Jennifer O'Neill speaks of support for Set Free Ministries

By CYNTHIA ROBERTSON

Many homeless families, alcoholics or drug addicts never have hopes of getting off the streets, much less have an elegant evening out with well-heeled citizens and former supermodel Jennifer O’Neill.

But people who used to live that life did exactly that. On Saturday, Sept. 8, the Alpine Community Center was transformed into “Treasures: A Gem of an Evening,” the third annual silent auction and dinner, presented by the Women’s Ministry of Set Free Ministries. The fundraiser event featured a talk and book-signing by O’Neill.

Heads turned when the still-beautiful O’Neill walked gracefully into the room, ushered in by Aubrey Schulz, one of the ministry’s newest graduates from the discipleship program.

Pastor John Cabrera welcomed everyone to the fundraiser. He explained that Set Free had been in San Diego County for seven years now, giving people who have hard times a hand up.

“We’re geared to help at-risk people. The cost of the program is free. We shelter, feed, and train them up in discipleship in the one-year program. It’s events like this that help our ministry,” said Cabrera, who himself used to live on the streets.

Mark Larson, radio personality, welcomed O’Neill to the event, calling her a special friend. “This might shock you, but there are Christians in Hollywood,” he joked.

“But let’s first meet a couple of women whose lives have been changed by the outreach of Set Free Ministries,” Larson said, introducing Tyla Wilks.

“When I came to Set Free Ministries, two years ago, it was the first time in my life I was drug free,” said Wilks. “My daughter and I moved into our own apartment last year, and I thank God for Set Free Ministries. I owe everything to them, and I want to give back what I’ve been given.”

Next up was Schulz, who explained that her struggle was not with drugs and alcohol but a deep depression that she felt from the time she was 18 years old because she did not have any direction. She became depressed for eight years; six of those years, she functioned fairly well.

“But then I couldn’t hold it all together. I called out to God. I learned that if you call out to Him, He is there.

“I could go on for hours about how God led me here. I prayed for God to use me. Could he use a wretch like me? He sure can.”

Finally, it was time for Jennifer O’Neill, who has penned a total of six books, including her autobiographical Surviving Myself. She also holds the record for having the longest working contract with Cover Girl, catapulting the makeup company into a national sell-out.

“I feel as though these two women have said it all, and that I really don’t need to say anymore. But since you all had me fly out here, I suppose I had better keep my promise,” she said, and everyone laughed.

O’Neill explained that God had given her a ministry for the last ten years for teens in rough times. Her own life and times with daughter, now 40, and son, 27, have given her much experience and heartaches, as well as the road pointing to the glory of God.

At the time she played the older woman in “Summer of 42,” O’Neill was only 22 years old. “Because of my role in that movie, everybody thinks I must be 95 years old by now, but no, I’ll turn the big 6-0 soon,” she said amid cheers.

O’Neill said that her life changed when she was 38 years old. “That was when I met Christ.

“And it wasn’t until I was 48 years old that I met my current husband, and when I did, I didn’t know whether I was in love or had arthritis, my knees were shaking so badly.”

“But, you see, by the time I walked up the aisle to get married, I’d done it right, I’d stayed pure, and I felt like I was all white inside, too. I want to carry that message across to teens,” said O’Neill, who admitted she had had a God-shaped hole in her heart at the tender age of 9 years.

“I used to feel invisible, partly because my parents were so involved with themselves. That was also when I fell in love with animals because they loved me unconditionally.”

It was that huge love for animals that became O’Neill’s first big stumbling block. When her parents took her dogs to the pound, she attempted suicide. She was 14 years old.

“I didn’t want to die. I just wanted to be heard. More teens die from suicide than anything else. It is their cry for help,” said O’Neill.

Following the crisis with her dogs, O’Neill made it her mission to get herself a horse, but she needed a lot of money. “When I was offered a modeling job at 15 years old, I took it.”

She got her horse, but with the new career, she began to believe that the way to unconditional love was in marriage. “I thought that if a man married me, it would be proof that he adored me. My career was soaring, but inside I was dying. After the “Summer of 42” movie, I was already going through my first divorce,” she said.

When she moved to the East Coast, she fell in love with a powerful attorney and become pregnant. “I was ecstatic, and I was sure he would be. But the look that came over his face I’d never seen before, and he demanded that I get an abortion.”

That was the beginning of a long emotional downhill for O’Neill. “Abortion does awful things to a women’s psyche,” she explained. “And abortion is very connected with sexual abuse.”

When in later years, O’Neill suffered from miscarriages, she was so sure that God was punishing her for past sins. “But we all know God doesn’t do that.”

“I learned fairly quickly that you need to make Jesus Lord of all your life, but it still took ten years after my walk began with Him that I addressed the issue of forgiveness. God knows how costly unforgiveness is,” she said.

“I can’t tell you how profoundly I feel for Set Free Ministries. I know what it’s like to feel all alone and confused. But God never runs out of love. Self-esteem is not what you look like in the mirror or to other people. Wrap your arms around God and His Love,” said O’Neill.

The people at Set Free Ministries invite anyone to stop by at their main office in El Cajon at 1523 E. Main St. For information on O’Neill, go to jenniferoneill.com.