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A Warm Welcome To Bethany’s Web Site From Our Director, Sr. Louise Ann Micek…
The County of Orange says that last year 21,479 people living here became homeless. That number doesn’t include people living in poverty motels, or those who are sleeping on the couches of relatives or friends. Sadly, there are only 1,512 emergency shelter beds available in the county, and many of those are reserved for victims of domestic violence, substance abusers, or families with young children. The County’s 2-1-1 Referral Hotline reports that the current increase of requests for housing and food is “staggering”.
To cope with what can feel like an overwhelming and even hopeless situation, I try to focus on what I can do to help. I am often reminded of the famous story of the man who used to go walking on the beach and one day saw a young man who was repeatedly throwing something into the ocean. The older man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?” The young man replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The sun is up and the tide is going out, so if I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” The older man commented, “But, young man, there are miles of beach and there are starfish all along the shore. You can’t possibly make a difference!” The young man picked up a starfish, and as he threw it into the ocean he said, “It made a difference for that one.”
Here at Bethany, we can not possibly help every woman who calls. But we can help some of them. Since opening our doors we have given 185 women in crisis a safe place to live and the tools they needed to overcome homelessness and build self-sufficient lives. We are grateful that we are able to help some of the many, many women in crisis, and grateful for your partnership that makes it all possible.
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