{{ Here’s the introduction in the brochure for
the Orange County Rescue Mission. }}

Nearly 20,000 people in
Orange County are without homes.

And without hope.

In Orange County, the homeless are often invisible. We rarely see them as they live under bridges, in filthy motels, in battered cars, or in cold alleys – yet nearly 20,000 are barely scraping by right in our hometowns. And sadly, their hope is nearly vanished too.

These homeless include almost 8,000 innocent children in Orange County today. In fact, families with children represent 70% of the homeless here. Most of their parents have jobs, but just don’t make enough to pay rent and buy food. The homeless must stretch their money so far that 60% of them go regularly without meals – that means kids, too. In the midst of Orange County’s affluence, more children go to bed hungry here than in any other place in California. The homeless are stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty. They need a hot meal, a hand up, and hope.