Don't Forget Those Who Have No "Home for the Holidays."

Recently, we received a call from one of our Fellow Rescuers. Karen had participated with a church drive last year to provide Christmas gifts for the men who stay in our shelter. Although the church had chosen another focus for 2013, Karen still wanted to provide some gifts for those in need. We were excited by her request because the men at the Mission are usually overlooked at Christmas. Although Karen cannot provide gifts for all 70 men who will call the Mission "home" this holiday season, she wondered if others would be willing to join her efforts to make a difference in the lives of those who are truly needy. We hope you will consider helping her help others. While the Mission meets immediate needs for food and shelter, your gift would help remind them of the "hope" we also offer. At Christmas time, we celebrate the greatest gift ever given to mankind, God himself wrapped in a small baby, in a humble stable, in a small town. The men who come to us have learned humility the hard way. Your compassion can provide a bright memory this Christmas.

 

Below is a list of items to place in each Christmas bag. Our goal is to make every bag standard, as these are all items the men can use. Feel free to fill the bags and bring them right to the Mission (607 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing). You can include a Christmas card or note of encouragement, but we ask that you do not include any personal information.

 

If you have questions, feel free to contact Karen directly at karenesweet@aol.com or call the Mission at 517.485.0145. (Click here for pdf flyer.)

Men's Christmas Bag Items:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Soap (in a ziploc bag)
Shampoo
Shaving Cream
Twin Blade Razors
Cough Drops
Kleenex (small packs)
Hand Warmers
Gloves (ski type)
Knit Hat
Warm Scarf (if possible)
Card/Note of Encouragement (no personal information please!)

Junior League Luncheon at the U-Club!

Mark "serves" Board President Bill Rinck and his wife
Sandy at a previous Junior League of Lansing luncheon.

On the 14th of November, Mark Criss, our executive director, will be participating in the Junior League of Lansing’s Lunch with League at the University Club in Lansing.  This is a fundraising event which helps to support volunteer efforts for things such as:
           
• Special Olympics
• Haven House Dinner & Youth Activity Project
• Allen Neighborhood Project
• Ronald McDonald House Dinner
• And much, much more!

 

The Junior League of Lansing provided funds for the classroom kitchen at our women and children's shelter and continue to support the Mission in many other ways.  Please help us support their efforts by letting Mark wait on you!  He’ll refill your drinks and run back and forth for your every need.  Tickets cost $25 and will be for a specific seating time ranging from 11:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. If you are unable to attend, please consider leaving him a generous tip instead…all proceeds will benefit Junior League of Lansing.

To purchase tickets and guarantee a spot in Mark's section, you must go to:  www.LWL2013.eventbrite.com (Click on the number of seats for Mark Criss at 11:45am or 1:00pm seating times).

Encounter with Hope

Intent on reaching my office and the work that awaits me there, I take the stairs two at a time. I'm so focused I barely manage a nod and tight smile for the boy and young woman coming down the stairs in my direction. He, too, is intent and moves purposely toward me, so that before I even realize I've walked straight into...a hug. He beams a smile at me that, if science could manage it, would light our entire building. My glance lifts to his mother, who is also smiling.

 

"He hugs everybody," she tells me.

 

I ask his name, and he tells me his nickname. Work waits while we share a moment's conversation in the stairway, yet even as I talk with him I'm seeing beyond his smiling face and into the bleak future that could lay ahead of him.

 

If my job were in a business or a retail setting, these thoughts would never occur to me. But I work at a homeless shelter. The stigma and obstacles attached to a child in poverty, let alone a homeless child, are very real. As real as the smile on a face that sees nothing but hope. He is not afraid for his future. Like every other child, he dreams of being a firefighter. Or an astronaut. Or a basketball player.

 

They go on their way, this child of hope and the mother who so obviously dotes on him. And in spite of the statistics and the studies, I take a little hope with me too. Because where he may go is not as relevant as where he is. He is safe, and he is here. Praise the Lord, he and his mother have found shelter at the Mission. Where the love and compassion of an entire community come together to provide him with food, shelter, and the hope that is ingrained in his personality.

 

You will probably never meet this little boy, but to those of you who support the Mission through donations, volunteering, and prayer, Thank You. On behalf of this boy and his mother, and the 553 moms and kids we sheltered last year, I want to tell you that you have made a difference. You are making a difference.

 

Thank you for being a Rescuer by helping us help others.

Communication

Any Mission staff person will tell you that it is a blessing to speak with our "Fellow Rescuers" whose gifts, prayers, and volunteer efforts support the ministry of Rescue. However, I can still be surprised by things that are said to me when I represent the Mission at various events.

 

Recently, as I waited by our display at an event, I was approached by an older person who is a member of an organization that has supported the Mission for many years. While I did not recognize this gentleman, I was pleased that he'd stopped by to talk while so many walked on by without a word.

 

He mentioned the organization of which he is a part and made further comments about the Mission, which showed he knew something of our history. I shared with him the number of those we're serving now, 142 every night, and expressed that was a definitely an increase from how many we served even a few years ago.

 

He nodded and said, "Well, I know most of them want to be homeless, but they still need help."

 

I must admit I found myself suddenly speechless, especially as he was standing in front of a display featuring the smiling face of a little girl whose mother brought her to the Mission after escaping a rather tragic, domestic situation. He seemed a sweet man, and I didn't feel it was the time or place to argue with him. Nor was I able, in my semi-shocked state, to come up with words that would educate with kindness.

 

The truth is the man was looking at homelessness and our work among the homeless with a "stereotypical" viewpoint that may have been somewhat accurate seventy or eighty years ago, but not many people "want" to be homeless. The opposite is often true: we have many guests who long to be independent. Who want employment that enables them to support themselves. While they are grateful for the Mission and for those who give, they are willing and wanting to be self reliant.

