Make My Day

Not only is the phrase “make my day” a famous line from a Clint Eastwood movie but it’s also something to aspire to accomplishing.

Have you ever done something so selfless, for someone who couldn’t do something for themselves, that the recipient told you that “you made my day?” That’s “pretty much” what happened the other day at the House2Home ministry.

Here’s the backstory:

Carlos and Jozette, and their three children, were moving from motel to motel until they moved in with an elderly family member who they soon found out was suffering from dementia. The dementia caused her to become fearful and insecure. It became a weekly thing for her to kick them out of the house. Her uneven behavior then turned to harassment and threats. They could no longer tolerate the situation so they began to look for an alternative.

Eventually, they found the Orange County Rescue Mission. The compassionate community at the mission spoke about the love of Jesus and they soon surrendered their lives to God. They made a decision to put away their old lives and harmful patterns to put their trust in God.

Their lives quickly changed. Carlos and Jozette said, “We built a relationship with him (God) and showed our kids, and we pray as a family. Our kids know God and we have the best bond ever. We took care of ourselves and mental health. Thank God we are all together and our worries we (now) give to the Lord because we know his will, will be done.”

Recently, Carlos and Jozette graduated the mission program and got the lease for an apartment. Since they have graduated the mission program, found employment, have started a savings account, and have a viable plan for their future they qualified for the assistance of our House2Home ministry.

Our H2H team from Well Works women’s bible study group rallied their volunteers and took one Saturday out of their busy lives to bless this family by moving them into their first home and providing all the furniture and household items to beautify their new apartment.  

After the transformation of the apartment from an empty apartment into a cozy home, the family returned for the reveal. When Cali and Alyssa (age 6) opened the door to their first room ever, they squealed with excitement! Certainly, not only did these volunteers “make their day” but they “made the parent’s day” as well. Carlos and Jozette were beside themselves to know that their children were so happy for a secure place to call home and a beautiful room for themselves.  

This act of love and kindness not only made their “day,” it made their week, their month, their year… for finally… after a long, difficult journey God has rewarded their trust in him and their diligence to cooperate in their recovery with a place to call “home”. 

As always, we want to recognize all of our donors who give finances, furniture, and furnishings as well as the volunteers who were boots on the ground giving their time and attention to making a significant difference to a family who so needed someone to “make their day.”