of help when they fled Hurricane Katrina and came to Orange County — and you stepped up! Through OperationOC, you brought them food, clothes, counseling, diapers and more. A family in Long Beach offered them a home for six months. The city of La Habra adopted them for Christmas. One of their big problems was the lack of a car — and, yes, an Orange County family gave them a Suburban! Though the family is sad to have left behind many family members in Louisiana, they have found a new home here. Thank you!

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he said that they should ask for provision on a regular basis. “Give us this day, our daily bread” were the words he used. We can't, like bears, store up enough to last us through the winter. We need to be replenished DAILY. So, too, does our supply of food here at the Rescue Mission. As fast as it comes in, it goes out.

That's why we're so appreciative of monumental efforts like the ones that took place in May. Two local Tustin schools, Currie Middle School and Covenant Christian School, hosted Can Castle Food Drives involving over 1,600 students who collected canned food from friends, family and supermarkets. The classes within the schools were in competition with one another to see which one could build the best “Can Castle” with the donated food. It was a fun way for the kids to make a difference in their community — and they did! When it was all over, 7,100 lbs. of food were collected to provide “daily bread” to the Least the Last and the Lost of Orange County. Great work!!

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 e-mail John Luker or call (714) 247-4306 for more info. You can also check our Web site for volunteer work dates, construction needs, prayer requests and more.

I remember Kimberly, our first client at the House of Hope. It happened to be her birthday the day she arrived. She was scared about moving into a shelter with her three kids. She assumed it was a run-down, dingy, dangerous place. When she saw that her new home was beautiful, she was dumb-struck. Then we told her we were going to stick with her — now and after graduation — while she gave up drugs, learned to be a good mom and changed her life. She just broke down crying. For her, it was a firsthand, face-to-face encounter with God’s love.

That’s one of the reasons we built a beautiful building for the House of Hope. We think ministry happens better in a home setting than in an institution. Besides, I think God designed women to respond to beauty. What a contrast for them to go from living in a homeless motel or their car into this warm, inviting home! This is a visual reminder of how much we value them. This beautiful place says, “You are worth nice things. You are worth being treated well. You are worth respect. God made something better for you than a car or motel room!” It also inspires their children. No more ugly welfare offices, getting another handout. We help them realize this is how their life is meant to be lived.

God cares about each of us. He loves us and asks us to pass His love on to those around us. Whether we’re giving of our time, talents or resources, that’s what we are accomplishing here together. We are passing on God’s love in the form of practical help and spiritual guidance to the least, last — and lost of Orange County. And His loves changes lives every day.

In His Service,

Jim Palmer & Staff

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