Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
On June 19, HOPE Ministries held our annual “Kids in a Box” event on the grounds of Raymus House. A number of kids participated and had a great time spending the night in their shelters made of cardboard. With their pledges, we raised over $3,000 to help operate Raymus House and HOPE Family Shelter, our two shelters for homeless families.

Kids in a Box is not only a fundraiser, it is also a way to make the public aware of the needs of homeless families in our area. We have always operated at capacity on a regular basis and with the economy in disarray and the state cutting help for needy families, we see an even greater need. We are so grateful to our community for the support and generosity that lets us continue to provide help for these families.

We would like to thank our sponsors, the businesses that have reached out to help us help others by making Kids in a Box a great success. Our Gold sponsors are: Simplot; the Antone and Marie Raymus Foundation, and the South San Joaquin Irrigation District. Thank you all for your generous support. Our Silver sponsors are: Superglass Windshield Repair; Valley Oak Dental Group, Linda Hoff, S. Pahl Q.A. Service, Arvin Home Systems, Manteca Federated Women’s Club, Manteca Morning Rotary, and others requesting anonymity. We thank each of these generous organizations and individuals as well for their involvement and compassion toward the families we serve. We could not have held our Kids in a Box event without their support.

To the kids that joined us, thank you for helping spread the word that there is a need right here in our community for shelter and support for homeless families. Your gift of time and the pledges you raised will help us continue to provide this help. Helping those less fortunate than ourselves is the highest calling we can follow. The Bible tells us, “Let us not grow weary of doing good,” and the efforts of everyone involved in Kids in a Box shows their willingness to do good and help others. Our gratitude to you all.