Door of Hope

Every week, we receive dozens of calls from parents desperate for a safe place to call home for their kids. It’s heartbreaking to turn them away when we are full. Join us at Door of Hope’s Annual Benefit, Opening New Doors, on Wednesday, November 18th to hear how you are the key to opening a brand new transitional shelter (our 4th!) for families who’ve had nowhere else to gountil now! RSVP today!!... www.doorofhope.us/opendoors See more

You can help change a life by voting for Door of Hope today! The Bern's Team and Bern's Blessings are holding the 5th Annual Giveaway to Charity Celebration and are donating the commission of their 100th sale to your favorite charity. Will you help us raise money for families experiencing homelessness by voting for us today?... Here's how to vote... 1. Go to www.thebernsteam.com 2. Sign up to vote using your email or facebook 3. Answer the questions as they appear on the screen 4. Click on "5th Annual Giveaway to Charity Celebration" 5. Click on OTHER and enter DOOR OF HOPE 6. Click FINISH 7. Click CONTINUE 8. Repeat steps 4-7 to vote up to 10 times! Thank you for voting!

Smiles ALL around over here! Although this global pandemic has created barriers for many, it’s particularly hard for families facing homeless to remain employed without an adequate home office space. Sadie knows this firsthand- she came to #DoorofHope with stable employment, but unstable housing.... This is what has us all smiling... now a resident at Door of Hope, Sadie is diligently back on the job working remotely from the safety of home and peace of mind with her children!! More than ever she’s confident that she’ll soon have the income saved to move into permanent housing! Join us in cheering Sadie on by putting a smiling emoji in the chat!

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins! Aren’t they super cute!? The kids had so much fun decorating their very own pumpkin with bright, colorful paints! A BIG thank you to Diane Jun and her son, who went the extra mile - traveling to 3 different Trader Joe’s to make sure we had 60 darling little pumpkins, just the right size for every child at Door of Hope! We love how your giving brings smiles to so many faces and spreads warm and fuzzy #holidayfeels this Fall! YOU can also help families transitioning from homelessness - check out our website for details! www.doorofhope.us

What an incredible journey it’s been for Amber and her 4 kids over the past 18 months. A journey that most of us could never imagine...and a road to new beginnings! Last night, we celebrated Amber and her family’s graduation...and their new home! We laughed, shared, prayed and cried (happy tears!) as we heard just how much Amber has accomplished since arriving here, and how great her impact has been on all of us too! When Amber came to Door of Hope she had nowhere else to go... that offered her refuge, safety and peace. She consistently set high goals for herself and used any and all available resources to push toward attaining them, whether in her personal health goals as someone in recovery, in her parenting as a young mom of 4 energetic kids who also have had to overcome the effects of major trauma, as a new hire into the corporate employment world and in her personal educational goals towards attaining her GED. Amber’s hard work, resilience and persistence is undefeatable and undeniable...her genuine warmth and energy has touched the lives of staff and residents alike. She is simply a joy! Yesterday, Amber and her family moved into their new home with the help of a few angels...volunteers, staff and donors! Seeing so many people come together to celebrate Amber’s success was amazing. One angel-donor even rented a moving truck and drove all the way from San Diego to deliver beds, mattresses, pillows and bedding to Amber and her kids to make sure they had beds to sleep in for their first night in their own home! The highlight of our day though was hearing the kids running around and screaming with joy when they walked in their new home for the first time...Amber told us that they just couldn’t believe the space they had. It was their own home...and it was the first time they’d ever had 2 bedrooms to run through! We love you Amber...congratulations on all your hard work. Today, we’re celebrating YOU!

Do you know why we are celebrating today? In the face of some really hard circumstances, Sonya made the BRAVE choice to reach out for #hope! My life with my kids seemed hopeless. When she arrived at Door of Hope Sonya was in a devastating financial crisis- without support from family or friends. Sonya never in a million years imagined finding herself in this difficult situation. Today, Sonya is full of confidence, and has a new perspective on life thanks to all her hard w...ork. Though we still are in a world of uncertainty. I want to express my deepest appreciation for the help and support you gave my children and I. The time spent reviewing my issues regarding COVID-19, the job lost, no money to pay rent and my goals is appreciated. The advice was very helpful and gave me a new perspective on opportunities. Together we can give mother’s a safe place to dream again, knowing they can overcome adversity. #DoorOfHope #CaseManagement #Hope #Bravery #EndFamilyHomelessness #DoorofHopePasadena #EndDomesticViolence

We’re excited to announce that we have an opportunity for you to join the #DoorOfHope team! Right now, we’re recruiting for a Case Manager and it could be you! If you’re looking for something more than just a job but an opportunity to impact the lives of families experiencing homelessness and domestic violence...apply today! https://doorofhope.us//u/2020/10/Case-Manager_10.02.20.pdf... #DoorOfHope #Employment #CaseManagement #EndFamilyHomelessness #DoorofHopePasadena #Job #EndDomesticViolence

For children experiencing homelessness, the greatest challenge of remote learning may not be logistical at all but emotional. Making matters worse, many children living through homelessness had already experienced stress and trauma before the pandemic from changing addresses, food insecurity and physical or emotional abuse. That makes the consistency of friends and the kind of adult support a school can provide that much more important and its absence, that much more de...stabilizing. "There is nothing equitable about distance learning for children and youth who are homeless," says Barbara Duffield, the head of SchoolHouse Connection, a national nonprofit that advocates for homeless youth. "The cost of keeping everyone safe is costing some children much more." Read more of the NPR article about the struggle for families experiencing homelessness as school closures continue: https://www.npr.org//an-impossible-choice-for-homeless-par

