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ACRescueMission.org
Code Blue: Providing shelter through the storm The Atlantic City Mission is getting ready for winter and we need your help! On Code Blue Nights we open our doors to accommodate homeless men, women and children who find themselves in danger when the winter weather dips low. Here’s how you can help: • Provide items from our Winter Wish List! We need: men’s and women’s gloves, boots, packaged socks, towels, salt for the ice, shovels, meats and proteins, and first-night kits. • Donate a gently used coat! During the Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Coat Drive, November through January, Burlington Coat Factory in E HT, NJ will be collecting gently worn coats for distribution. •G ive funds! We stretch every dollar you give to provide meals, shelter, care and life-transforming programs all winter long. Please send your gift today, using the enclosed response form or online at ACRescueMission.org. Thank you for helping us reach out with compassion to our neighbors in need this winter.
Stay connected.
What’s the matter? Can’t take a yolk? “Let me break three eggs on your head and I’ll give you a dollar,” said a boy to his younger brother. “Okay!” the little one replied. Giggling with anticipation, the older brother cracked the first two eggs, but not the third. Attempting to open his eyes, the younger one said, “Come on, I’m ready.” To which the older brother slyly replied, “Are you kidding? That would cost me a dollar.” What a disappointment! If only the younger brother could have had some sort of guarantee. We can provide a solid guarantee for those we love with an up-to-date Will. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24 that whoever hears His words and does them is like “a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Taking time to be sure your financial house is in order
today can ensure you’ve established a solid foundation for generations to come. A rock-solid Estate Plan: • Ensures the person of your choosing distributes your estate upon death. • Allows you to name guardianship of your children. • Reduces taxes and court costs. • Creates an opportunity to bless a favorite Christian charity like Atlantic City Rescue Mission. Consider today how you can build a solid foundation for their future.
MISSION UPDATE News of hope and healing from Atlantic City Rescue Mission
December 2014
A shelter for body and soul Priscilla had been walking by the Atlantic City Rescue Mission for years, but she never expected that one day she’d find herself coming through the doors in need.
(Illustration adapted from Darren McCormick)
Read the rest of Priscilla’s story on page 2.
For the full version of this article, ask for a FREE copy of “Give Your Family a Rock-Solid Guarantee” by simply contacting our Development team at 609-345-5517, ext. 116 or hollyjennings@ acrescuemission.org—or bless your family today with a God-honoring Will at www.christianwill.org/acrescue
“ T hey really are helping us spiritually and physically. A place where you bring your worries and you find rest.”
By the Numbers—January-December 2014 Your gifts are making a difference to those who are homeless and hurting in our community. Your continued support will help us meet the needs of our struggling neighbors during these difficult winter months. Thank you for caring this Christmas and all year long!
165,000 meals 64,000 nights of shelter 1,650 hours of Christian counseling
—PRISCILLA
182,000 food boxes distributed
Yes, Dan, I want to help! Please use this gift to provide meals and bring the hope of Christmas to hurting neighbors. m $15 m $30 m $50 m $150 m $__________ m I would like to be a Samaritan Club monthly giver. My first gift of $____________ is enclosed. m Please send me a FREE copy of “Give Your Family a Rock-Solid Guarantee”
ATLANTIC CITY RESCUE MISSION 2009 Bacharach Blvd. Atlantic City, NJ 08401
To give a gift by credit card, visit us online at ACRescueMission.org or call 609-345-5517, ext. 116.
inside
NAME
THANK YOU!
ADDRESS APT CITY
STATE ZIP
25367-2 NL1214
Your gift is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We will send a receipt for your records. Please make your check payable to: ATLANTIC CITY RESCUE MISSION
Message from Dan Brown:
Christmas celebration:
Code Blue:
Page 2
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Page 4
A lasting gift
Toys that bring joy!
Providing critical care this winter
2
MISSION UPDATE
Message from our President and CEO
The joy of knowing someone cares Christmastime at Atlantic City Rescue Mission is a festive experience—from the special meals to the gifts for our residents and the enthusiastic help of our volunteers. Thanks to your generosity, our residents and the hungry and homeless neighbors who come to us at Christmas will enjoy the opportunity to experience the joy that comes from knowing someone cares about them. Dan Brown President and CEO
In the middle of all the festivities, the deepest joy comes from seeing lives transformed. Just as the wise men “rejoiced with exceedingly great joy” when they saw the star over Bethlehem, so we rejoice when we witness the spiritual rebirth of the men and women who find new hope through a lifetransforming relationship with Christ.
