Kristina Bethea believes in miracles. In fact, she sees two or three a month as executive director of Monthly Miracles, a faith-based, non-profit organization. Its mission is to rescue Tri-Valley residents from homelessness by mobilizing scores of their neighbors to contribute a dollar-a-month to support its programs.
Monthly Miracles fulfills a crucial function, as Bethea explained at PNR’s March 11th meeting. It is
one of a handful of social service organizations in the Tri-Valley that address to the needs of the homeless. Many local residents at risk for homelessness also fall through the cracks of state and federal programs intended to help them. “They make too much money to qualify for government assistance but too little to dig themselves out of their financial troubles,” she said.
All those one-dollar donations combine with hands-on volunteer assistance to help clients who are ready to work toward sustainability to overcome the issues that led them to now live in their cars or teeter on edge of losing their housing, Bethea said. Those issues could be a costly illness, the death of the family bread winner, domestic violence, spousal abandonment or mental health issues. Monthly Miracles relies on churches, teachers or police to identify potential clients who are desperate to remain hidden out of embarrassment and for the sake of keeping their kids in our highly respected public schools.
Monthly Miracles helps with monetary grants to cover the cost of first-and-last month rent, to finance relocation to less costly communities or to provide a car to enable them to reliably commute to and from work. Three hundred clients and their children attended the charity’s 2021 holiday party at Valley Bible Church in Pleasanton. Several local restaurants served free hot meals. Volunteers distributed groceries, clothing, hygiene products and Christmas gifts.
The charity has an ongoing need for volunteers for client outreach, for teaching basic life skills, such as budget management, and lending assistance with their children. Business and church connections are sought to publicize the program, and prayer warriors are in demand to support Monthly Miracles’ mission and clients.
You can enroll for the dollar-a-month program by text the word “miracles” in a text message to the number 925-369-7606 or by connecting with Monthly Miracles website www.monthlymiracles.org.
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