So often, I talk to the men and women that now call Orange County Rescue Mission home, and they recall a “moment of truth”. It is a moment that they are forced to make a monumental decision: to continue living in the brokenness and chaos they are in or to leave all they know and […]
Lakeisha’s Story: A Chance to Stand on Her Own
We have all had moments where it seems the world is crumbling around us. Something we trusted in or relied on gives way, and suddenly we are faced with impossible circumstances. For many, an eviction notice or loss of a job can lead to devastation, homelessness, and hopelessness. Every day at Orange County Rescue Mission, […]
Nowhere to live and four kids to feed
My heart aches when I hear stories of families like the Hernandez’s. Yolie and Humberto Hernandez were in a desperate position, unsure of how to provide for their family and faced with the real possibility of living on the streets with their four children. But they, along with many other families like them, have found […]
New life, new hope, a new start.
This is the message of Easter. The glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ is reflected in the lives of the families and individuals at the Rescue Mission that are being radically transformed. Formerly homeless men, women and children are given a chance at a new start. This is a chance to be freed from the darkness […]
Aja’s Story: No Longer Running
Everyone, on some level, experiences the temptation to “run away” from their problems. Many of us have tried, only to learn the hard way that our problems cannot be outrun. This is an important concept to the Rescue Mission philosophy. I have always made it a priority not to offer band-aid solutions in the form […]
Good News and Great Joy
You helped Candace escape from abuse and provided a safe home for her children. Candace was brutally abused, which resulted in a pregnancy. She was carrying a precious life inside of her, and Candace knew she needed help to put her own life back together. At the Village of Hope, Candace is rebuilding her life […]
The Biggest Blessing: Candace’s Story
In January of 2015, Candace walked through our gates. I remember when I first met her, as a scared and pregnant young girl. Two years later, Candace is now a changed woman: confident and hopeful, ready to face her future and able to provide for her children. Watching Candace’s journey over the past two years […]