(Please keep in mind, that YOU, the generous, ARE our funding ;-)
My mission is to individually assist homeless people. Moving them forward on their personal journey and helping to position them back into the work force and into their own homes. Having a place to utilize as a home base is one of the most valuable things we can offer to others. Giving an encouraging home environment, where they can regain a foundation of self, remember what hard work is and get their souls rejuvenated with positive influences. A comfortable space where they can gain their footing, stabilize, and rebuild themselves. A home; to get them out of the elements and into a positive daily routine. A stable place, that offers the ability to have an address for resumes, gain a drivers licence, get social security cards and birth certificates and submit job applications. So many of the people I meet, and work with, do not have these basic items of independence, yet without these documents, it is almost impossible to gain employment, rent a home, or move forward in life.
The success we have seen over the last few years, is in large part, because we were able to offer a place in which to initially take a person wanting to get off the streets. We had arranged a 2 year work exchange on a 5 acre parcel of land and we completed that work contract this past August, 2015. This arrangement was an enormous blessing, and those 2 years proved, that we don't need much, to help many!!
MOVING FORWARD
For those that are ready for that change today, I have no "home" yet to offer! We have been blessed with a piece of beautiful Oregon land in the rural town of Christmas Valley, Oregon. Unfortunately, in order to have any one on the land, developments must be made. A Legal and approved septic system and a well will be the only 2 things that MUST be done before I can begin moving forward. Developing the land, building the gardens and developing housing, is all part of the process for those we help off the streets. Hard work builds character. We will start simple, I am determined, and the people I offer assistance to, currently live in bushes, dwell in parking lots and alley ways and sleep along the river banks. So even if we start in tents, we will start. But, until we are able to install these two, County required, systems; we are limited to Immediate needs assistance to the homeless we meet and it hurts my heart, as I have "Street Kids" contacting me daily, asking me if I can help them get up, and off the streets. The need for funding is IMMEDIATE!
OUR HUMBLE BEGINNING
The original property had been abandoned for over a decade and coyotes had moved in to the house. The land owner wanted someone to clean up the property and make the house livable again. I was able to make arrangements for myself and the people I help, to do work trade in exchange for use of the land. This opened a huge door for me, giving me a place to take those who wanted to better their situation. It allowed me to provide work for them, reminding them of self reliance and it gave me the home base needed, so I can assist people off the streets. All of us should have a place to call home. A place where we feel safe and can heal what wounds us!
Living here however, was no easy task. There was no water on the property, so every week, we had 300 gallons of water donated and delivered by a local man in Christmas Valley. We used 5 gallon buckets to transport the water around the property. We had no power sources at all, not wind, not solar, not a generator and power lines don't reach out that far. We used candles for night time light, made do with out refrigeration, and utilized a wood stove for heating and cooking. We built a greenhouse and cultivated our own produce and we did other work trades with local residence in exchange for goat milk, goat cheese, tools, lumber, water, garden starts, blankets, cast iron pans and so many other, misc. needs.
My mission is to individually assist homeless people. Moving them forward on their personal journey and helping to position them back into the work force and into their own homes. Having a place to utilize as a home base is one of the most valuable things we can offer to others. Giving an encouraging home environment, where they can regain a foundation of self, remember what hard work is and get their souls rejuvenated with positive influences. A comfortable space where they can gain their footing, stabilize, and rebuild themselves. A home; to get them out of the elements and into a positive daily routine. A stable place, that offers the ability to have an address for resumes, gain a drivers licence, get social security cards and birth certificates and submit job applications. So many of the people I meet, and work with, do not have these basic items of independence, yet without these documents, it is almost impossible to gain employment, rent a home, or move forward in life.
The success we have seen over the last few years, is in large part, because we were able to offer a place in which to initially take a person wanting to get off the streets. We had arranged a 2 year work exchange on a 5 acre parcel of land and we completed that work contract this past August, 2015. This arrangement was an enormous blessing, and those 2 years proved, that we don't need much, to help many!!
MOVING FORWARD
For those that are ready for that change today, I have no "home" yet to offer! We have been blessed with a piece of beautiful Oregon land in the rural town of Christmas Valley, Oregon. Unfortunately, in order to have any one on the land, developments must be made. A Legal and approved septic system and a well will be the only 2 things that MUST be done before I can begin moving forward. Developing the land, building the gardens and developing housing, is all part of the process for those we help off the streets. Hard work builds character. We will start simple, I am determined, and the people I offer assistance to, currently live in bushes, dwell in parking lots and alley ways and sleep along the river banks. So even if we start in tents, we will start. But, until we are able to install these two, County required, systems; we are limited to Immediate needs assistance to the homeless we meet and it hurts my heart, as I have "Street Kids" contacting me daily, asking me if I can help them get up, and off the streets. The need for funding is IMMEDIATE!
OUR HUMBLE BEGINNING
The original property had been abandoned for over a decade and coyotes had moved in to the house. The land owner wanted someone to clean up the property and make the house livable again. I was able to make arrangements for myself and the people I help, to do work trade in exchange for use of the land. This opened a huge door for me, giving me a place to take those who wanted to better their situation. It allowed me to provide work for them, reminding them of self reliance and it gave me the home base needed, so I can assist people off the streets. All of us should have a place to call home. A place where we feel safe and can heal what wounds us!
Living here however, was no easy task. There was no water on the property, so every week, we had 300 gallons of water donated and delivered by a local man in Christmas Valley. We used 5 gallon buckets to transport the water around the property. We had no power sources at all, not wind, not solar, not a generator and power lines don't reach out that far. We used candles for night time light, made do with out refrigeration, and utilized a wood stove for heating and cooking. We built a greenhouse and cultivated our own produce and we did other work trades with local residence in exchange for goat milk, goat cheese, tools, lumber, water, garden starts, blankets, cast iron pans and so many other, misc. needs.