Archive for 2012

Homeless Men and Women Find Refuge and Hope at
Courtyard 365

It was a warm August 1^st night at Mission Headquarters.  The cots were set, blankets and sheets ready for distribution.  Food was waiting.  Then, they started coming, one by one, looking worn and fatigued, homeless men and women desperately wanting a safe secure place to lay their weary bodies.  Courtyard 365 – A Year Round Emergency Shelter was now officially launched.

One woman named Susan started to cry, “I’ve been beat up twice sleeping on the streets.  I can’t do this anymore…I just got a part time job and need to get a good night’s rest and shower.”  After receiving her blanket, sheet and pillow, she claimed her cot, made her bed for the night, ate dinner and started watching the Olympics that were on TV.  “Thank you Hope of the Valley….Thank you!” she exclaimed.

The ranks of the homeless are growing.  Daily the Mission receives 12-14 calls per day from homeless people looking for shelter.  There is currently a 3-month waiting list to get into any shelter.  Hope of the Valley, through its Courtyard 365 Program now offers 50 beds per night in its covered courtyard.  To see more pictures of the great new program go to Facebook/Hope of the Valley.

Mission Will Bus Homeless and At-Risk Kids to Home Depot Center For Free Chivas Soccer Game and Free Backpacks

Going back to school is never easy, especially when all the other kids have new backpacks and you have inherited yours from an older sibling with rips and tears.  Worst yet, your parents can not afford a backpack, so you carry your books and supplies in paper or plastic bags.

At Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, WE NEED YOUR HELP!  On Wednesday July 18th, (next week) we will transport 2,500 homeless and at-risk kids to the Home Depot Center in Carson to enjoy a free professional Chivas Soccer game and receive a FREE Brand New Backpack after the game.

With the assistance of the Los Angeles Boys and Girls Clubs, and other similar organizations, we have selected local children that would be deemed most at risk and most in need.

This event is not sponsored of funded by any other organization.  This is a Hope of the Valley Event as we strive to meet the needs of the poor, homeless and undeserved in Los Angeles.

I am sending you this email because we really need your help!  We need your partnership to pay for the Backpacks.  Because of our non-profit status, and our relationship with certain vendors, we have been able to purchase the backpacks for $3.98 each. (normally the cost would be over $20.00)

To make sure each child receives a brand new backpack this upcoming school year, please click on the DONATE NOW button below and purchase:

- 5 backpacks for $20.00
- 10 backpacks for $40.00
- 100 backpacks for $400.00

Each child will also receive a free lunch, meet the Chivas players and Mascot and enjoy priority seating.  Please help us put a smile on the faces of these most deserving children!  We cannot do it without you!!!  (any excess funds will be used to provide food and care for the hungry and homeless)In advance, thank you for making your safe, secure and simple on-line donation today! Any and every donation is important.  Please do what you can today!

Ken Craft – President/CEO
Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission

Partnership with Santa Maria’s Children and Family Center Benefits the Homeless

Hope, Hot Meals, Housing, Health Services and Healing are the 5 “H’s” that govern the efforts of the Mission.  A recent partnership with Santa Maria’s Children and Family Center has allowed the Mission to provide, free of charge, a wide array of medical services to the homeless.  The clinic sets up at the Mission and provides prenatal care, consultation

Check out the nice article written by Daily News writer Gregory Wilcox.

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_20607564/house-looks-just-like-home-rescue-group

Local Home Developer Donates Materials to Build Beautiful Bathrooms

The homeless were getting ready to eat at one of community meals. I announced that our new bathrooms, fully equipped with showers, and a tank less hot water heater, were now complete. They erupted in applause. Something as simple as a shower generated tremendous joy.

“You don’t know how much these bathrooms mean to us” said Phillip a homeless man trying to rebuild his life. “Every day I am looking for a job, but I can’t go to a job interview smelling and looking dirty.”
Sam was one of the first people to take a shower in the new bathrooms. “I feel like a whole new person… and I have never seen more beautiful bathrooms. Thank you for treating us like real people” said Sam. The bathrooms were built, nearly free of charge, in part, due to the donation of materials by national homebuilder Lennar Homes.  Lennar Homes continues to demonstrate corporate awareness of community problems and a willingness to give back to those in need. Thank You Lennar Homes!

Dear Friend of the Mission:

Please take less than 3 minutes to watch the imbedded video below.

The John E. White House of Hope is now open.  This house, and the lives that are being transformed, is only made possible because of faithful donors and supporters like you.

