THE H.I.S. HOUSE
VIEW
2013 SPRING ISSUE
H.I.S. HOUSE INVITES YOU TO
“MONTE CARLO MADNESS”
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Are you feeling lucky? Well now is the time to dust off that rabbit’s foot, shine up that
lucky penny and go out and find a four leaf clover because on April 20, 2013, you will be able
to try your luck at four different games of chance. You can spend your evening at the craps
table or the roulette table and if those don’t suit you there is always the blackjack tables
and new this year, the ever popular, Wheel of Fortune.
This year’s fundraiser is being held at the Villa Restaurant, 501 E. Katella Avenue,
Orange, California, from 6:30 until 11:00 pm. Tickets are $75 per person.
There will be a fabulous dinner, great prizes for those lucky winners and a silent auction.
Our silent auction this year will be the best yet with trips, theatre tickets, sports
memorabilia, grandparent’s baskets, which will include children’s bicycles and fun places to
take your grandchildren, wine baskets and private wine tastings. The full list of silent
auction items is too long to list, but you have to attend to get in
on these great opportunities!
Invitations were mailed out in mid March. If you did not receive
one and would like to attend please call our Event Chairman,
Carolyn Holmes at 714-996-7418. Seating is limited this year so
get your reservations in early and bring your friends,.
It will be a great evening!
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From H.I.S. House to Yours………...
Mind your own business! What does it matter to you anyways? What makes you think you can
make a difference? These are questions we are often asked, or better yet we ask ourselves,
in regards to our relationship with others. One person CAN make a difference in the life of an
individual or family who is struggling to cope with unexpected circumstances that find them
homeless. The Mission of H.I.S. House is to assist homeless individuals, couples, and families
to regain self-sufficiency through housing, training, counseling and personal support.
Having come through Christmastime with assistance from so many individuals, churches,
businesses and organizations that worked tirelessly to make the season special for our
residents is confirmation that many people do feel they’re able to make a difference. The
gifts, parties, clothing and food brought to the shelter serve as a testament to your love.
The love we show to others is also the love we show ourselves, and what better time of the
year to do so. Thank you for not minding your own business!
What did it matter to the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts who spent endless hours doing handiwork,
baking and engaging in projects around the shelter to the benefit of people they don’t even
know? Handmade beanies, Adirondack chairs and fencing at our Second Step residence are
just a few of the projects provided by these young men and women for a cause they
determined was bigger than themselves. Thank you for not minding your own business!
What makes Messiah Lutheran of Yorba Linda think they’ve made a difference by removing
and trimming trees or Calvary Chapel of Placentia by painting rooms, furniture and whatever
else might be necessary to paint? They’ve given selflessly of themselves in order to make a
“home” for individuals and families who are as deserving as any one of us. Thank you for not
minding your own business!
I think you get the picture! I could go on indefinitely, but don’t have the space to give each
and every one the credit they deserve. From the nurses at West Coast University who
donated time and energy for our resident’s well-being to our newly formed “Tool Box Ministry”
that attends to our facility’s ongoing maintenance and repair needs. May I express my
gratitude to all of you for your continued efforts and support of our Mission. Thank you for
not minding your own business!
This Easter season is a reminder of renewal and refreshing. And just like your homes, our
home and its residents need continual attention. How can you make a difference you ask?
Please continue with the donations you so generously give and your support of our fundraising
efforts is appreciated more than you’ll know.
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Shopping and volunteering at Charity’s Closet, whose sales support H.I.S. House, is a fun way to
indulge or be indulged on a budget! The 100 plus volunteers working at Charity’s Closet are
always willing to help you with your personal shopping needs. If your talents lie more in the
area of building and maintenance, you might want to think about some occasional time being
spent with the “Tool Box Ministry.” Or maybe you’re more inclined to like the personal
interaction of working as a “Resident Mentor,” giving you an opportunity to work one on one
with a resident. The only qualifications necessary for any of these engagements are open eyes
as you never know who you’re going to meet or what you’re going to learn when your eyes are
open.
