Montana Rescue Mission November 2018 by Billings Gazette

because of

This free MRM publication provided by

Because of You Lives Change Here A Note from our Executive Director Dear Friend,

CONTENTS A note from the Executive Director PAGE 2

Rescue, Recover, Rebuild PAGES 3-4

Client Stories PAGES 5-6

Bargain Center PAGE 7

Project Wish List PAGES 8,10

MT Rescue Mission is a special advertising section of the Billings Gazette. PUBLISHER

Dave Worstell ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Homelessness is just something that happens to other people, in big cities like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Nobody sleeps on the streets in our hometown, certainly nobody who’s lived here all their life. And especially not women and children. How I wish that were true! However, sometimes all it takes is one injury or illness, a divorce, or the loss of a job, to send an individual or even an entire family on a downward spiral to homelessness. Men and women who suffer from addiction or mental illness are especially vulnerable, as are elderly persons without family or sufficient resources to live on. Sadly, some of our homeless population are veterans whose lives were shattered in battle and who came home to a less-than-rousing welcome. Whatever the reason our neighbors in the Billings area become homeless, Montana Rescue Mission is here to help them overcome those circumstances and become independent again. In the first four months of 2018, we sheltered 2,538 different men, women, and children. Altogether, including folks who came in for meals or other help without spending a night, the Mission served 6,066 people. Again, that’s over just four months. Once you grasp the magnitude of the problem, you might think, “What can I do about it? I’m just one person.” Montana Rescue Mission has served our homeless brothers and sisters for 70 years because “just one person” sent a gift. “Just one person” came to help serve meals or lead a Bible study. God has blessed our Mission with a multitude of “just one persons” who keep us growing to meet the changing needs of our community...but we can always use more. That’s

Ryan Brosseau ADVERTISING MANAGER

Arcadea Scott SPECIAL SECTIONS COORDINATOR

Mo Lucas COVER DESIGN

Nadine Bittner

NOVEMBER 2018 ¬ MONTANA RESCUE MISSION

PERRY ROBERTS

Our Mission

To reflect the love of Jesus Christ by providing emergency, temporary, and rehabilitative care for those experiencing hunger and homelessness. where you come in! Please take some time to look over the following pages and get to know Montana Rescue Mission. See how caring friends like you can help suffering people get back on their feet and contributing to our community again. Meet some of the people whose lives have been transformed through the generosity of our donors, volunteers, and staff. Most importantly, find out what you can do to make a difference in the life of “just one person.”

There’s no better time than right now to reach out to someone in need. The holidays are right around the corner, and that can be an especially lonely season for someone who’s lost everything —and often everyone — they held dear. With help from individual friends and from generous partners in our community, it only costs $2.05 to prepare and serve a complete, nutritious, and delicious meal at Montana Rescue Mission. A hot meal at the Mission is very often the first step toward healing for our hurting neighbors. We greet every guest with respect and show them the love of Christ in action. And we let them know that a new life can be theirs for the asking. A couple of pages into this report, you’ll meet Mike and Naomie, two guests who took us up on our offer. Both of them now have direction, plans, and hope for their futures, thanks to caring people like you. Your gift to Montana Rescue Mission today can start a lifetime of stable, self-sufficient tomorrows for a guest in our care. It’s amazing what “just one person” can do. Will you be that one? Thank you and God bless you!

