Unleashed Ministry Highlight

Spotlight: Denver Rescue Mission

It’s early on the first Saturday of the month, and the alarms of Abiding Hope folks are beeping, chiming, and singing. “Get up,” they’re urging. “Men and women are gathering around the Denver Rescue Mission on Lawrence Street downtown, waiting for breakfast.” And so they are, clustering in the darkness, waiting. “Saturday morning,” we mutter? “Why then? Saturday’s a day for sleeping in!” It is, but it’s also the meal service that’s most difficult for the DRM to staff. Serving our sisters and brothers isn’t always convenient for us, but it’s what’s helpful for them that we care about. Twothree hundred breakfasts later, the AH team heads for breakfast themselves and debrief their experience of being Jesus’ heart, hands, and feet at the mission. Compassion, joy, and concern float over their eggs and bacon.

Affirm families will pile into their SUVs the next Saturday and head to another Denver Rescue Mission site, The Crossing in NE Denver. They’ll serve lunch and smiles there. The children, women, and men who live there are either in a rehab program for alcoholics and addicts, or in a program to support poverty level families as they learn skills to help them move to better employment and housing. One hundred or so folks will enjoy the delicious food there, and our team will join them at the end of their service. Being Jesus’ heart, hands, and feet has benefits of love shared, laughs enjoyed together, and appreciation grown for the hard work that The Crossing participants are involved with.

There was a time in my family’s life when we were homeless. My mom and dad had put every penny they had into a small town restaurant. They worked hard from pre-dawn to post-dusk. The venture wasn’t a success. They had $25 left in their pockets after two years, and that wouldn’t last long. We had to divide up to live. My mom, sister, and I went to our grandparents’ summer cottage. My dad stayed with our other grandparents in the city, where he got his old job back and saved money until he was able to rent a duplex for us in a shabby neighborhood. We slowly climbed out of that scary hole. Since that time I’ve believed that, with just a few changes in my life, I might be among those searching tonight for a safe place to sleep.

My experience directs me to places where people experiencing homelessness gather. Do you have some times like I did? Or are you grateful that you’ve never had to go through them? Would you like to help people who have become homeless because of the lack of affordable housing and jobs that provide a living wage, a history of poverty and/or mental illness and addiction? If so, talk with me at church, or send me a text or email, and let me know that you’d like to be part of the Abiding Hope teams that serve at the Denver Rescue Mission. Our brothers and sisters there are lining up for our help.

-Susie Gamelin

Unleashed ministries are those ministries led by members of Abiding Hope Church, both as small groups and individuals, who are leveraging their resources and interests into expanding the reign of Christ. These ministries are encouraged by Abiding Hope but resources are dependent on the call of those unleashed for service.

Hope Rising for India Foundation David Jenks, President cojenks@hotmail.com

The Action Center Karen Carpenter kj_carp@yahoo.com

Denver Rescue Mission Susie Gamelin 509-669-9538 suegamelin@gmail.com Thrivent Action Teams Allyson Holgard allyson1962@hotmail.com

Meals on Wheels Les Peterson dinnyles@gmail.com

Zara Project https://www.thezaraproject.org Kendra Smith Kendra@zaraproject.org