When we help someone in need we show a capacity for greater human goodness. Thank you for
proving through your actions that anyone of us can make a difference and I implore you to
continue minding the business of H.I.S. House.
Respectfully,
Gae Wood
Chairman of the Board
FIRM MAKES DONOR HISTORY
When our Director, Teri Niebuhr, received a
call from Dean Smith an Audit Partner at
Wright Ford Young & Company CPA and
Consultants, Inc. asking for a tour of the
house, she said “of course.” Along with a
request to see the shelter came those
wonderful words, “there might be a possible
donation as our firm tithes and gives to nonprofits each year.” What she did not expect was the generosity of this CPA firm. The
donation was $30,000, the largest unrestricted monetary donation in the history of H.I.S.
House. We love all of our donors and volunteers and every donation we receive is cherished
and put to use helping our guests transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. We do
wish to say THANK YOU for this most generous DONATION! As always, we promise to be
good stewards of this money!!!
Photograph shows Director, Teri Niebuhr, (left) Chair of Board, Gae Wood (right) and Dean Smith.
3
Introducing, Melissa Stewart-Garcia
Idealistic, with her head in the clouds…
Grounded, with her feet firmly in the sand...
Living, day to day, somewhere in between (usually) with a smile on
her face...
For those who get to know her, Melissa is a bundle of sarcasm and
goofiness, who has become a “big picture” type of gal.
Born in Fullerton, to sixteen year old parents, she learned early on
to assess a situation and fix it before anyone knew there was one.
Wanting to help others became, and stayed, a way of life.
Melissa received her Bachelor of Science in Human Services from
California State University of Fullerton in 2006. Unsure of what she
wanted to do exactly, she completed her first internship with HIS
House. She completed her second internship as a probation officer
with the Orange County Drug Court, and came back to HIS House to
complete her third, and final, internship. It was during her time at HIS House that she figured out
exactly how she wanted to help. She was hired on as a part-time Resident Manager. Eventually, a
homeless shelter for pregnant women started their search for a full-time case manager, and
Melissa was referred for the position by Teri Niebuhr.
After two years as a Case Manager, handling case loads of up to 18 women, Melissa became the
Program Director. This was when it clicked, and she began to see the big picture. Helping those
who were willing to put in the effort to help themselves became a passion. Providing the place for it
to happen, researching the resources needed, and creating a thorough & efficient program was
something she loved. She began to dream about opening her own nonprofit, as serving families of all
shapes and sizes often tugged at her heart.
When she heard that HIS House was in need of a Case Manager, she had to go. She had to go back
to the place where it all started for her. She lives by the motto, “find a career you truly love and
you’ll never work a day in your life.”
And, so, she joined HIS House, hoping to never work again.
At home, Melissa enjoys reading a good book while curled up on the couch. She likes watching
Grey’s Anatomy and Survivor after the house is calm and quiet. She is a lover of new experiences,
frozen peanut M&Ms, and soft blankets. Her dryer is her iron. She is a mother of two daughters
(17 and 6… no need for a double take, you read that correctly), an owner of two dogs (Chloe Mae
and Faulkner), a wife, a sister, a friend, a daughter, and a forever student…learning something new
every single day.
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Resident-Mentor Program Update
“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction. ”
John Crosby
The HIS House Resident-Mentor program is a unique opportunity to serve one-on-one with our
residents to help them achieve success. Our mentors act as life coaches to help the residents
develop his/her own vision for the future. We foster a caring and supportive relationship
encouraging the residents to build self-esteem and achieve personal growth.
In the last few months, the Resident-Mentor Program has been infused with a new vitality.
Jo-Anne Martin stepped in as the Program Chair, to assist our long-term Resident-Mentor
champion Deanne Cassidy. The Resident-Mentor Program Guide has been completely rewritten. It
focuses on logically walking a newly assigned mentor volunteer through the Resident-Mentor
program, describes the requisite steps, lays out the training plan, provides recommended mentoring
session topics and practical guidelines to ensure a successful resident-mentor relationship. A
future addition to the program guide will be a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section, and a
more robust local/city/state resources compilation.
