Play Hold'em Poker Oct. 4 To Help Homess Find Themselves

iHope Holds Gala Poker Tournament

Friday, Oct. 4, 6-10pm at the Via

Pico San Clemente Holiday Inn

We wonder why we see more homeless people everywhere in the country lately since Wall Street machinations caused our national economy to crash.

Or do we REALLY have to wonder why? 

Here's one common cause for homelessness---

Imagine this....you got laid off, you got evicted, you are down to that last $400 in the whole world after paying a mountain of bills associated with your aged mother's recent death and funeral. You have no other family nearby.

And since you could not pay your rent, you got EVICTED...YES, you came home from job hunting and all your goods were out on the street and the sheriff locked you out of your rental unit. Of course you still have the car and that $400 cash.

What can you do? You cannot afford to pay someone to take your few couches and chairs, etc. to storage, nor could you even pay the storage place to store them.

Sadly, you stand and watch men in pickups stop at the curb and furtively take your goods away.

Well, you CAN sell your old car that's almost out of gas, but what do you do when the likely $1,500 that you'd get runs out? You have to eat. Maybe a few days of sleeping under the bushes by the freeway wouldn't be so bad...

Suddenly, it hits you.  YOU!!! YES YOU, are now among the homeless!

What to do? Well, a new organization in San Clemente called iHope helps homeless, itinerant, poor, etc. people get cleaned up, gets them clothes, a little money, teaches them how to apply for a job and much more.

So you go look iHope up in a phonebook and then go to their office at 106 West Canada, San Clemente. You go there and they DO take care of you. They've even arranged a clean place for you to stay. Wow! They've even given you places to go locally to apply for a new job.

Hey, you're no longer homeless?!

How can they do that? Well, they get income from grants and public donations and from their brand new retail store at 542 N. El Camino Real in San Clemente. People donate goods and services there and then the items are resold to customers for profit.

iHope also gets money from periodic events...including the one described below---

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The first-annual iHope Texas Hold’em Poker Tournament and silent auction, takes place Friday, Oct. 4, 6-10PM at the San Clemente Holiday Inn, 35 Via Pico Plaza. (Note, this is NOT the downtown Holiday Inn.)

Admission is $75 for the tournament buy in, and $25 for no-play entry. The few remaining $500 Table Sponsors will receive extensive advertising and two admission tickets. (Hurry, less than 100 seats available).

Included is a DJ and dancing, along with cuisine donated by restaurants including Carbonara’s , Augustino’s, Antoines, Incredible Edibles, Cafe Mimosa and Sonny’s Pizza. Also, Wines from One Hope Winery, selected beers, a 50/50 Raffle and silent auction, and a cigar salon on the patio hosted by San Clemente Wine Co.    

Prizes include, a week in Palm Springs, a weekend in Las Vegas, a three-day, two-night stay at Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort and Casino, with dinner for two at the Prime Rib Room, Four Clubhouse passes at the Del Mar Races and more.

Professional poker tournament management, with ten professional dealers, is provided by Casino Del Sol Entertainment, the number one poker/casino management firm in San Diego since 1977.

Funds raised benefit iHope Orange County, a local interfaith outreach meeting the needs of the homeless, at-risk and working poor. iHope OC provides basic needs, shelter, tools and training to guide them in their return to self-sufficiency . www.ihopeoc.org. 

iHope recently opened its own Gift and Thrift store at 542 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, directly across El Camino Real from the Union Bank. The store phone number is 949-285-7072. Volunteers are welcome. (http://tinyurl.com/m3y8fda)    

The retail store accepts donations and sells the clothing, jewelry, accessories, toys, surfboards, dishes, linens, small appliances and furniture to walk-in customers, according to Sandy Condello, Development Director.

Gift and Thrift store hours are 10-4, Monday through Saturday.

iHope’s administrative and outreach facility is located at 106 West Canada, San Clemente, CA 92672.  Office hours are Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9-4 and 9-2 on Friday. 

Poker tourney tickets can be purchased at the iHOPE Thrift Store, San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, or order by contacting Sandy Condello at 949-279-3975 or Becky Lehman at 949-218-4578. 

News Release prepared by Bill Koelzer, www.Koelzer.com | Bill@Koelzer.com