Hope and Love of Christ in Yonkers

God/Jesus has a vision with Hope and Love church in Yonkers, NY for the Homeless, formerly incarcerated, gang members, immigrants, drug dealers and much more. The vision is to develop safe spaces where people can be directed to receive Jesus in their lives, have a personal relationship with him so that the God given call in their lives can be accomplished. People will be loved and each person will be equipped to serve and God's church will multiply.

Introduction

In 2015 I received a call from God to church plant in the city of Yonkers for the homeless, gang members, Human trafficked, abused, incarcerated and much more. It wasn't until a night in September of 2016, when one of the founders of one of the shelters posted about a need in one of the shelters in Yonkers. I was out that night with our homeless brothers and sisters, covering, listening and praying for the individuals who slept outside, that's when the surrendering to God's call started. 

God in his immense Grace and Mercy deepened my understanding that he had equipped me for his call, that he had used excellent Christian organizations and passionate Christian individuals to equip me. 

About Me

Hello my name is Lourdes Delacruz, servant of God/Jesus. I believe God/Jesus prepared me my whole life to become a Church planter (Church starter). To plant his seed, wherever he would call me. From moving to place to place, city to city, country to country growing up, constantly changing my surrounding, the one constant was God in my life. I went up to every altar call, in every Christian church I visited, throughout my life. Then God/Jesus gave me my daughter, which he used as a reminder of Unconditional Love. 

It wasn't until after what happened in September of 2016 that I realized the call of God and started building relationships in the community of Yonkers, with the homeless population, going to the Valhalla, NY mens jail and being wherever God/Jesus directed me to be, introducing people to Jesus through action, prayer, collecting items for their basic needs, connecting people to resources in the community and that is what God used for me to build trust and a relationship with both men and women. 

This calling has definitely poised many challenges but when God calls, we must be strong enough to answer. I have been involved with church planting in Yonkers, NY, full time for exactly a year now and I need your help. The funds that are being asked for will be used to cover the expenses to continue making an impact as a vessel of God/Jesus. The only way to help his calling is to act as his hands and feet on earth...I am reaching out to all of you in hope that we can do this together!

Other Ways to Support

I know and understand that many of you are experiencing your own personal issues, concerns and difficulties. I know that everyone has their own journey and is also trying to pursue goals, but in the light of community, love and deliverance, I just ask that you take time to think about the people you have in your network and how you can possibly assist me in achieving a goal greater than myself and all of us. No amount is too small and all assistance and direction is a blessing.  In the case that you cannot assist financially, please consider other avenues of assistance that may be helpful. 

For those of you who have any access to programs, churches, people who fund local community projects, please consider sharing this fundraiser. Please take 10-20 minutes out of your day and think about who you may have in your circle to help assist, in building a church that accepts all and receives all! 

Also please accompany us in praying for:

For the vessels/ God/Jesus hands and feet that he will use to be a blessing to impact this church and so many in the City of Yonkers and beyond.
For people with a heart of Jesus to serve in the Hope and Love church.
People who play instruments and sing.
A vehicle to transport the items needed for each service and to transport the individuals.
Money to keep church planting/Starting a church, have trips and take the individuals to conferences.
For the individuals who will come and will repent and believe Jesus is their Lord and Savior.

Here are some testimonial of the impact Hope and Love is having in the Yonkers community, in Jesus name:

"The Hope and Love church truly lives up to its name. On a daily basis, Yonkers Public Library welcomes all people into its space, and sadly, many of our community members are without homes and the library is often their only place of peace and acceptance. Our librarians are not trained to provide in-depth social services, so many of their needs go unmet. Our partnership with Hope and Love has provided a much-needed solution. Lourdes comes in twice a week and spends time with people, directing them to different social agencies, job training and so much more -- just extending a little humanity to those most in need. We've already seen results in a short period. A homeless couple would regularly spend all day at the library until being connected with Hope and Love. Lourdes helped them both secure a job and home and now we rarely see them except on weekends. We are so grateful for the work she does in the Yonkers community." 

Shauna Porteus
Community Services Librarian 
Yonkers Public Library 
1 Larkin Center | Yonkers, NY 10701

Lourdes De La Cruz is truly anointed and has clearly been called to be a voice of the homeless and other marginalized people in Yonkers. Lourdes’ ministry has helped several Hope and Love members to establish a relationship with God, become baptized and saved, find employment and housing. If there truly are angels on earth, my sister in Christ, Lourdes is indeed one of those angels

Initially, she was a member of the LYFE Coalition staff focused on ensuring the working poor had access to healthy eating options. Though that work was important, Lourdes had to answer the divine calling of God to launch Hope and Love church. During my tenure as President and CEO of the YMCA of Yonkers I was happy to help Lourdes by enabling her to use the YMCA’s facility for Bible Study and Baptisms. 

Michael T. Holmes
Principal Consultant
INSIGHTS4U Consulting

When God orders something to be done, it is because that will be done.

He, Jesus Christ, in His immense mercy, has looked with eyes of piety at our homeless in Yonkers, NY. The people of this neighborhood in South Yonkers were asleep and God has used one of our neighbors, a simple woman, single mother of strong faith, Lourdes De La Cruz, who has been guided by God, and has equipped her to AWAKEN us. We were blind, and God has used Lourdes and his growing church Hope and Love to make us realize a palpable reality that has been ignored for a long time: The homeless in the streets of Yonkers, NY. I met Lourdes in my parish of St. Peter-St. Dennis when she asked our priest on duty for a moment to encourage the community to get up and help our Yonkers youth, so that they do not end up being like the many homeless people who roam our streets in New York.

That day I wanted to know what was Hope and Love that Lourdes was talking about, I attended their meetings and it seemed so beautiful to me. In those meetings, always having as a center the reading of the Word of God, the Bible, I see how brothers arrive who have no home, people who are immersed in vices, and who simply do not even have a place to spend the freezing temperatures of the weather in New York. It is very motivating to know that God can do so much through one person. With Hope and Love I have seen the joy and the change in people who have left their vices, have found a job, who already have a home to live in or have returned to their families.

However, this church of God is very particular, because contrary to other churches its members can not provide resources to continue with the mission, rather its members need resources that serve as a lever to leave streets and reintegrate into society. And when I say resources, I mean all kinds of resources: economic, where to meet, helping hands (servers), psychologists, organizational, etc. It is for this reason that I continue to pray to our Lord Jesus to continue pouring blessings on Lourdes and The Hope and Love Church. I ask our Father God to continue moving hearts so that in our city we can see all those helpless brothers with eyes of piety.

Through your Church God they find a light that gives them hope, they find the love that God has for them despite their situations and that only through their word and the friendly hands that they can see that light that is the face of Jesus ❤️.

Emilsis Fèliz
Servant of God/Jesus
Yonkers, NY

Any Questions?

Should you have any further questions or inquiries, please reach out to myself directly Lourdes Delacruz, telephone number: [phone redacted] and email: [email redacted]. We thank you so very much and appreciate any and all assistance. We pray that one day we can invite you to a church that focuses on building the community and are welcomed as they are, as God/Jesus is the ultimate life changer so we can be culture changers!