January 2018 Changing Lives Newsletter

12 6 Y E A R S O F S E R V I C E

DenverRescueMission.org

January 2018

HOPE

AMIDST A CHILLING REALITY I CALL OUT TO THE LORD, AND HE ANSWERS ME FROM HIS HOLY MOUNTAIN. I LIE DOWN AND SLEEP; I WAKE AGAIN, BECAUSE THE LORD SUSTAINS ME. Psalm 3:4-5 (NIV)

277 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE DIED ON DENVER’S STREETS SINCE 2012.*

*http://www.coloradocoalition.org/sites/default/files/2017-01/Homeless%20Death%20Review%202016.pdf

HOPE

AMIDST A CHILLING REALITY

“THE GREATEST DETERRENT TO HOMELESSNESS IS HOPE, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO PROVIDE THIS WINTER.” - Tracy Brooks, DRM Director of Emergency Services

1

Each winter, thousands of people experiencing homelessness fight to maneuver through the elements. In Denver, snow, hail and frigid temperatures can put people without homes at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses such as hypothermia and frostbite. For people who choose to utilize shelters and community centers, such illnesses are less likely to occur. Here are the steps we are taking this winter to bring hope and ensure the health and safety of our homeless friends and neighbors:

We opened the Holly Center—a new emergency shelter that can sleep up to 228 men.

Guests can reserve beds for a week at a time. And they will have access to showers and restrooms.

They can also store their possessions during the day, freeing them up to go to work or doctors appointments without having to carry all their possessions with them on snowy or icy streets.

“The Holly Center is a safe place to store belongings,” says Ryker. “And it takes about 50 pounds off my back during the day that I’d otherwise have to walk with.”

2

As part of our Emergency Services, Lawrence Street Shelter offers a Clinic and Med Beds.

Med Beds are beds for men recovering from medical procedures, an illness or physical ailments such as the effects of hypothermia or frostbite.

Our clinic provides free cold medicine and overthe-counter pain medicine for people in need.

“The clinic has always been here to help me,” says Glen. “When I had surgery I was in a Med Bed for about 3 weeks. It gave me a chance to recover from my surgery.”

3

In 2015, we opened the Lawrence Street Community Center, which offers an outdoor courtyard where many of our homeless friends and neighbors find safety and assistance during the day.

Whenever there’s precipitation or when the temperature falls below 50 degrees, we keep the dining room open all day and encourage guest to come inside, out of the elements.

“The courtyard helps,” says Edward. “It helps block the chilly wind and when the temperature drops low enough we can go inside.”

Look for more encouraging stories, news and updates on our Facebook page: Facebook.com/DenverRescue.

At Denver Rescue Mission, we believe in bringing hope. Please make your donation today and provide a person experiencing homelessness hope for a future.

emergency services

Letter from the CEO

15,269 Turkeys Came to Our Door!

Dear Friends,

We love the opportunity to help people find hope at Denver Rescue Mission. In November, we opened our new men’s shelter, the Holly Center, located in our warehouse at 39th and Holly. This new facility has a capacity of 228 beds for men. We are excited to be able to say these are the first permanent shelter beds for men in our city since 1989 (I know, hard to believe!).

At The Great Thanksgiving Banquet, one of our guests thanked me for Holly Center. He not only thanked me but he also made a point to thank Mayor Hancock who had come to help us serve. He said, “Brad, it is like staying in a hotel!” He was so appreciative of the fact that he had a bed to sleep in, instead of a mat on the floor. He was so happy to be able to take a shower and to use a new bathroom. You could just see the joy and hope in his eyes!

Now, I am going to tell you, the Holly Center is no hotel but to my friend it is a special place, a place where hope begins—a refuge from the street. As it happened, the day that the shelter opened I gave 30 students from one of our local middle schools a tour of the new facility, and I told them, “You never want to stay here, ever.” We talked about how people come to be homeless and about the dangers of alcohol and drug addiction. But most of all, we talked about how Denver Rescue Mission provides hope and dignity to all who come to us for help.

My hope, my prayer, is that these students will never find themselves as guests of the Mission, but instead will be inspired to help us as we bring hope to people experiencing homelessness in Denver.

We are excited to bring people the hope of Jesus Christ, often one meal or one night of shelter at a time. Thanks for coming alongside us in this great work. You are appreciated! My best to you for a terrific New Year filled with hope!

God Bless,

Brad Meuli President/CEO

Have we ever told you how thankful we are to be a part of the Denver community?

We’re so grateful to be able to do the work we do.

But we couldn’t do it without your support. Thank you for donating more than 15,000 turkeys in November. Some of the festive birds were distributed to more than 100 organizations and churches in Colorado. To every individual, church, organization, and business who donated a turkey, thank you!

“Table for 500, Please.”

Every Thanksgiving, we invite people experiencing homelessness over to Lawrence Street Community Center for dinner. This year, nearly 500 hungry people showed up to enjoy a healthy feast! You and your compassionate gifts helped empower us to provide an extra special menu for our hungry friends and neighbors. Turkey, gravy, stuffing, loaded potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, French bread rolls, pumpkin pie, and cheese cake filled the menu! And special thanks to Ernst & Young for sponsoring this year’s banquet.

A Banquet…In a Box Hundreds of low-income families crowded the parking lot at Mile High Stadium on November 21, as volunteers distributed Thanksgiving food boxes. Families experiencing poverty can’t afford the cost of having an elaborate Thanksgiving celebration.

For most of these families, the holidays can feel like just another day and just another meal. But our Thanksgiving Banquet-ina-Box program gives families the opportunity to experience something special and something greater than just a meal.

Each box was filled with a turkey, cranberry sauce, vegetables, potatoes, yams, stuffing, fruit, a recipe card, and a prayer book.

But more than that, each box provided the families an opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving while enjoying a special feast.

Special thank you to Venture Sports for sponsoring this year’s Thanksgiving Banquet-in-a-Box!

5 Steps to Decluttering Your Soul Humans are designed for a rhythm of work and rest, otherwise our souls become weary and cluttered. But you can live from your heart—with your priorities, relationships and values right where they should be.

Request our new brochure entitled “5 Steps to Decluttering Your Soul” to learn how.

Experience Denver Rescue Mission and volunteer today.

Statistics How You Help

We’d love to meet you and your friends! Come to one of our Denver locations and volunteer. Right now we have opportunities—serving meals, mentoring youth, child care, and teaching classes. Visit DenverRescueMission.org/Volunteer to sign up!

November

Meals provided

61,571

315,903

Nights of shelter provided

32,052

 Check the box on the enclosed reply card to receive your copy.

148,119 Chapel attendance

13,589

3,010

Clothing distributed (lbs.)

Holly Center’s Grand Opening On November 15, Mayor Hancock came over for a visit to celebrate with us the grand opening of Holly Center. Our latest shelter for men features capacity for 228 beds, showers, restrooms, accommodations for storing belongings during the day, and guests can reserve beds for a week at a time. Special thanks to Mayor Hancock for taking time to celebrate with us! And thank you, donors, for making our dream of providing more shelter for the vulnerable a reality.

our Core Strategies emergency services Guests have their immediate needs met, and we build relationships with them.

Once trust is established, our invitation to consider long-term solutions, like the life-changing programs we offer, is more readily accepted.

Rehabilitation Program graduates overcome destructive habits, maintain healthy community, obtain full-time employment, and provide for their own sustainable housing.

Transitional Programs Families and individuals develop and practice important life skills, save money, gain the tools they need to provide for their own housing, and transition into a self-sufficient lifestyle when they graduate.

Community Outreach People at risk of becoming homeless or transitioning out of poverty find assistance with basic needs like food, clothing, furniture, and other household items, while interns and other missions around the world learn how to alleviate poverty through a Christ-centered response.

IS A PROUD MEMBER OF:

YTD (fiscal year)

34,729

132,208 Clinic services provided

394

Locations Lawrence Street Community Center: Meals, restrooms, showers, washing machines and dryers, clean drinking water, and access to Mission staff for encouragement and guidance Lawrence Street Shelter: Overnight shelter for men assigned daily, chapel and health clinic Holly Center: Overnight shelter for men assigned weekly and lockers for storage The Crossing: Transitional program for families and rehabilitation program for men Champa House: Residential facility offering long-term help toward self-sufficiency to single mothers with dependent children Harvest Farm: Rural rehabilitation program near Fort Collins Fort Collins Rescue Mission: Meals, shelter and transitional programs Ministry Outreach Center: Central warehouse facility including food, clothing and furniture distribution Administration & Education: Entry point for Mission transitional programs and home to the Mission’s administrative and development staff

P.O. Box 5164 | Denver, CO 80217 | 303.297.1815

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