Orange County Rescue Mission outlines Village of Hope operations, asks for next-step housing

Brian Crane, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission, presented a compact overview of the Village of Hope campus and the services it provides to people experiencing crisis.

Crane described the Village of Hope as a five-acre campus at Red Hill and Valencia with capacity for "387 beds" serving men, women and children in long-term transitional programs that typically last 18–24 months. He outlined services that include counseling with licensed clinical social workers, a medical clinic, vocational training, life-skills classes, partnerships with local employers and an education pathway (including a relationship with Tustin Unified Adult School). Crane said the Rescue Mission logged roughly 45,000 volunteer hours in the last year and estimated that "from 2008 when we opened till now, that 3,200 men, women, and children have transitioned into stable housing by going through the Village of Hope."

Crane said the organization would welcome the opportunity to develop an additional five-acre next-step housing project to provide independent, affordable housing for program graduates and said the mission would operate such housing with the same drug- and alcohol-free standards as their campus.

Council members praised the Rescue Mission's outcomes and encouraged community volunteering and partnerships with local employers and schools. No binding action was requested tonight; the presentation was informational and representatives remained for the open house to discuss volunteer and donation opportunities.