It’s the first weekend of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and we're asking for you to step up as a Domestic Violence Ally! Here's how you can get involved... Moms and kids who have fled domestic violence are starting over, and you can help! Two families signed leases last week. Celebrate their hard work and turn their house into a home by giving a housewarming gift https://doorofhope.us/2020//03/donate-a-housewarming-gift-3... Join our Executive Director, Megan Katerjian, as she fundraises to give a mom a paid internship to gain marketable skills and increase her earning potential. Find a future free from domestic violence https://www.facebook.com/donate/658683494835183/?fundraiser_source=pages_card Together, we will give moms the confidence that their future is full of promise; they are not their past. This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, you can invest in their dreams and change their children's future. @khachadoorian

We LOVE this post by our Executive Director, @megandoorofhope Join her and become a domestic violence ally! https://www.facebook.com/donate/658683494835183/?fundraiser_source=pages_card @megandoorofhope : On this first weekend of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I am haunted by thoughts of what no child’s eyes should see. Sometimes it’s easy for me to forget how hard life was for the children of moms who come to @doorofhope because they are fleeing domestic violence. The...y smile and laugh and cause mischief and play just like your child or mine. It’s not until I see one of my own children in them, and imagine the hurt or pain they might carry deep inside, that I am shattered. That’s what happened when I recently heard about Chris, who is about the same age as my precious son David. In the months leading up to Chris’s arrival, he began to stutter. His mother feared it was because of the stress and violence he witnessed at home, living with her abuser. Shielding her own precious boy from further hurt and pain was what gave her the courage to leave. As I imagine the details of what may have caused Chris’s stutter, I am stunned. What no child‘s eyes should see, Chris saw. What no mothers body or emotions should bear, Chris’s mother bore. Too many mothers and children experiencing homelessness have similar stories. It is a profound gift to walk alongside these mothers and children, and iit is a privilege to witness their courage as they fight for a better life. This week, Chris’s mom and I celebrated with her case manager that her son has stopped stuttering. He feel safe and she is grateful.. As I imagine her pain, I am still haunted, but as I hear about her relief, I am grateful that Door of Hope is a place of healing. Sign up to fundraise or donate: https://www.facebook.com/donate/658683494835183/?fundraiser_source=pages_card

We our birthday angels!! Without a doubt they make birthdays extra special for the kids living at at Door of Hope. They deliver gifts, cards and lots of happy birthday wishes...they deliver smiles! For the kids here, life has been anything but normal in the months or years leading up to their arrival. Some have been evicted from their homes, others lost their home because their mom fled an abusive husband and father. They’ve been living in cars or shelters, they carry a lot of trauma and stress. So, birthdays are an amazing opportunity for us to shower them with love, gifts and lots of happy memories! Thank you to all our birthday angels helping us do exactly that!

Jen and Carlos have gone through so much together, but because of their persistence, hard work and love for each other have overcome incredible challenges. So, today they're sharing their story with you...and we're inviting you to help us make sure they have everything they need to welcome their new baby in a few weeks! Jen and Carlos are incredibly humble and didn't have a wish list. But we managed to find out what they need. Please help us help them get ready for their bab...y by donating a baby gift to them https://doorofhope.us/2020/09/27/babygift Here's their story Jen, Carlos and Roman came to Door of Hope in a very difficult season. Cancer, blindness, mental health, and unemployment were battles they fought together; they had each other, and that's what got them through each day. But when they lost their housing, shelters tried to separate them - as they so often separate dads from moms and kids. Door of Hope, one of the only shelters in L.A. County that can house any kind of family together, was the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Jen, Carlos and Roman found a home together at Door of Hope. They also found a new family -- the Door of Hope family! Like all families, we stick together through the challenges and joyfully celebrate the accomplishments. So when Brian, our in-kind and facilities maintenance assistant, heard Jen needed help with her wheelchair, he stepped right up. He was prepared to give the wheelchair a little TLC -- but when he saw it he knew he had to do more than fix it! What happened next was beyond anyone's imagination...Brian reached out to his daughter, Brianna, who is also in a wheelchair, for help. When she heard about Jen's need, she immediately donated a brand new wheelchair to Jen. Brianna is an angel! But, the story doesn't end there! There's an upcoming wedding! Carlos just proposed to Jen and they have a new baby due in just a few weeks! They are an amazing family whose strength and courage inspire us. It's their hard work that has got them to where they are -- soon to graduate our program and move into their own home. We you Jen, Carlos and Roman!

It's #ThankYouThursday and we have a BIG thank you to @vnusbox for their generosity! We're so excited to share they have chosen to partner with Door of Hope. We their philosophy of giving back to boost self-esteem and empower women facing homelessness. We can’t wait to surprise the moms living here with the @vnusbox gifts they dropped off! You can't see the trauma of homelessness. But for families experiencing it -- they know that trauma all too well. It's why we don't ju...st give shelter and safety to the parents and kids that walk through our doors. We provide therapy, case management and other supportive services as part of what we do...and it works! 100% of parents improve their emotional well-being. Parents like Shantay, who arrived at Door of Hope with her 2 kids after fleeing an abusive relationship. She struggled with depression and felt like she had lost all hope. She shared how experiencing homelessness had shattered her self-confidence. Building her self-esteem and being a positive role model for her kids were 2 of her goals. And, with lots of hard work she has accomplished them both! "My confidence is boosted because people believed in me and that made me believe in myself again. Now I feel confident to make decisions and succeed, I see the light at the end of the tunnel after so much darkness and it's just the beginning!" Today, we celebrate you Shantay! See more

#SundayShoutout goes to Matt Sanders #HollywoodIronWorks who just installed a new gate! Matt never charges for the work he does for Door of Hope and has an incredibly generous heart. Giving families facing homelessness safety from the streets is one of our priorities -- thank you Matt for helping us do exactly that!