 

Truthfully, there are those who fit the "stereotypical view." I've met one man (one person in nearly nine years working at the Mission) who enjoyed being homeless and living "in every state in the US." And we help men and women who are homeless due to addictions or other problems. However, there are "homeless," unseen and unknown who are working all throughout this city. People waiting in line at the bus stop. Children going to school. Young people attending college. Just regular people...who are homeless.

 

I am grateful to this gentleman for his support of the Mission and even for speaking with me. His words are a reminder that we still need to communicate what we as an organization do and whom we serve. Just by telling our story and the stories of our guests, we are making a difference. We are transforming a "number" into a person. And a "person's a person," if you will allow me to paraphrase, no matter where they live, a house, an apartment, or a shelter.

 

-post by CRM Communications Manager

 

Get regular "Rescue News" telling the story of the Mission and those we serve by signing up to receive our monthly email (click here) or mailing (click here).

The Cost of Drinking

This article recently ran in the August 15 issue of "Street Smart," the online newsletter of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. Many Missions, like the City Rescue Mission, have some kind of ministry dedicated to meeting the needs of those who are alcoholics and/or addicts. It is no surprise to read of the devastation caused by alcoholism, as in the case of this article, or addiction. We see issues resulting from this lifestyle on an individual basis every day, in the lives of the men and women we serve. However, the cost of drinking is a cost paid by everyone, as described in this article:
 

A CBS News report notes that the health woes related to heavy alcohol use costs the U.S. more than $223 billion a year in health costs. Heavy drinking carries major health risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including increased chances of long-term ailments such as liver disease, heart problems, fertility issues, some cancers, and neurological issues such as stroke or dementia. Shorter term, alcohol poisoning, traffic accidents, falls, violence, and risky sexual behaviors are also associated with large amounts of alcohol consumption. Binge drinking—defined as when men drink more than five drinks and women drink more than four drinks in two hours—is responsible for more than 70 percent of the excessive alcohol costs, a total of $171 billion annually. The report estimated state-by-state economic costs of drinking, including those from binge drinking and underage drinking. The median state cost associated with excessive drinking was $2.9 billion, with about $2 out of every $5 of these costs being paid for by the government. The state that absorbed the least alcohol costs was North Dakota, coming in at $420 million. The most costs were found in California, totaling nearly $32 billion. Researchers broke down the numbers even further and found based on population, the District of Columbia has the highest per-person cost associated with excessive drinking ($1,662 per person) while Iowa had the lowest ($622). Across all states, excessive drinking costs due to productivity losses (such as missed work) ranged from 61 percent in Wyoming to 82 percent in the District of Columbia. The share of costs due to added health care expenses ranged from 8 percent in Texas to 16 percent in Vermont.

To read the original CBS News report, click here.

The City Rescue Mission's Life Transformation Program, for those dealing with addictions, is available at no charge to men and women in need. This is a one-year, in-house, Bible-based addictions program. Visit our website, http://www.bearescuer.com/GetHelpNow.htm, to review the information; then call the Mission at 517.485.0145 if you have further questions.

"The charitable tax deduction works." - John Ashmen

In 1917, Congress created the charitable tax deduction in an effort to provide support to the many non-profits and charitable organizations bearing the burden of "social welfare." The Mission, founded in 1911 and registered as a non-profit in the late 1940s, is one of the qualifying charities that benefits from this provision. With current economic woes still sending shock waves through our economy and recent revelations regarding the Internal Revenue Service, a current congressional committee is toying with the idea of rewriting the tax code by "starting with a clean slate," one that could possibly wipe out the charitable tax deduction.

In a recent response to an op Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, several non-profit association leaders reiterated the importance of independent non-profit organizations for providing much needed services. John Ashman, president of the Association of Gospel Rescue Mission, joined his voice to this group and highlighted very important information about the role of non-profits in America.

Per his words, "For every $1 a donor deducts, $3 are returned to communities in the form of services and support." This means that for every $1 of revenue that the government returns to the tax payer (not a credit but a deduction toward what they "owe"), $3 are used to meet needs within that community. A $10 deduction, for example, is a return investment of $30 to women, children, and men in need.

In contrast to the "clean slate" approach, another recent report, published by USA Today, found that "Americans by more than 2-1 say the best way to make positive changes in society is through volunteer organizations and charities, not by being active in government." (Susan Page, USA TODAY).

To read the whole Wall Street Journal article, click here.

Feeding the Hungry

Food Drive held by First National Bank.

While updating some of our display information regarding hunger in America, I decided to check current stats for the number of those facing "food insecurity." Food insecurity is technically defined by the USDA as "At times during the year, these households were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food. Food-insecure households include those with low food security andvery low food security." The original figure I used in 2009 (based on data that was already a few years old, as the numbers are churned out rather slowly) showed that 36.2 million Americans face that uncertainty. Current numbers (based on data collected in 2011) show that number to be 50.1 million. This 50.1 million includes 8.6 million children, and  845,000 children (1.1 percent of the nation's children) lived in households with very low food security. Very low food security is defined as "In these food-insecure households, normal eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake was reduced at times during the year because they had insufficient money or other resources for food."

 

These numbers are staggering but not surprising when compared to the Mission's own rise in meal production. In 2007, the Mission served about 72,500 meals. Last year, we served over 106,000. It is not always easy to meet this need, but we are blessed by fellow Rescuers whose donations have enabled us to continue increasing meal production. Thank you for all you do to help us feed women, children, and men who are physically and spiritually hungry!

To host a food drive for the City Rescue Mission, email info@BEaRESCUER.com or call 517.485.0145. More information is available on our website: www.BEaRESCUER.com. To give a donation to the Mission, click here to Donate Now!

 

More information on Food Security in the United States from the USDA.