One of the marquee events of the Resident-Mentor program is the monthly dessert social. This is
an opportunity for all the mentors and residents to gather, have dessert together, enjoy a speaker
and then break off into one-on-one mentoring meetings. We’ve recently expanded this monthly
session to include a mentor-only pre-meeting before the dessert social. This meeting serves to
bring the mentors together to discuss future needs, current issues and provide updates on the
HIS House Board actions. It enables the mentors to share concerns, and describe successes that
could be utilized by other mentors.
We’ve also laid out the annual plan for the Resident-Mentor Dessert Social topics and speakers.
The purpose is to provide the residents with practical knowledge and resources to help them move
forward into the next stage of their lives. These topics include disaster preparedness, law
enforcement, banking, credit and low income housing.
Finally, we’re delighted to welcome four new mentors into the program. As hoped, they represent a
broad spectrum of experiences, backgrounds and age groups. We’ve assigned these new folks to
our residents and look forward to their contributions in achieving success. Thank you all for your
continued support.
ANOTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY FOR SINGLES, GROUPS OR FAMILIES
Interested in being a guest chef for resident mentor meetings?
You and your group would provide the Main course (preferably hot), side dish, and dessert for
approximately 25-30 people. HIS House provides all the plates, napkins, utensils, cups and drinks.
Please give our office a call if you are interested in this position.
5
Christmas at H.I.S. House is so joyous. This year was no exception when
new and old friends filled wish lists, delivered gifts and gift cards as well as
food and goodie bags!
(Left)
Members of
Temple Beth
Shalom
Linda and
Vicki fro m
Del Cerro
Mobile
Estates.
(Below)
Girl Scouts, Emma Belinsky and
Kayleigh McGarahon made beanies for all the children. (Right)
(Left)
Jason with Santa.
(Santa’s Visit was
sponsored by
members of the
Kiwanis Club of
Placentia.
(Above)
Director Teri with Pat and Heidi, members
of Wee Bee Quilters
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Trucks and Vans and a Moose-Oh My!
(Pictured Left) Messiah Lutheran Preschool
Parents and Children.
Students from Lisa Bhoophet’s Science
Classes at Anaheim High School. (Below)
TKachyck & Tan Insurance
and Financial Services
(Left)
(Left)
Vivian
and
Bonnie
Toblesky
delivering goodies
from Yorba Linda
Senior Center.
(Above) Joan Herrick & Mr. & Mrs Farrow
of Canyon Hills Presbyterian Church
(Above) Messiah Lutheran Preschoolers
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VOLUNTEER—LIVE BETTER, HEALTHIER AND LONGER
How would you like to feel better, be healthier, and live longer? One way seems to be –
Volunteer! A number of studies (“The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent
Research,” www.nationalservice.org) show that those who volunteer benefit not only the
organization or cause they support, but also their own health and vitality.
Those who volunteer gain not only the satisfaction of contributing to a worthwhile cause;
they also gain self-esteem, gratification, social interaction, and health benefits. The above
referenced report states, “… that volunteers have greater longevity, higher functional
ability, lower rates of depression and less incidence of heart disease.” That is a pretty
good return on investment, right?
H.I.S. House does have a paid staff including the Director, Administrative Assistant, and
Case Workers, but all the rest of the work is accomplished by – Volunteers. Charity’s
Closet is run completely by volunteers, and you can’t believe the number of hours of
volunteer effort that are given each year – as well as the amount of money provided to
support the H.I.S. House operation.
Our cadre of dedicated workers have forged new friendships, maintained high social
interactions, and basically enjoyed what they were doing. Why else would they be there?
Everyone has something to offer. It could be an area of expertise in marketing,
merchandise display, accounting, collectibles, or simply a joy of working with people.
Needs include workers at Charity’s Closet, people with trucks to help transport donated
furniture or deliveries of unneeded items to Goodwill, people to answer the phone at the
shelter, people to work on resident events at the shelter, people to be mentors to the
residents, etc., etc., etc.
