Christmas Community Offering

Lakeside's annual Christmas Community Offering is an opportunity outside of your normal giving to bless a specific community need. HART of Folsom is the grateful recipient of this year’s Christmas Offering.

HART of Folsom (Homeless Assistance Resource Team) has a heart for the homeless in our city, operating various services to assist them in reaching self-sufficiency and independence. The organization has recently received four units in the renovated Folsom Lodge Motel—renamed Bidwell Suites—to use for transitional housing for those making a deliberate effort to better their lives.

 HART president Judi Alexander says there is an application and interview process for the program and that recipients of housing must be clean and sober, participate in periodic testing, have a clean background check, meet regularly with HART mentors, and either have a job or be ready to look for employment.

 “We help those who are ready to be contributing members of society but aren’t able yet to do it on their own,” Judi said. “We provide them a roof over their head and the tools to learn skills and habits to reach their goals.”

 Two of the four studios at Bidwell Suites are completed and are housing women who were previously living in their cars: “They are so grateful. They feel loved and valued and understand that people are making sacrifices so they can start anew,” Judi said.

 HART relies on donations to cover all of its services, and Judi says she is grateful for the Folsom faith community that assists with funding. Costs for its Bidwell Suites transitional housing ministry are $1,062 per month for each studio.

 We would love to be able to give generously to HART and provide the total yearly cost—$12,744—for one of our homeless neighbors to get a fresh start in one of these studios. Please pray about how you can bless HART this Christmas.

Click below to give to the Christmas offering, and then use the pull-down option to change from “General” to “Christmas Community Offering.”