MISSION UPDATE News of hope and healing from Atlantic City Rescue Mission
Homeless can happen to anyone. Hope happens here.
Easter 2016
“Becoming the man
God created me to be!”
B
orn in Atlantic City and raised in Somers Point, Sean faced two physical tragedies at a very young age. Perhaps that’s what drove him to begin smoking marijuana when he was just 9 and using cocaine at 15! Whatever the cause, Sean’s drug use led to a very dark time in his life. Read on to learn how God reached out to save him…
Inside
2 Let your light shine!
Give a little. 2 Help a lot.
spared my arm... 3 “God and my life!”
Message from the Director
Easterat
the Mission
Join us for an East er feast
D Let your light shine! Easter is a special reminder of just how good God is to us. He gave His son to save us from sin. He fills our lives with love, hope and the promise of life everlasting. Through your work and sacrifice, you have made these blessings abundantly available to others here at Atlantic City Rescue Mission! You have brought hope into lives burdened by addictions. You have shown love for those who have been abandoned and abused. Your provision of food and shelter has made new lives possible for men, women and children in need. Thank you for letting your light shine!
o you know an individual or a family who’s having trouble making ends meet? Or are you interested in celebrating Easter by giving back to the community? Everyone is invited to join us Sunday, March 27 for a very special Easter Sunday service and two Easter meals here at the Mission, 2009 Bacharach Blvd., at Noon and 5 p.m. Volunteers are also needed to prepare food, serve, distribute goodie bags and help with cleanup. If you can help, please call Mike at (609) 345-5517, ext. 165, or e-mail MikeD@acrescuemission.org.
Ham Bagged potatoes Canned green beans Dinner rolls Fruit Soft drinks Homemade desserts (cake, brownies, cobbler, cookies) Snacks Bagged chips Cheese and crackers Assorted candy
Easter Shopping List It requires a lot of food to prepare a bountiful Easter feast for hundreds of people. As you’re doing your Easter shopping, please consider buying and donating one or more of the above items to the Mission.
Donations can be dropped off at the Mission, 2009 Bacharach Blvd. For more information, call the ACRM kitchen at (609) 345-5517, ext. 147. Thank you for your generous support of our ministry!
Give a little. Help a lot.
Dan Brown President & CEO
2
Easter Dinner
just $2.72
“God spared my arm... and my life!” Sean’s parents separated when he was just 2 years old. His mom worked two jobs to put food on the table and a roof over her family. Growing up in a
mercy by sparing my arm and my life.”
But other dark times still followed. His drug use continued, and Sean
loving home, Sean discovered sports in
was eventually jailed for robbing a bank.
high school and played both football and
It was while he was serving time that he
baseball.
stopped using drugs. “God used my jail
But then, life went wrong.
sentence to help me get sober,” he says.
“I broke my neck during a
“I was released in 2013 and haven’t
football game and was hospitalized
used drugs at all since then!”
But the tragedy didn’t end there.
upon his release, Sean made his way to
and in a halo for about eight months.” Shortly after he returned home, Sean and his brother were playing with his father’s gun and Sean was accidentally shot.
Unable to find a job or a place to live the Mission. “On the road to a changed life.”
Through programs like Overcomers and HOPE, the Mission helps men
“God showed me mercy.”
The bullet passed through Sean’s left arm. The doctors said it was “a one in a million chance” that it didn’t hit any
like Sean create structure in their lives before moving on to employment and independent living. “I thank God for the Mission and
major muscles. “Chance had nothing to
their generosity and time they invest in
do with the outcome of my accident,”
me,” Sean says, “So that I can become
Sean says today. “I know God showed
the man God has created me to be!”
The backbone of our ministry…
Most people walk into the Mission with just the clothes on their backs. They are hungry. They’re homeless, abandoned by friends and family. They have nowhere else to turn. Our job is to take them into our family and make them feel at home. Feed them. Shelter them. Share the love of Christ. Thanks to a very special group of people who really have faith in our work here in Atlantic City, we have the resources to do just that.
These people are members of our Samaritan Club, and I would like to invite you to join them. To learn more about becoming a member of this extraordinary group, visit our website and click on “Donate/ Samaritan Club.” Or call us at (609) 3455517, ext. 120 or e-mail johndemario@ acrescuemission.org.
3
Thank you for making 2015 a year of
help, hope & healing!
Street Outreach
On a typical day, the Outreach Chaplains head to the Boardwalk and other areas of the city where the homeless gather. The offer is simple: Come to the Mission for meals, medical care, showers and a safe place to sleep. Not everyone responds the first time. In fact, most don’t. A major part of the Outreach Chaplain’s job is maintaining consistency and establishing trust.
These photos are great reminders of the life-saving, lifechanging work you’ve made possible during the past year.
Even with dormitory space for 200 men and 60 women and rooms in our family shelter for 11 mothers with children, we are often filled to capacity! Last year, 80,000 nights of safe shelter were provided for individuals in our programs as well as neighbors who are homeless. The Mission also provided more than 113,229 food baskets for families in need. This service has increased tenfold in the last ten years!
Together with a chaplain or counselor, our guests work to lay out a plan that will lead them out of homelessness. In 2015, more than 265 individuals enrolled in one of the Mission’s programs including Work Readiness, Overcomers or HOPE.
Spiritual Care
We do what we do because that’s what Jesus did, providing practical help as well as spiritual healing through daily Bible study and worship services. You can be a part of this healing time by volunteering with your church group, or by becoming a Mission Prayer Partner.
Life-changing Care The work is tough but we believe every life is a life worth saving. Thankfully with God’s help, it’s always a real possibility.
While meals and shelter meet a homeless person’s immediate needs, the heart of the Mission is providing the help they need to get back on their feet.
Meals & Shelter
The Mission provides meals and shelter as part of our goal to guide people to a productive life through practical programs and eternal life through Jesus Christ. Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, in 2015 our dining hall served more than 145,149 meals.
Yes, I’ll help provide food, shelter and other life-saving care with my Easter gift: ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍
$21.76 to help feed and care for 8 people $51.68 to help feed and care for 19 people $76.16 to help feed and care for 28 people $_______ to help as much as possible
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The Mission is blessed by dedicated groups and individuals, churches, schools, companies and families who donate money, clothing and thousands of hours of their time to help provide these services and make life better for neighbors in need. THANK YOU!
Check enclosed
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Bill my credit card
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CREDIT CARD #
EXP. DATE
❍ CIV/SEC #
PHONE #
Donate online at acrescuemission.org, or call (609) 345-5517, ext. 120. Atlantic City Rescue Mission 2009 Bacharach Blvd. Atlantic City, NJ 08404-5358
CITY / STATE/ ZIP
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EAS16