Westminster Rescue Mission - Mission Moments Newsletter - August 2023

MISSION MOMENTS MISSION MOMENTS

CELEBRATING COMMUNITY CELEBRATING COMMUNITY

Dear Friends,

August 17 was National Nonprofit Day, recognizing nonprofit organizations’ ongoing efforts to serve the local community When I’m asked to reflect on the Westminster Rescue Mission’s service to the community, I’m struck by how grateful I am for the community that serves alongside of us The truth is that we cannot and do not do this work alone We have countless partners working together to address hunger and addiction in Carroll County: friends from local churches, government offices, other nonprofit organizations, corporate partners, and individual citizens I love that our community includes businesses like Fuchs North America and leaders like Dan Cooper (profiled on page 2), who value and participate in #CaringForCarrollTogether Their support and yours is integral to our ability to serve our neighbors and do the work that God has placed in our hearts

Thanks to your generosity, we have the opportunity to serve our clients at the Addiction Healing Center, like Joe and Mike, who are among the men whose graduations we ’ ve celebrated this year I hope you’ll enjoy reading excerpts from their testimonies on page 3, testaments to what God can do when we surrender, to their own hard work overcoming relapses, and a reminder of the importance of the long-term residential treatment program we offer We’re looking forward to expanding our reach and serving even more individuals in the community by offering multiple levels of care in the months ahead

This month, we ’ re also celebrating the expansion of the Mission Food Program’s monthly mobile outreach services, with a new free food distribution happening in Hampstead. Please spread the word and help us ensure that the food reaches those in our community who need it most. And speaking of help, if you’d like to lend your physical labor in support of the Mission, we have the perfect community volunteer opportunity: the Baltimore Ravens “CAW to Action” Day of Service on September 18 More details about these upcoming events on page 4

And last (but certainly not least!) I’d like to invite you to our free community festival on Saturday, October 14 During our 2nd annual OcSOBERfest, we’ll be celebrating “Autumn Cheers Without the Beers ” We’re countering the stigma of addiction in our community with good times and a great sense of humor, and we’d love to have you join us!

Yours in service and community, CEO

AND LET US CONSIDER HOW TO PROVOKE ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS, NOT NEGLECTING TO MEET TOGETHER, AS IS THE HABIT OF SOME, BUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER, AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING

HEBREWS 10:24-25 (NRSV)

The Westminster Rescue Mission is a community that provides clinical, physical, and spiritual resources to heal the addicted and feed the hungry We take a holistic approach with Christ as the foundation of our work

OFFICERS | THERESA C. BETHUNE STEWART EIDEL MARK WESTCOTT DAN COOPER STEPHANIE M. HALLEY, CEO MEMBERS | DOT FOX GREGORY C PINKARD MARTHA MEEHAN-COHEN DAVID BENNETT SCOTT SINGLETON RACHEL WAGNER-HUTCHISON GARRETT HOOVER

CaringForCarrollTogether#

Fuchs North America: Embodying the Spirit of #CaringForCarrollTogether

In the heart of the Carroll County community, there shines a beacon of compassion and goodwill known as Fuchs North America. As a proud member of the Westminster Rescue Mission family Fuchs North America and its CEO Dan Cooper are living testaments to the transformative power of service and care For Dan, volunteer service is not just a commitment, but a way of life guided by his Christian values and a deep passion for aiding individuals on their journey to addiction recovery

Dan Cooper's dedication to Westminster Rescue Mission (WRM) stems from his belief in the shared human experience across cultures and backgrounds His favorite quote, a prayer attributed to Mother Teresa, perfectly encapsulates his philosophy: "People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered Forgive them anyway If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish motives Be kind anyway " This ethos resonates deeply within Fuchs North America, a company that values working together to achieve goals, being compassionate and supporting the community, and advancing the wellbeing of employees, customers, and stakeholders.

Fuchs North America is more than just a spice and seasoning company; it's a shining example of a business that thrives when it embraces its role as a caring neighbor With its roots tracing back to the Fuchs Group the company brings 70+ years of innovation and experience to the food manufacturing, foodservice, and retail sectors

The company's core values of collaboration, innovation, compassion, and purpose alignment are not just words on paper – they are principles that drive their day-to-day operations and interactions

As a title sponsor for our first annual OcSOBERfest in 2022 and key supporter of the #CaringForCarrollTogether campaign, Fuchs North America exemplifies the movement's goals: cultivating community goodwill, celebrating acts of service, and breaking stigmas by enveloping everyone with love and support Their partnership with WRM showcases a shared commitment to fostering unity, kindness, and compassion in Carroll County Through Fuchs North America's compassionate actions, Dan Cooper's devotion to volunteer service, and the company's embodiment of #CaringForCarrollTogether, a brighter, more caring community is on the rise, touching lives across Carroll County and beyond