In His Service,

Executive Director

CLIENT STORIES | MIKE

BY THE NUMBERS

‘Everyone who walks through this door will be blessed.’ You make Mike’s story possible. For almost a year, Mike, an Army veteran, had been sleeping in his car. By last January, he says, “It got so cold out there, I didn’t know which way to turn.” Mike was estranged from his family, so that wasn’t an option. By the grace of God, he found his way to Montana Rescue Mission and was finally able to enjoy things that so many of us take for granted: a hot meal, a shower, and a warm bed. With another bitter Billings winter closing in, Mike

remembers how tough those last few months in his car were. “I don’t think I would have made it through the winter,” Mike says bluntly. “I’ve known seven people who chose to stay outside, and they died.” He tells us he would sometimes go into a local hospital to warm up. “Security asked me one night, ‘Are you visiting?’ Right away I said, ‘Yes, I’m visiting somebody up in ICU.’ I didn’t have anywhere to go. I didn’t want to be out in the cold.” As deeply as Mike appreci-

ated having hot meals and a warm place to stay, there was even more at Montana Rescue Mission to be thankful for. As a resident in our New Life program, Mike says, “The Mission gave me confidence. ‘If you want it, Mike, you can go out and get it,’ they told me. The staff helped me so much.” Mike also rediscovered his faith at the Mission. “They have chapel every night before dinner and choosing to go has helped me. This is one of the first places where I was able to sit back and open up the Bible

and just acknowledge God. I was raised Lutheran, and the Mission gave me that knowledge back. I’m a Christian. This is a Christian place, and it’s been wonderful.” Today, Mike is sleeping in his own apartment, with those frigid winter days and nights a distant memory. He knows that without help from caring people in our generous community, his life might look a lot different today. “I’m blessed,” says Mike, “and everybody who walks through this door will be blessed.”

Two out of every three guests leave the shelter with positive, stable housing. 80% of guests have found employment or have been helped in receiving social security disability. This year, five individuals have graduated from the New Life program, a twoyear commitment to resolving the issues that resulted in their homelessness, and found safe and permanent housing and employment. In the past year we provided 26,509 nights of shelter to 2,538 unduplicated men, women, and children. We have provided 83,971 hot meals. Every guest who enters the shelter is provided basic clothing needs including shirts, pants, socks, underwear, coats, hats, and gloves. WE ARE SUPPORTED BY 7,671 INDIVIDUAL DONORS including... 137 Businesses 20 Service Clubs 68 Churches 29 Foundations

MONTANA RESCUE MISSION ¬ NOVEMBER 2018

RESCUE, RECOVER, RESTORE Those three simple words mean a whole lot to our brothers and sisters who have lost everything. From the moment they sit down to a hot meal to the day they graduate from our life changing programs, every service they receive helps them along the path to independence.

Food Services Montana Rescue Mission serves three meals a day, 365 days a year, at our Men’s Shelter. Every hungry person in our community is welcome at our lunch and dinner table, where they’ll always be treated with dignity and respect. Because we receive so much help

from partners in our community, as well as gifts from generous individuals like you, we can prepare and serve a complete, hot meal for just $2.05. We also provide sack lunches to guests who work during meal times and after-school snacks to children who stay with us.

November 2018 ¬ MONTANA RESCUE MISSION

Clothing

Housing

Many guests, when they arrive at the Mission, have little more than the clothes on their back. They receive clean, gently used clothing, absolutely free of charge. Thank you for your donations.

Montana Rescue Mission welcomes our homeless guests to sleep in safety, out of the elements. Our Men’s Shelter has 129 beds, and our Women and Children’s Shelter can accommodate 141 guests. We also have additional cots and mats for overflow guests, which often happens in the bitter winter months. Each of our overnight guests receives clean bedding, towels, toiletries, showers, and laundry service. A non-denominational chapel service is also provided daily for our guests to meet their spiritual needs.

Programs

Guests at the Mission are encouraged to take steps into stable and permanent housing. We offer three levels of support: Rescue is an open door for those who have recognized their need for help. Guests experience the love of Christ with a one to three month length of stay. Recover empowers those open to the things of God, whose personal or unique needs are getting back into employment, acquiring disability assistance, housing, etc. This can be a lengthy process dependent on the individual’s needs and abilities. Restore is primarily for guests who have experienced serious relationship failures, struggled with addictions or mental health issues, or have been incarcerated but have made finding a healthy, Christ-centered lifestyle the most important decision in their life. We ask our guests to make a multi-year commitment toward positive life change.

