Hope Gardens, located in Sylmar is part of Union Rescue Mission. The sprawling grounds home formerly homeless women and children.
Photo: Anne Bierling with Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission and staff members of Hope Gardens after delivering a speech to the newest class of Hope Gardens program graduates.
Photo: Director, Anne Bierling, and son, Grant Bierling, deliver a donation to Hope Gardens with former Program Director, Fonda Whitehead, and former Youth Program Manager, Geoff Millican, on behalf of LCPC Parent Education.
On Oct 2, 2021 LCPC Parent Ed Director Anne Bierling and her team, The Soaring Eagles, went Over the Edge repelling down 24 stories of the Universal Hilton raising $44,426 for Union Rescue Mission (URM) Skid Row and Hope Gardens. In total, the Over the Edge fundraising campaign allowed URM to raise $1,125,000 to support our neighbors devastated by homelessness. Bierling’s team included her two daughters, Jessi and Tasha Bierling, plus her nephew Joshua Lange and several friends: Chris Anklam, Christian Mayer, Dean Eatedali, Dennis Deyoung, and Eric Spoelker. Others repelling to raise funds included URM CEO Andy Bales and actor Joel McHale. Anne Bierling passionately stated: “We are so grateful for the support our team received from the La Canada community. My family has been so deeply touched by the many stories of life transformation that are possible because of Union Rescue Mission/Hope Gardens. If anyone is interested in touring facility to learn more, please contact me @ [email protected]. Together, we can make a difference in our city.” Bierling’s team name, Soaring Eagles, was based on the passage from Isaiah 40: 31: Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They will SOAR on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.
Every year Parent Education hosts a Fundraiser Gala. 10% of all net proceeds is tithed back to a charity/organization that is voted upon by the Board. In 2022, the tithe recipient was Union Rescue Mission. Watch the 2022 Gala here: 2022 Parent Ed Gala
Our donation made us a sponsor at URM’s annual Walk to Fight Homeless at the Rose Bowl in June 2022.
PE staff has previously conducted parenting classes at Elizabeth House and is currently exploring training for the community through Elizabeth House’s new Wellness Center.
During the pandemic shortage, baby formula for the moms was collected from PE participants and donated to those in need.
Parent Ed provided books and devotionals for parents and children in the program and attended their gala in support of their ongoing work of empowering pregnant and parenting women in need to reclaim their lives and build successful family legacies.
February 2020
Jessi Bierling, of James Storehouse, spoke about the foster crisis in LA. Lou Moore, FosterAll Executive Director and Kathy Hernandez, Director of Foster Care Programs (pictured with Parent Ed Director Anne Bierling) were in attendance to share about the mission of FosterAll. The gala raised over $70K for FosterAll.
December 2020
Parent Ed partnered with FosterAll to provide a drive through Christmas for almost 100 foster children. As families drove through the Christmas Wonderland Stations, they received Christmas crafts, homemade cookies to decorate (made by Kathy Kovalcik), Jesus Calling (courtesy of the Cathy & Christopher Erskine Compassion Memorial), toys (thanks to the generous patrons of the Parent Ed Toy Drive that collected $1310 in contributions + 100 in donated toys), a special lunch by Fosterall, and a FREE Christmas Tree (courtesy of Crescenta Canada Family YMCA)!
In Dec 2021 & 2022, PE with LCPC sponsored a Toy Drive and helped with FosterAll’s Christmas luncheon on campus. Christmas gifts were also delivered to group homes the past 3 years.
July 2021
PE and LCPC hosted FosterAll’s “Hillaroo Camp” pairing foster children and rescue dogs on the LCPC campus.
Fall 2021
Parent Ed promoted the “Love has no Limits” campaign to encourage faith communities to be part of the solution by providing the more than 40,000 children in foster care in Southern California a home.
December 2023
Parent Ed hosted a toy drive for FosterAll’s annual Christmas Brunch for foster families. This year we collected 200 gifts and almost $1,500! Then, LCPC’s campus was transformed into a winter wonderland where foster families could enjoy food, fellowship, free family photos, crafts, and Santa’s Toy Shop where kids got to fill their bags with gifts!
Since January 2023, PE has been supporting Oasis of Hollywood with Bibles, devotions, and camp scholarships–as well as providing assistance in their goal of securing a permanent property. Through the Erskine Memorial Fund, we recently donated $1K worth of Bibles and devotionals for the families at Oasis.
Bibles and books were donated for families at Harambee. PE & Harambee are currently envisioning opportunities for partnership in supporting families.
In 2023, the recipient of our 10% tithe is Young Life Capernaum who will receive $9,500.
Helpful Honda of Southern California
In August 2018, Parent Education participated with the Helpful Honda Dealers of Southern California as they gifted a long time participant with a service dog. You can see the commercial, which was filmed at LCPC HERE
40th Anniversary
Parent Education Sunday at LCPC celebrated 40 years of ministry of Parent Ed to the community. We heard from the founders about their goals and visions when creating the Parent Ed program as well as from the current director about how those visions have come to fruition. You can watch the video below.
