New Identity Magazine

God in focus. World in scope.

  • About
  • Grow
    • Spotlight: In Perspective
    • Growth & Maturity
    • Foundation
    • Practical Application
    • Jargon
  • Connect
    • Community
    • Discovering God
    • God Talk
    • Life Together
  • Live
    • Give Back
    • People
    • Culture & Creativity
    • Careers & Callings
  • Back Issues
  • Guidelines
    • Writer’s Guidelines
    • House Style Guide
    • Content Submissions Agreement
    • Jargon Substitutions
  • Shop
  • Donate
  • Contact

COMMUNITY’S CHILD

By Cailin Henson Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: molly_darling @ Flickr (CC)

Photo Credit: molly_darling @ Flickr (CC)

“I’m very honored to have been chosen by God to head up a ministry that provides a shelter for homeless women with babies and small children who reside in the South Bay,” said Tara Nierenhausen, Director of Community’s Child, at a recent fundraiser.

Community’s Child, a non-denominational Christian program in Southern California’s South Bay region, is committed to providing homeless women with infants healthy alternatives to abuse, poverty, neglect, addictions, and hopelessness. The program offers homeless women and their infants safe, compassionate, yet structured living environments. At Community’s Child, women acquire the education, skills training, employment opportunities and support services necessary to break the patterns associated with homelessness.

“I was shocked to find out we have 95,000 homeless children in [California], and these statistics are about four years old, so the numbers are actually growing. Nearly half are going hungry. The South Bay is tied with downtown Los Angeles for the highest number of homeless women with infants, so God really put it on my heart to do something in this community to raise up these women and children,” says Nierenhausen.

“[The Lord] gave me a vision three years ago to move forward with a team of other Christian members in the community to build a facility and God knocked it out of the park. And while we were building it, he had us open up what started as a small food pantry in the area where we were taking care of maybe twenty families. But that food pantry and ministry has grown where we have touched almost 5,000 people’s lives for Christ [last] year alone. I just thank Jesus for the privilege of serving Him and doing this.

“One of the major contributors to homelessness for women with children is acts of violence, whether it’s domestic violence, whether it’s rape, verbal abuse, abandonment and it doesn’t always have to be a spouse, a lot of times it’s familial abuse that will cause women to flee with their children. A lot of times they hide and they hide because if you’re found to be homeless in the community, The Department of Social Services will actually come and take your children from you. So you’ve already suffered all this loss and then suffer the loss of their children as well, is sometimes too much for these women to bear.”

“One of the major contributors to homelessness for women with children is acts of violence, whether it’s domestic violence, whether it’s rape, verbal abuse, abandonment and it doesn’t always have to be a spouse, a lot of times it’s familial abuse that will cause women to flee with their children.”

In efforts to ensure a quality continuum of services, Community’s Child works in collaboration with Southern California’s foundations, business, churches, service clubs, legal aid, medical providers, social services, learning institutes, governments and other nonprofits.

“When the women come with their children to live in the house, they’re given a lot,” Nierenhausen explains. “The first thing they’re given is open arms and unconditional love. These women often have a lot of hurts, so we really try to show them the love of Christ. The other things they are provided are food, clothing, complete shelter, help with health care, education and obtaining sustainable employment but also in obtaining a healthy support network. Most of these women to not have healthy families, do not have healthy support networks, so we set up mentoring programs, they go to Bible studies, they go to church, and we have in-services. They have a lot of stuff going on and sometimes [the women] tell me I have the bar a little too high.

“We also do a huge outreach, we have a community pantry and a community closet where we provide diapers, wipes, personal hygiene products, clothing, all kinds of things for families in need. This Thanksgiving we had the privilege of providing 221 families with complete turkey dinners to go home and cook and for those that were homeless we gave gift cards to and this [last] Christmas we [had] the privilege of providing 250 children in the community with a Christmas.”

Nierenhausen adds, “We can’t run without volunteers. We always need volunteers. If you’re ever looking for a place to volunteer, please call us. There isn’t anyone who can’t contribute something.”

Community’s Child is located in Lomita, California. For more information call 310-534-4040 or visit their website at www.communityschild.com

community-pin

Share with friendsShare on facebook
Facebook
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on reddit
Reddit
Share on google
Google
Share on email
Email

Filed Under: Give Back, Live Tagged With: Issue 3

Related Posts

  • DESMOND TUTUDESMOND TUTU
  • BREAKING BREAD AND BREAKING BARRIERS IN SOUTH AFRICABREAKING BREAD AND BREAKING BARRIERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
  • SURFING AND SERVING IN PANAMASURFING AND SERVING IN PANAMA
  • GOSPEL FOR ASIAGOSPEL FOR ASIA
  • GOD VALUES OUR HEALTHGOD VALUES OUR HEALTH
  • DANIEL LIRADANIEL LIRA