For Women and Children Women and children experiencing homelessness have a unique set of challenges, especially because they’re so vulnerable. In addition to all of the services and programs offered, guests in our Women and Children’s Shelter are afforded extra security and privacy as they overcome the crises that brought them to us. We partner with Friendship House of Christian Service to ensure that the children have access to preschool and succeed in their studies. At the same time, we offer their mothers support in furthering their own education, improving their skills, and finding rewarding work through adult education classes in conjunction with Friendship House and other community partners.

For Men Montana Rescue Mission is a place of second chances for men with deep-seated issues like addiction and anger. Guests benefit from life skills classes that address basics like grooming, attitude, character development, and money management. Residents in our long-term programs delve deeper into the behaviors that led to their homelessness and develop strategies for productive, self-sufficient living after leaving the Mission.

I support the Montana Rescue Mission Call me to make your move!

Rhonda Grimm

Realtor, GRI, Luxury Homes Specialist, & Relocation Certified

(406)238-7186 • (406)661-7186

rsgrimm@aol.com www.montanamovesu.com

MONTANA RESCUE MISSION ¬ November 2018

CLIENT STORIES | NAOMIE

‘You give hope to the hopeless.’ Pregnant with her second child, Naomie was living in her brother’s home with her five-year-old daughter. “It wasn’t the best environment for her,” she admits, but it was all she had. When her brother was evicted for not paying rent, he went to live with their grandparents...but there was no room for Naomie and her daughter. “My mom lives in Florida and I don’t know where my aunt is,” Naomie says. “I decided it was best to cut off communication with them for a while and get my life together.” Naomie found a home for her growing family at Montana Rescue Mission. Her baby daughter was born. Mom and baby returned to the safe environment of MRM. Naomie began to break the cycle of homelessness for herself and her children. If she hadn’t come to the Mission, Naomie says, she wouldn’t have her daughters with her today. “The Mission opened up doors for me as a single mom,” she says. “They gave me a roof over my head and helped me get a new apartment.” Case managers also helped Naomie secure daycare for her girls. Even more than that, Naomie is thankful that the Mission helped to strengthen

Yes, I want to help Montana Rescue Mission care for our hungry and homeless neighbors this Thanksgiving. Enclosed is my gift of:

Name �� Address �� City________________ State______ Zip �� Email ��

 $20.50 to feed 10 people

Phone number ��

 $41.00 to feed 20 people

*We do not sell, rent, or exchange our mailing list with anyone. Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. We will send you a receipt for your gift.

 $102.50 to feed 50 people  $256.25 to feed 125 people  $512.50 to feed 250 people  $___________ to use where needed most

November 2018 ¬ MONTANA RESCUE MISSION

MONTANA RESCUE MISSION PO Box 3232 Billings, MT 59103-3232 406-259-3800 montanarescuemission.org

her faith, a lasting gift she can pass down to her daughters. “I aspire to be like Jesus,” she says, “to make Him proud, for His glory.” In fact, the seeds of Naomie’s faith were sown right here at Montana Rescue Mission years ago when her grandfather came to us for help! Addicted to alcohol, Naomie’s grandfather came into our chapel, listened to the Gospel message, and was saved that very day. “He put the bottle down and never took another drink,” Naomie tells us. What’s more, he became a minister, working at the Mission and sharing his testimony with our guests. Like her grandfather, Naomie is now “bursting at the seams” to share what she’s learned about the Lord! And as she prepares to celebrate the holidays in a place of her very own, she wants everyone to know how much she appreciates the support people like you provide through Montana Rescue Mission. “You help us out a lot more than you imagine,” Naomie says. “You give hope to the hopeless. Jesus Christ gives that little light in you. Every good thing that you do is a reflection of God that can’t be extinguished.”

Please make checks payable to Montana Rescue Mission. To give online, visit www.montanarescuemission.org.