Whatever your talents, you would be welcomed into the family of volunteers that allow
Charity’s Closet and H.I.S. House to function. In return you would become healthier,
happier, more fun to be with, longer lived, better looking, and famous. OK – maybe not ALL
of these, but you get the idea.
If you now feel the urge to get up off the couch, get involved, get healthier, and have a
good time doing it, call the shelter (714) 993-5774 or Charity’s Closet (714) 993-4687 to
join the community of volunteers. You’ll be glad you did!
Blessings,
Many Volunteer
Allen Sypherd, Past Chair
Opportunities in this issue!
H.I.S. House Board
8
Another Volunteer Opportunity Join Our Tool Box Ministry
The number of projects at HIS House and its two other houses is
becoming a bit too much for just calling up some of the guys on the list
of current volunteers and asking if they are available to provide their
labor to do some tasks. So based on a similar program that was
observed at Centerpoint Church in Roseville, CA, it has been decided
that we should adopt their basic idea. The plan is to establish a list of
work that needs to be done and then post it on the HIS House
website. The list will be available to be reviewed by interested
volunteers and they could then plan to bring their tools and come and
do the work. An e-mail reminder would be sent a few days before each
of the planned work party days. The work will be prioritized so that the most important
tasks would be completed in the order of their importance. So if just a few show up some
tasks will be started and hopefully completed. If many show up, the list will be robust
enough so that there will be tasks for everyone. If a task needs materials, best efforts will
be used to ensure they are available.
To keep the process simple, the work will be planned to be accomplished on the second and
fourth Thursdays of every month beginning at 9:00AM and trying to be complete by noon.
Currently, there are a dozen volunteers on the list, or as our Chair, Gae Wood says,
“Hutch’s band of merry men.” If you would like to become a part of the group, just show up
or call Bob Hutchinson at 714-671-0567 to have your name added.
Teacher and her third graders—PAY IT FORWARD
Mrs. Colone’s Third Grade Class from Glen Knoll Elementary School has adopted the
children living in H.I.S. House. Mrs. Colone gives tickets to students who bring in items to
donate. At the end of a themed campaign a drawing is held and the child holding the
winning ticket accompanies Mrs. Colone and his/her parent to H.I.S. House to deliver the
class donation and tour the shelter. Since Mrs. Colone began this project, the shelter has
received, school supplies, handmade hygiene bags filled with hygiene items specifically for
children, hand decorated Halloween goodie bags, cake mixes, icing and decorations for a
cupcake bake and Valentines with candy so H.I.S. House children can distribute Valentines
and candy to their classmates. Mrs. Colone has such a big heart for children, not only in
her own classroom, but for those less fortunate in her community. Thanks for teaching
your children how to pay it forward!
9
Charity’s Closet Volunteers
CLOSET TO CLOSET
Honored
The 112 volunteers who keep Charity’s Closet
running were recognized at a dinner at El
Torito on Monday, March 18.
The annual get-together marked the 7th
anniversary for the thrift shop, which now
provides half of the H.I.S. House yearly
budget.
As part of the evening’s festivities, H.I.S.
House director Teri Niebuhr spoke about the
activities and successes at the shelter. Teri
thanked everyone for their many hours of
dedication to the shop and added that the
monthly generous donation keeps many
necessary programs available for the
residents.
Spring is a great time to clean out closets to
make room for your new shopping
purchases—and take all those items that
haven’t been worn recently to Charity’s
Closet.
Donations of women’s clothing and shoes have
been down the past few weeks, which means
there are fewer nice items to put on the
sales floor. The shop is always looking for
clean, “gently worn and cared for” articles
that help ring up sales, with all proceeds
going to H.I.S. House.
Donations may be delivered to the back door
of Charity’s Closet, 134 N. Bradford Ave.,
Placentia, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. MondaysSaturdays and from 12 noon-4 p.m. Sundays.
Volunteers receiving their one year service pins!
A SPECIAL
THANK YOU TO
OUR
Donn
a
Reina
GIFT WRAPPERS!
And……
Volunteers receiving their five year service pins!
