The bad economy cost Mary both her job and her home. Your generosity is helping open new doors.

Ten years ago, Mary came to the Orange County Rescue Mission for help beating drugs. “I wanted to stop, but never knew how,” she recalls. But through God’s grace and the help of friends like you, Mary overcame her addiction and has been living clean and sober ever since. But that doesn’t mean things have been easy.

“With drugs, you get caught in a snowball of debt and other financial problems,” Mary explains. Working two jobs to feed her children and keep a roof over their heads, Mary had little time to pursue her dream of going back to school. “I left school when I was 15,” Mary says. “I had to grow up fast. I always wanted to finish school. But with relationships, babies ... something always came up.”

After a string of minimum-wage jobs, Mary finally got a break. In 2007, she was hired to be a live-in property manager at an area apartment building. The job came with a discounted rent. It was a good deal. But when the economy collapsed, the owners had to let her go. With little warning, Mary lost both her job and her apartment. “I knew I would be homeless soon,” Mary says. “I had no hope.”

But then she remembered the Orange County Rescue Mission. Now your generosity is making it possible for us to help her again. Mary and her two youngest children are currently staying at the Village of Hope, and she is finally achieving her dream of going back to school. “This is awesome,” Mary says happily. “I can devote myself fulltime to nursing school.” She has a few refresher courses to take first, but she is confident she’ll prove herself.

“This is exactly what I have been praying for,” Mary says. “I’m a little nervous, but I have faith. I know this is my last chance to get it right.”

You are helping Cassandra discover options she never knew she had.

It was hard for Cassandra to imagine how things could get any worse. Her husband, Fernando, had suffered a back injury years before. He couldn’t work — and ordered by his doctors never to lift more than 15 pounds, there was only so much he could do to help with their young son, Isaiah. Then, Fernando’s disability payments ended and he was denied Social Security. That left the burden of supporting the family solely on Cassandra, a 20-year-old with a high-school education and a part-time job at a local fast food restaurant.

They saved what money they could by sleeping in the living room of Fernando’s sister’s apartment. But that was hard for everyone. Cassandra knew it couldn’t last. “It was very stressful,” she says simply. “I didn’t know what we could do.” They turned to area churches for help. Several of them recommended the Orange County Rescue Mission.

Today, the family lives at the Village of Hope. “I feel so much relief now,” Cassandra says. “I can go back to school to get a good job, and we can finally save some money. “I would like to be an ultrasound technician,” she continues. “But whatever happens, I know God has special plans for us.”

Life dealt Lisa one shock after another. Your generosity is giving her the courage to press on.

In the months before Lisa came to the Orange County Rescue Mission, she lost her home, her job and her sister, who died of cancer. For a mother already struggling to make ends meet, it was more than she could bear. “I gave up completely,” Lisa says. “I lost all coping skills. I just couldn’t keep picking myself up anymore. I didn’t know how.

“I lost faith when my sister died,” she says. “I swore there is no God.” The combined shocks sent her on a downward spiral. “We bounced from house to house, until the host would get mad and throw us out,” Lisa remembers. Finally, mother and son had only their car to call home. With no place to go, Lisa walked into the public library in Aliso Viejo and began searching for help. That’s how she discovered the Orange County Rescue Mission. “I called and left a message at the Orange County Rescue Mission,” Lisa recalls. “I said, ‘I want my life back.’”

Today, your support of the Mission is helping her get that life back. Lisa is studying, saving money and starting to look for work. Her son is loving life at the Mission, and is receiving counseling weekly. But best of all, Lisa says, she has rediscovered her faith. “Now I see there is a God!” she smiles. “I feel so close to Him here.”

“Tara Bustillos has been working for Bank of America in Tustin for the last three years as an Investment Funds Specialist producing monthly investment reports. She is obviously ambitious in a quiet sort of way; she is considering furthering her career by studying for her Master of Business Administration at some time in the future.

Tara's place of employment is immediately across the street from the Village of Hope and she had a grandstand view during the construction process. So it is not surprising that she had the great pleasure of attending the Opening Day Ceremony.

Shortly thereafter, Tara fulfilled a childhood dream of involvement in homelessness relief by offering her services in OCRM's Volunteer Department. Two days a week, for one or two hours a day, she performs a wide range of administrative tasks for Volunteer Manager Brandi Schlechter.

