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.

Spaces Open for Volunteering at CRM!

Kim volunteers at CRM.

We have plenty of space (currently) available for our upcoming volunteer orientation on Tuesday, July 2 at noon. Yes, it really is almost July ;) Below are some of the areas where "Rescuers" are most needed:

• Women and Children's Shelter: evening check-in volunteer, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. There is one spot available for each day. This is an opportunity for a woman volunteer.
• Men's Shelter: breakfast server Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is only spot available for each day. This is an opportunity for a man or a couple.
• Thrift Store: most days from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). This is great for groups up to 6! Can be men or women. Bring your teenage children to help ;)

If you are interested in filling any of these positions or learning more about volunteering to help us help others check out the "Get Involved" page of our website (for our volunteer application). This page will also have further descriptions regarding these and other opportunities. To contact our volunteer coordinator, email volunteers@BEaRESCUER.com or call 517.485.0145.

Shelter By the Numbers

It's that time again, or, to be more technical, it's "stats" time again. Math is definitely not my first language, and while the moving "voice" of our guests gives life to the services we provide, I am still somewhat in awe of the sheer amount of those services. With May numbers coming in, we see the trend for an increase in needs, especially for shelter, only continuing.

 

An overview of the past few years reveals that:

• In 2010 (before renovations were completed on our expanded women and children's shelter), we provided 33,375 nights of shelter (20,427 to men, 12,948 to women and children);
• In 2011 (with renovations completed in the Spring), we provided 48,705 nights of shelter (20,958 to men, 27,747 to women and children). That equaled out to an increase of 42 people every night;
• In 2012, increases continued, with shelter surpassing the 50,000 mark at 51,891 nights of shelter. That nightly average was less dramatic but still came to 9 people every night;
• In 2013, if the current trend shown for the first five months of this year continues, we will repeat 2012 with an additional 9 people every night, to bring our nightly total to 151 people and over 55,000 nights of shelter.

 

A lot of numbers and words to mean that in three years (2011-2013) we will have increased capacity to shelter 60 more people every night than we did in 2010. "Increased capacity" is a generous term that includes so much more than finding space in which to put a bed. Each person requiring shelter also requires food, hygiene items, electricity, water, support staff (for intake, kitchens, maintenance, etc.), and more. These increased needs were met without any real change to the overall budget since 2011.

 

In the June 2013 newsletter, we reported that services are "up" while giving is "down." We are so grateful to those "fellow Rescuers" who continue to give faithfully, whether monetarily or from our needs list, even during difficult times. Thank you to volunteers, whose thousands of volunteer hours provide much needed support to staff. And thank you to our prayer warriors, who pray for the Mission, its needs, and our guests. Truly, you are making a difference in Michigan's capital area by helping us help others!

Rapidly Rehousing Homeless Families: New York City—a Case Study

Recently, the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness published a report addressing the "Rapid Rehousing" or "Housing First" programs that have been seen as the key to ending homelessness. This report, which uses New York City's program as a case study, seems to echo many of our own concerns regarding the "Housing First" mindset.

In summary, the difficulties with the "Rapid Rehousing" program uncovered in New York City are

• an "explosion" of homeless rates, as those "doubling up or living in substandard housing" moved into shelters to take advantage of housing assistance available to those who were "verified" homeless (usually proven by a shelter verification of stay);
• an overload on the shelter system as the numbers of homeless underwent the eligibility process to receive housing assistance;
• an increase in "recidivism" (return to homelessness) and its included costs, as many underlying issues of homelessness were not addressed and led to a cycle of homelessness;
• once the "housing first" subsidies were halted, families "caught" in the cycle of homelessness were unable to find housing at all, resulting in an increase in not only the amount of those staying in shelter but also in the amount of time they stayed.

"The lesson to be drawn from all of this should be clear: 'one size fits all' policies for addressing family homelessness do not work. Not all families are equal. Some families successfully transitioned to permanent housing after their shelter stays, but others did not. Many have multiple needs beyond simple housing that should be addressed before their move to independent living. Rapid rehousing was a failed experiment that produced unwanted incentives and unwarranted costs, all of which the city's Department of Homeless Services must now address. In New York City, rapid rehousing became a short-term fix for a long-term problem. Whether or not it is successful in the future in other parts of the country, for now the caution light is on."

Ralph da Costa Nunez, PhD
President and CEO

To read the full report, click here: http://www.icphusa.org/index.asp?page=16&report=107