Beyond the Gift
Encountering the people who have been transformed through your support.
There are so many stories of hope and healing at the Erie City Mission. It starts with a warm meal, a safe place to sleep, and the Christ-centered care that each one of us needs just to live. With hope restored, many of our guests accept the invitation to enter our new life program or our youth leadership program and experience true life-change.
As we watch these stories unfold, we are compelled to share with you--your support of the Erie City Mission matters, your prayers matter, your time matters, and your donations matter. But, don’t just take our word for it! Let us introduce you to the people that your donations of time, talents, prayers, and funding have served. Let us take you Beyond the Gift where you will encounter the amazing men, women, and youth you have impacted.
Michael, NLP graduate
“I have a heart full of gratitude and a deep sense of appreciation for your generous support of the Erie City Mission’s New Life program that saved my life. Before coming to the New Life
program I was completely lost in my addiction. The Erie City Mission has provided me with tools, resources, and support needed to overcome my addiction and start a path toward a new life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart; your kindness and compassion has truly made a difference.”
Zahraa, four-year Urban University participant
“I was introduced to the Urban University (UU) program when I was in 6th grade at East Middle School. I participated in many courses that encouraged me, and many teens, to believe in ourselves, to recognize and grow in the talents inside each and every one of us, and to be willing to step through doors of opportunity to discover what was on the other side. I have grown in confidence and in my communication with others. I am striving to be a better version of myself. I cannot thank you enough for helping me, and the many youth that are being encouraged to emerge and rise as leaders and change makers through UU.”
A Message from the Chief Executive Officer
I want to take a minute to share the big picture of what your support achieves every day at the Erie City Mission. Since 1911, the Erie City Mission has been a place of hope and life transformation to our neighbors in need. We strive to achieve this goal with what we call the two arms of the Mission.
Our first arm is compassionate care, through which we provide nutritious meals, food through our food pantry, and emergency beds. It is our hope that as we serve those in need with dignity and love they will consider our second arm of service, life transformative programs
Many don’t realize that the Mission has 125 beds serving men and women with programs ranging from temporary shelter and casework, to assessments, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, job training, and even transitional housing. Your faithful support allows the Mission to walk out the Gospel of Jesus with those in tragic situations. It is a joy for my wife and I to see men and women address the challenges in their lives and discover their God given potential. Watching as they reunite with their families, start jobs, and become independent is truly hope personified.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
You will read in this newsletter several stories about men and women who are so thankful for the opportunity you, through the Mission, have given them. I personally invite you to come see the Mission in action. It would be my honor to show you the amazing work happening here. Please contact my office and let’s set up a visit.
Thank you for your partnership,
knockout homelessness
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Bayfront Convention Center
Upcoming Events
September 21, 2024 -- Harvest Celebration Block Party
October 17, 2024 -- Annual Celebration of New Life 2024 - FREE
November 25, 2024 -- Box of Love, Thanksgiving Outreach
November 27, 2024 -- Special Public Thanksgiving Meal with Table Service
November 30 -- Small Business Saturday at ECM Thrift
December 2 -- Koinonia Christmas Party for Residents and Guests
December 23 -- Special Public Christmas Meal with Table Service
February 18, 2024 -- Knockout Homelessness 16, Bayfront Convention Center
Visit www.eriecitymission.org for more information on upcoming events.
Strategic Vision
Over the last several months, the Erie City Mission has been working on a strategic plan that will provide a clear vision for the Mission over the next three to five years.
Recently, our senior staff, representing one of the five stakeholder groups, met to share ideas, work out details, and begin mapping out plans for the future of the Erie City Mission. Program Alumni, Community Partners, Board Members, and Donors will meet in the coming weeks to continue discussion and development of the strategic plan. A formal rollout of the vision will be announced in the Fall. We are excited for where God is leading the Mission!
We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Penn State Behrend for hosting our senior staff meeting in the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for CORE.
Change a Life this Holiday Season
There is no place filled with more hope than the Erie City Mission during the holidays. Thousands of our homeless and hurting neighbors will find their way to the Mission this season, and we will stand ready to greet them with a warm welcome. That warmth comes with more than a hot meal and safe place to sleep. This is a place where hurting hearts can find support and healing. At this special time of year, we invite you to join us in extending the warmth of the holidays to every man, woman, and child that walks through our doors.
Pray Give Serve
Pray for our neighbors that are struggling with hunger, homelessness, and addiction during the holiday season. Pray that God will lead them to our doorstep and they will be introduced to the lifechanging power of Jesus Christ.
Fill one of our food bags for our Box of Love Thanksgiving outreach, or make a monetary gift toward the purchase of the turkeys that will be distributed. Donate hats, gloves, scarves, and coats for our guests in need this winter.
For over 15 years the Erie City Mission has partnered with hundreds of volunteers and community members to distribute more than 1,000 Thanksgiving meals annually during it’s Turkey Bag Distribution. As we prepare for this holiday season, we are excited to announce our revitalized Thanksgiving outreach, Box of Love!
On Monday, November 25 the Erie City Mission will distribute over 1,000 boxes to our neighbors in need. Help us pack love in every box and spread hope through every meal by filling a food bag, volunteering during the outreach, or donating toward the purchase of turkeys. Visit eriecitymission.org or scan the QR code to learn how!
Join our volunteer team and sign up to help during our Box of Love, Thanksgiving outreach. Volunteer to serve our guests during one of our special public holiday meals where we will provide table service.
Celebration of New Life
We invite you to join us on Thursday, October 17, as we gather together to honor the men and women who have graduated from our new life drug and alcohol recovery program, announce this year’s associates of the year, and learn where the Mission is headed in the year to come.
Enjoy an evening of mingling and heavy hors d’oeuvres, as we celebrate together. Our annual celebration is free to attend. Invitation with details will follow soon.
For more information visit our website at eriecitymission.org. or contact Katie Peppers at 814-452-4421 x262 or katie.peppers@eriecitymission.org.
JoAnne, NLP participant
“I just want to say...how grateful I am that you support the Erie City Mission. When I was down and out using drugs, I lost my family, my friends, and most of all, I lost myself. I thought I would never get back to the light because I was in the dark. The Mission brought me hope. They taught me how to live the right way and how to cope with my nasty past. I have learned how to move forward and break free. Thank you very much.”
Your Support Makes What We Share Possible!
Michael, Zahraa, and JoAnne all had the opportunity to share their heartfelt thanks directly with a few Erie City Mission donors, through a handwritten letter. However, a handwritten expression of gratitude just wasn’t enough. We invite you to go Beyond the Gift, and watch as each of them have the chance to meet the donor[s] who have significantly impacted their life and made it possible for them to experience restored hope and life transformation.
You can view their stories on our YouTube channel, @eriecitymission, or by visiting our website at www.eriecitymission.org/our-impact/stories.
Did You Know?
An impressive $.79 of every dollar donated to the Erie City Mission is directly restoring hope and transforming lives in Erie.
Beyond the Gift - A Breakdown!
While a life broken by addiction and homelessness isn’t healed in a day, it only takes one meal, one night of shelter, or one loving smile to restore a person’s hope and give them the courage they need to accept the invitation for real-life change. That is why your support during Erie Gives Day 2024 was so critical. Every donation made to the Erie City Mission during Erie Gives goes directly to the men, women, and children we serve.
Your gifts of over $216,000, made on one day, provide thousands of men, women, and children with compassionate care and life transformative programming right here in Erie every day.*
