OCTOBER 2022
Trust in the Lord
“GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I COMMANDED YOU; AND LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.”
THE GREAT COMMISSION
T HAN K SGIVING FOOD DRIV ET HAN K SGIVING FOOD E We need 1,200 of every item below: •Financial contributions for turkeys •Brown gravy packets •Instant stuffing (6
boxes) •Instant mashed potatoes (prefer
cans) •Green beans (14-16oz. cans) •Kernel corn (14-16
KEITH OVERHOLT, MBA President/CEO
boxes) •Cranberry sauce (14-16
oz.) •Macaroni & cheese (7-14
I truly love this time of year, when the leaves start to change their colors, the nights get cooler and the Downtown Rescue Mission is at its busiest. The Fall Season is the time of year that the Mission is at its peak level of Duringactivity.the next few weeks we will be collecting turkeys for our Annual Turkey Drive. Almost 1,000 of these turkeys will be given out at our annual Thanksgiving Food Box Give-a-Way. These food boxes, which have enough food for a family of five, will be given out to needy families throughout the community just before Thanksgiving. The rest of the turkeys will be used at our Great Thanksgiving Banquet. This year we are planning on serving over 900 Thanksgiving meals to men, women and children who come to the Mission looking for a hot meal. The meals and food boxes that we give away help fill empty stomachs, but at the Mission we are truly hoping to fill their souls with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. Reaching out and sharing Christ’s love with all who we come in contact with is our greatest ambition. Whether it is in our chapel services, through our programs and outreaches, in the cashier line at one of our thrift stores or even through a newsletter article, our goal is to share the gospel to everyone. Every day at the Mission, we are trying to live out the Great Commission described in Matthew 28: 19-20, where Jesus instructed us to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Please consider helping us with this great endeavor by praying, volunteering, donating to one of our stores, or giving a financial gift to the Mission. Thank you for partnering with DRM as we continue to provide hope through Jesus Christ! Because at DRM… Hope Lives Here! oz. 4-8 oz. oz. oz. oz.
MATTHEW 28:19-20
cans) • Yams (14-16
cans) It’s that time again! Downtown Rescue Mission is planning to give away 1,200 Thanksgiving meals to those in need throughout northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. Drop off donations @ the Mission’s entrance 1400 Evangel Drive NW Huntsville, AL 35816 Donations accepted daily between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
–Mr. George Edward Spencer
donate.downtownrescuemission.org
My name is George Spencer, and I am in the fourth step of the life recovery program at the Downtown Rescue Mission. I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, with my mom, dad, and six siblings. My mom and dad worked hard and long hours as business owners, and they provided wonderfully for my five other siblings and me, leaving me a lot of freedom. In high school, I started quickly making friends with the wrong crowd. I idolized gangster movies, violent music, drug dealers with lots of money, and obscene rap music. I started drinking alcohol and hung around people that were doing in selling drugs. In my 20s, I lost two sisters and my dad within six years. And they sent me into a downward spiral of anger and hard drugs. I started to care less and less about my own life while at the same time helping all of the wrong people out who didn’t have my best interest in mind. When I was approximately 25 years old, I married my high school sweetheart in 2003 and had a daughter. I started trying to do better in my own strength, but I kept failing. I continue to do drugs, sell drugs, and run with the wrong crowd. I lost my family and best friends, and my wife filed for divorce in 2007. I was never home and constantly searching for something to make me feel better. I fell into a deep depression, and my anger was out of control. I was lonely, had no friends, and didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. I was in complete and utter darkness. One day I was speaking to my big brothers and sister. I explained how I felt, and they told me about the LIFE recovery program in Huntsville, Alabama, at the Downtown Rescue Mission. I believed in Jesus, but I never had a healthy relationship with Him. After wrestling with what to do for six months, I finally gave in and decided to try it. When I first arrived here, I felt fast relief. I felt that there was finally hope and I felt loved! I learned to rest in the Lord and not take matters into my own hands. In Matthew 16:25, Jesus says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Jesus is the way to everlasting life. He is the life! I have learned to love people and be open about my struggles in my time here. It has been a long road, and I fail constantly, but now I have learned how to fail well, put my trust in the Lord and rest in Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 The Lord blessed me with the opportunity to be on staff as security here. I get the chance to encourage people I get to deal with daily who are facing their battles. This program has brought me into a relationship with Christ, which has saved my life. As the future comes, God calls me to stay on security here at the Downtown Rescue Mission, to continue encouraging and ministering to the men. I often deal with people having the worst day of their life, and I can relate to that. I want to go to school for biblical counseling in the future to be better equipped to handle crises and circumstances as they come through the doors. One thing that I have learned while being here is we are broken people who help broken people. God will make a miracle out of your biggest mess. I am grateful for all the Lord has done in my life, and I look forward to serving Him for the rest of mine.
