We have known Rich for over 6 year now, he frequents our outreaches and has been a regular and wonderful contributor at our Bible studies. He has become a good friend to many of our volunteers. He has diligently kept a job for as long as we've known him, but remained living unsheltered.
20 years ago, Rich lost his license and had not driven a car since then. For many years he rode his bicycle from Livermore to Pleasanton for his night job. Riding was challenging and hazardous due to weather and cars on the road. Rich was determined to get his license back and he enrolled in classes to do so. We helped him practice driving and he passed all the exams. He had been saving up to purchase a car but did not have sufficient funds to buy one. Miraculously, just as Rich passed all the DMV tests, we received a car donation! We knew this car was for him. Rich had invested the money he saved up to fix up the car, it needed minor repairs and maintenance. The car runs perfectly and is big enough for him to rest in it so he can go to work with more energy every day. He is overjoyed that he is able to have a vehicle of his own, and to utilize it toward the next step of his journey - housing!
1 Comment
We met Christina through a referral from a local school district. She is a single mom taking care of her a high school aged child, and the vehicle she uses to support them was in serious need of repair.
This unfortunate circumstance alone is many times enough to have a lot of our neighbors in a horrible position and a downward spiral toward homelessness. The repair costs were significant, but in partnership with CityServe we were able to ensure that this family vehicle is fixed and Christina was able to go back to work! We consider this miracle a homelessness prevention, where we are able to provide a bridge for our neighbors back into self-sustainability. Christina is so grateful to be supported by her community in such a meaningful way. Thank you for being our partners in serving our community!! We've known Steve for years, he faithfully comes to our outreaches every single week and now he is co-leading our Bible Study on Saturday!
Steve is a big advocate for our neighbors in need and is always gathering people together. His bike is his transportation and we were blessed to be able to fix it for him. He is such a valuable member of our community and he is so grateful for this assistance!
Kimberly lives in her big car, in which she is able to sleep and have shelter as she stays in a Safe Parking program. She started experiencing issues with her vehicle, which is the most important possession she has left. She asked us to look into it.
We took the vehicle to our trusted local car repair partner, who assessed that the car had some dangerous issues that needed to be taken care of urgently. Thanks to your donations, we were able to restore Kim's vehicle and make it safe again. This is her home for the time being, and it meant the world to her that she can safely use it again. Kim said: "Thank you so much again! The relief of having a safe car is priceless, especially when you have to sleep in it... it's absolutely terrifying to have something go wrong with it. This miracle gives me peace." ![]() Pauline is a Christian woman who was experiencing mental health issues and was living in her car for some time when she heard about us at the end of 2021. We were able to minister to her and she received deliverance and relief for her mental and spiritual stability. She signed up to be a part of our Christmas Miracles program. For her gift request, she said she wanted to get a haircut and a pedicure. She received a voucher for 4Seasons Salon, where her hairdresser Jacline learned about Pauline's situation. Through Jacline, Pauline was able to find housing and a job! We covered her move-in expenses, as well as household items she needed for her new home. We're thankful to our partner CityServe for contributing toward her deposit! Pauline really experienced miracle after miracle since Christmas! She is beyond grateful for this new opportunity in her life. She is empowered to take care of herself again, having her dignity restored. She is working and has proudly lost 7 pounds. With tears in her eyes she told us: "I feel like a new woman! Thank you for believing in me." After living in their car, Angelina and her teenage son finally got an opportunity to rent their own apartment. They were doing so well and were saving up - they found a good place and were able to cover their own move-in costs. However, right after moving in, the car completely broke down and it needed a new engine.
With today's car market it was impossible for her to buy another vehicle, and replacing a car engine is very costly. She used up all her savings on their new home, and she needs a vehicle to go to work and to drop her son off to school. Angelina became desperate. Partnered with CityServe, we were able to cover this expense for this family and lighten their burden. Their car is now fully repaired and their lives are back on track! This bridge prevented them from falling into another crisis which would have ultimately lead to a loss of their new home. We are so grateful for our donors and partners! Anzell faced a desperate situation as her husband had abandoned the family, taking their only car with him. She lives 24 miles from work, with no easy access to public transportation. She also has 3 young kids at home, with one on the autism spectrum. She had to take a leave of absence from work, and she was proactively reaching out to any resource she could find. But her savings could only afford her a few weeks’ respite; she was beginning to wonder if she and her children were going to end up homeless.
