Hope Dealers in Action

Meeting People Where They Are, Changing Lives Forever

How Do You Reach Someone Who’s Stopped Believing Anyone Cares? When someone has been overlooked, judged, or turned away too many times, something inside them begins to shut down. They stop looking for help. They stop expecting kindness. They stop believing change is even possible. They stop caring.

That’s exactly who our Outreach teams are looking for. For four years, Carla Venegas, our Director of Outreach, and her growing team have walked the streets of San Diego County. They visit encampments, ravines, underpasses, shopping centers, and abandoned buildings. They bring tangible hope to those who feel forgotten.

In the last year, they have expanded outreach from Downtown and Little Italy to Oceanside, Santee, Chula Vista, and Vista, with more growth on the horizon. They go into the forgotten places most people avoid. There, they remind our homeless neighbors that their story isn’t over. That someone still cares—kind neighbors like you. That God loves them and that they are worthy of love and compassion.

“Just as Jesus said in Luke 14:23, we go ‘into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that [His] house may be filled.’”

This is the heart of Outreach. Through our Mobile Shower Ministry, Community Meals, and Neighborhood Outreach, we begin with what matters most: trust, presence, and compassion. Because behind every weathered face and guarded heart is someone’s son, someone’s daughter. God’s beloved. And they are waiting to be seen.

We Start with a Name

It may seem small, but for someone who’s been ignored for years, being called by name is deeply humanizing. It says, I see you. Most of us take it for granted. For our unsheltered neighbors, it’s often the first step toward healing.

From there, we meet basic needs. This is where your generosity becomes so powerful. You provide hygiene kits, socks, food, and first-aid supplies. Most importantly, you help keep our Mobile Shower Trailers on the road, offering more than just cleanliness. When someone steps into one of our showers, they’re stepping into a moment of peace and dignity. That simple act can open hearts and restore a sense of worth.

What It Looks Like on the Ground

“Sometimes we’re just at the DMV or the Social Security office,” Carla shares. “Advocating, because people get disregarded so quickly, just for how they look or because they don’t know how to ask for help.” Carla says. This is real advocacy. At every stage, the focus is on dignity and choice, not telling people what they need, but asking: “What would it take for you to receive our help?” It’s how we turn crisis into hope and street-level connections into lasting transformation.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

— Matthew 22:39

This command guides us daily as we serve as Hope Dealers on the streets of San Diego. And we couldn’t do it without you! Your support changes lives. It brings hope to entire communities.

In our next Blog, you’ll get a closer look at our Emergency Shelters, places where individuals take their first steps from crisis toward stability, supported by our comprehensive System of Care.