Acrm thanksgiving newsletter final

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MISSION UPDATE Homeless can happen to anyone. Hope happens here.

News of hope and healing from Atlantic City Rescue Mission

Thanksgiving 2016

2009 Bacharach Blvd. | Atlantic City, NJ 08401 | (609) 345-5517 | acrescuemission.org

A lot of people are stuck in a circle and can’t see what’s going on. You have to get outside the circle and look in.

Read Walter’s moving story of transformation…

Tha nk y o of p eop u for sa le lik v e W ing the lives alte r! ~DB


A MESSAGE

FROM DAN

Walter’s amazing transformation… continued

“I thank God for leading me to the Mission.” “The Mission saved my life!” “If it weren’t for the Mission, I’d be dead.”

“This was all orchestrated by the Lord. The Lord is why I’m here now.”

We praise God every day for bringing men and women to our door to begin new lives: Lives free of poverty and abuse. Lives now filled with grace. More often than not, these transformations start with a simple meal, just like the 17,050 being served in the month leading up to Thanksgiving. We also praise God for you. This ministry – the meals, the shelter and the life-saving programs – is only possible with your support. We praise you for fulfilling Christ’s command to feed, shelter and care for brothers and sisters in need. And, we share with you His promise: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.”

Dan Brown President & CEO

T

he oldest of five siblings, Walter quit his job to become the caretaker for his sick and aging parents. With former training in nursing care, he made them comfortable in their own home, which became his home as well. So when they passed away, he was stunned to learn their house had been deeded to another sibling. As he grieved for his parents, he was also forced to deal with the fact that he was homeless. He moved in with his girlfriend, but the arrangement was shaky at best. For the next few years, he bounced between her home and the Mission’s shelter – a circle that was taking him nowhere. So he was grateful when one of our staff suggested an alternative to the way he was living. “The pastor said to me, ‘Why don’t you stay here, get into a program and not go back that way,’” Walter recalls. Through our Work “If I’m having difficulty Readiness and Overcomers where I’m losing touch with programs, Walter is receiving life skills and training that the Lord, I will try to think will help him return to myself outside the circle.” independent living. Most importantly, he rededicated his life to the Lord. “I’d drifted away from God. Now I’m back to what I learned when I was a kid, but it’s more of a choice and I want it.” He hopes to attend a Bible college and help others break free of circles that prevent them from living meaningful and productive lives.


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