Our mission here at Orange County Rescue Mission is to minister the love of Jesus to the Least, Last, and the Lost and one of the very tangible ways we are able to do this is through the Outreach component of our ministry.
Through Outreach we are able to interact with the homeless community in Orange County by serving meals, providing hygiene items, offering housing resources and referrals, advocating for OCRM programs, listening, caring, having conversation, praying for individuals, and offering them a hand-up via the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is through our Outreach ministry that we met Todd. 
Todd is a veteran that had been on the streets for many years. Many of these nights were spent on the streets of Tustin, our own backyard. We got to know Todd in late July and began reaching out to him.
Todd struggled with dependency upon alcohol and nicotine and had trouble giving these things up in order to enter the Tustin Veterans Outpost. We continued to meet with Todd again and again and tried whatever we could to encourage him to give these things up for something better.
In the course of our conversations, he detoxed, and began readying himself to change. After a few weeks of interaction, we had Todd in our lobby, ready for intake. There was, however, one last hurdle: nicotine. Todd was hesitant and reluctant to quit smoking and did not believe he had the strength to do it. He ended up asking his ride to take him back to his tent, seeming to give up on everything he had already worked so hard for.
But by the grace of God, ten minutes later we received a phone call from Todd’s ride stating he had changed his mind! He said he would be crazy to turn down such an opportunity and asked the car turn back without so much even returning to his tent to acquire his belongings! Today, Todd is with us at the Tustin Veterans Outpost, sober, smiling, and no longer sleeping on the streets.

Much as we did with Todd, it is our goal through Outreach not only to offer a hand-out through simply a meal or material items, but more importantly offer a hand-up by building a relationship and extending an invitation for real life-change.  Through this ministry, homeless men, women, and children are not only leaving the streets, but stepping into new, transformed and self-sufficient lives.
If you are interested in serving with our Chili Van or Outreach teams, please contact our Volunteer Department at volunteers@rescuemission.org!

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