Serving the homeless and needy in the South Bay area for over 100 years with "Soup, Soap and Salvation" Mission Monthly www.beaconlightmission.org JANUARY 2017 www.doorsofhopewomensshelter.org

Broad Avenue Elementary Mission for help. Their “Penny Drive” makes a big difference to someone in need this Christmas season.

Penny Drive For the children at Broad Avenue Elementary School, this December 16th, was the last day of class before their riday, December 16th, was a special day for us at Christmas break. It was a cold, windy and rainy day so F the Beacon Light Mission, as it was “Penny Drive the “All School Assembly” which is normally held outside Day” at Broad Avenue Elementary School in on the school grounds, was cancelled. At this event, the Wilmington. children donate pennies they have collected earlier in the Christmas season so that they can give back to the This event started with just one class, Mrs. Debbie community, but due to the inclement weather, they had Otterson's, back in the early 90's. It then grew to include each class send children to the school office to make their several classes, and then the whole school became donations to the Beacon Light Mission and the Doors of involved. Now it is an annual event that we look forward Hope Women's Shelter. The total value of donations this to. This is probably one of the most significant events on year was $1,463.94. our calendar because it is the local children expressing their concern for the needy right here in Wilmington. We want to thank Angela Tenette, the new school Their pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, dollar bills of Principal, for all she did in making this event happen this various denominations and checks they collected will be year and a special Thank You to all the children and their used to provide meals, showers, clothing, hygiene parents, who gave up their pennies to help those in need. products, and beds for the homeless that come to the Linda Stratton December at Doors of Hope Director of Operations Doors of Hope s we begin 2017, I am looking forward to seeing that young people are thinking of others what God has in store for us. A also.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat .I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a Also Mt Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in San Pedro in- stranger and you invited me in. Mathew, 25: 35 vited us for a luncheon for their Hand Bags for Hope min- istry. We were blessed with 20 hand bags full of different This year was a blessing. We have seen several women’s hygiene items and goodies for the ladies. lives changed for the better. There were several ladies who found jobs, who found housing, several accepted Bethel Grace in Bellflower collected about 42 bags of gifts Christ as their savior and several have joined churches. for the ladies.

God has been answering many prayers that are changing The ladies were very happy Christmas Eve with all their many lives. When we asked for supplies or needs, they presents from them and several other groups. Also they were filled. In scripture Philippians 4: 19, And my God will will have gifts for New Years eve. meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. We have an awesome God! Below are Tessa and Julie who brought by 32 blankets. Tessa wanted to do something for the needy, so she went Last year we had a roof put on between the buildings, so on line and asked for donation on the go fund me ac- when it is hot, cold or wet, we can work outside to do our count. She raised over $200.00 and she purchased these donations of clothing etc. 32 blankets for the homeless. While we were unloading the car, a young man came up to us and asked for a blan- We have been very blessed with clothing and hygiene, ket, and she gave him one. Praise God. Proverbs 31:20 and had sufficient amounts to give to the ladies .When we She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to have asked for items you have blessed us with the items. the needy. We are so grateful for your faithfulness to reach out and help the needy. Psalm 150:1 Praise the Lord. Praise God Thank you so much for being part of this ministry. These in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. ladies are truly blessed and loved by you. God Bless you. This year we have had some changes in staff. Marian moved up north and found a job cooking at a health care facility and Michelle finished her Certified Nurse’s Assistant training. While Sydney is finishing up her schooling for Certified Nurse’s Assistant.

Our numbers for the laundry loads, open showers and bed counts are much higher this year. We average 8 to 10 loads of laundry a day. That is a lot of laundry. We wash all the clothing the ladies bring in so they will have fresh clean clothes to wear while staying here at the shelter.

Also this year we changed from 7 night stay to a 14 night stay. We find that this helps the women to relax and re- group to move on to do what they need to do.

We were very blessed during December with all the spe- cial donations for our guests. As you can see by the pic- tures on the next page.

