3rd Annual Backpacks with a Purpose

The Need: Back to school time can be difficult for children living in Family Shelters. Their parents cannot afford new clothes or school supplies. Every child should have a chance to attend school and feel good about themselves.

Some of you might think it is the schools job to provide the needed supplies. In the classroom that may be the case, but they do not provide a back pack for the children to get their homework to and from school. They do not provide pencils, crayons, glue sticks etc. for the children to do their homework.

Single mothers are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Many of these homeless single mothers lack the education and skills necessary to become self sufficient. The significance of this problem is that a continuous cycle of homelessness may continue through generations if it is not ended through education and skills to maintain self sufficiency in the community. Thomas House Family Shelter and Colette’s Children’s Home both work with homeless women and children to provide emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent housing. What we really like is that they also provide the life skills needed to secure gainful employment, healthy eating, parenting skills, relapse prevention and conflict resolution to break the cycle!

The Challenge: We took on the challenge of collecting back packs filled with all the supplies needed for a school year to provide to kids in need. These kids are living in poverty and can not afford the necessary items to fulfill their education. We are very proud to say that accomplished that goal!

RESULT: We had several generous people drop off back packs and school supplies. The backpacks were filled to the rim with school paper, notebooks, pencils, pens, highlighters, glue etc. Some of them also included gift cards for back to school clothes, new sweaters were stuffed into the matching lunch boxes that was connected to the backpack, a lot of them had really nice notes attached wishing the kids a great year in school. We were also blessed with the support of Thirty One with Samira who encouraged supporters to donate an insulated lunch tote from Thirty One. For each one donated, she generously used her commission to fill it with school supplies.

Mid August we were excited to drop off 68 insulated lunch totes from Thirty One filled with school supplies to Colette’s Children’s Home in Huntington Beach. As a bonus, we offered a few larger lunch totes to the very hard working staff at Colette’s! We also dropped off 50 backpacks filled with supplies to Thomas House Family Shelter in Garden Grove. In total, we were able to make this school year a little easier for 118 children! They were beyond excited to receive these donations.

Thank you SO much for your support and generosity!

For more pictures, visit our album: https://www.facebook.com/Kristis-Ho...

Be The Change Give Them Hope

Overview: Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. It is a crime that involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to recruit, harbor, transport, provide or obtain a person for the purposes of sexual or labor exploitation. After drug dealing, trafficking humans is the second largest criminal industry in the world, and is the fastest growing. Human trafficking victims are not just adults, but also children and are most often trafficked for sex. The thought of children being sold for sex on a nightly basis is deeply disturbing, but all too real.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations estimates that over 100,000 Human Trafficking victims are children. The San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas are all rated as areas of “high intensity child prostitution” in the country. These human trafficking child victims are now defined by the legislature as Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) and the country has been tasked with the mission to no longer treat these children as criminal’s (ie. “prostitutes” and put them in Juvenile Hall), but as victims and to provide them with services to assist in their rescue and rehabilitation and return them safely back to their families.

Objective: When a social worker first makes contact with a female victim, she is often in the clothes she was put in by her trafficker. She has also been convinced by her trafficker that she is the one making the choice to have sex for money and she no longer sees herself as a child and does not believe she is a victim. When a social worker can provide her with comfortable clothes and shoes as well as other personal belongings, it helps her mind transition back to being a child. Social workers actively look for the child’s parents, but sometimes reuniting her with her family can take many days, as often the family is outside of Orange County or even outside California. To be able to provide the child with clothing, personal hygiene items and something comforting like a stuffed animal or journal, gives her something of her own and lets her know that she is cared about. So, Kristi’s Hope asked for the following donations from the community:

Duffel Bags Teddy Bears Adult Coloring Books Colored Pencils Journals Pens Tampons/Pads New Flip Flops New Sweat Pants New Tshirts

Results: Thanks to the generous community, several people volunteered to fill the donated bags and children made beautiful uplifting cards. Kristi’s Hope also had the opportunity to speak at a church in Huntington Beach bringing awareness and support to the sexually exploited children/victims of human trafficking right here in Orange County. A volunteer with Orange County Social Services agreed to speak in more detail about statistics and facts. We heard from a few other organizations as well, including a victim herself who has overcome her past and created a wonderful and successful life. Thank you so much for supporting my foundation and for the 30 duffel bag donations.

       

For more pictures, please visit our album: https://www.facebook.com/Kristis-Ho...

Resurrection Celebration Feast 2016

We had such a wonderful time pulling together an event last November to feed the homeless and less fortunate for Thanksgiving that we decided to do it again. Kristi's Hope teamed up with The Sweet Mission Project and pulled the community together to make this happen. 

Thanks to the amazing people who took the time to donate and volunteer, we were able to make this a great success. Homeless and less fortunate families came from Westminster and surrounding areas for some Lasagna, Ham, Fresh Salad, Pasta and Potato salad, Desserts and more. Through donations, we were also able provide a clothing closet to "shop" from, they were able to take a hygiene bag filled with necessities, and a grocery bag as well as a to go plate of warm food.

Big shout out to The Firecrackers Softball team for volunteering their time! 

Project Evergreen - Easter Baskets

Overview: The number of children living in motels in OC is astonishing. Like all children, these children love to play and they go to school, BUT at the same time, they are different than other children. To no fault of their own, they are living in poverty where their basic needs are barely met. Their parents or grandparents raising them struggle to pay motel rent and buy food let alone buy the fun little extras all kids desire on holidays like Easter.