She enjoys the atmosphere in the office, especially the opportunity to talk with residents and listen to their many, often sad, stories. She says, “Volunteering for the Rescue Mission has shown me that anyone, even me, could be in the same situation given less fortunate circumstances.” She adds, “It makes me smile when I think of going there because of the positive work the Mission is doing in so many lives.”

One of the major benefits Tara has obtained from her voluntary service is that her faith has been strengthened. When she sees the residents participating in Bible studies and trusting in Christ in their daily lives she says, “I feel strengthened to know that He takes care of them and is guiding them in their lives, I know in my heart that He is also with me in the same way. When I see the struggles they are going through there, I know I can cope with anything that may happen to me in my own life.” She exclaims, “The Rescue Mission is like a second church for me!”

Tara recently encouraged two colleagues who were considering volunteer service at the Rescue Mission. She told them that OCRM's ministry involves a transitional process that teaches life skills, both personal and vocational, rather than just being a temporary place to stay. She thinks that many people do not adequately grasp the essential difference between the Rescue Mission and a homeless shelter. It seems to have worked; one of her co-workers has already signed up as a volunteer!

Thank you, Tara, for your valuable service to the Least, the Last and the Lost of Orange County.

We are happy to report that the children at the Village of Hope were able to take part in many fun activities this summer. We were visited by many camps, as well as able to offer Vacation Bible School. The motivation behind it all was to not only encourage the children to grow spiritually, as well as socially, but to allow them to do so in an environment that was fun and safe at the same time.

A number of various activities were set up throughout the summer for the children, some even involved people visiting to volunteer from as far off as Canada, or allowing them to travel as far as Big Bear.

Starting on June 26, and lasting through July 31, the children at the Village of Hope were fortunate to take part in a summer camp led by Campfire USA. The camp operated Monday through Friday, between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The Campfire USA staff was very professional, and kept the children busy and encouraged through a number of activities, including educational lessons, sports, arts, crafts, and teambuilding exercises. At the end of camp, the children were treated with a day trip to the LA Auto Museum and Children’s Center.

For the older students involved in the group, Campfire USA also offered a weeklong summer camp in Big Bear. The aim was to provide the same hope and encouragement the younger crowd experienced, but in an environment more conducive to their age group. They were able to take part in a more traditional summer camp experience, including activities such as archery, horseback riding, and canoeing.

During the week of June 22, Seekers Chapel of Fullerton held daily Vacation Bible School for the children. The theme they chose this year was Camp Son Rock, which kept the children entertained throughout the day with music, crafts, games, and bible lessons.

The Westcoast Connection of Montreal, Canada visited the Village of Hope from July 6-10. They brought ten high school and college-aged students along with them to spend time with the children. During this time they even held a full-day camp, which lasted 2 days for the grade school children.

In mid-July, the Village of Hope was visited by the Indian Hills Day Camp of Jamul, California for a few days as well. Bringing with them a number of volunteers about the same age as the Westcoast Connection, they loved their work so much that they are coming back in August. While they tackled tough subjects such as Sin, Salvation, and a lesson serving as an Introduction to God, they ended camp with an end-of-camp carnival which the children loved.

Also on July 21, the Trabuco Presbyterian Church of Trabuco Canyon held a 2-day camp for the children at the Village of Hope. The covered the trek to Bethlehem, as well as the one to Galilee. In addition, they provided the children with an outlet for arts, crafts, science, and games.

The children are grateful for all of the time that people have donated to spend with them, and so are we. Even though we are not able to list everything that our kind community has done to help out this summer, please know that no one’s efforts have gone unnoticed.

The Orange County Rescue Mission would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of our brothers and sisters in Christ who have strived to make a difference in our children's lives.

On Saturday, June 13, the Orange County Fiskateers visited the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope. While they were here they left quite an impression. The original reason for their visit was a food drive that they had organized, but we soon found it turning into much more.

The first member of the Fiskateers group came early in the morning, and brought along her two sons to help out, turning a day at the mission into a family event. More members showed up as the day progressed, bringing with them food that they had collected.