Niusha Khashar collected toiletries, cleaning supplies, la- dies bras and made cute bags for them. She wanted to give back to the community. It took her hours to collect these items then bag them up. I am very happy to see Tessa and Julie 2

And From Regal Insurance group, Mary, Janice and her Donations from Ducomm Company. daughter brought in these real cute boxes of hygiene products for our guests.

St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Palos Verdes collected several sets of sheets, about 25 white bath towels, face cloths, and Tim and his wife Jan brought in 2 carts filled with tooth a full set of pots and pans. I was overwhelmed to say the paste, tooth brushes and hygiene supplies. least.

Freda unloaded her car with several gift bags full of supplies The Christmas donations kept coming in! An abundance of and gifts, from charitable group “Too old to party but too blessings! young to stay home” 3 hat a “Christmas Eve” night it was for the W Care-A-Van crew, even though it wasn’t Christmas Eve yet, the sprit was in the air for our Homeless friends.

At our first stop, our “friends” were gathering as we arrived and while we got our resources in place, they stood around chit-chatting and waiting for our deep breaths, I returned to the family prayer together. Because it just a few days before get-together for our last good-byes Jerry Rilling, Christmas, we opened with a devotional about the and Merry Christmas…till’ next week. Executive Director “reason for the season” Jesus Christ; His birth, Life and Driving to the next location I reflected Beacon Light Mission Death, and concluded with letting them know, they have on this Christmas card we had just Doors of Hope His gift available, and all they needed to do was unwrap received and knew that of all the it. By the time we finished praying, several other people Christmas cards we received this year…this was the had joined in our circle, and at the final amen they greatest. Jhr

applauded and thanked us for the story and prayer. After that, it was like a family get-together; everybody was Speaking of the Care-A-Van ministry, we finished our first laughing and talking; some were getting socks and others year and are now looking ahead to 2017. As you may blankets, or hygiene products, snacks, and of course a recall, this came about because we saw it in action in cup of hot soup, coffee, and taquitos. Off to one side Spokane, Washington, and introduced the idea to the were three ladies from our group praying for a homeless Board of Directors in the fall of 2015. Board members women who needed prayer. On the other side was one Paul Dever and Roy Barile approached me and said, “Let’s of our Board members praying for a woman who was do it”, and immediately we started planning for a New crying her eyes out. The more he prayed, the more she Year (2016) start date, not knowing where to go or cried. Everybody was shaking hands and hugging one exactly what to take. Continued on Next Page another and wishing each other a Merry Christmas. Man, this is family, I thought to myself.

An older gentleman slowly walked over to me and greeted me with Merry Christmas and as we shook hands, he handed me an envelope that looked like it might be a Christmas card, and that well known lump began to form in my throat. He timidly said it was from all the people and they just wanted to tell us thanks.

His white hair and wrinkled dry skin, rough hands and well worn poorly fitting clothes spoke loudly to me, of hard times, missed baths and meals, and probably drug or alcohol abuse, and a whole lot more. But the sincerity in his feeble voice and the look in his eyes made me choke back the tears which began welling up behind the Hoover dam in my eyes. We conversed for a while, and then he turned and walked over to get a cup of soup and coffee. As I watched him walk away, I humbly opened the card and it read, “Thank you from our hearts for everything you have done for us. Very much appreciated. Happy Holidays from all of us. We love you.” After a couple minutes and a few 4 CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER at the Mission

ecember 24, is a special day at the Beacon Light Mission. Annually we D host a special Christmas luncheon and give away. For the last several years we have had a team from Torrance First Baptist Church put on the special Chapel service at 11:00 AM followed by a full Christmas dinner for our guests. This year’s team was made up of: Marlene Richardson (piano), Gary Breeze (song leader), Marianne Salzer (soloist), Joyce Hosier and Pastor Roger Hosier (message).

What made this service so special was the number of people who responded to the invitation at the end of the service. Pastor Roger asked those who wanted to make a commitment to Jesus to stand up. When we finished counting there were 25 people in the chapel who were willing to stand up for Jesus that morning. What a blessing.

