One Big Graduation For Children Of Orange County Rescue Mission

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Parents across Orange County struggled with a hard stop of the school year, but nowhere was the sudden change felt more keenly than at Orange County Rescue Mission's Village of Hope.

The Village of Hope houses several hundred Orange County residents experiencing homelessness. Here they live, work, study and play as one big group.

Here, milestones matter.

"Whether graduating from kindergarten, middle school, high school, or college, graduating is a huge accomplishment and should be celebrated," Jim Palmer, President of the Orange County Rescue Mission, told Patch.

The Rescue Mission has seen its share of struggles during the coronavirus pandemic this year, according to Jim Palmer, President of the Orange County Rescue Mission. Though this is not a unique problem, not having in-class school created hurdles for those living at the Village of Hope.
When they received the news that the children would not be returning to school this semester, due to COVID-19, it opened up a new set of challenges.

"We had 66 children at the Village of Hope set to graduate," Palmer said. "Because graduation is such a special moment in one's life, we wanted to make sure the kids weren't missing out on this huge milestone."

It was with this in mind that the mission decided upon a ceremony for all of the children who live there, regardless of age. Several organizations sponsored the event. The one big ceremony included speeches, snacks, confetti, and many proud families. Graduates wore different color caps and gowns, proclaiming their milestone graduation in the garden decked with bright balloons while family members looked on, cheered, and took photos.

The CDC considers the Village of Hope one big family, he says.

"We still have the opportunity to interact and have fun activities together, which is why we came up with the idea of putting on our own graduation ceremony," Palmer told Patch. "The ceremony came out beautifully and was truly remarkable to see both the kids and parents celebrate such a wonderful achievement."