J im
Putt
lene
Mar
art
Stew
tt
Sco
t
ger
r
e
B
10
SCOUTS GOOD DEEDS
GOLD AND EAGLE
Trianna Eichinger, to earn her Gold
Award Project , donated 50 books, made
two literacy boxes, for older and younger
children. These boxes are hand decorated
with pictures of literary characters and
other pictures enticing the children to
explore the contents. Each box includes
games designed for learning. A special book
was created, by hand, to teach children the
ABC’s! Trianna hosted an event to
demonstrate all of the contents of each
Literacy Box! Lastly, she created a parent
information
folder
with
book
recommendations by age and reading facts.
As we say….Trianna, we could not do it
without YOU!
Jordan Tretbar, Eagle Scout candidate
and his mentor Mike Rooney, came by the
shelter asking what projects H.I.S. House
might need. Our lab will accommodate eight
residents; however, there are only four
computer stations. We agreed we could use
a countertop for our laptops with a
bookcase above for manuals and books.
Jordan and Mike began the process of
designing and planning this project. Several
months went by and Jordan and his troop
built a beautiful book case and countertop.
As you can see in the picture, the bookcase
is aesthetically pleasing and the countertop
is used on a daily basis. What is special
about this project is the fact that Jordan
accomplished this on the eve of traveling to
BYU to begin his new life as a college
student. Thank you, Jordan.
Michael Paulsin (standing in photo below)
is one of the youngest Eagle Scout Candidates
ever to come and ask H.I.S. House –“ what do
you need?” Being young does not indicate a
level of fortitude when it comes to pursuing a
creative and very “hip” project. As one enters
the gated front yard of H.I.S. House, the four
Adirondack chairs scream I’m at the beach or
come and sit in me and pretend you’re at the
beach. As you can see by the photo, they are
very cool and have every visitor asking – where
did you get those awesome chairs. We even
had a retired woodshop teacher ask to take one
home, disassemble it and copy the pattern.
However, the director said “NO” but then said
“how ‘bout I call Michael and get the plans for
you. “ We, at H.I.S. House, thank you Michael
and members of troop 785
for these
AWESOME chairs.
11
New and Ever Faithful Donors
Ruth Ann Anderson
Marsha Andrews
The Backes Family Trust
Bank of America- United Way
Dick Bednar
Shauna & Jim Bell
Leland Bellot
Berger Kahn A Law Corporation
Berger Kahn A Law Corp./Orange
Beverli Linn & Stephen Klausen
Malcolm & Doris Black
Jessica Block
Roy Buck
Carlene Cable
Frank Campbell
Timothy & Rosa Campbell
Chevron Humankind
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Chou
Jeanne Christensen
Arthur & Norma Circle
M. Clifford Clark
Michael & Robyn Cole
Richard & Noreen Collins
Christopher & Monica Colonnier
Cornerstone United Methodist
Corvette Super Sports
James & Winifred Crowley
Dixie Davies
Del Norte Garden Club
Lawrence & Carol Doeling
Thomas Dressel
Gordon & Nancy Dunn
Lynda Baker
Linda Ellenburg
Lyndell & Linda Emrick
Patrick Flynn
Bonnie & Steve Foeller
Ursula Freeman
The Freya Club
Fullerton Emblem Club No 469
Geraldine Carnevali
Martin & Debra Gilberstadt
Gary & Barbara Goff
Golden Eagles Golf Club
Arlabeth Hahn
Charles H. Hahn
Robert & Denese Hall
John & Jacalyn Harman
Nancy Hawkins
Louis & Yvette Hirbour
Scott Hobin
Charles Hosick
Bruce & Lynnette Hunt
Joe & Alice Husovsky
Mary Kay Hutchinson
J.F. Shea Company Foundation
Kim M. Jakob
Steven & Sally Jordan
Paul & Carol Kane
Karen C. Lee-Thorp
Charles & Christianne Kerns
Douglas & Marion Lee
Dean & Shari Lenz
Gary & Jacquelynn Macheel
Karen & Bill Mangold
Ted & Dee Mar
John & Cynthia Marshall
Francis McBride
McKinney
Mary McMahon
Messiah Lutheran Church
H. Michael and Susan Muncey
Thomas E Myers
David & Vanda Neilly
Teri Niebuhr
Jackie O'Neil
Richard Orr
Paint Your Heart Out
Arnold & Jean Pappas
Arnold & Carol Peterson
Placentia Presbyterian Church
Placentia Round Table
Walter & Maureen Plegel
Plummer Vineyard
Theodore & Carolyn Porter
Dennis & Linda Poulton
Matthew E & Vickie L Rafter
Benito & Sally Ramirez
J.A.C. & Leann Redford
Cleo Reed
Donna Marie Reeson
Davis & Sandra Rhone
Richard & Marilyn Russell
Gisela Sanders
Schlinger Family Foundation
Dixie Shaw
Robert & Carol Shuey
John & Carol Sibley
Ward & Paula Smith
Solbakken Lodge #64
Marlene Stewart
Kermit Sutherland
Conley & Jane Thatcher
The Barry Trust
Barbara A Thoms
Dave Van Deventer
Francis & Mea Waclawik
Dennis & Ann Wheeler
Cheryl White
Amelia Whrig
Richard & Kathie Williams
Penny Wojcik
Helen Wojcik
Nelson Woodard
Wright Ford Young & Co.
