office was staring out the window when his boss walked by. The boss called out, “Hey, whatcha doing?” The startled employee said, “Thinking.” “Well stop that and get back to work,” his supervisor sternly ordered.  

We live in a time of history where we don’t think anymore, there’s always back-round noise, music, the tv blaring. When was the last time you allowed yourself to day dream? …or to dream at all?

If you had no limitations, no financial restrictions, no fear and all the gifts, talents and abilities to be or do whatever you wanted ~  what would you choose? To be a rock star or the next Taylor Swift? The quarterback for the Cowboys? An owner of a yacht, fully staffed and big enough for family and friends to cruise around the world with you?? It’s fun to dream.

Remember as children, nothing was out of our reach. In first grade I was asked to imagine and draw heaven, my picture looked very much like a place an Oompa Loompa would live, with cotton candy clouds, gum drops mountains and lolly pop trees. I dreamt of being a pirate and would create crumpled up treasure maps, drenched in dirt and catsup. Practicing backflips on the diving board at our local community pool, I pretended to be on an Olympic Team. For hours on hot stifling summer afternoons, I would lay in fresh cut grass gazing at the clouds, dreaming I could fly… what were your dreams when you were younger?

Now imagine a child living on the streets. 

She has been in the same baggie clothes for several weeks, her shoes have holes in them, her matted dirty hair hasn’t been washed, and dark circles under her hopeless eyes robs her of any joy or peace, that childhood should be filled with. Food isn’t readily available, many days go by without a warm meal. 

These children don’t have dreams, they only have nightmares. 

This is not the life they chose, but many nights they lay freezing on the cement ground, hidden behind garbage cans and frequently visited by rats, bugs and other horrific realities.

These homeless children are not thousands of miles away on a different continent ~ they are in our back yards, a 20 minute drive from most suburban neighborhoods. These homeless children need our help.

Orange County Rescue Mission is doing their duty best to reach these kids! To not only rescue them from poverty, but to help their parents get clean and sober ~ to give them the resources necessary to break generational trauma. 

Last week I mentioned the different umbrellas under OCRM, one is PCE - Parent and Child Enrichment Center, which is a vital feature of the program at Village of Hope. The 6,000 square foot Parenting Center offers staff and parent-led care for newborns and toddlers, age-appropriate activities for preschool-age children, and an on-site after-school tutoring program for school-age children. Also, parents receive hands-on coaching and attend classes to gain better parenting skills and support.