God's grace and your generosity are transforming Chuck's life, and a Mission meal was the key.

When he got out of prison, Charles had to decide whether he was willing to work for the new life he wanted. A warm meal and a friendly face at the Orange County Rescue Mission helped him make the right choice.

Charles got out of prison two years ago; he wanted it to be the start of a new life. But it soon started looking a lot like his old life had.

"I had been homeless for eight years before I went to prison," he explains. "Now I was back on the streets again. "I had to decide," he continues. "I could get myself another number" (by committing a crime and returning to prison) "or try to make it on the outside." As he considered his options, Charles made a stop at the Orange County Rescue Mission.

"I just came in for a meal," he remembers. "I saw a friend and we sat and talked." He ended up speaking with Mission counselors, too.

Charles grew up with rough Santa Ana gangs and was heavily involved in drugs, crime ... even devil-worship. But God's grace reached Charles in prison and began transforming his life. Charles drew closer to God and started focusing on his education, ultimately earning his GED.

We were able to offer Charles a place at the Village of Hope. With time to devote to his studies, Charles is proving to be a star student: out of more than 4,000 applicants, he was one of fewer than 300 to win a scholarship to a local college. His goal is to earn an associate's degree, then apply to the Cal State University system.

"I'm proof that anyone can change," Charles says. "My goal is to help others who are like I was. I know that if I've made it this far, God will take me the rest of the way."

Unemployment, homelessness and drug addiction were three strikes against this young couple.

If Beth hadn’t come to work just a few minutes late that Friday before Valentine’s Day, there’s no telling how long she and Charles might have continued their lifestyle of drugs and denial. But when her boss fired her for tardiness, the couple plunged into crisis.

If ever two people were made for each other, Beth and Charles would be them. After all, they were born within seven minutes of each other on the same day in 1978. But the pair shared more than a birthday: they also shared a serious meth addiction. While Charles worked irregularly as a chef, Beth depended on well-paying office jobs to support her $100-a-day habit. She hid her drug use for years, never once being found out by a supervisor or coworker.

“When you’ve been doing drugs since you were 12, you get to be a professional at hiding it,” Charles explains. Beth and Charles decided to go on “one last binge.” When they crawled home three days later, their landlord — Beth’s grandparents — told them to move out. Now facing both unemployment and homelessness, the pair called Orange County social services for help. The county recommended the Orange County Rescue Mission.

“Our plan was to stay here until we received our tax refund and stimulus checks,” Charles says. “But when we saw how good this place is, we decided to stay, do the program and finally get off drugs. “Then, last week, we found out we’re pregnant,” Beth adds. “The Village of Hope is our salvation, totally,” she continues. “I haven’t had the urge to get high since I got here. This is the longest I’ve been clean since I was 12.”

Today, Beth is putting her administrative skills to work in the Village of Hope offices. “I enjoy the spiritual part of being here,” she says. “Last week I prayed for the first time in 10 years. Church never grabbed me. It was boring. But this isn’t boring. Now everything makes sense.”

In the April edition of the E-news, we introduced you to Danielle, a resident of our House of Hope. This month, we asked her for an update.

“I am doing really well,” she says. “I’m about 15 credits away from getting my diploma and I need to start some serious research on my future plans. I could go into the medical field, or work with animals like I used to, or even do art or web design. It’s exciting to have so many options!”

Danielle continues, “I’m doing just awesome in this program. I’ve learned a lot, grown up a lot. Mostly, I’ve learned about myself. I’ve made some really bad choices in my life. Everything is different now. I’m learning a routine, and just not comfortable in chaos anymore.”

June 20 marked the annual Descanso Endurance Ride at Double R Ranch. This year’s riders on Double R Ranch horses were Glen Chapman, who rode the horse One Toi Legacy, and Bryan Dobbyns, riding Alada Patriot.

Glen developed a strong attachment with the horses on the ranch, and has even been able to start several of the younger horses under saddle, a task that not only requires discipline, but patience as well.

Bryan, who is a resident in his 20s, did not have any horse experience prior to his time at Double R Ranch.

The Descanso Endurance Ride itself is a 25-mile “race” through the Manzanita Mountains in Gyamaca State Park. This ride however is not about the competition of finishing first, but rather about the bond between animal and rider. Both men put in a considerable amount of time getting in touch with their horses beforehand. It is important for a rider to be aware of not only his limitations, but the horse's as well, to ensure the utmost safety.

Both men camped out at base camp, and were able to start the ride at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. The course took the riders up a five-mile slope where they reached an altitude of 6,000 feet before starting their return. They went around the state park, repeatedly crossing streams, and descended a rock stair before returning to base camp in Pine Valley.

