A Great L.A. Charity: The Los Angeles Mission

If your looking for an organization to donate to in San Jose, California. I would like to introduce you to one that I have personal experience with. This organization helped me immensely when I was in a dire situation with my mother and need a way out of an abusive relationship.

The Los AngelesMission

The Los Angeles Mission goal is to provide hope and help to men, women, children and families in Downtown Los Angeles, AKA Skid Row. The Los Angeles Mission is so much more than that.

History of The Los AngelesMission

The mission actually started with Reverend I.L. Eldridge in 1936. The current 156,000-square-foot facility, located at 303 East 5th Street, opened on January 21, 1992. Having begun as a small rescue mission, it is now among the nation's largest service providers to the homeless. The Los Angeles Mission continues to provide, on a large scale, hot meals, safe shelter, clothing, personal care and life-transforming long-term rehabilitation to hungry, hurting and homeless men, women and children.

Through The Eyes Of A Homeless Woman

In November of 1999, I had become one of the women of the Anne Douglas Center which is part of the Los Angeles Mission family. I could remember that day as if it were yesterday.

I was tired of being tired. I was tired of snorting crack to lose weight. I was tired of living with my mom and dealing with her gambling addiction and alcohol addiction. I was tired of walking on eggshells in a place I thought I was supposed to call home.

I packed up my belongings. I packed up everything I could carry on a wet November morning. Half way getting to the Los Angeles Mission it started to poor down rain. When I got to me introduction meeting, I was told that they do not accept women in on the first day. I began to start crying because this place was my only hope to start a new life. I was on the verge of just sleeping on the streets if they weren't going to help me.

They showed me favor and I started the 12 month program that day. The Los Angeles Mission really does offer all the things that it says that it offers. I was provided with shelter, three meals, snacks, clothing, skills, and chores. All of these things taught me the responsibility of life.

Through the 12 months, I was given a variety of classes and assignments that would breed self-worth in a person. I began to love myself again and realized the way that I lived in the past was not healthy.

I saw how much The people of The Los Angeles Mission care for its community. Every other Friday we attended Chapel where we would have service and celebrate the people who received awards in classes. The people who had come to sleep for the night were guests. There were so many people in the service. There had to be about 100 people there that were not part of the 12 month program. To think that this goes on every night was amazing to me.

I was able to volunteer during their Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. The staff were not the only ones that volunteered their time. The founders Kirk Douglas and Anne Douglas volunteer yearly. I personally was able to meet and volunteer with the likes of Tony Danza and his children, Billy Banks and his staff, Tori Spelling and her friends. Hundreds of volunteers help out each year to feed and support the men, women and children of Los Angeles.

The program doesn't stop there. When I graduated from the program, I was given time to look for a job. My food and housing was still provided for by the Los Angeles Mission. This provided me with 6 months to save up enough money to obtain my own apartment.

I was even able to save up enough money through their vehicle donation program.

So I urge you to donate time, clothes, money to The Los Angeles Mission. They will always be in my mind and heart.