Restoring Hope

I love the way the wind blows through the cab of the truck as it rolls down the street. As we ride along I am reminded of the brown UPS trucks that I would occasionally ride along with my father. Instead of the brown truck with brown boxes inside, this white truck carries hope and a second chance.

The large white Project Prevention truck with the words, “Hope in Action” written boldly across the side, sends a statement loud and clear to those driving on the street: “We are here to help.” This outreach program works with the Los Angeles social services to prevent families from losing their kids to the foster care system because of poverty.

Rita is one of the mothers who receives help every week from this program. As I stood in her living room surrounded by one of our short-term missions teams she explained, “I was living with only my younger son and I was not able to support both my 12 and 8 year-old boys. There were times when I did not know where we going to sleep, and we had to simply sleep in the car.”

Even once she was able to get low-income government housing, there was no furniture. There was nowhere for her children to sleep, nowhere for them to eat or even sit down. This is when Project Prevention stepped in to help.

As we looked around the fully furnished living room and kitchen she simply states, “This is all from The Dream Center.” As her eyes began to well up with tears she could not stop exclaiming how thankful she was to The Dream Center for their help her family had received. As we circled around and I lead us in a prayer of blessing, I could not help but feel the hope exuding from her.

This incredible outreach program really is “Hope in Action”. Becky and Kelly, the organizers behind this program, simply love these families. Becky explains, “It’s all about the kids. These parents love their kids; they are just faced with poverty. We are here to help keep families together and love on the kids.”

Currently the program helps almost 25 families weekly with groceries as well as furniture needs, such as beds and tables. This is a small number in the neighborhood of many that need help. Becky and Kelly are praying for another truck and increased donations to be able to increase the number of families helped every week.

The longer I am here the more I see it is not about simply meeting physical needs. The Dream Center is all about relationship and learning to unselfishly help others. These people are not just a name on a list or a picture on a wall; they are flesh and blood and need just as much help as I do.

-Joel