PROVERBS 3:5-6
“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE STRAIGHT YOUR PATHS.”
Judy and her husband have supported the Downtown Rescue Mission since they moved to Huntsville in 1990, and for the last few years, she’s enjoyed volunteering in DRM’s on-campus Agape Shop.
MISSION IN MY WORDS
“It is refreshing to be just a very small part of the army of volunteers that contribute to the success of the Mission. I assist in organizing free clothing for those in need. It is encouraging to see firsthand the transformed lives of those who are currently in or have graduated from the four-step program.”
“FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED BEFOREHAND, THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.” EPHESIANS 2:10
| October 2022
MY FAITH IS BOLSTERED EACH TIME I VOLUNTEER.
MISSION
Judy with Shaun in Agape Shop
God is in this place! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). My faith is bolstered each time I volunteer. I am privileged to observe faith in action as I work alongside these sweet people… I almost feel unworthy to be able to experience the joy that lives at the Mission. Not only are the residents friendly and welcoming, but also the staff is so kind and appreciative. The love of Christ is apparent. I can always count on leaving with a heart full of joy. Our community is very blessed to have this Christ-centered organization acting as His hands and feet. A verse from our church’s VBS keeps me walking in His ways. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10). MOMENTS
THANK YOU, FOOD BANK!
The Downtown Rescue Mission would not be able to bless the community to the level we do without the help of the Food Bank. The Food Bank of North Alabama “works to end hunger by offering hunger relief programs that immediately feed people in need as well as also addressing hunger’s root causes through local food initiatives that foster entrepreneurship and healthy food access”. Since we do not take any federal or government funding, we depend on food donations to feed on average 275 residents for each meal. The Food Bank has faithfully donated their excess food to the Mission to help feed the homeless and help provide food bags for the community. Recently, the Food Bank chose the Mission to receive a free refrigerator to aid with our organization’s food distributions. We wanted to thank them personally for their partnership with our organization and the community! If you or a loved one needs food, we give out free food bags on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
COSTUMES AND CANDY AND PUMPKINS, OH MY! SHOP YOUR LOCAL DRM THRIFT STORE TODAY
® 82060 is a memberproudof 1400 Evangel Drive | Huntsville, AL 35816 | 256-536-2441 | downtownrescuemission.org LIVES TOUCHEDHAVEYOU AUGUST 2022 9,219 Lodging Provided 32,267 Meals Served 218 Food Boxes October 21, 2022 Old South Clays 27246 Wooly Springs rd. Athens, AL 35613 Sponsorships Available! Contact marsha.seymour@downtownrescuemission.org SHOOT FOR SHELTER www.shootforshelter.org *Morning and Afternoon Shoot Sessions* LAST CHANCE TO SIGN-UP You’re invited!! CTOBER 28 • 5 - 7 PM Candy • Snacks • Games • & More! at Downtown Rescue Mission’s Main Campus 1400 Evangel Drive, Huntsville, AL 35816 Partnering with:
