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Well it’s here- Monday, I am living in my sister’s van this week and I am wondering again why in the world I thought I could do this? I once told my teacher all I wanted in life was a big house and lots of clothes and to be a police officer/ballerina. Of course I grew out of that desire, but I still like shelter that you can’t drive and clothing that can hang in a closet, neither of which I will have this week. (And don’t even ask about the police officer/ballerina career I was planning, I was ahead of my time with the dancing law-enforcement, I think criminals would be a lot more cooperative and less violent if they were apprehended by dancing cops.)

During the daytime I completely forgot that I am doing this and cannot go home, but reality set in as one by one my co-workers said “Goodnight” and now it’s just me here in the office. Again, I am trying to be in a mind-set of someone who does not have the choice to live this way and who doesn’t have a deadline of when it will end, like I do.

Well keep me in your thoughts tonight as you curl up in your bed and maybe watch some tv and fall asleep.

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Our very own Jen Harp (Shepherd’s Gate’s Director of Marketing) will be living in her car for 5 days next week to get a jump on 24 In Your Car™, an event created to bring attention to the growing population of homeless women and children living in their cars. Our goal is to educate our community while also raising badly needed funds to help these vulnerable families.

Jen will be getting just a taste of what it’s like for these women and children — she’ll be searching out resources that are available to the “Mobile Homeless”as well as talking to those who have had to live in their cars. Please check back here on the blog, or visit our Facebook or YouTube pages to stay in the loop and join Jen on her quest to better understand what it’s like for these hidden homeless families.

For more information on our 24 In Your Car™ event in October, or to sign up, please visit www.24inyourcar.com!

You may have read about Lisa in one of my recent letters. She was one of those children who, when you hear her story, you wonder if she ever really had a chance. Her biological father raised marijuana plants and gave Lisa her first hit at eight years old. Her mother and stepfather were alcoholics and drug addicts as well.

The odds seem like they were stacked against her from the start.

Still, Lisa fought to get her life together. After several years of sobriety, Lisa thought she had a dream life, but her heartache after her husband’s affair and the resulting divorce drove her to turn back to old habits. In just 4 months, her old addiction had completely destroyed her life. She was high. Destitute. Worst of all, she’d lost her 3 kids.

Determined to put her life — and her family — back together, Lisa came to Shepherd’s Gate and began to live God’s way. Now sober, she’s been reunited with her children and is the kind of mom she always wanted to be.

Without the dedication and generosity of Shepherd’s Gate supporters and donors, however, the painful cycle of addiction and brokenness would have been allowed to continue. I can’t emphasize it enough — you make a true difference! Not only in the lives of the women who come here, but in their children . . . their children’s children . . . the effect ripples out through our entire community.

Matching Gift Opportunity through May 31

And right now you have an opportunity to make an even greater impact. When you send a gift by May 31, a generous donor will double your gift! That means twice as many mothers will be able to turn their lives around because of your care and concern.

As we get closer to Mother’s Day, please be praying for the women here. It can be a joyful day for those who have been reunited with their kids, but for those who are still working toward that goal, it can be a challenge. Feel free to leave notes or verses of encouragement in the comments section below!

Thanks for all you do for the families here.

Steve McRee

*National Institute on Drug Abuse

But the real power of Easter is its message. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose again for all of us, homeless moms know that God loves them, and that no situation is without hope. They too, can “rise again.”

A second chance means so much for moms like Rose, who was literally enslaved her whole life – first by her sister and brother-in-law, then by food disorders, depression and addiction. If you didn’t have a chance to read Rose’s testimony from the recent newsletter, you can read it here.

One of the things Rose told us when she so joyfully related how happy she is today, is that “Our God is a God of second chances.” Knowing that, has given her joy and confidence in the future for the first time in her life.

I am grateful for so many caring people in our community over the past 27 years, all of them have helped make this life-changing message possible for more than 10,000 women and children. Please keep everyone at Shepherd’s Gate in your prayers this Easter.

Instead, they shine with the confidence of Christians who are deeply immersed in their faith, full of gratitude for their lives.

The children change, too. When they first come in our doors, they are often quiet. You can see the fear in their eyes. They don’t know what to expect. As they realize they are safe, that they can trust the grown-ups around them, the smiles break out. And then the laughter. It’s a sweet, sweet sound.

Seeing people who had nothing, who were abused, who had had nowhere to go but the streets, overcome all odds here is amazing. But their joy is the best part.

But where does it come from? It comes from gratitude. It comes from meeting Christ. It comes from trusting that their future is in His hands. And it comes from you, the friends who pray, give and volunteer here to make the introductions possible.

Please use the comments section below to share your own stories of someone bringing hope and healing into your life — or about the joy that came from being a part of someone else’s transformation. Thanks for being part of the joy we see everyday at Shepherd’s Gate!

Please plan to join us in this effort this Fall, so more people will know that Shepherd’s Gate offers hope and the right kind of help to moms and children who have nowhere to go.

What’s in it for you?

When you, your family, your church group or company, participate in 24 In Your Car™, you’ll gain an experience that can change your life’s perspective. You’ll join with other passionate people to learn about the challenges of homelessness in a whole new way.

You and your group will grow spiritually and gain compassion and empathy for those who are less fortunate. You’ll create a meaningful memory that will last a lifetime!

Even if you cannot stay the night, please come out for as much of the time as you can. We’ll have music, refreshments and meaningful and informational activities for all ages.

To find out how you can be involved, click here.

One of the families interviewed, the Corfee’s, lived in their car for several months after both parents lost their jobs and the family was evicted from their home. The family of 5 lived in a van parked in a WalMart parking lot.

Jorge, the oldest brother, recalled getting ready for school each morning: “We would actually go in WalMart and clean our self up before we’d go to school . . . I would like wash my face, and like, take a tissue and wash my arms and stuff.”

Says his 11-year-old sister Destiny: “We would bring the toothpaste and the toothbrush and the brushes so we’d go brush our hair in the mirror and people would see us. And it would be kind of weird. But we worked through it.”

Like many people who live in their cars, the Corfee’s maintained a low profile. “I was embarrassed that maybe one of my friends might see me. I don’t want anybody to know that I was actually in there,” says Destiny.

Shame is just one reason why those who live in their cars are almost invisible to the rest of us as we go about our daily lives. We may not see them, but we know they are right here in our neighborhoods — California is #3 in the nation for homelessness among children.

At Shepherd’s Gate, we are working to bring awareness to the growing number of women and children living in their cars through our “24 in your Car” event, coming Fall 2011. This unique experience will allow people to better understand the challenges that people in our community are facing, while also offering opportunities to help those who are struggling.

We hope you’ll join us. For more information as it develops, please visit www.24inyourcar.com.