Our Story
We're about providing practical, comprehensive solutions.
Everyone is aware of what seems to be the ubiquitous problem of homelessness. Many state and local government agencies are working to solve the problem by proposing broad, long-range, structural programs, like creating high-density, affordable housing developments, and bolstering budgets for existing drug and mental health services. These solutions, while well-intended, often take months or even years to implement due to layers of bureaucratic and regulatory challenges.
Unfortunately, for families and individuals already homeless, and the many others who are in immediate risk of becoming homeless, these large-scale programs do not address their needs. The Red Geranium Project was created to provide relief and aid as soon as possible.
Our sequence of our services is 1) Provide a viable, self-contained place to live; 2) Provide access to additional services and resources; 3) Provide emotional and spiritual support and guidance.
01.
— Our Mission
Our mission is to provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of homeless families and individuals, and to those who may soon become homeless.
02.
— Our Vision
Our vision is for all those we serve to be empowered and provided with direction and opportunities for personal growth, and that they become able to realize their full, God-given potential.
03.
— Our Story
The Red Geranium Project team is comprised of common people who recognize the urgency this issue requires. Our team is guided in action by this verse of holy scripture: "Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said I, Here am I; send me." ~ Isaiah 6:8
How did the Red Geranium Project start and where did the name come from?
The Motivation
The Red Geranium Project began after hearing the phrase, “We must address the problem of homelessness,” usually repeated with no mention of proposed solutions. And when solutions were proposed, like building new apartments or homes, they seemed impractical and remote, involving enormous cost and numerous steps requiring many months or even years before any meaningful impact could be realized. There had to be a better way to help the homeless, quickly.
Birth of an Idea
The founders of the Red Geranium Project had discussed the idea of using RVs as temporary housing for the homeless, and after one founder’s family visit to Santa Monica, California, the practicality of the solution was demonstrated. One afternoon during a drive south to Redondo Beach, he saw dozens of RVs parked along West Jefferson Boulevard, next to the Ballona Wetlands Reserve. By necessity, dozens of homeless people had already found a practical, viable, short-term solution to their homelessness dilemma. While not perfect by any means, living in a self-contained RV was far better than living in a tent, under a freeway overpass, or in a cardboard shelter on the street. It could provide a level of security and comfort, quickly and at a relatively low cost. The Red Geranium Project was born.
Our Name
Our name was inspired by Og Mandino’s bestseller, The Greatest Miracle in The World, a self-help book based on the true experiences of the author. The story begins when Og meets a ragpicker, Simon Potter, whose work is helping “the down and out”—people who have lost hope and belief in themselves. Simon and Og become close friends. Simon owns a vast collection of books and explains to Og that each of them had been written in some form by the hand of God. In another of their encounters, Simon tells Og about a memorandum—The God Memorandum—he once wrote that he felt would inspire people to want to help themselves out of their low self-esteem-related problems. Og and Simon hatch the idea that Og’s next book should include The God Memorandum. Later in the story, on Simon’s seventy-ninth birthday, Og brings him a red, glass geranium, his favorite flower, and they plant it in a window box so Simon will have a geranium that blooms year-round.
The Greatest Miracle in the World is an inspirational story filled with hope and thought-provoking ideas and symbolism—like the Red Geranium. It provides answers as to how one’s condition in life can be changed by embracing the ideas found in The God Memorandum.
We found the Red Geranium to be an ideal symbol for our cause, and recommend The Greatest Miracle in the World to everyone, if only to better understand our mission.