As it always is, God’s timing was perfect! We had just finished fixing up a car donation we had received several weeks before we heard of Anzell’s plight. It was clear to us that God meant this car for Anzell and her children. Anzell was trying to understand if this was a rental or a lease, and could not believe her ears when we told her it was hers, free and clear! She cried tears of joy and gratitude, and several of our volunteers were right there crying alongside her. With this vehicle Anzell was able to get back to work to provide for her family! *In the photo: our executive director, Kristina with Anzell We currently have several clients in need of vehicles to get back on their feet, so if you know of anyone willing to donate a car, please connect us. Thank you! Nirva is so grateful to our donors because we were able to prevent homelessness for her!!
She had lost her job and everything started spiraling downward from that point. She was battling depression during Covid season, and was suffering in silence. She was close to losing everything when she finally reached out to us because the burden became too big to bear. We walked alongside her and ministered to her. Nirva has started a great new job that she is excited about, and we were able to cover her expenses to make sure she keeps her housing. She is doing so well now and says that she doesn't know what would have happened to her if it wasn't for Monthly Miracles creating this bridge for her. Thank you donors for your faithful support!! Together we can and we are, saving our neighbors from homelessness Happy Resurrection Sunday!!
We celebrated with our volunteers and clients the resurrection of Jesus Christ by studying the Bible, and enjoying fellowship and BBQ! Thankful for our volunteer Doug for preparing delicious food for us to enjoy, The Press Cafe in Livermore for providing coffee and many partners and hands that come together to care for our neighbors in need every single week. We praise God for each and every one of you!
This strong and kind young couple (Jesus & Kristen) overcame addiction and got stable employment, they were patiently taking all the right steps to stabilize their family. Then Kristen and Jesus met our executive director Kristina (in the first photo with the family) at a perfect time as they were ready to receive their miracle.
Their family of 6 needed stable housing; they've been staying in their car, hotels and couch surfing. Even with two jobs, their daily expenses with four children ate up all their income: hotel stays, ready-to-eat foods, gas, kids expenses.... they kept finding themselves in a hole. (This is unfortunately a sad reality of many for our employed unhoused clients.) But Jesus and Kristen kept their hope and were diligently continuing to make healthy and smart decisions. In partnership with Tri-Valley Seek&Save and Cornerstone we were able to get them into a great home they can sustain and rebuild their lives in, and they could not be happier!! As we furnished their place, the kids were especially blessed by two bunk beds - they were so excited and grateful that they all finally got their own beds and rooms to sleep in! This family has recently been baptized and is now volunteering and serving our community. Your generosity made this miracle possible - it has impacted 6 lives and generations to come. THANK YOU! MIRACLE OF HOUSING! Tom is a 66 year old man who was met with challenging circumstances after losing his job due to Covid and experiencing serious health issues. He decided to volunteer at one of our outreaches with his daughter-in-law, and as we got to know him we realized that Tom was in need of a miracle.
His temporary housing was coming to an end and his income was running out. Tom was facing homelessness. Our case manager Eric (in photo with Tom) was able to minister to Tom in his faith, walk alongside him, strengthen him, provide transportation and housing, and help find work opportunities. This created a perfect bridge for Tom! He landed a great job within his expertise, now has a stable income and his own home! In addition his health improved greatly. Tom says that he is our walking miracle testimony! He is incredibly grateful and has renewed hope, and he is seeing an amazing growth in his walk with the Lord. Tom is now a donor and a faithful volunteer at Monthly Miracles!! He is the perfect example of the full circle of our mission which you can see in our logo: the $1 bills are going into a circle, which signifies the importance of paying it forward. We love to encourage and engage our clients to become donors and help bless someone else who is in need of a miracle. Many of our clients say they appreciate our $1/month model because it gives them an opportunity to experience the blessing of helping someone else! 💙💚 Kelly has overcome many obstacles in her life: health issues, addiction, family troubles and most recently homelessness! In the past few years Kelly has stabilized her income and started a promising career, and is now fully taking care of her high school aged son.
Having an unstable housing situation, living in a motel for a long time, sharing a room with her teenage son and burning through all their income had become increasingly difficult. We were so happy to be there for Kelly in this latest and crucial step for her family: getting a home of their own! We also helped them furnish their place. Thanks to our program and your generosity, Kelly has become another one of our miracle stories that is now out of the ditch of homelessness and is able to rebuild her family's life! Lana* was alone and scared, and she reached out to us online. We got to help Lana* out of a domestic violence situation, and assisted in rehabilitating her as we found housing and moved her into her own safe place to live.
