A remodeling team of Crossroads Church volunteers are transforming three bedrooms at the Raymus House.

Their construction effort is expected to be completed by the end of this month at the Hope Ministries homeless shelter for mothers with children located on South Union Road.

Fresh paint and bunk beds to match set a clean new look to two bedrooms and a third bedroom for the night manager at the other end of the hall.  Cash donations of $1,150 to provide the necessary supplies to finish the job came from the members of their church.

The women in the group handled the finishing touches that include new bedding and comforters for the queen sized beds and the bunk beds in the rooms.  A common half bath that ties the two bedrooms together was also brought up to code.

The team did much of their work in the early to late evening hours.  Knights Flooring took care of the simulated hardwood floors and M & L Shutters and Jonathon Bayse Grantite finished the bathroom counter work.

Several women volunteers were busy Tuesday night washing down the walls of the second adjacent bedroom getting it ready for painting today.

The non-profit organization not only gives families temporary shelter with stays ranging from 30 to 90 days but they assist them with budgeting, job placement and counseling to make sure they can stand on their own two feet. That also includes helping them secure housing after their stay is up at the shelters.

Last year HOPE Ministries assisted 240 homeless people of which most were children.

Giving hope to people costs money. The shelters are on a tight budget of $150,000. Only $30,000 of the money needed to operate the shelters each year comes from government sources. The rest is secured through donations and grants from churches, clubs, and individuals.

 One way individuals or groups can help the shelter provide assistance is to “Adopt a Room” at Raymus House on Union Road that houses mothers and their children.

The commitment for the Adopt a Room program can be tailored to what a group is able to do.

HOPE Ministries was launched in 1991 by the Greater Manteca Ministerial Association.

Churches not only provided the seed money and the framework to help housing  challenged families, including those on the streets and those who do not know from week to week where they will be saying whether it is sleeping in someone’s garage or on their couches, but they are also the biggest sources of funds for ongoing operations.

Churches financially supporting HOPE Ministries today include Calvary Community, Crossroads Grace, Place of Refuge, Manteca Christian Worship Center, First Baptist Church of Ripon, First Baptist Church of Manteca, New Hope of Manteca, New Hope of Escalon, Northgate Community Church, Sequoia Heights Baptist, Southside Christian Church, and United Methodist Women.

If you would like to help HOPE Ministries, call 209.824.0658.