The Real Homeless

I am so grateful for Orange County Rescue Mission’s relationship with Mariners Tustin. The local church began services at the Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope campus in recent months.This Easter, Mariners Tustin helped us share with our neighbors about the work of the Rescue Mission by inviting them to joint Good Friday festivities. Hot dogs for everyone, Easter egg grabs, candy, raffle prizes,…

A highlight of our annual OC Veterans Day Dinner is presenting local awardees for the Veterans of the Year honor. Veterans chosen for this honor had exemplary service during their military career, and they continue serving their communities with their jobs and volunteer services. Congratulations to Elizabeth VanBenschoten Buckley and Charles E. Johnson, the 2022 Veterans of the Year. Here is a…

I am grateful for a partner like Charles Antis with Antis Roofing and Waterproofing! With Orange County Rescue Mission’s 12 campuses and multiple buildings to serve homeless and formerly homeless men, women, children, and veterans, donated labor and supplies make a tremendous difference. In 2021, and again in September of this year, Charles Antis mobilized Antis Roofing employees and several…

OC Veterans Day Dinner – Join Us!

We are excited to invite you to the 5th Annual OC Veterans Day Awards Dinner on Friday, November 11th, 2022. This special event is the official Veterans Day Dinner in Orange County, held annually on Veterans Day. The event includes a wonderful dinner at the Santa Ana Elks Lodge 794, and honors veterans from all walks of life. Many veterans in Orange County continue serving our community through…

It’s National Estate Planning Awareness Week, when we’re reminded about the importance of creating a plan for your family and the people and organizations who matter to you. Estate plans protect your loved ones and, if you choose, allow you to build a legacy of meaning and value for the causes you care about the most. And they ensure that you can benefit those causes for future generations.  I…

Man Night is a long-standing tradition at Trinity United Presbyterian Church, and so is Trinity’s support of Orange County Rescue Mission. The church’s commitment to Orange County Rescue Mission and community service is inspired by the recently retired Senior Pastor Doug Rumford. Man Night is about building friendships and learning from the Bible together, and recently they included the men…

Gaining financial self-sufficiency is one of the long-term goals of Orange County Rescue Mission’s programs for homeless men, women, and children. For some, meeting this goal requires a change in perspective and increasing their knowledge and understanding of economics and personal finance. Life skills classes, financial tutoring, and accountability are resources provided along the way to meeting…

What an honor to have Eric Hovde, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Sunwest Bank, address the students at our recent 2022 Orange County Rescue Mission graduation! Click here for the video, and listen to the inspiring success stories of Rescue Mission graduates. Sunwest Bank is a long-time sponsor of Orange County Rescue Mission’s Success Center. The Bank’s support of the Success Center…

Seeing people take the step of baptism in their faith journey is getting a glimpse of a very personal moment that is intentionally public for others to celebrate together! You can see the emotion in their faces, even in this somewhat awkward moment. What makes someone want to get into a metal tub of water? These Rescue Mission students are getting baptized to make a statement. They are grateful…

Summer’s Not Over Yet!

There are just a few weeks of summer left before school starts, but we still need your help in providing a Summer to Remember for the kids here at Orange County Rescue Mission! We have many fun – and educational – activities for the kids living at the Rescue Mission’s Village of Hope, from field trips to sports camps. Many children here did not have consistent schooling, and their education and…

Oltmans Construction has served as an essential partner since my early years with Orange County Rescue Mission. Their history of charitable work includes several of our transitional housing campuses, including the recent expansion of Tustin Veterans Outpost and the current renovations at our Double R Ranch in Orange County. Several other nonprofits also benefit from Oltmans Construction’s…

I congratulate and thank Dr. Melany Meier for her chiropractic guidance and service. With her heart for homeless people and passion for this field, she brought consistent and much-needed chiropractic services to the Rescue Mission students and the Orange County community. After over 40 years of providing chiropractic care, Dr. Meier has recently retired to pursue other endeavors and…

“The Federalist” Speaks Up about Housing First

The article titled Most Cities’ Responses to Homelessness Actually Enable Even More Homelessness, posted on March 18, 2022 in “The Federalist,” describes the effects of the Housing First philosophy. By looking at three major cities (Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Seattle), they found that this approach often fails and enables more homelessness because it does not address the root causes of the…

Being a parent to foster, adopted, and biological children is one of my greatest joys! And in commemoration of National Foster Care Month, I want to announce that the Rescue Mission is a group of people actively supporting orphaned, fostered, and adopted children. Along with several employees who are foster and adoptive parents, I have fostered nine children and adopted three. Recently, we…

This year marks the 12th Anniversary of Orange County Rescue Mission’s partnership with Up and Running Again! Not only do they run half marathons with students, the homeless men and women in our programs, but they also teach our students invaluable skills like goal setting, dedication, persistence, and team building. Up and Running Again is a 14-week program that helps non-runners slowly build…

At a recent public hearing, Sheriff Don Barnes was clear about his concerns regarding the fentanyl epidemic, which he calls “our most significant long-term health crisis.” (The Orange County Register, March 3, 2022) I support Sheriff Barnes and believe that his description of what has contributed to and exasperated the fentanyl epidemic is accurate. Please click here to read the Orange County…

The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, hosted a canned goods and non-perishable food donation drive for Orange County Rescue Mission, with their signature Ritz-Carlton flair! The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, commissioned local sand architect, Archisand Professional Sand Sculptors, Inc., to make this year special by creating a sand sculpture with all of their community partners represented. They created…