How would you feel to be a single father with 2 boys, laid-off from work, and now out of savings? This is the story of Joseph at the Thomas House Temporary Shelter in Garden Grove, California. I recently had the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus and spend time working one-on-one with these families.

The staff and volunteers of Thomas House work with each family to assess the needs of the members (physical, emotional, spiritual and financial) and assist them in setting goals that will lead to long-term changes in their lives.

Approximately 15 families participate in a 6-9 month program. Families maintain or seek full-time employment, budget their income, pay bills and save 80% of their income after expenses. How great is that?? Families make long-term goals and meet with a staff member weekly to discuss daily goals and finances and plan the actions necessary to prepare for a stable future. They really know what they are doing at Thomas House!

Please pray for these families, that they will continue to look to God for direction and guidance. Any one of us could find ourselves in their shoes if our circumstances took a turn for the worse. As we head into November, a time of thanksgiving, let’s think of ways that we can help those less fortunate than us.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” -Matthew 25:34-26