DUO TURN THOUGHTS INTO ACTION TO HELP THE HOMELESS.

Byline: TRACY ZABORAC Community Columnist

Jerry Roberg and George Oja have long been concerned about people who are homeless, so they turned their concern into help, direction and opportunities for the down-and-out.

The men, who along with Roberg's wife, Carol, helped create the Rescue Mission Alliance in Oxnard, have now started the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission, which celebrated its grand opening Thursday in Van Nuys.

The new mission reaches out to all areas of the Valley, providing food, clothing, professional counseling, job training and follow-up support. The nonprofit, privately funded Christian mission also offers 12-step drug and alcohol recovery programs.

The Rescue Mission Alliance, the original organization, was formed in Oxnard. It was from the alliance in Ventura County that the idea came for a San Fernando Valley outreach program.

``There are approximately 15,000 homeless people in the San Fernando Valley,'' Roberg said. ``As a Christian organization, we have a duty to reach out to these people and give them hope and a chance to get off the street and change their lives.''

The mission operates an S.O.S. Mobile Rescue Mission van, which provides the Valley's homeless with food, clothing and counseling.

``Through our use of S.O.S. Mobile Rescue, homeless people do not need to come to us; we will go to them,'' Oja said. ``Our outreach programs allow us to find people who want to change their lives for the better.''

For information or to donate goods or services, call [phone].

If your child disappeared, would you be able to provide a current photo to help the police find him or her?

It isn't pleasant to think about, but you need to. More than 1 million children are reported missing across the nation each year.

Parents will have an opportunity to obtain free personal safety IDs for their children Friday and Oct. 16 as a part of Project Kid Care, developed by Polaroid Corp. with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The events, hosted by the North San Fernando Valley-Panorama City Rotary Club, will be held from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on both days at Danube Elementary School, 11220 Danube Ave. in Granada Hills. Each parent will get a free, standardized photo and a booklet for making note of vital statistics for each child.

Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there are some events scheduled in the Valley that will give women a chance to learn more about breast health.

The Eisenberg Keefer Breast Center, an Auxiliary of the John Wayne Cancer Institute, will present an Instructions for Breast Self-Exams program at Bloomingdale's stores.

The Bloomingdale's at 14060 Riverside Drive in Sherman Oaks will have mammography technologists and registered nurses providing instruction and answering questions from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 17 and 24 in the cosmetics and fragrances department.

There will also be a Breast Health Awareness Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Kaiser Permanente, 5601 De Soto Ave. in Woodland Hills.

Congratulations go to two Antelope Valley students for their performances on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, the precursor to the big test students take for university admission.

Christina Chacon and Daniel Dominguez of Paraclete High School in Lancaster are finalists in the National Hispanic Recognition Program. The program recognizes outstanding Latino students.

Their names, along with those of several hundred other high-achieving Latinos, will be considered for college and company scholarships.

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PHOTO (Ran in Bulldog Edition only) Stephanie Edwards, spokeswoman for the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission, and Jerry Roberg, executive director of the Rescue Mission Alliance in Oxnard, step aboard an S.O.S. Mobile Rescue Mission van, which provides food, showers, clothing and counseling for the homeless.

John McCoy/Daily News