One member of the group even brought her donation in a bag she had decorated herself. Though she may not have meant for it to, the bag had quite an impact. It served as a nice visual representation of encouragement and hope. In fact, at the end of the day one of the mission’s residents had been so touched by it, that she asked if she could keep it. The Fiskateer was thrilled and, of course, she allowed her to keep it.

It is always nice to see members of the Orange County community helping out their brothers and sisters. The Fiskateers, and the time they spent at the mission, are a perfect example of that.

We are grateful to the Fiskateers for spending the day with us, as well donating their time and talents to help brighten someone else’s day. Such visits are always a special gift.

Thank you, Fiskateers!

The Orange County Rescue Mission would like to take an opportunity to recognize two outstanding staff members, who have been honored with nominations within the community for their work. Both Gladys Amavizca and John Eumurian are being recognized this month as top performers by community organizations.

Gladys is the Director of the Orange County Rescue Mission’s Hurtt Family Health Clinic. She started out as the Clinic Manager, and through her hard work and compassion she has realized the vision of providing comprehensive healthcare to the underserved of Orange County.

Back in 2003 the clinic hit hard times, and was deep in debt. Now, only a few years later, not only has the clinic overcome its financial difficulties, but has even been able to accommodate an increase in patients as well. In fact, Gladys has teamed up with many major healthcare providers throughout the area to expand coverage and service to those who need it.

Gladys’ tireless work has made a great impact on the families of not only the Orange County Rescue Mission, but the Southern California area as well, and as a result she has been nominated for the 2009 CalOptima Circle of Care Award.

John Eumurian is another OCRM staff member being recognized for his diligence and excellence.

Though academically trained as an architect, his heart led him down a different path, ultimately leading to the Village of Hope. John has a deeply rooted passion for helping the homeless. In his time at the Village of Hope, John has been able to help fund various programs for the mission due to his tireless grant work.

In the time that has passed since June of 2006, he has been able to raise more than $6,983,460 in grants. This money has gone to various programs, such as a recent effort to bring diabetes education, prevention, and treatment to the children of Orange County.

John’s work never stops, as he can often be seen donating his lunch hour to help other non-profits develop their grant writing skills. Because of this, and so much more, John has been nominated for the Award for Outstanding Fundraising Professional by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Orange County.

The Orange County Rescue Mission is proud to recognize the achievements of these outstanding individuals.

When Nora’s ex-boyfriend began showing up and causing disturbances at her apartment complex, she knew her landlord’s patience would run out soon. He’d been giving the single mother breaks. But with visits from the sheriff’s office getting more and more frequent, he asked her to leave.

Nora and her daughter moved into an emergency shelter. While at the shelter, a routine medical examination found a mass in Nora’s right breast. Although she was still waiting to learn if she has cancer, shelter officials again asked her to leave. That’s when mother and daughter came to the House of Hope.

Your generosity helped make sure Nora got the medical attention she needed. In fact, Nora says subsequent tests revealed all traces of her cancer have disappeared. Now, Nora is anxious to get on with her life. “I’m not used to just sitting and waiting,” she says. “I want to be out doing things and moving forward with my daughter. But I am glad to be here at the House of Hope. I’m proud of who I am. I’m learning a lot, and am much closer to God.”

Between February 2008 and February 2009, calls for help to the Orange County Rescue Mission rose an incredible 302 percent. In the last six months, it’s only gotten worse. The Mission has become our community’s new social safety net. When other service providers have to cut back, the needy turn to us. That’s why your prayers and support are so very important. Thank you for your continued generosity!

In times like these, it’s easy to give in to depression and fear. You see that in the stories in this newsletter: Mary, Lisa and Cassandra all mention feeling like they had no hope ... that they just couldn’t keep going. Food is our big focus these days here at the Mission. But as we’ve seen time and time again, a nutritious meal, served by a friendly face, can be the start of something wonderful for a man, woman or even a child who feels hopeless and alone.

Your support of the Mission is a living model of Christ’s love to our hungry and heartbroken neighbors. The kindness you show in these hard and uncertain times helps wipe away tears, fill hungry stomachs and warm hearts with the power of God’s grace. Thank you for all you do ... every day ... to help make our community a better place.

In His service,

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.

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!