Our motto is "Soup, Soap and Salvation". Providing for the physical needs of those coming to us for help is important. These folks come to us for help in meeting their daily needs. Sharing God's love goes beyond a meal, a bed or a shower. Meeting their spiritual needs puts then into God's forever family. We have shared God's Good News 365 days a year here at the Mission.

CARE-A-VAN MINISTRIES—CONTINUED

At first, we were treated with suspicion and doubt by the homeless because they thought this was a “one time event and they might be back in a few months or so.” (This was revealed to us by the homeless after we had been ministering to them for a couple months.) But each week, rain or shine, we were determined to be there for them and the number of homeless we ministered to increased, and we never missed a week.

After our first few weeks of feeding them physically and giving out donations of clothing etc., one of the homeless friends commented “we hadn’t prayed for the food yet.” From that day on, we have not missed a meal without praying for it. Standing in a circle in the cold or wind or heat, with everybody holding hands…yours in theirs…those weathered, hard, dry, abused hands, and then at the end of the prayer, you feel them squeeze your hand. You silently praise God and thank Him for allowing you to experience the love from an appreciative, homeless friend.

We didn’t keep stats on the items we gave away such as tracts, Bibles, socks, blankets, shoes, sodas, water, hygiene kits…men’s and women’s…sweaters, sleeping bags, batteries, beanies, individual prayer requests or confessions for Christ, numerous bars of soap from your travels, and a whole lot of other things you donated.

But we can tell you that we gave out over 3380 freshly made sandwiches, courtesy of the ladies from Doors of Hope, 2600 cups of coffee, and 416 gallons of soup.

Because of you, we could live our motto; Soup, Soap, and Salvation. With your continued support, WE can make 2017 even better as we work closer with other agencies to lift up those we can, to live a respectable life. Please help us help our homeless friends and guests with frequent donations of Prayer. “Never look down on someone unless you’re helping them up.” jhr 5 Miss Rodgers' Neighborhood atiana Rodgers, Executive Director and Founder of the non T -profit organization Miss Rodgers' Neighborhood, hosted another successful Pop-Up Shot on Saturday, November 29th here at the mission. With a team of about 8-10 volunteers, Miss Rodgers' Pop-Up Shop welcomed over 50 residents and local people off the streets as well. Our homeless community had a chance to openly shop for any Clothing, Shoes, Blankets or Hygiene products needed, not to mention get a clean shave or a fresh hair cut while enjoying Chef Tasha Dorsey's Homemade Soup Bar. The event was a major blessing for all who attended. It was a great morning, well organized with a large group of volunteers. It was fun!

ScreenWorks of Gardena started our year off with 15 bags of couple who frequently donates a variety of cold weather clothing they have collected plus they donated 48 A items including money to BLM/DOH, wanted Aprons and almost 300 T-shirts of assorted sizes for our homeless to let our homeless guests and friends know they friends. are aware of their plight and desired to lift them in their own Christmas way.

They made out 140 Christmas Cards and put money in each card which was passed out as the guests entered the Chapel at our annual Christmas Eve Lunch. (Their lunch is exactly like a Thanksgiving dinner.) These cards were greatly appreciated by our guests. As you may know, most of them go through the Christmas Season without being remembered by anybody.

Thank you, anonymous friends of the homeless!!!

group of young girls from Los Angeles A Church of Christ came in and handed out hygiene bags loaded with all kinds of extras. These girls tried something a little different this time, they greeted our guests as they came into the chapel so that no one missed out. And an included treat was Carrie, one of the girls mother, sang a wonderful acapella rendition of “Oh, Holy Night”. It was like something from an opera. Wow! Thank you Robbie, Carrie and all of their youth group for your love and care of our 6 homeless guests. Online Shopping at Amazon.com These items can also be found on our ow you can donate items to the mission from the comfort of your own AMAZON WISHLIST N home or office. We have created an Amazon Wish List . We have diligently searched for and selected quality items that will last for the best possible prices. Just go to Amazon.com and in the upper right corner hover over the lists button and select Find a List or Registry and type in Beacon Light Mission or Doors of Hope Women’s Shelter. There you will find their list of needs. Check out as you normally would selecting Beacon Light Mission or Doors of Hope Women’s Shelter as your shipping address. The items will be sent directly to the mission. It’s as easy as that! If you need assistance call Gina at (310) 830-7063.

