Denver Rescue Mission e-newsletter March 2013

121 Years of Service

DenverRescueMission.org

March 2013

A Season to

Grow ...just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 (ESV)

As we watch our city spring alive after a long winter, we want to celebrate the change and growth we see in people’s lives every day at the Mission.

A Season to For the 20th year in a row, the Mission will work alongside Volunteers of America to serve hundreds of meals to the hungry this Easter. Before enjoying a delicious lunch, the crowd can participate in a chapel service and a time of communion.

Loving staff and volunteers will offer to wash the feet of all the homeless men, women and children who come to us. The act of foot-washing reflects the newness of life that Easter represents, and we are humbled to serve our community in this way. Also, Runners Roost Denver has generously donated new socks and sneakers to outfit all of the freshly washed feet!

Grow Easter events at the Mission are only possible with your support. Help meet the needs of Denver's homeless this year.

Please use the enclosed coupon and mail your donation today!

Towai's Story In January 2011, Towai had been living on the streets of Aurora for almost a year. Each day he woke up with one goal: to find alcohol and get drunk. But one morning, a different thought crossed his mind. “I couldn’t feel my feet,” he says: “I was walking, I was wiggling my toes.

But I couldn’t feel anything.” He took off his shoes and found his toes were frozen and his skin was frostbitten.

education and a job. He hadn’t had a drink in weeks, a new record for him. He heard the other men in the program talk about their faith and found encouragement there. “I realized that this was what I was missing. I had no relationship with God. I entered the program and decided to say, ‘Lord, I’m going to work for you now.

Whatever I do on this earth, I’m doing it because you said that this is the way to be,’” he says.

He went to the hospital with no identification, no insurance and no money. They took care of him and told him how fortunate he was that he came when he did. The nurse couldn’t release him back onto the snowy streets in his condition, so she sent him to Respite Care at Denver Rescue Mission’s Lawrence Street Shelter. He stayed for a month, nursing his injuries and learning about the Mission.

Now, he is sober, working, paying rent, and seeking God's guidance. “You know that verse in Proverbs? The one about binding His Word around your heart? He is with you when you’re asleep and awake? Well, my past life led me to a life with Him, praying to Him when I wake up and when I go bed,” he says. Towai graduated from the New Life Program in December 2012 and that’s exactly what he has—a new life.

While at the shelter, Towai discovered the New Life Program and realized that he could get an

To post a note of encouragement for Towai on the Mission's Facebook page, visit Facebook.com/DenverRescue.

"Michael (program graduate and Goodwill manager) was someone I looked up to during the program. He treated the New Life Program like it was a real job and taught me to do the same. Because of that, as soon as I graduated, he gave me a job at Goodwill," says Towai.

From the CEO Dear Friends, This month’s Changing Lives newsletter is titled A Season to Grow. I think this aptly describes where we are as a ministry. Just a few short weeks ago we had five properties serving the poor and needy. Today, we own eight properties and are running a ninth. God has been at work positioning Denver Rescue Mission to help more people than ever before. This is a good thing, because we continue to see more folks come to us for help. Just a few nights ago, when the weather was particularly cold, we had a combined total of 464 men sleep at our Lawrence Street Shelter and at the Emergency Shelter we run for the City. Sadly, we were at our maximum capacity and had to turn 29 men away to try and seek another place to stay. (This breaks our heart!)

That same night, we had 80 men and women staying in our recently acquired Fort Collins Rescue Mission, where we have a capacity for 55 people. Truly, we are doing all we can to meet the need for emergency shelter in both of these cities.

In addition to the Emergency Shelter we have been operating at rotating recreation centers in Denver, and the Fort Collins Rescue Mission we acquired after the founding director retired in November, we have purchased two other properties. Our Ministry Outreach Center is going to be lost to eminent domain due to the expansion of I-70, so we began looking for a place, or places, to relocate our administrative offices and warehouse. We were fortunate that the church next to our facility The Crossing became available. We are hopeful that we can soon build administrative offices on this property. We were also able to acquire a warehouse within walking distance of The Crossing, formerly owned by FoodWorks (aka COMPA Food Ministry), after they closed their doors. This new warehouse is almost three times larger than our existing facility. These changes will allow us to create more of a campus-style environment, and we are excited to expand our services to more of Colorado’s needy!