Everyone at Double R Ranch is extremely proud of the discipline and dedication displayed by both men.

The Orange County Rescue Mission would like to give these men a well-deserved congratulations for their hard work and accomplishments.

The Change a Life Foundation has a unique philosophy based upon the founder’s vision. This vision incorporates compassion for man and a heart-felt need to help individuals “who are in their most desperate hour with little or no resources to help themselves.” In 2008, Change a Life Foundation awarded over $2 million to individuals and families to help them move towards independence and self-sufficiency. The Foundation has funded Braille equipment; voice activated computers, wheelchairs and vehicle modifications such as wheelchair lifts, and visual fire alarm and alert systems so that a deaf man could remain in his home.

The Change a Life Foundation has partnered with the Orange County Rescue Mission for nearly ten years, providing funding for diabetic patients to purchase glucose strips, funds for holiday meals for the homeless, and most recently, funding to replenish food for the Rescue Mission’s food box program which distributes food boxes to needy individuals and families at various sites in Orange County.

The Change a Life Foundation encourages partnership with the non-profit community so that lives can be changed through technology, medicine, and direct intervention. The Foundation is passionate about making a difference in the quality of life for the people they serve and the Orange County Rescue Mission is so proud to be one of their partner organizations!

Amanda Wheeler may seem like your typical fourth grader, but when it comes right down to it, there is a lot more to Amanda than meets the eye.

We know Amanda from the many hours she has spent with her family volunteering at the Orange County Rescue Mission, where she can always be seen with a smile on her face. Every time she steps onto our facility, she is always humble and acts very mature. Children 13 and under are able to serve as volunteers with their parents.

When nominated for the Huntington Beach Scholar Squad this spring, according to her teachers she has been described as always enthusiastic and eager to learn. She is conscientious of her tasks, and that is reflected by her school performance. Even when she is unable to attend school due to illness, she is always quick to catch up on any work she may have missed.

She takes true joy in learning the unfamiliar, and is always willing to help out her fellow students when they need it.

Amanda is a girl who works well with others, and is kind and respectful to others. She is truly a worthy nominee for the Huntington Beach Scholar Squad.

The Orange County Rescue Mission would like recognize and congratulate Amanda Wheeler for obtaining this honor. We are pleased to know that our young volunteers are recognized for their efforts both here and in school.

Ken Chinn, a professor at Trinity Law School, along with help from his law students, has recently brought a unique variety of help to the Orange County Rescue Mission. On June 1, 2009, Trinity Law School opened a free legal clinic, open to all Rescue Mission students. The goal was simple: to provide legal assistance to those who may need it.

The clinic will operate on an appointment basis in order to best facilitate the needs of the mission’s clientele. One-hour consultations will be available, in which OCRM students will be able to discuss their legal needs with support from the Trinity volunteers. After a review of the information, the best solution for addressing those concerns will be given.

The clinic itself will provide a variety of legal services, including family and criminal law, credit issues, as well as tenant issues, to name just a few.

Not only has Ken been a professor at Trinity for over 15 years, his 30-year career also includes a long list of experience working with legal clinics similar to the one he established here. Ken has been able to build strong relationships with other Orange County attorneys through his involvement in groups such as Christian Legal Aid in Orange County, and the State Bar Trust Fund.

This summer, Mary Heil and Kristin Knight, both of whom are students at Trinity Law School, will be aiding Ken in his work. The legal staff is eager to serve, and ready to help. In a sense, it is their payoff for all their hard work, but also preparation for the future. Most of all, it is an opportunity to lend a helping hand.

They encourage any to take advantage of their help, as they have minds full of wisdom, and hearts eager to help. The Orange County Rescue Mission is extremely grateful for their volunteer service.

Last in a Series

After dodging prison in New Orleans and suicide in Texas, Josh decided it was time to get his life together. Last month, he tried to contact a drug counselor he knew in Oklahoma, and learned his friend had moved west — to a place called the Orange County Rescue Mission.

As told by Josh

It took me six months to feel ready to go to California. But when I did, it was the right thing to do. They didn’t have space for me at the Mission yet, so I went to San Diego. I spent six weeks just walking up and down all those hills. I put on about 20 pounds of healthy weight. It’s funny: I was homeless, but in the best shape I’d been in years!

Finally, I hopped a bus and headed for the Mission. At one of the stops on the way, a guy from the bus jumped me in the street. Maybe he thought I had money. He just started hitting me with a hammer. When I finally got to the Village of Hope, the health center sent me to the emergency room. I had to be on bed rest for a week. That was tough!