ADDICTION HEALING CENTER

In Their Own Words

EXCERPT FROM JOE’S TESTIMONY

My story at the Mission started in 2016 I worked through 6 months of the program and had to leave due to an emotional outburst taken out on the hallway wall I returned to the Mission again in 2018, only lasting 4 months before a relapse while out on a pass So needless to say, the past few years have been a cycle of prideful decisions, doing what I wanted to do to release my pain By 2021, I was fully lost in alcohol and crack unable to make a good decision to save my life. About a week before I was pulled up by friends, I was revived from an overdose, which at the time I had no feelings to feel any emotion about. But I had two guys that gave me no other option other than to get help

So I arrived at Teen Challenge Baltimore November 16, 2021 My current sobriety date My last sobriety date by God’s Grace Teen Challenge was tough for me All the emotions of regret just came out as anger and frustration And by my 3-month stay, I outstayed any welcome and had to find another place to go My parents were always my fallback, but with God calling them to overseas missions, I felt I had no options

Never wanting to be a burden to other family or friends, I asked the director if I could make one phone call He said, “Yes! But who?” I called Peer Recovery Counselor Mark at the Westminster Rescue Mission, who never even asked how or why I was being released from Teen Challenge My time at the Mission has not been without bumps and bruises Tests of a desire for real change just

I will fall back into old habits if I can’t look for moments every day to help or encourage someone else I will stay selfish if I don’t seek meaningful friendships and accept help when necessary I will stay lonely if I can’t learn to practice all these things to the best of my ability I will not recover, and I will be consumed by my inherent insecurities and fears

If you truly are tired of the back-and-forth struggle when you live in chaos, decide for yourself to do whatever you have to do to learn how to change I know for me, to avoid relapse I have put off my fear, whatever that can be at any moment, and embrace God’s promise to never leave me or forsake me.

What Has Changed...

For me, so many things have changed. The two biggest things are that I don’t want to drink or use drugs anymore. Before I came to the Westminster Rescue Mission, I had been through the same 28-day program three times in less than a year.

I was using recovery as a quick fix for problems my addiction was creating in my life rather than work on myself. I was only sobering up long enough to calm the immediate problems and chaos my life choices were creating for me and the people I love and who love me.

Coming to the Rescue Mission has given me an opportunity to see the value of time and how important using that time to work on me is to rebuilding a life worth living.

EXCERPT FROM MIKE'S TESTIMONY

The Mission Food Program is adding a new location to its monthly mobile food distributions. Partnering with Christiana Home School Academy, the Westminster Rescue Mission will be distributing free food to the community in Hampstead on the fourth Monday of each month.

Our off-campus community outreach distributions are held at the following locations:

1st Wednesday of the month at 3:45PM in Hampstead, Hampstead’s Little Free Pantry at St. John’s United Methodist Church (1205 N. Main Street).

2nd Wednesday of the month at 3:45PM in Taneytown, parking lot behind McDonald's (520 E. Baltimore Street).

3rd Thursday each month at 5:00PM in Finksburg, Sandy Mount United Methodist Church (2101 Old Westminster Pike).

NEW! 4th Monday of the month at 4:00 PM in Hampstead, parking lot across from North Carroll High School (1400 Panther Drive).

4th Wednesday of the month at 3:45PM in Eldersburg, parking lot behind Eldersburg Commons shopping center (6400 Ridge Road, Sykesville).

ALTIMORE

DAY OF SERVICE DAY OF SERVICE

The Baltimore Ravens and United Way of Central Maryland have selected the Westminster Rescue Mission as Carroll County’s community volunteer opportunity for the Ravens “CAW to Action” Day of Service. Join us on Monday, September 18 from 1-4 p.m. to help the Westminster Rescue Mission tackle hunger and addiction in Carroll County!

VOLUNTEERS WILL ASSIST WITH A VARIETY VOLUNTEERS WILL ASSIST WITH A VARIETY OF PROJECTS, INCLUDING: OF PROJECTS, INCLUDING:

Sorting and packing food for the Mission Food Program, a distribution partner of the Maryland Food Bank and the largest redistributor of food in Carroll County.

Painting and landscape projects for the Addiction Healing Center, a CARF-accredited, long-term residential treatment program for men in recovery SPACE IS LIMITED SPACE IS LIMITED

VOLUNTEERS MUST PRE-REGISTER AT VOLUNTEERS MUST PRE-REGISTER AT HTTPS://WWW.VOLUNTEERMD.ORG/ HTTPS://WWW.VOLUNTEERMD.ORG/

Visit any of the following sites and please like, share, re-gram and engage to help us reach more individuals and families with the hope and healing transformation of Christ!

RAVENS BALTIMORE RAVENS “CAW TO ACTION” “CAW TO ACTION”