A special thanks is in order to Joyce White who gave the lead gift, in honor her deceased son John, which allowed us to purchase the house.  We also want to thank each person and organization that sponsored and purchased appliances, beds and bedding. THANK YOU.

At this time, the men are now living in the home, with high accountability,  developing life skills to help them rebuild, regain and restore their lives. On their behalf we thank you.

February has been a lean month at the Mission and we need your support at this time.  Can you give a gift of $25.00? Your partnership, with a monthly gift of any amount, is not only needed it is deeply appreciated.  To help us provide food, shelter, clothing, counseling and care to those in need, CLICK HERE  

Please enjoy the short video…and thank you.  We cannot do it without you!

Volunteers from Valley Beth Shalom synagogue and Family of Faith Christian Center join together to beautify Hope of the Valley’s new homeless mission and thrift store.

Randi Simenhoff, social action director at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, and the Rev. Michael Andrews, executive pastor of Family of Faith Christian Center in Long Beach, have been working together for so long they can’t even remember how their partnership began.

Ever since President Obama declared the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday holiday a national day of service three years ago, they’ve been looking for projects to do together locally. On Monday, for the second year in a row, they went to work beautifying the new facilities of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.

I filmed for hours as a couple hundred volunteers sorted, packed, planted and painted the facility inside and out. They heard teachings from a rabbi and a pastor over lunch, shared sacred music and dialog, and finally served a hot meal to hundreds of guests of the mission. You can see their passion put to service in the video.

Hope of the Valley has expanded out of San Pablo Church in North Hollywood – where I shot Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas in 2010 – to a rented building in Sun Valley. The new facility houses an enormous thrift store and provides shelter to six male residents who expect to move soon into a transitional home the mission recently purchased in Pacoima.

Other new services include a tented cold weather emergency shelter in the building’s courtyard and a safe harbor program in the parking lot where people living in vehicles can park overnight.

“By using creative solutions like these we’re able to meet the needs much more effectively than more traditional…big open warehouse style, on cots, sort of shelters,” said Rowan Vansleve, general manager of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.

To support their efforts, said Vansleve, the mission depends on churches like St. David’s and San Pablo in North Hollywood and Central Lutheran Church in Van Nuys who donate their facilities for food preparation and dining. And of course, nothing could be accomplished without the hundreds of volunteers who show up to serve meals and organize the thrift shop.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” said Dr. King. Those volunteers are answering that question.

   By Linda Rubin

John E. White

House of Hope Set to Open

Fresh Start Program for Men  Desperately Needs Appliances

Dear Friend of the Hungry and Homeless:

John E. White 4 bedroom House of Hope

   On February 1st, just three weeks away, Hope of the Valley will open the John E. White House of Hope, a Fresh Start Program for homeless men who need a second chance in life.

   Each of the 10 men in the program will receive food, shelter, clothing, case management, job training, life skill training and biblical principles to assist them in rebuilding their lives.

GE Refrigerator Needed

   A wonderful woman named Joyce gave the Mission a $100,000 gift, in honor of her son, who passed away from an untimely death, to be used as a down payment on the house.  With the generous gift given, our monthly mortgage payment is within our means…BUT…I NEED YOUR HELP!

 The 4 bedroom house in the East Valley does not have any appliances.  So, I am reaching out to you for help! Please help me purchase the refrigerator, stove, washer and dryer.

  

GOOD NEWS.…appliance maker GE is willing to sell us each of the needed appliances at 50% off the list price. So…

Refrigerator List Price is $1,099….our Price is $550

Washer List Price is $499….our Price is $250

Dryer List Price is $549….Our Price is $275

Gas Range List Price is $599….Our Price is $300

Total Price for all appliances, delivered and installed is ONLY $1,375

GE Washer & Dryer Needed

   Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission is dependent on the generosity of our donors.  If you are willing to purchase one of the appliances, we would gladly  acknowledge that the appliance was either given by you, your family, company or in memory of a loved one.

   If you cannot afford to purchase an appliance, please do what you can.  Example…If 11 people give a $50.00 donation, the refrigerator is paid for.

   If at anytime, you would like a tour of the John E. White House of Hope, or our new facilities in Sun Valley, please call or email.  I would be honored to show you around and share the vision of where we are and where we are going!

GE Stove Needed

To help us purchase our appliances, please

CLICK HERE

and make your most generous gift today
THANK YOU!

 

Sincerely,

Ken Craft

Ken Craft – President/CEO