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Los Angeles
Door of Hope: Tim Peters
Tim Peters was formerly the CSM Los Angeles City Director and is now the Executive Director for Door of Hope - one of CSM Los Angeles’ ministry sites. CSM is truly blessed to be able to partner with Tim and Door of Hope through serving at both their Pasadena and Glendale locations. Learn more about Tim’s journey into urban ministry!
We have asked Tim to share with us how his connection with CSM has impacted his ministry. Here is what he had to say:
“God used my 11 years with CSM to open my heart to homeless children and their families through intimate exposure to the needs, learning about the needs and God’s perspective, experiencing the needs along with them, and by giving opportunities to actually do something to make a difference. CSM was instrumental in the rest of my life’s calling to serve homeless children and families. After what I saw, experienced and did with CSM I couldn’t not do something.
I am currently the Executive Director of the Door of Hope which is transitional housing programs for homeless families with children. The mission of the Door of Hope is to equip homeless families to rebuild their lives. Our goal is to help homeless families go from homelessness to self-sufficiency, to permanent housing and break the cycle of homelessness permanently. We do this through a comprehensive Christ-centered relational approach with individualized plans for every family.
After working for 15 years with homeless children in the skid row area of downtown Los Angeles, I felt God leading me to do more than just the after school program for homeless children. It broke my heart each day as I would drop off the children at their welfare hotels, homeless shelters and out on the streets. Some rainy cold days, I would take children home with me, my wife and children to our skid row apartment. I remember dreaming and praying for a huge house that I could have to bring all the children and their families in to and help them rebuild their lives.
I started a non-profit organization with the purpose of doing transitional and permanent supportive service housing for homeless families with children. During my planning stages, I was researching places doing similar things and Door of Hope was one of my visits. The executive director said he was leaving and didn’t know if Door of Hope would continue. This was exactly what I wanted to do and the answer to my prayer – a huge house to bring all the children and their families in to and help them rebuild their lives. That was in 2006 and now Door of Hope has grown to two sights, has added 2 after school programs and a rapid rehousing program which now places 50 homeless families in permanent housing each year.
I love CSM and their groups. They help out with projects, cleaning, organizing, and children’s programs with our Pasadena and Glendale Door of Hope. In Glendale our volunteer coordinator and director of our afterschool program is a past CSM host (Kendra) and she accepts CSM groups all of the time especially during summer. CSM helps the Door of Hope with so many needed volunteers and we really “get it” with the groups purpose not only being ministering to the people we serve, but also the experience that can change their lives. CSM is a win/win with Door of Hope and we are so blessed with the volunteers and the financial blessings of CSM.”
A big thank you to Tim, who is a living example of a life called to and dedicated to urban ministry! Learn how you can partner with Door of Hope through CSM!
Ministry Needs
- Door of Hope does currently have the need for gift cards (Target, Wal-Mart, grocery stores, Smart&Final, Starbucks, retail clothing or office supply stores) to bless their current families, alumni and for appreciating volunteers. Would you or your church consider hosting a gift card drive? If so, please email us to let us know!
- Please also pray for their funding, the new positions and interns (see below).
Ministry Job Opportunities
Door of Hope is in need of 2 guy interns (who will be TechMission interns) and 3-4 girl interns who will live at and work with the Glendale Door of Hope. They also have 2 immediate job openings – one for Case Manager (Glendale Door of Hope) and one for Development Director (job description is posted on their website). Anyone interested should email their resume and references to .