I’ve never been one to just sit around. That was when I made the decision to quit drugs for good. I remembered how good I felt when I was clean for three months in Oklahoma. I want that all the time. If I’m going to do it, I have to be around clean people in a clean place. When you’ve been on drugs all your life like me, it doesn’t take much temptation to fall back again.

Being here at the Mission can only be good. I’ve had so many brushes with death: fights, accidents, suicide attempts. I should be dead. God must be keeping me alive. He is a forgiving God.

Of all the amazing, humbling things I see here at the Mission every day, probably the most incredible of all is the compassionate generosity of friends like you.

It’s an awesome thing to see a minivan pull up to the Village of Hope and watch a mother and her children unload boxes of canned food they’ve collected so homeless adults and children can have a nutritious meal. It’s amazing to talk to the volunteers who give of their time to help folks they’ve never met get back on their feet. And in these rough and uncertain economic times, I’m deeply grateful that so many people like you continue to support the Orange County Rescue Mission with your generous gifts.

I know it hasn’t been easy. Retired people, especially, are telling me it’s getting harder and harder for them to keep giving the way they did in the past. But still, they tell me, they’ll do what they can.

I often say the Mission is God’s hands and heart working in the world. But we are YOUR hands and heart, too. Thank you for caring so deeply about your Orange County neighbors. You are an inspiration to all of us at the Mission.

In His service,

Vicki McGuiness has been called a gifted and compassionate leader by those who know her well. She can often be seen around Orange County, volunteering her time and services, an endeavor that, though she quietly serves, has not gone unnoticed. She has recently received a nomination, as well as become a finalist, for the California Volunteers Governor and First Lady Medals for Service, an honor which is hard to come by.

Vicki currently serves as the Southern California liaison for Hope Force International, a Christian organization dedicated to alleviating the suffering caused by natural disasters the world over. Here, her responsibilities include recruitment and administrative work. Even though these efforts alone require a great deal of her time, Vicki still finds a way to involve herself with volunteer recruitment efforts for organizations such as: CaliforniaVolunteers, Disaster Corps, Red Cross, Hope Force International, Mariners Church Disaster Response Team, COAD, 2-1-1 Orange County, and Operation OC.

Operation OC is a disaster relief effort led by the Orange County Rescue Mission. As a leader for Operation OC, Vicki was able to help support the entire Orange County area by assisting community-based organizations, and government, as well as faith-based organizations. The common goal among them was to improve the capability to prepare for, and respond to, the threats of natural disaster, terrorism, or other man-made disaster. Recent incidents in which she and her team were able to make a difference were the 2008 Freeway Complex Fires.

Thanks to her tireless efforts, Vicki has been able to develop a strong network of faith-based organizations to help keep Orange County, and its residents, safe in time of disaster. Congratulations to Vicki and this worthy nomination!

Susan Bordeaux, along with her daughter Allison, are both members of the Winifred Campbell Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Tustin, and each has a truly great heart for charity. Working together, they have raised over 2,500 pounds of food for the Orange County Rescue Mission this year so far. This is not the first time that they have done so either. They have held two food drives in the past, with the donated amounts increasing by at least 1,000 pounds a year.

The two of them have also come in to help with our Easter bag campaign, serve meals to our residents, and have taken part in our Heart for Hunger food drives.

Working with the Winifred Campbell Auxiliary they were able to raise additional support for the mission as well. The Winifred Campbell Auxiliary is a group of working professionals, who also run a thrift store in order to raise money for various causes. This year, the organization was able to raise $4,000 for local donation, and since Susan has worked with us in the past, she referred them our way.

In total, the Winifred Campbell Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Tustin donated over 900 pounds of food and hygiene products. In addition, they also presented us with a $1,000 Costco gift card to be used for any additional food, or prescriptions that will need to be filled.

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to Susan Bordeaux, and her daughter Allison, as well as all of those involved with the Winifred Campbell Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Tustin.

Since last quarter, we gained 13 more Community Partners, resulting in $88.89! BE SURE TO ADD YOUR NAME!

If you do your regular shopping at Albertsons or Ralphs, you can help provide support to the homeless. Just register your Albertsons Preferred Savings and Ralphs Rewards cards, select the Orange County Rescue Mission and percentage of every purchase you make thereafter will be donated to OCRM to assist us in bringing hope to the Least, the Last and the Lost.

TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE and SIGN UP TODAY!! If just 60 people sign up and use your Albertsons Preferred Savings and/or Ralphs Rewards 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:

Albertsons Community Partners (Enter ID # 49000125638)
Ralphs Community Contribution (Enter Non Profit Organization # 91204)

Thank you!