A lasting gift As you read Priscilla’s story and hear what it’s like to find help when you’ve lost everything, you’ll see that your gifts are providing a lasting gift to those who are hurting. Every day, men and women come through our doors lost in the hopelessness of homelessness or addiction. Your compassion provides hope through the programs and care that people like Priscilla need to get their lives back in order. As you celebrate the upcoming holidays with your family, I hope your joy is deeper, knowing that your generosity is helping bring hope into the lives of our hurting neighbors. God bless you!
Dan Brown, President and CEO
A safe place to grow
(continued from page 1)
Priscilla had a successful life running her own insurance business, but the hard work of success took its toll. Priscilla had a breakdown, and lost her business. She tried to get employment at other agencies, but no one seemed to be hiring. When her income ran out, Priscilla found herself homeless. For years she’d been walking by the Mission, but now Priscilla came in looking for help. “The first day I was scared because I thought I was coming into a shelter,” remembers Priscilla. “But when I came in here the counselors were so friendly.”
Bringing joy with toys! Giving and receiving gifts is such a special part of the Christmas celebration, especially for a child. We’re excited to be partnering once again with our community
A very special Christmas Last year, Priscilla was so thankful to experience the joy and generosity that Christmastime at the Mission brings. “Dinner lasted from noontime until night. There was so much food!” Priscilla remembers. “And the different things they gave us—they just put the gift bags on our beds. So much...was donated around Christmas.” Priscilla is also getting educational help to renew her insurance credentials. She’s hoping to get back into the workforce when she leaves. Although Priscilla wants to give back, she says, “There is no way I could pay back everything. If I wanted to put a price on the shelter, I could not.” For now, Priscilla says a heartfelt thank-you to those who support the Mission. To those who give, she says, “I would bless the person, pray for the person and tell the person that God will bless you because we need all the help we can get!” This holiday season, your generosity is providing the help and hope that people like Priscilla need to get back on their feet. What a beautiful gift to see lives changed because of your gifts! Thank you, and God bless you this Christmastime.
“elves”—families, businesses and organizations—to provide toys for the children in our community who might otherwise go without a gift this Christmas. Thanks to the generosity of the Pops, The Absecon ShopRite Angel Tree, ACPD, Oyster Creek, 101.5 The Bee, and the churches and organizations that have been having toy drives, we’re already organizing toys and getting ready for a special Christmas celebration. For over 20 years, the gifts from our Toy Drive have been bringing smiles to the faces of needy children, those whose parents are in our program and those who come from struggling families in our neighborhood.
At the Mission, Priscilla found help beyond the meals and shelter she had expected. “They really are helping us spiritually and physically,” she says. “This is a very holy place. A place where you bring your worries and you find rest.” Although she grew up in a Christian home, Priscilla met God in a new and personal way at the Mission. And she appreciated being fed spiritually by the preaching and prayer. “I was angry when I came in, because you’re angry when you lose your income,” she says. “I broke down and I was sick and the Mission literally changed my breakdown into a breakthrough.”
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ACRescueMission.org
For over twenty years, the gifts from our Toy Drive have been bringing smiles to the faces of needy children.
This year, we expect to help over 200 children have a special Christmas celebration. Not only
Thank you to the Cygnus Dancers and Mike Longdo, Chef Tre and the Pops for their support of our annual Christmas and celebration.
does each child get a bag of toys, clothes and games, we also organize fun activities, like breakfast with Santa, to help give these children happy memories. If you’d like to participate in our Toy Drive and help bring the joy of a Christmas gift to our neediest neighborhood children, please call Debbi Giacomoni at 609-345-5517. Thank you!
Christmas meals ease more than hunger
A gift to count on
For those who are struggling with homelessness or addiction, Christmas can be a hungry, lonely time. But on December 25 from 1 to 6 p.m., the Atlantic City Rescue Mission is planning to fill 500 plates with roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. It’s a meal designed to fill hungry stomachs with food and despairing hearts with hope—to let those we serve know the community cares about them.