As the weather starts to cool we will be needing more weather friendly items. So check our list for updates. God bless you for seeking to take care of the needs of the homeless who come here to Beacon Light and Doors of Hope. It is our prayer that you are blessed abundantly in return.

Donations, donations and more donations we can’t serve the homeless without them. The great majority of donations we receive can be used within our ministries or shared with other non-profits but there some donations we can’t accept because of our very limited storage space. For Instance, appliances, old TV sets…large and small, old out dated computers, furniture, boats, vehicles, and children’s clothing. We have an outstanding charity we took our children’s clothing to, but they too have run out of space. It’s a great problem to have. In the mean time while we are looking for outsources for children’s clothing, furniture, games, etc, please bear with us when we tell you we can’t accept them. By the way, that pair of ski boots you dropped off haven’t found a home yet.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED at Doors of Hope We are looking for more volunteers that could come 2 to 4 hours once a week, twice a week or three times a week. Basically helping with laundry, helping with donations, helping in the day room, help setting up for yard sales, maybe once a month to do general cleaning of the building. If you feel that you would like to help, please call Linda Stratton or Miriam at (310) 518-3667. Current Needs

Doors of Hope Needs: Shaving Cream * Bottled Water In December with your 2 Ply Toilet Paper * Rain Ponchos* Tarps (Size 16’x20’)* Blankets help, we were able to... Bras (Size 44+) Women’s Underwear (Size 8 & 9) * Food Needs: serve 96 assign 1385 beds Pine Sol & Bleach meals per Tennis Shoes (All sizes) Smart & Final Diced Tomatoes day Dryer Sheets Smart & Final Marinara Sauce Laundry Soap B&M Baked Beans Lysol Disinfectant Spray Smart & Final Dark Kidney Beans Socks Sliced Mushrooms *Open showers are for any provide homeless man or woman. Each Heavy Duty Trash Bags NUMBER 10 CANS PLEASE showers for person is given clothing, hygiene items and served a hot Beacon Light Needs: *These items are available for pur- 317* breakfast. chase on our Amazon.com Wishlist. Men’s Tennis Shoes (Size 9-13) Shampoo (Full Size) * and 1361 Disposable Razors * Attended Men’s Belts (Size 34-40) Chapel Service Paper Towels *

We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is qualified to receive tax-deductible donations. 7 We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is qualified to receive tax-deductible donations.

MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to minister the love and grace of Jesus Christ to the homeless in the South Bay by providing a safe and nurturing environment where they can receive food, clothing, temporary shelter, discipleship and spiritual encouragement in their present life circumstances.

Beacon Light Mission & NONPROFIT ORG Doors of Hope Women’s Shelter US POSTAGE PAID SAN PEDRO CA 525 Broad Avenue PERMIT 102 Wilmington, CA 90744

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONTACT INFORMATION DONATION DROP OFF

Kent Meyer, President Beacon Light Mission You may drop off your food, clothing or other 525 Broad Avenue, Wilmington, CA 90744 Roy Barile, Vice President donations any time between 8:00am-6:00pm for (310) 830-7063 both Beacon Light and Doors of Hope. Just go Christian Bower, Secretary email: [email protected] to the back gate of the Beacon Light Mission Anthony Sogliuzzo, Treasurer www.beaconlightmission.org and honk your horn. Someone will come out Paul Dever and collect your donations. Doors of Hope Women’s Shelter Lee Ettenger 529 Broad Avenue, Wilmington, CA 90744 Financial donations on our websites: Sam Evans (310) 518-3667 Dan Fox email: [email protected] Beacon Light www.doorsofhopewomensshelter.org www.beaconlightmission.org Margaret Grieco Pastor Jewel Jones Doors of Hope www.doorsofhopewomensshelter.org Ronald Okamoto I can do all things through Christ Lila Omura who strengthens me. Or by mail to: 525 Broad Avenue, Wilmington, CA 90744 Philippians 4:13