Changing Lives January 2014

121 Years of Service

DenverRescueMission.org

January 2014

a chilling reality If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

James 2:16

(NIV)

Imagine yourself standing on a street corner in downtown Denver. You look up and see snowflakes begin to fall. As one catches your cheek, reality hits. It's frigid out and you have nowhere to sleep that night.

Where would you go?...

There are more than

a chilling reality

11,000 homeless men, women and children in the Denver area. 25% of those people are newly homeless. 62% of them are families.

1 They all need to eat.

Reality is subjective.

For most of us, it includes a warm bed, three square meals a day, a place to call home, and a community to surround us when things get difficult.

But most doesn’t mean all. Because for more than 11,000 people in our city, reality is living without the guarantee of life’s most basic necessities.

This is a sad truth, but it’s one we can fight together. With your support, we can continue to provide life-saving services and hopeful solutions for Denver’s needy.

1. http://mdhi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2013-Denver-Metro-Point-in-Time.pdf

This is Todd,

enjoying a meal at our Lawrence Street Shelter. The shelter serves up to 800 nutritious meals each day. Our door is open to all who are hungry.

2. http://mdhi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2013-Denver-Metro-Point-in-Time.pdf

According to Denver’s Point-in-time study, on January 28th,

2013,

there were

223 people sleeping in their 2

cars overnight.

More than

140 homeless

people

lost their lives on the streets of Denver in 2012. Though not all causes are known, none of these individuals had 3 a place to stay.

Denver’s average low temperature in January is

16 degrees.

People need more than shelter during the long, cold winter.

They need 4 warm clothing.

The Greers

slept in their car. In fact, they spent seven long nights there.

But now, they live at The Crossing with 80 other families, saving money and transitioning into a self-sufficient life. The Crossing offers our STAR Transitional Program to families and seniors who receive the emotional, financial and educational tools they need to provide for their own housing.

Meet Dusty,

who stays at our Emergency Overflow Shelter along with 149 other men. We open this shelter during the winter months to assure the homeless in our community have a safe place to sleep each night.

Brian and his cousin,Brandon

came to our warehouse at the beginning of the winter with their mothers and received free coats. Denver Rescue Mission distributes your generous clothing donations, relieving families of financial burdens, and keeping people warm.

Please use the enclosed coupon to help feed, shelter and clothe Denver’s homeless this winter!

3. www.coloradocoalition.org/!userfiles/Library/Homeless%20Death%20Review%202012.pdf

4. www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USCO0105

From the CEO Dear Friends, I am always excited when a new year begins, although it means that I will be yet another year older! Do you ever wonder, as I do, how it got to be 2014 this quickly? The time seems to go by soooo fast.

For many of the homeless, New Year’s does not bring the same excitement or hope for new beginnings that many of us feel. It is just another reminder that their plight has not improved. That they may spend some more time in homelessness.

That it is dangerously cold outside.

Who are these people? You can see some of their pictures in the pages of this month’s Changing Lives newsletter.

It’s interesting, but they really look like anyone we might know… regular people, everyday folks. It really is hard to see any difference from that couple next door, someone at church or the sweet little children in our neighborhoods.

My prayer is that you will be able to approach this new year with excitement and hope—the same kind of hope that Denver Rescue Mission is able to provide through the power of Jesus to those who come to us for help. Please remember these faces that we share with you today, and that you are making a difference in their lives.

Thank you for helping to change lives in the name of Christ!

God Bless,

Brad Meuli President/CEO

Thanksgiving at the Mission

November was a busy month at Denver Rescue Mission! From our Annual Turkey Drive to our Great Thanksgiving Banquet to our Thanksgiving Banquet-In-ABox event, there was little time or energy to spare. But it all was more than worth it.

Thanks to your generosity, more than 17,000 turkeys were donated! More than 100 organizations and churches benefitted from this incredible drive.

Because of your donations, we were able to feed hundreds of hungry men, women and children at our Banquet at the Lawrence Street Shelter and many more at The Crossing. A special thank you to Governor John Hickenlooper and Mayor Michael B. Hancock for humbly serving our city’s most vulnerable, and to our sponsors, Sheridan Ross and ADT. On Sunday, November 24th, we distributed Thanksgiving food boxes full of all the holiday fixings! We could not do this without our sponsor, Venture Sports, our incredible volunteers and your financial support.

Thank you for helping us serve the needy this Thanksgiving!

Mission Events

Statistics

Presidents Day Event

Lawrence Street Shelter Thursday, February 13th For more information, contact Alexxa at 303.313.2427.

(Fiscal Year) How You Help

What Will Your Legacy Be? Greg and Vivian Carson know firsthand the fear of joblessness and financial uncertainty. In 1975, Greg lost his job exactly a year after they bought their first home.

During that difficult time they were blessed to experience the faithfulness of God. Their pastor provided a check for their mortgage payment, and their church congregation supplied groceries. This assistance was exactly what they needed to get back on their feet.

Now, they serve others in the same way they were served. They are Denver Rescue Mission Legacy Givers.

“My desire is to see others have hope in all the promises of God, now and in heaven, our future home,” says Vivian.

They were inspired to give to Denver Rescue Mission because of the cross at the Lawrence Street Shelter which lights up with the words, “Jesus Saves.” Their hope is that God’s ministry will carry on beyond their lives.

To learn more about how you can help return the poor and needy to society as productive, self-sufficient community members by including the Mission in your will, please visit: DenverRescueMission.org/waystogive or call Alice Cavanaugh at 303.313.2487.

Nov.

YTD

Meals served

50,878

249,900

Lawrence Street Shelter Beds

7,937

43,997

Emergency Shelter Beds

4,450

7,060

Total Shelter Beds

12,387

51,057

3

69

15,938

87,477

Families in Permanent Housing Clothing (lbs.)

Our Outreaches Lawrence Street Shelter: Emergency care: meals, overnight shelter, free health care, food box and clothing distribution.

Fort Collins Rescue Mission: Emergency care: meals, overnight shelter; and transitional program.

Champa House: Residential facility offering long-term help toward self-sufficiency to single mothers with dependent children.

Harvest Farm: Long-term New Life rehabilitation program, farming and ranching operation, food and clothing distribution, and Fall Festival.

The Crossing: Long-term New Life rehabilitation program, transitional program for New Life graduates and homeless families, temporary housing for interns and visitors.

Ministry Outreach Center: Warehouse facilities; food, clothing and household goods distribution.

Family Services: Transitional program; assistance for permanent housing; mentoring for homeless working families, seniors and refugee families.

Global Ministry Outreach: Consultation, resources and support to city/rescue missions around the world.

Changing Lives is the monthly news publication of Denver Rescue Mission.

Director of Communications: Christine Gallamore Designer: Rachel Vigil Writer: Rachel Greiman P.O. Box 5164 • Denver, CO 80217 • 303.297.1815

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