Would you like to make your gift to Atlantic City Rescue Mission a deeper part of your spiritual commitment? Join our Samaritan Club monthly givers. Your faithful monthly gifts will help provide a predictable income so we can keep our doors open, lights on and meals on the table for those in need. For details on how to join, go to ACRescueMission.org/ samaritanclub
We hope that the guests who come through our doors to find food and fellowship on Christmas day, will decide to take that first step toward lasting change. We pray they’ll open their hearts to receiving the caring support and proven programs that can help them turn their lives around for good. Please help the Atlantic City Rescue Mission bring hope and help this Christmas. Your generosity can make all the difference for those who are hurting. To help provide items on our Winter Wish List, volunteer, or donate funds and change lives, please visit our website at ACRescueMission.org or call 609-345-5517.
4
ACRescueMission.org
Code Blue: Providing shelter through the storm The Atlantic City Mission is getting ready for winter and we need your help! On Code Blue Nights we open our doors to accommodate homeless men, women and children who find themselves in danger when the winter weather dips low. Here’s how you can help: • Provide items from our Winter Wish List! We need: men’s and women’s gloves, boots, packaged socks, towels, salt for the ice, shovels, meats and proteins, and first-night kits. • Donate a gently used coat! During the Warm Coats & Warm Hearts Coat Drive, November through January, Burlington Coat Factory in E HT, NJ will be collecting gently worn coats for distribution. •G ive funds! We stretch every dollar you give to provide meals, shelter, care and life-transforming programs all winter long. Please send your gift today, using the enclosed response form or online at ACRescueMission.org. Thank you for helping us reach out with compassion to our neighbors in need this winter.
Stay connected.
What’s the matter? Can’t take a yolk? “Let me break three eggs on your head and I’ll give you a dollar,” said a boy to his younger brother. “Okay!” the little one replied. Giggling with anticipation, the older brother cracked the first two eggs, but not the third. Attempting to open his eyes, the younger one said, “Come on, I’m ready.” To which the older brother slyly replied, “Are you kidding? That would cost me a dollar.” What a disappointment! If only the younger brother could have had some sort of guarantee. We can provide a solid guarantee for those we love with an up-to-date Will. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24 that whoever hears His words and does them is like “a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Taking time to be sure your financial house is in order
today can ensure you’ve established a solid foundation for generations to come. A rock-solid Estate Plan: • Ensures the person of your choosing distributes your estate upon death. • Allows you to name guardianship of your children. • Reduces taxes and court costs. • Creates an opportunity to bless a favorite Christian charity like Atlantic City Rescue Mission. Consider today how you can build a solid foundation for their future.
MISSION UPDATE News of hope and healing from Atlantic City Rescue Mission
December 2014
A shelter for body and soul Priscilla had been walking by the Atlantic City Rescue Mission for years, but she never expected that one day she’d find herself coming through the doors in need.
(Illustration adapted from Darren McCormick)
Read the rest of Priscilla’s story on page 2.
For the full version of this article, ask for a FREE copy of “Give Your Family a Rock-Solid Guarantee” by simply contacting our Development team at 609-345-5517, ext. 116 or hollyjennings@ acrescuemission.org—or bless your family today with a God-honoring Will at www.christianwill.org/acrescue
“ T hey really are helping us spiritually and physically. A place where you bring your worries and you find rest.”
By the Numbers—January-December 2014 Your gifts are making a difference to those who are homeless and hurting in our community. Your continued support will help us meet the needs of our struggling neighbors during these difficult winter months. Thank you for caring this Christmas and all year long!
165,000 meals 64,000 nights of shelter 1,650 hours of Christian counseling
—PRISCILLA
182,000 food boxes distributed
Yes, Dan, I want to help! Please use this gift to provide meals and bring the hope of Christmas to hurting neighbors. m $15 m $30 m $50 m $150 m $__________ m I would like to be a Samaritan Club monthly giver. My first gift of $____________ is enclosed. m Please send me a FREE copy of “Give Your Family a Rock-Solid Guarantee”
ATLANTIC CITY RESCUE MISSION 2009 Bacharach Blvd. Atlantic City, NJ 08401
To give a gift by credit card, visit us online at ACRescueMission.org or call 609-345-5517, ext. 116.
inside
NAME
THANK YOU!
ADDRESS APT CITY
STATE ZIP
25367-2 NL1214
Your gift is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We will send a receipt for your records. Please make your check payable to: ATLANTIC CITY RESCUE MISSION
Message from Dan Brown:
Christmas celebration:
Code Blue:
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
A lasting gift
Toys that bring joy!
Providing critical care this winter