Needless to say, we are only able to experience this season of growth because of God opening the doors, and the continued commitment of our faithful donors.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to reach more people than ever before. We consider it an honor to Change Lives in the Name of Christ.

God Bless,

Brad Meuli, President/CEO

A Fresh Start Denver Rescue Mission is asking local churches, businesses and community members to partner with us in our annual hygiene drive. With your support, Denver Rescue Mission will distribute all collected hygiene products to low-income families in our transitional program and individuals in our emergency shelter in celebration of Easter!

Help the poor and homeless this Easter season by donating any of the hygiene items listed below: • • • • • •

Shampoo & conditioner Wrapped bars of soap Liquid body soap Shaving cream Disposable razors Lotion

• • • • •

Brushes & combs Toothpaste & toothbrushes Feminine hygiene products Deodorant Diapers & baby powder

*Large and travel-sized items are welcome!

D R O P - O F F I N F O R M AT I O N Denver Rescue Mission Warehouse 5725 E. 39th Ave. Denver, CO 80207 March 22nd & 23rd 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

24th Annual Cherry Hills Community Church Easter Celebration Sunday, March 31st Comfort Dental Amphitheater (Amphitheater doors open at 9 a.m.)

This celebration will feature an Easter message by senior pastor Dr. Jim Dixon; and music by the 250-voice choir, worship band and special musical guests. The service will also be offered via live simulcast to those watching at the Cherry Hills Community Church auditorium. For more information about this drop-off option, please call Lisette at 303.313.2414.

For more information about the Fresh Start hygiene drive or to add yourself or your organization to our flyer distribution list (flyers will include more detailed information about this program), please contact Ann at ASchlesinger@DenRescue.org or visit DenverRescueMission.org/FreshStart2013.

Easter Celebration

Statistics (Fiscal Year)

In partnership with Volunteers of America and Runners Roost Denver (Volunteer needs for this event are currently met.)

Friday, March 29th 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Lawrence Street Shelter 1130 Park Avenue West For more information, please contact Ann at 303.313.2454 or ASchlesinger@DenRescue.org.

How You Help

JANUARY

YTD

Meals served

51,193

51,193

Beds

24,664

24,664

Chapel attendance

7,595

7,595

Food boxes distributed

80

80

Furniture (households)

29

29

Clothing (lbs.)

20,367

20,367

Chiropractic

55

55

Dental

145

145

Medical

809

809

Optical

316

316

Greatest Needs

Champa House: Liquid dishwasher soap, Clorox wipes, laundry detergent, and baby monitors. For more information, please call Amy at 303.294.9961.

Family and Senior Homeless Initiative: Five mentoring teams or congregations in both Denver and Aurora. For more information, please call Andrew at 303.953.3934.

Vehicle Donations: Vehicles, running or not! For more information, please call Debbie at 303.313.2435.

Clinic: Dentists with dental assistants; over-the-counter medications such as Advil, Tylenol and cough drops; volunteer optometrists; eyeglass cases. For more information, please call Melanie at 303.294.0157 x2103.

Client Services: Men’s clothing, men’s underwear, household furniture, twin and/or queen size mattresses, baby wipes, deodorant, and hygiene items. For more information, please call Tanner at 303.313.2437.

Harvest Farm: Work gloves, boots and garden hoses.

For more information, please call Duncan at 970.568.9803.

Lawrence Street Shelter: White flour, oil, breakfast meats, oatmeal, eggs, fresh produce, corn starch, chicken base, and garlic powder. For more information, please email Jeremy at JQuattlebaum@DenRescue.org.

Fort Collins Rescue Mission: Butter, ground beef, salad dressing, serving gloves, Ajax scouring powder, drinks/drink mixes, and mayonnaise. For more information, please email Kelly at KBallantyne@DenRescue.org.

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: Administrative and warehouse facilities; food, clothing and household goods distribution.

Family Services: Mentors for homeless teens in the STAR Transitional Program and mentors for refugees. For more information, please call Tom at 303.953.3939.

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

LifeSkills, Education and Career Center: Inexpensive calculators for GED testing and inexpensive headphones for software tutorials.

For more information, please call Mark at 303.953.3918.

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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