Contact:
Kelly Stephens/Corynne Randel
Brower, Miller & Cole
(949) 509-6551
kstephens@browermillercole.com

20,549 CHILDREN IN ORANGE COUNTY ARE LIVING IN POVERTY
The Orange County Rescue Mission Requests Help to Meet This Alarming Need

Orange County, Calif., April 27, 2010 – The Orange County Rescue Mission is experiencing an alarming shortage of monetary donations and is making a plea with the community to help them meet the most basic needs of thousands of homeless and impoverished families in Orange County.

“Many people do not realize the true scope of homelessness in Orange County,” said Jim Palmer, President of the Orange County Rescue Mission. “Every night in Orange County, there is 21,479 men, women and children who go to bed without a roof over their head. 13.3 percent of the children in Orange County are living at or under national poverty levels. We are doing everything in our power to reach them and provide a hot meal and shelter, but we cannot do it alone.”

In 2009, the Orange County Rescue Mission provided more than 1,417,078 units of service to the homeless and impoverished in Orange County, including 853,096 meals. The Rescue Mission relies solely on private donations from the community to maintain its outreach, which helps meet the most basic needs of the thousands of homeless men, women and children struggling to make it in our community.

“We are currently experiencing an alarmingly high $343,798 shortfall in donations at a time when the requests from homeless men, women and children are up more than 256 percent,” added Palmer. “As a non-profit organization that has been helping struggling families for more than 50 years, the Orange County Rescue Mission has developed many partnerships with various vendors which allow us to purchase food and goods in bulk at a highly discounted rate. Due to that purchasing power, we have the ability to translate monetary donations of any size directly into healthy meals. We can provide a hot meal to a hungry child for just $1.48.”

Noted Palmer, “For what many people spend on gourmet coffee in a week, we can feed an entire family. By donating $35 dollars to the Orange County Rescue Mission, one person can provide 24 meals to sustain a struggling family. We are pleading with the community to remember that every little bit helps and to donate what they can to help meet this very real need that exists within our community.”

The Orange County Rescue Mission operates multiple facilities throughout Orange County, including the Tustin-based Village of Hope, Hope Family Housing in El Modena and Buena Park, the House of Hope in Santa Ana and the Double R Ranch in Warner Springs. Through these various facilities, the Orange County Rescue Mission is able to provide meals, clothing, hygiene kits, shelter and medical care for the most vulnerable members of our community.

To donate online or to obtain more information on how to organize a donation drive with your business, social group, neighborhood or church, please visit www.rescuemission.org or contact the Village of Hope at (714) 247-4300.

The Orange County Rescue Mission also accepts donations at the Village of Hope warehouse Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

About the Village of Hope
The Village of Hope at the former Tustin Marine Corps Air Station includes 192 beds, a child development center, playground, parent education center, vocational training classrooms, health care facility, donation warehouse, cafeteria with an outdoor dining center, and support offices. Residents here are considered “students” who participate in the Village of Hope’s two-year comprehensive program to overcome their personal obstacles and succeed in daily life, while keeping their families intact.

About the Orange County Rescue Mission
The Orange County Rescue Mission is a non-profit organization that uses Biblical principles in its programs such as relationships, finance, and parenting. The Orange County Rescue Mission’s innovative facilities and programs provide food assistance and shelter in addition to counseling, education, job training, mental wellness, life skill training, and medical services to provide a solid foundation for the transition to a self-sufficient life. To make a donation or inquire about volunteer opportunities with the Orange County Rescue Mission, please contact the Village of Hope at (714) 247-4300 or log on to www.rescuemission.org.