September Mission Moments

SEPTEMBER 2023 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

KEITH OVERHOLT, MBA President/CEO

Proverbs 3:5-6

Wow!

How quickly time goes by. It’s already September, and we are in the midst of planning for our busiest of seasons. About this time every year, I meet with my staff to plan and schedule all of our community outreaches and festivities for the fall and holiday seasons.

This year the planning is especially important as we have seen a 20% increase in people using our community outreach programs:

• Our free community food box giveaway program numbers are way up, and we estimate giving away over 6,000 food boxes by the end of this year.

• Our nightly bed count and program participation continued to stay high even during, what are usually, our slower summer months, and we are expecting many more men, women and children these next few weeks.

• This year, we are on pace to serve over 375,000 meals, which would be a new record.

In October, we will have a fun community event with our 15th annual Fall Festival and trunk-ortreat. Last year, over 1,200 people attended, and we are expecting more this year.

In November, we will have a Veterans Day celebration to honor our guests who have faithfully served our country in the military. Later that month, we will give away over 900 Thanksgiving food boxes filled with a frozen turkey and enough “fixings” for a family of six or more to have nice Thanksgiving dinner. A few days later, we will serve more than 1,000 meals at our Great Thanksgiving Banquet.

In December, the Christmas spirit shines bright, at DRM, as we celebrate the greatest gift with banquets, events and gift-giving to all of our guests.

With so many events you can see why we start planning so early and with all the extra need. This year, we are depending on your continued support. Without our donors and volunteers, we could not do all that we do for Christ’s kingdom.

Our sole purpose is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who come through our doors and to reach out into the community with that life-saving message. We believe that only through changing a person’s heart can you truly help change their life.

“TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATHS.”

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

A JOURNEY OF FAITH, HEALING, AND REDEMPTION

things you go through (good or bad) can be used to glorify God, I’m keeping my mind on the goodness of God and the blessing He has for me.

Luke 9:23

I was molested at a young age.

My grandmother knew about it, but still there wasn’t any family support. I tried many times to take my life then started using drugs off and on.

For a long time, I didn’t believe there was a God. For me, one thing that sticks out (and always will) is faith without works cannot be called faith. Dead faith is worse than no faith at all! I walked in the wilderness for so long, but I never knew that walk would lead to this season.

Today, I’m learning to build up my faith in Christ. Putting all my trust in God and learning that the

Being at Owen’s House of the Downtown Rescue Mission was the best thing that could have happened to me. I have learned so much about living water that the Bible talks about in John 7:38. If I wanted to follow Christ, I would have to die to self daily (Luke 9:23). That means my old ways are to die, so I can live. So that is what I am learning to do everyday: Die to self. The book of Job illustrates that bad things happen to good people. Job was a man that prayed every day for his kids and all. Even though he lost it all, he never lost faith and didn’t turn on God. In the end he got more than he ever had.

I’m blessed to have a relationship with my Savior. Cassandra, 49

“THEN HE SAID TO THEM ALL: ‘WHOEVER WANTS TO BE MY DISCIPLE MUST DENY THEMSELVES AND TAKE UP THEIR CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW ME.’”

TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH EVENTS

MY ROLE AS AN EVENTS COORDINATOR AT DOWNTOWN RESCUE MISSION

Ihave worked in the event planning industry for over 27 years and have never felt as fulfilled as I do now, working for the Downtown Rescue Mission.

Coming to work everyday, knowing I play a role in changing the lives of men, women and children in our community, is a priceless feeling.

As the Events Coordinator I am blessed with the opportunity to get to know and work alongside others focused on the same goal: to end homelessness, hunger, addiction and abuse within our surrounding communities.

The way I look at “fund”raising is to focus on the “fun” while creating an opportunity for positive impact within the growing community of those in need. I love working with our volunteers and meeting new people at these events.

A volunteer once told me that serving others created a stirring within her heart that led to her to become more involved with her church outreach team.

Working here just feels good, and I am grateful to serve as the Events Coordinator at the Downtown Rescue Mission.

If you would like to Sponsor or Donate to Shoot for Shelter, please contact me, Jenn Maturano at 256-7134343 or Events@downtownrescuemission.org

The mission hosts fundraising events starting in the spring with Glow Run 5K followed by Swing for Shelter (Golf) in the summer and then onto Shoot for Shelter (Sporting Clays) in the Fall as well as other oncampus outreach events throughout the year.

I love being a part of bringing our community together in ways that really make a difference in people’s lives.

I have even been blessed with the opportunity to bring my children to serve as volunteers during Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

Showing my children in real time that even the smallest effort when placed in God’s hands will have the greatest impact, fills this momma’s heart with joy.

“SO THEN, AS WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY, LET US DO GOOD TO EVERYONE, AND ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH.”

Galatians 6:10

Thanks for your continued support as we are in need of some items: CANS OF VEGETABLES, SUGAR, CONDIMENTS, MAYO, MUSTARD, KETCHUP, SALAD DRESSINGS, COFFEE, SPAGHETTI SAUCE, WATER, & POTATOES.

If your church, company, school or organization would like to host a barrel-to-fill Food Drive, contact: Ashleigh Hayes at 256-713-4316 or volunteer@downtownrescuemission.org

To donate or learn more, visit: downtownrescuemission.org

THE GIFT THAT CONTINUES TO GIVE

Downtown Rescue Mission is increasingly grateful for the thoughtful planning of life income gifts, gift annuities and other plans. If you have not yet made a will and would like to explore the benefits of gift planning, please contact our donor engagement officer, Derrick Mitchell at 256-713-4313 or donors@downtownrescuemission.org

Your legacy of generosity will continue to make a difference in the lives of the hurting and needy.

TAX FREE

SMALL ACTS, BIG IMPACT

y gift is so very small, but I believe in what the Mission is doing. My grandson, with the help of his fellow scouts, put up the fence for the dogs for his Eagle Boy Scout project. It was a very good experience for him and all those who helped. A few years ago, I came and worked with one of the residents,

M

LIVES YOU HAVE

is a proud member of

who was on the praise team, to help him with his math in order to get his GED, which he did. It was really a joy. I wanted to volunteer with the GED class, but the time didn’t work out with my schedule. May God bless all of you who do so much for the ones who desperately need your help.

–Cassie