Downtown Rescue Mission - January 2018 Newsletter

COLD WEATHER ALERT

THE 3RD ANNUAL CARTS4HEARTS SET FOR DOWNTOWN HUNTSVILLE

Cold weather can be deadly when you’re homeless.

The Mission is gearing up to protect our city’s homeless population from the elements.

C

arts4Hearts, an adventure 5k, dubbed “the fastest parade in Huntsville” is quickly approaching. The morning of February 17th, 2018, Saturday, teams from across the city and surrounding areas will be bringing their carts and costumes downtown in support of Downtown Rescue Mission.

In this adventure 5k, race teams bring themedecorated carts and costumes to run with. Participants spend time leading up to the race choosing a theme and piecing together creatively decorated carts and costumes. There are prizes in multiple categories, including: top fund raiser, top food raiser, team theme, and race placement trophies. Carts4Hearts is absolutely FREE for teams to register. All participants that raise $100 or more will earn an event t-shirt.

JANUARY 2018

The following items are urgently needed: Coats / Hooded Sweatshirts / Flannel Shirts Winter Gloves / Heavy Socks / Scarves Thermal Undergarments / Jeans Individuals can help in multiple ways by raising money to benefit the Mission, or by bringing canned food items to help stock the Mission’s pantry for the upcoming spring/summer season.

“This is a crucial time of year for the Mission as the cool of winter looms over us and leads into a hot spring,” said John Niemeyer, Director of Food Services, at Downtown Rescue Mission. “We will continue to have growing numbers of guests to serve in these months.”

This year the Mission’s goal is 30 teams, $20,000 dollars raised, and 10,000 lbs. of food collected.

Multiple opportunities remain for business and corporate sponsors to lock in their marketing opportunities for the event. Event Information and registration is on the event page on Downtown Rescue Mission’s Facebook page or on iamathlete.com.

WORTH

Donations can be dropped off at our main campus between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Sunday – Saturday 1400 Evangel Drive NW, Huntsville, AL 35816

FOUND IN CHRIST

USE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA FOR GOOD Every time you like a photo of our guests, read a story of hope from those in our program, or give us a re-tweet, you’re spreading the word about what we do here at the Mission. Just by using social media you are HELPING!

facebook.com/drmhuntsville twitter.com/drmhuntsville Instagram.com/drmhuntsville

LIVES YOU HAVE TOUCHED NOVEMBER 2017 Meals Served

24,262

ENJOY EVERYDAY SAVINGS IN 2018 BY SHOPPING AT THE DOWNTOWN RESCUE MISSION THRIFT STORES!

Lodging

7,282 is a proud member of

Food Boxes

458

Spiritual Decisions

1

Into Housing

®

82060

1400 Evangel Drive | Huntsville, AL 35816 | 256-536-2441 | www.downtownrescuemission.org MISSIONMOMENTS | January 2018

7

WORTH FOUND IN CHRIST

WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED!

T

KEITH OVERHOLT, MBA President/CEO

“I AM SO EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS GREAT MINISTRY, AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT MORE GOD HAS IN STORE FOR THE DOWNTOWN RESCUE MISSION.”

he day has finally come! After much prayer and seven years of planning the Downtown Rescue Mission is opening a brand new 30,000 square foot facility for women and children called Owen’s House.

This new building will allow the Mission to almost triple its capacity to help women and women and children who are in need of emergency care and it will more than double our recovery program capacity.

When you’ve had a big project like this with all the planning, fundraising and then completed construction it could feel like that is the end of the story, but it’s not. It is actually the beginning. When Owen’s House’s doors open, the lives of those who enter have an opportunity to make real changes. Women and children who have been bruised and broken by life have a chance to change their life forever. The building is more than just bricks and mortar; it provides a welcoming atmosphere

• Encouragement for the staff who work directly with the homeless guests on a daily basis.

• Wisdom for the case managers to serve those in need effectively.

• Peace for the children who have found themselves living in a shelter with their parent.

MINISTRY

• Perseverance for the Program Residents as they work through each phase of the program.

• Men and women with a heart for the homeless to be led to the Mission as we seek to serve and fill open positions throughout our organization.

• Meaningful and satisfying employment opportunities for program graduates.