Within just a few days we were able to provide her with the support, ministry and financial aid she needed. She is surrounded by our great volunteers who meet with her on a regular basis, help her stay connected to a local church, making sure she gets counseling and everything else she needs to rebuild her life. She is working toward taking care of her children again, who were not safe in the violent home they lived in previously. Lana* is on such a precious journey of restoration and we are very blessed to walk alongside her as we witness these beautiful miracles taking place in her life! In the first photo Lana* is in her baby's room which is fully equipped and safe for her son. In the second photo Lana* is with our Bible ministry leader Corinne and executive director Kristina. Thank you all for making your $1 pledge at monthlymiracles.org - your every single dollar is making such an amazing difference in our neighbor's lives! *Identity censored for safety We get to help our clients in many ways - sometimes that includes helping with vehicles, because they lead to better employment/income opportunity, or the vehicle might be the only roof over their head....
On the first photo is Ramona with our exec. director Kristina. On the second our dedicated volunteer Kendall is inspecting Ramona's car. We were able to fix some things on her van! It means a lot to get support and to have a reliable vehicle. Ramona is so grateful for the generosity of our team & donors!! He was known as "Crazy Joe" in Livermore because people thought he was out of his mind. A lot of times he was "too much" even for the homeless community...
We've been serving him for several years, he was always getting into trouble, high on meth and many gave up on him, but not God. Every time we saw him at our outreach we called him JOSEPH (biblical meaning: To Increase). We refused to speak death over him. We saw him as a man with a purpose, who has value and whom God can redeem. We cannot tell you of countless prayers we've prayed for him and over him. Fast forward a couple years and Joseph is now clean and sober, working 2 jobs and his family connections are restored. The BEFORE photo is from early 2019 with our executive director Kristina. This is why we will NEVER give up on our unsheltered neighbors! We see way too many miracles and we will not stop. We are so incredibly proud of Joseph and how dedicated he's been to his recovery. Jesus said: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Matthew 25:35-40 ESV Hello from our volunteers and clients!! We enjoyed a great outreach today, meeting immediate needs and holding a Bible study and prayer.
SO MANY are struggling...We are blessed when people in need come to our outreaches and say: "I now see the light at the end of the tunnel."
That's what our new client Tim said today. Tim lives in his car and has been feeling isolated and lonely, but now is ready to join our Bible study, find a local church and start rebuilding his life. We are excited to connect him with our helpful volunteers in the community, help him find a good job and build a support system. The smallest acts of kindness like gas money, mean so much to those that are holding on by a thread! If it's on your heart - you can donate toward gas cards here: monthlymiracles.org/donate Or mail them to: Monthly Miracles 5211 Demarcus Blvd #527 Dublin CA Thank you! Meet a local teacher who lost her position due to standing up for an injustice done toward a student and for exposing corruption in the educational system. Justice was served in court, but Shannon was left with no job. She is currently fighting a misdemeanor in court which should be resolved in the next month.
(Shannon in the photo with our exec. director Kristina) We are helping Shannon get back on her feet - she is starting work at a local restaurant this week, and we are covering her temporary stay in a hotel. We do not want her to be vulnerable out in the street. There are no shelters with availability in our area. Shannon is a certified teacher in California, Hawaii and Arizona, and has been a swim instructor with the American Red Cross for 33 years. She can provide swim and lifeguard lessons. She is qualified and wishes to offer tutoring services: basic level reading, writing, art classes, science, and history K-5th grade. She also has experience helping 6-12th grade students with learning disabilities. We are working toward helping Shannon get back on her feet, and moving her into an in-law unit or studio apartment so she can rebuild her life. If you'd like to help, please email us! Feel free to share this with anyone who could help her with a job, need tutoring services, or can help with renting a place to stay. Shannon is very open about her story and wants to start over and help others in the process. Kelly has been doing great as a single mom of a teenage boy. She has recovered from addiction, working at a stable job, taking all the steps in the right direction...but everything she earned would be spent on living expenses which kept her and her son stuck in the desperation and ditch of homelessness...
Thanks to our donors, Kelly and her son received their miracle and were able to usher in 2022 in their own home! After navigating hotels for many months and struggling to stay afloat, they are now safe and sound and self-sustainable! Our volunteer Chris (in photo with Kelly) finished up furnishing their place with needed items to make this apartment a home! Shout out to our volunteer Doug who prepared delicious breakfast burritos for our homeless outreach this week! Our clients like Steve, are always so grateful for hot delicious food and fellowship
Thankful for our sweet partners at Inklings Coffee & Tea in Pleasanton - they always make sure our clients who are battling homelessness have a hot cup of coffee as we work toward their miracle!
|
AboutTake a look at some of our stories and miracles! Sign up your $1/month to get an email update of all the major miracles we are facilitating thanks to your donations. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more! Archives
March 2023
Categories |