BP Fabric of America Fund via
George T. Ririe.
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Christmas and Hanukah Angels and Elves
Amy Lue
Anaheim High School – Mrs. Lisa Bhoopat’s
Science Classes
Anita Mistry & Girl Scouts
Anonymous Donor of Christmas Trees
Arlene Cadden
Berger Kahn A Law Corporation
Bev Cardwell
Blessed Sacrament Preschool
Bob D’Amato
Canyon Hills Presbyterian Church
Carol Downey
Carol Villoni
Del Norte Garden Club
Dixie Davis & LDS Friends
Eastside Christian Church
Carly Streiss
Edward Jones & Clients
Gary Goff
Genya Simonian
Jackie O’Neil
Janice Thakur
Jay Williams, Pastor, Evangelical Free
Church of Fullerton
Kiwanis Club of Placentia
Margie Wells
Marsha Andrews
Maureen & Walt Plegel
Members of Placentia Senior Center
Messiah Lutheran Preschool, Parents and
Staff
Mitch Mora
North Cities Quilt Guild – Hand Made
Stockings
Patricia Smith
Placentia Presbyterian Church – Lemonade
For Love
Reed Aberdeen, Safeguard Financial
Residents of Del Cerro Mobile Estates
Ron Dauscher
Scott Nelson
Servants of Salvation
Temple Beth Shalom
The McCune Family
The Wee Bee Quilters
Tkachyk & Tan Finance & Insurance Service
Vivian Toblesky and the Seniors of Yorba
Linda Community Center
Wayne McCartney
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NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
FULLERTON, CA
PERMIT NO. 214
H. I. S. HOUSE SHELTER
Placentia Presbyterian Church
P. O. Box 1293
Placentia, CA 92871
Phone: 714-993-5774
We’re on the web
www.hishouseplacentia.org
H. I. S. HOUSE WISH LIST:
Always a need:
School Supplies:
Non-Perishable Foods:
Toothbrushes & toothpaste
Children’s toothpaste
Children’s fever medication
Neosporin
Shampoo & conditioner
Deodorant
Laundry Soap
Socks (all ages)
Disposable razors
Shower gel
Soap
Twin bed comforters & blankets
Towels: bath, hand & wash cloths
Diapers—sizes 4, 5, and 6
Large clear storage containers
Flash Drives (A new need developed
when opening the Computer Literacy
Lab. Adults use the lab for job
searching and children use it to do
research & write reports.)
Pencils & pens
College ruled paper
Spiral note books
Back packs
Canned tuna, chicken or beef
Bean soups
Canned or dried beans
Baked beans
Canned chili
Peanut butter
Canned vegetables
Vegetable soup
Spaghetti sauce
Baby food vegetables
Canned fruit
Applesauce
Dried fruit
Canned & boxed 100% juice
Rice & rice mixes
Wal-Mart Gift Certificates for school
uniforms
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