Help Make Someone Else's Summer

For most of us, summer is a time to catch up with friends and family, relax, get a job, and enjoy the beautiful weather. For some of our very own LA-er's, however, summer offers no escape and solace from lives much more difficult than ours, that they live all year round. It's sad but true that Southern California is one of the most expensive regions to live in across the US, which results in more homelessness and struggle for poor families than anywhere else. Adults living day to day with no place to call home is bad enough, but when kids are brought into the mix, it's a heart-breaking reality.


If we want to make LA a better place for everyone, it's important to remember that while you're enjoying your summer, there are kids who are members of homeless families that are growing up way too fast and dealing with adult worries at very young ages.


One foundation is ahead of the curve in taking action and helping homeless families and children: The Project Hope School Foundation. In 1989, one caring school teacher realized there was an immense hole in homeless children's lives. Their days were filled with unproductive activities that would eventually lead them to a life of criminal activity, when they should be spending their time in school. So, she began teaching local homeless children in a make-shift classroom in the back of her car. Soon other individuals realized the value of what she was doing, and it was the beginning of Project Hope, an outreach program. Hope stands for "Homeless Outreach Program in Education". Project Hope now has a permanent building used as a school in Orange, CA. It's dedicated to helping children without permanent homes transition into the mainstream educational system.

he Project Hope School provides everything the children need: buses to and from school that pick them up from any park or motel they may be living in, free breakfast and lunch, music lessons, a full-time social worker, and food to bring home to their families once a week. By giving so much to the children, Project Hope looks to empower these children with opportunities and education that will help them make better decisions later on in life.


Project Hope is run by a dedicated group of volunteers, many sponsors, and the Orange County Department of Education's Access program, but they can always use more help. How information on what you can do to support this amazing, life-changing program, visit: http://projecthopeschool.org/make-a-difference/