Time Goes By...

So much has happened since I last entered anything (it's almost shaming if the reason weren't because we were so busy :) The Maplewood Center is fully renovated and almost fully operational. I say almost because we're still in the development stages of our women's Life Transformation Program, which will be similar to our current men's program at Michigan Avenue.

At Michigan Avenue, the kitchen has undergone a complete rebuilding of the floor, a necessary renovation which couldn't wait for (hopefully) the full renovations coming in the next few years. As our meals have increased, the need has outgrown our current kitchen. Also, the need for shelter for men has outgrown our men's dorm. We hope to expand both.

This is only to say that, while much has been accomplished in the past few months, there is so much more coming, so much more that needs to be done, so many more opportunities to reach a hand of rescue to those in need in our community.

But as we remain busy and looking forward to these changes, we also recognize that the foundation for our plans rest firmly in the Lord and in the faithful compassion of our supporters. As we celebrate 100 years of service, we look back with humility and gratitude at the legacy of generosity that has allowed the Mission to grow from a rented portion of a building to a ministry able to provide support and shelter to hundreds of men, women, and children every day. Because of you. Thank you for being a rescuer. Thank you for helping us help others.

So That's What I Smelt...

Dining at the Mission can be an educational experience. Through the years, we've served an astonishing array of interesting dishes, besides the normal "Mission fare." Because at least 90% of what our cooks serve comes from whatever arrives in the form of donations, anyone serving in the Mission kitchen has to learn how to be a little creative with their recipes. It wasn't until I began to work at the Mission, for example, that I learned that such a thing as smelt even existed, let alone that people ate the little things. I've had many culinary firsts here, swordfish, collard greens, asparagus (what can I say, I had a sheltered childhood), and even buffalo (not that I tried that dish. Does anyone remember Elvis from Fenner?).

It is actually pretty amazing when you think that in 2008 alone, we served enough meals to feed a family of four, 3 meals a day, for over 19 years. Much of that food comes from regular families, like the one pictured here! Do those few extra sale items you pick up and donate make a difference? Just ask the hundreds of men, women, and children who will get a hot meal tonight because of your compassion!

The Emptiness of our Hands

Working at the City Rescue Mission is, at one time, both highly rewarding and incredibly humbling. I wish I could find words capable of fully transmitting the feeling of opening a courtesy reply envelope and seeing a check and a note, "I wish I could give more, but I'm currently laid off from my job." Or how many people express a desire to give more or the regret that they can't give at this time.

I have an app on my desktop that allows me to receive internet headlines for the day, and one of those linked to a map showing the economic climate of every state during this "recession." I highlight that word because I noticed something as I scrolled over the fifty states. The earliest any other state began to fall into a recession was listed as October 2007, that I could find. Michigan was listed at April of 2006.

It amazes me, living in Michigan and seeing the state of our economy firsthand, how much our citizens still manage to give, even from limited incomes. D. L. Moody once said that character is what you are in the dark. When things are down. When it doesn't seem to matter any more. When no one is looking.

But we have so many who give, without recognition and in spite of personal sacrifices. So that is our good news for the day. The need is great, but through God's providence, compassion is greater.

Movers for Moms

Two Men and a Truck, in collaboration with Windemere Park Charter Academy, recently helped collect clothing, personal need (hygiene) items, and non-perishable food for City Rescue Mission of Lansing. The items, specifically to help homeless and/or low income mothers, were collected and brought to the Mission, in time for mother's day.

In an article for the Lansing State Journal (written by Kathryn Prater), Wayne Lake, general manager of Lansing's Two Men and a Truck, was quoted as saying, "A lot of these mothers, they probably don't get anything for Mother's Day. They're just barely getting by." He rightly stated that young people, like the students at Windemere Park, are the future.

It is a great blessing to see the management and employees of Two Men and a Truck, as well as parents and teachers, living an example for the students at Windemere Park. The Mission, and the moms who need our services, are very grateful for their compassion.

What do you say?

So, today's blog is more of a question... What do you say to a mother who calls about donating her son's belongings because he has passed away?

We get a lot of unusual and interesting calls at the Mission and donations come in a variety of ways, but there's always that hardship of being grateful for the "benefits" of a tragedy. A husband dies, and his wife requests that donations be sent to the Mission in lieu of flowers. A young man just starting his life is killed in a terrible accident, and his father calls to ask if we'll take the extra food from his son's funeral dinner.

Compassion wrapped in a blanket of pain and loss... And what do you say?

Generosity and Compassion...not superiority

Recently, I heard of an article which ran as an op-ed in the New York Times. The writer of this article (SONJA LYUBOMIRSKY, in the interests of proper source citation) has this to say:

"...Findings like these reveal an all-too-human truth. We care more about social comparison, status and rank than about the absolute value of our bank accounts or reputations.
For example, Andrew Clark, an economist in France, has recently shown that being laid off hurts less if you live in a community with a high unemployment rate. What’s more, if you are unemployed, you will, on average, be happier if your spouse is unemployed, too.
So in a world in which just about all of us have seen our retirement savings and home values plummet, it’s no wonder that we all feel surprisingly O.K."

I.e. The reason we aren't panicking in despair and making a run on our bank isn't because we've decided not to make the mistakes made in the Great Depression, but instead it is because we're okay with being in a recession, as long as everyone else is hurting too...

The reason I am haunted by this article is that I am offended on behalf of every person who comes to the door with a donation. Today, for example, we had several calls from people concerned about the cold weather. They wondered if we had a need of coats for those who come to the shelter; they were going through their closets to get all the extra coats and warm jackets they could find. A man dropped by and left a blanket. He didn't want a receipt; he didn't leave a name. Just a blanket. A woman dropped off 71 hand crocheted neck warmers and made sure to point out some people waiting outside our doors who could use one right away.

This isn't an unusual occurrence. For us it happens every day. So I'm supposed to believe we live in a magic bubble where people are concerned about those who are less fortunate, no matter that they too are in need? Or am I supposed to believe that the woman living on social security who sends us two dollars every month is only doing so out of a sense of superiority?

Yes, I am offended. On behalf of all those who give so generously and with such compassion. The Mission may not have the voice of the New York Times, but we do want our supporters, and the many in this country who give so generously to service agencies like ours, to know that we see your generosity. We understand that our country is great because of that generosity. Thank you on behalf of all whom you help. And God bless you.