Monday night, I had the special privilege of attending the 2014 Coast Magazine Community Awards in honor of The Orange County Rescue Mission’s nomination of ‘Top NonProfit Organization.’  The awards recognized about 50 community-minded individuals, businesses and nonprofit institutions for their contributions to the Orange County community and local economy. As one of four finalists out of over 3,000 nonprofits in Orange County (Source) this recognition was a major milestone for the work of the Orange County Rescue Mission.
Celebrating this milestone in the midst of so many accomplished men and women in the non profit sector only inspired me to continue to press forward in the work that we do. As we all work tirelessly to make our community a better place to live, our efforts, individually and collectively are impacting the world in huge ways.

Master of Ceremonies, Jeff Ditmire said,  “The evening was a wonderful opportunity to gather and celebrate the contributions of Orange County’s most generous community service and philanthropic luminaries. Coast Magazine honored a vast array of contributors: from grass-roots environmental and arts education initiatives to some of the largest philanthropic donations made by any individual in the United States. Orange County is home to people of all walks of life who, together, make this a better place for all.” (Source).

Many thanks to all of the Orange County community and business partners as well as the COAST editors who voted for the nomination of the Orange County Rescue Mission. It is my goal to continue to pave the way in excellence as a rescue mission and to operate in a dynamic, entrepreneurial manner, expecting to grow and expand numerically, programmatically, and geographically. The Orange County Rescue Mission will continue to seek to be constantly challenged with fresh vision and well-prepared strategies and to inspire  hope in those we serve.