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Current Issue

Current Issue

Read Now

No Fields Found.
New Identity | Exploring Faith

newidentitymag

We hope you enjoy the new issue! Check out the lin We hope you enjoy the new issue! Check out the link in our bio! Happy Fall/Winter! 🍁
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
How should we be using our money? - We're looking How should we be using our money? - We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment!
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment!
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on the topic of praying continually and what that can look like in our fast-paced society, please leave us a comment! 😊
We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute We're looking for volunteer writers to contribute to the next issue! If you're interested in writing on this topic, please leave us a comment! ✨
Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio Happy Spring! Enjoy the new issue! #linkinbio
Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on ou Our striving to be like Jesus or do his work on our own is in vain. We can never hope to achieve the same level that Jesus was on while we are still here on Earth. We’re like little kids, struggling just to walk. But that’s why Jesus gave us an example of redeemed followers in the form of the Apostles, who were his close group of students here on Earth. He chose a group of broken, sinful men, and ultimately shaped them into the group responsible for continuing his ministry here on Earth. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Tim VanDeWalker in "Running By Example" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's th "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." –Desmond Tutu
The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not t The Bible tells us to live in the world, but not to become like it. The New Living Translation puts it this way, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Rom. 12:2a). Some have interpreted this as an instruction to reject anything that isn’t explicitly Christian. But I don’t think that’s what this verse is getting at. I think it means much more.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Lindsey Beharry in "Choosing Wisely" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
If you desire to serve, seek to form groups withou If you desire to serve, seek to form groups without age distinction. Maybe you want to form a group in your church. Avoid just inviting members from your age group. Seek out people older and younger than you to invite to meet together. Find that person who sits alone and talk to her or him. Instead of a focus on building groups that have the same characteristics to “relate” with one another, you center your discussion in the work of Christ. He will bring the group together. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Russell Almand in "Community and Age Diversity" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"If we put our faith in temporal things, they will "If we put our faith in temporal things, they will inevitably let us down. They were never meant to be enough for us. Not alone. When Barnum finally does hit bottom, he recognizes that his heart has been led astray, fooled into thinking that fame or fortune could satisfy him."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "The Greatest Showman" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the ex "Porn. We are only now beginning to realize the extent of its effects on the brain, relationships, and society at a time when sexually explicit content is just a click away. Christians have recognized pornography’s negative impact for decades, yet it is still often considered a “male” problem within the Church. This can leave women who struggle with porn addiction feeling isolated and alone. The organization SheRecovery (formerly Dirty Girls Ministries) aims to change that and has become a resource for women with porn addiction. You can read more about their ministry at the link in our bio. ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Lisa Gagnon in "Dirty Girls Ministries" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The presence of my sin reminds me of my great nee "The presence of my sin reminds me of my great need for grace, and good works are the outpouring of a grateful heart; being a good child is not a means of earning the favor of God."⁠
⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Sally Blotzer in "Forgiving Failure" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by "As Christians, we identify ourselves not only by how we handle our daily lives, much like those around us, but also by an added component: our faith. How we pray and worship and spend time with our fellow followers provides additional meaning to our lives."⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Matthew Hamilton in "Does Your Form Determine Your Function?" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
📷: Photo by Lum3n from Pexels⁠
Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others an Often I picture Jesus telling us to love others and not to judge. I forget that when he said, “Come follow me,” he wasn’t just inviting us to a strict set of rules but to a real and exciting life whether you turn out to be a pastor, a doctor, designer or simply “Dad.” Sometimes I forget one of his main messages was that he came to give us a better life than we could ever dream of—life to the fullest. Jesus wasn’t locking us down to a vocation or job title. It’s as if he was saying, “Real, vibrant life is available to you now. Following me, loving me and living like me is your real calling…the rest is just there to aid you in following, loving and living.”⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: Wendy Van Eyck in "Living For A Purpose" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the Like Morpheus, I want to “show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” There is yet another parallel between the Christian story and The Matrix, simultaneously the most foundational and the most captivating. It’s that something which is missing, something which is not quite right with the world. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know that it’s there. At the outset of the first film, Neo is searching for it. Trinity asserts that “it’s the question that drives us.” Morpheus claims that “you can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes.” The question is: What if I’ve only ever scratched the surface of all that life has to offer? What if there is a deeper, truer current of reality, ever-present behind all of my life’s experiences, to which I might awaken at any moment?⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @slimkeman in "Tumbling Down The Rabbit Hole" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because "I’ve always been intrigued by Augustine because we all struggle with temptations to sin. And we all struggle to live in a way that honors God. Like Augustine we all feel the tug of our past sins that say, 'Don’t you want to enjoy us?' And Augustine’s story relates to Galatians 5:16-26 where Paul tells us about how the Christian life is like a walk. In a way, walking is a metaphor for the Christian life." ⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @the_christopherscott in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
"The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like livin "The Holy Spirit empowers us for Christ-like living, and for serving others." Where in your life or in what ways has the Spirit enabled you this week? We'd love to hear, tell us in the comments below!⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
✍🏽: @the_christopherscott  in "In Step With the Spirit" | Continue reading at newidentitymagazine.com⁠ by visiting the link in our bio and tapping on the image.⁠
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Subscribe

More Articles

THE LATEST ISSUE HAS ARRIVED!

  A great new issue is here! It's full of some amazing articles from our uber-talented group of writers! You can read it online, download it to your … [Read More...]

IN PURSUIT OF INTIMACY: REST

Back in 2007, during my junior year of college, I was a resident assistant in the dorms, and I spent that entire year going to bed at 2:00 am then waking up each … [Read More...]

TURNING YOUR DAILY GRIND INTO A DIVINE ADVENTURE

Almost thirteen years ago, my wife and I took a herd of young adults down to San Diego at Christmas time to the Campus Crusade Winter Conference–or whatever they … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2025 New Identity Magazine. All Rights Reserved · Log in