MISSIONMOMENTS | January 2018

WORTH FOUND IN CHRIST “OUR SALVATION IS SOMETHING ONLY GOD CAN DO. IT IS HIS POWERFUL, CREATIVE WORK IN US..”

LIFE RECOVERY PROGRAM

• The Lord’s guidance as we develop classes and programs.

people who are real in their faith so when they come in, they have hope because they see the evidence of God’s power to change people’s hearts and minds.

That is, people need to see the light of Christ and obey what the Holy Spirit tells them to do. I told him that I think I could be that person. “So be that!” he said. I started the discipleship recovery program that day. I prayed a prayer of surrender, giving up my ways to learn His ways. Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will

where we can share the life-changing power of Jesus with all who are there.

It is a place where someone can find true HOPE! With the women and children moving into their new building, it allows us to expand our men’s ministry as well. During the first few months of 2018, we will be updating our older facility to expand our men’s ministry outreach. Last year we saw nearly 180 men enter our one-year Bible based program.

With all the new things happening on our campus I would like to invite you to come and take a tour to see all that God is doing at the Mission. I am so excited to be a part of this great ministry, and I can’t wait to see what more God has in store for the Downtown Rescue Mission as we continue to grow and reach out to our community in Jesus name!

PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER GUEST SERVICES

continued from previous page

• Provision to continue to support our growing ministry to those in need.

M

y name is Jerred Nunnelly. I am twenty-six years old and am currently in the Mission’s recovery program. I got here by simply loving the world. My time was occupied by seeking to gratify my own selfish desires. I sought comfort in material things. I became a slave to sin and was living a life of emptiness. In the months leading up to my stay here, there was no joy in my life. Every day was misery. I was homeless, jobless, and most importantly apart from Christ.

After sleeping in my car in the woods a few nights and running out of money, I was ready for change. I did not know how to change but was desperate for it.

My condition then reminds me of 1 timothy 5:5, “She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope

on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day…” God, the Author of my life, made me desperate enough to need Him and then through His grace, provided a way to find Him. I found Him here at the Mission.

The first three weeks here were not fun. I had always lived believing a man’s worth was determined by what he has in the world, whether that be status, possessions, or wealth. I thought these things gave my life meaning and purpose. Now I had none of them and it deeply bothered me. One day after a meeting in the chapel, I sat down with my program director for what was supposed to be a thirty minute assessment.

The first words out of his mouth were, “How are you growing spiritually?” I responded, “I’m not.”

Since I was a child, I have known Jesus Christ is Lord, but my life did not reflect that belief. He told me people in this place need to be real. They need to see continued on next page

MISSIONMOMENTS | January 2018

hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Our salvation is something only God can do. It is His powerful, creative work in us. In the months since that day, I have grown exponentially in the faith.

This is the most peace I have had in my life. 1 John 2:3 says, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” My life testifies this to those who knew me before I came to total faith in Christ. I pray that my story gives at least one person a hope in the sovereignty of God and that God uses it to help lead someone to salvation, which is the greatest gift of all!

Mission IN MY WORDS

A

t Kroger we are dedicated to our purpose to Feed The Human SpiritTM . One way we are doing that is through our Zero Hunger Zero Waste plan.

Through this nation-wide initiative we are committed to ending hunger in our communities and eliminating waste across our company by 2025.

“WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR PARTNERS LIKE THE DOWNTOWN RESCUE MISSION.” More than 40 percent of the food produced in the United States each year goes unconsumed, while one in eight people struggle with hunger. As America’s grocer and one of the largest retailers in the world, we are committed to doing something about it.

We are grateful for partners like the Downtown Rescue Mission who work tirelessly to support those in need in North Alabama. We were glad that we could work together to feed over _____ individuals

a hot meal for Christmas. It is a blessing that our neighbors struggling with homelessness know they can count on the Mission for basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter.

On behalf of our over 1,000 associates in North Alabama, we invite everyone who is passionate about feeding people and protecting the planet to join our mission to end hunger in our communities and eliminate waste. Think about what you can do differently at home, and how you can support great organizations like the Downtown Rescue Mission.

Melissa Eads Corporate Affairs Manager Kroger

MISSIONMOMENTS | January 2018