LOS ANGELES DREAM CENTER TO GIVE HOMELESS SINGLE MOTHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN “A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!”
The LA Dream Center partners with KKLA-FM to give homes to 12 families by Christmas Eve
The Los Angeles Dream Center has launched a “Home for the Holidays” program which will provide fully furnished living spaces to 12 homeless mothers and their children by Christmas Eve as well as renovate 20 other rooms for families already living in the building. The center has converted the former “Queen of Angels Hospital” into dorm-style living spaces and will give each family a private room as well as a shared bathroom, family room and play room. They will also serve three meals a day at the campus cafeteria. Hundreds of mothers have been put on a waiting list, but The Dream Center’s goal is to build more living spaces so that in the future no family in need of a home will be waitlisted.
Last week, KKLA-FM partnered with The Dream Center to conduct a three hour telethon which aired on December 15th. Due to the show’s success, the station re-aired it on December 16th, 17th and 18th. The radio segments encouraged very generous donations after an anonymous donor offered to match every gift of $100 or more. The first six people to donate a one-time gift of $2,500, will join radio hosts Lara Scott, Frank Pastore and co-founder of the Los Angeles Dream Center, Pastor Matthew Barnett for a special lunch and tour of The Dream Center complex.
The 12 single mothers, who were chosen from a waitlist of over 200 applicants, each have children under the age of five. They were chosen according to the severity of their case and their immediate need for a home. Some of these women have newborn babies and have been sleeping in their cars. Many of these mothers and their children are escaping severe domestic violence and have no one to turn to for help. Some of these moms were working, but have been devastated by layoffs that have been effecting so many people this holiday season. The Dream Center hopes to provide a safe place for these women and their children to live and get back on their feet.
About the women who hope to live at The Dream Center
An entire floor of The Dream Center is devoted to housing single moms and their children but there are so many more families in need of a home. Here are a few stories of the women who hope to call The Dream Center their home.
Lily came to The Dream Center in 2006 to be a part of the Women’s Dream Center Discipleship (DCD). That year she worked on breaking addictions and getting her life back on track. She successfully completed the program and began a new life for herself. She became pregnant and now has a 2 year old child. Because the economy is so difficult, her employers had to cut back her hours. This pay cut has not allowed her to pay for the basic things she needs for her and her family. She’s now on the wait-list for housing at The Dream Center.
Renee is a single mom of two children. After fleeing a domestic violent situation, she has been looking for safety and has not had time to find a stable job to support her kids. She hopes to come to The Dream Center because it will be a safe place for her children. She plans on finishing her last two years old of college and work in the field of criminal justice.
Rhonda has been on The Dream Center Family Housing waiting list since July of this year. She and her three children fled the state they were living in because of abuse. She came to Los Angeles in hopes that her aunt could house them until she found a stable place. Her aunt opened her home, but has not been able to help in the way she had hoped to. This left Rhonda and her three children with nowhere to go. It was at this time that she called The Dream Center.
About The Los Angeles Dream Center
Founded in 1994, The Dream Center is a round-the-clock sanctuary for homeless families, addicts, abused women and children, victims of human trafficking, and many others. Through its numerous outreach programs, The Dream Center feeds over 40,000 people per month and houses more than 500 people daily, meeting them with love and a helping hand at their greatest point of need. The Dream Center provides food, housing, clothing, life skills training, education, job training and numerous resources through its 273 programs and outreaches.
*To donate, please call (213) 273-7100, or visit www.dreamcenter.org and click the “Home for the Holidays” banner at the top of the page*
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