Objective: Kristi's Hope worked hard to to rally you all for support once again. We wanted to show these children that their community cares.. We teamed up with Project Evergreen and together our goal was provide baskets, filled eggs and small gifts for 200 children in 6 OC motel locations. Our personal goal was to collect 100 Prefilled Eggs, 100 Easter Baskets and 100 small toys (ages 3-12).

Results: Thanks to each and every one who donated we were able to provide a donation of 192 Prefilled Eggs, 145 Easter Baskets, 120 Easter activity books and 96 boxes of crayons for the children living in local motels.

Here is one of the thank you letters we received:

“ Your time and dedication to Motel Church did not go unnoticed! Take a look at all the happy smiling faces. Thank you for giving your time and donations to serve others. The preparation team for our Easter celebration was filed with love and hope. Those positive and encouraging thoughts from you went straight to the motels and were passed on the the guests and volunteers! It was a beautiful day filled with love. Because of you, children and adults knew someone cared. They were not alone. You made a difference by shinning your light into the world for others! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. “

2nd Annual Share the Love Pajama Drive

Overview: Every Child has a right to a good night. Thousands of children across the United States go to sleep at night afraid and lonely, in ill-fitting and soiled clothing and alone with their dreaded thoughts. These children may live in a group home, a shelter or temporary housing facilities. The children are often shuffled from one place to another. Many of them have been abandoned, abused or neglected. Most of these children have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a parent tuck them in at bedtime with warm, clean pajamas and a bedtime story. Some of the children are living with their families below the poverty level, in desperate need of food, clothing and shelter and some are living within our foster care system. The two simple gifts of pajamas and books let these children know that someone cares - sometimes these are the only new things they have ever received. Through this simple act of love, we can fulfill every child’s right to a good night.

Objective: The pajama drive challenge was intended to bring awareness to the overwhelming need for caring and compassionate people in our community. The children who will receive these donations are victims of circumstance. Children that are a part of the Orange County Social Services, entering foster care. Something as simple as pajamas can put a smile on the children’s faces and bring comfort to their nights in a strange place.

Results: Volunteers met at West Grove Park to help match donated pajamas with age appropriate books for children in our Orange County Foster Care system. Beautiful cards, made by the young volunteers, were attached to each pair and they were wrapped up with ribbon. We assembled 152 pairs of pajamas and books. We had a few donations come in after the event which gave us a grand total of 160 beautifully wrapped pajamas and books.

THANK YOU to every single person who played a part in making this happen. Donating, collecting, volunteering etc. The community came together to make this event a success.

For more pictures from this event please visit: https://www.facebook.com/Kristis-Hope-629137777168412/

2nd Annual Christmas Stockings

Overview: Our men and women serving our country outside our borders, in foreign lands, many putting their lives on the line every day, desire the same things you do during the holidays. We can’t bring them all home, but we can send a piece of Christmas to them and lovingly remind them that America has not forgotten them.

Objective: Kristi’s Hope partnered with the community to collect Christmas stockings and stocking stuffers to fill and ship off to deployed troops. We also had several classrooms and girl-scout troops volunteer their time to create pictures/letters/cards to include in the stockings.

Result: For about 3 weeks donations were dropped off and volunteers started RSVP’ing to help fill the stockings. On Saturday November 21st local volunteers met at the park to fill 382 stockings with donated items such as hygiene products, fun snacks, healthy snacks, entertainment items like puzzles, books, games etc. and several letters/cards drawings thanking the soldiers for their service/sacrifice.

On Monday November 23rd the stockings were boxed up and ready to ship, but we ran into a hick up. The gal who we were working with at Operation Give passed away and no one was ready to fill in her spot and get the packages shipped out. We frantically reached out to the community for help and a volunteer named Cheryl from The American Legion in Newport Beach stepped up and agreed to take the stockings. We were able to get some shipped off to deployed troops, some were given to local Marines who are stationed far away from family this holiday season and some where given to Wounded Warrior Barracks.

Here is one of the thank you letters we received:
“... As a former Marine, I have contacts at Camp Pendleton. The rest was heart warming. We delivered the boxes to the 5th Marines yesterday. Some are also going to the Wounded Warrior Barracks at Camp Pendleton. We were surprised at the number of stockings as well as the quality of the contents. The Marines were very happy as this kind gesture will let many of our young warriors know that people are thinking of them at this very special time of year. I salute you and others involved. It is obvious a great deal of effort went into it. “



Here are some additional photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.914104112005109.1073741841.629137777168412&type=1&hc_location=ufi

Hope for the Homeless

OVERVIEW: “Everybody who is homeless is not mentally ill, or alcoholics or drug addicts,” Councilman Joe Carchio said. “They live behind grocery stores, they live in their cars, they stay at friends' houses on couches. There are women with children that are living in motels.”

Although we are enjoying the nice hot summer, colder nights are approaching (El Nino) and we are going to start collecting items so we can make a difference in someone’s life! In many lives!

OBJECTIVE: Kristi’s Hope teamed up with Howdy's Homeless Helpers to provide necessities to the local homeless men, women & children in Huntington Beach, CA by reaching out and asking for donations with the goal of filling zip lock bags with necessities to be handed out to the local homeless population in and around Huntington Beach.

RESULT: We collected donations such as granola bars, bottled water, hand sanitzer, tooth brushes and toothpaste, deodorant, crackers, trail mix, ponchos and tarps etc.

Saturday October 3rd, 2015 we gathered with volunteers to create the blessing bags by filling the zip lock baggies with the donated items. 200 Blessing bags and 30 tarps were then delivered to Howdy’s Homeless Helpers to be passed out around the community.