Credit Card # �� Expiration date _________ Verification code �� Name on Card �� Gift Amount $ �� The card I am using today is: Visa MasterCard Discover American Express

Signature �� Email address �� Phone number ��

for the fo

good work & services provided by the

Montana Mo ont Rescue Mission

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Lutheran Church (LCMC)

SERVICE TIMES

3200 Broadwater Ave. 406.672.0119 Cell

9:00 Adult Sunday School 10:00 Sunday Service 11:00 Fellowship Hour

Everyone Welcome!

Winnett First Baptist Church The Bible as it is, for men as they are.

Find us at: www.facbillings.org Pastor David Iverson Assistant Pastor Joel Odermann 510 Broadway Ave., Winnett, MT

Join us for our Sunday Service at 11:00 a.m.

The St. Pius X community gives thanks for the Montana Rescue Mission. 717 18th St. W. Billings • www.stpiusxblgs.org

Proud to be a community partner with MRM. Together, we are changing our community, one family—one life at a time

We support MRM’s mission to Rescue, Recover & Rebuild. 5554 Grand

401 Custer Avenue Billings, Mt 59101 (406) 259-6026 www.efreebillings.com

Sundays at 9:30 am

A place to live for God, serve one another, and love your neighbors.

www.HopeOnGrand.com

2832 Broadwater Avenue, Billings 406-259-7811 • rmccmontana.org

“Him we preach...and teach...that we may present every man complete in Christ Jesus.” (Col. 1:28)

MONTANA RESCUE MISSION ¬ November 2018

Bargain Center Donating new or gently used goods to our Bargain Center is another way to share your treasure with Montana Rescue Mission. Our store is a social enterprise that supports services at our shelter and allows our guests to gain valuable retail experience. It’s also a wonderful place to find unexpected bargains in clothing, furniture, household goods, books, and more. Because we recently merged our two stores into one, there are plenty of items to choose from. You never know what you’ll find! If you have anything you’d like to donate, we can accept goods Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Be sure to check our website to see if there’s anything specific we need for resale purposes. When you donate, you will receive a receipt which can be used for income tax purposes to the extent allowed by law.

West End Bargain Center 1233 24th Street West 406-652-7340 Store Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Donation Hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

We’re a proud supporter of the

MONTANA RESCUE MISSION

thank you for ser ving and making an impact in our community!

November 2018 ¬ MONTANA RESCUE MISSION

BETTER STEWARDS OF YOUR SUPPORT! New Ventures between Friendship House and MRM

We want to take this opportunity to let you know about an exciting venture that Montana Rescue Mission and Friendship House of Christian Service are embarking on. With the desire to be good stewards of your financial support, MRM and Friendship House have decided to partner by sharing back office support staff. What does this mean? While the programs you know and love will remain the same serving “the least of these” in our the community, Friendship House and MRM will save some administrative costs and direct more of your resources towards our individual programs. We will do this by sharing staff for human resources, resource development, finance, and operations. The outcome will be more robust client services and greater collaboration between the agencies. This “sharing staff” is a trend in non-profits nationally, and we are excited to lead the charge locally. Because your donations are so vital to our operations, we will make them more effective than ever by lowering administrative costs through this partnership. Thank you for your continuing support of Montana Rescue Mission, where we are stretching your gifts further and serving better than ever! Please give God your best!

OUR FACILITIES PROJECTS WISH LIST As we enter our busiest season, there are a number of items you can donate towards making the holidays a little brighter for guests at the Mission. You’ll always find a list of our immediate needs at montanarescuemission.org. Because our shelters are more than 100 years old, our facilities are in constant need of updates and repairs. Our greatest needs at this time are: Updates in our cafeteria. The ceiling tile drops a fine dust when there is heavy traffic overhead. We would like to add a suspended ceiling to prevent this. Cost $50,000 To increase our cooking capacity we need a range with two burners, flat top cook griddle, and dual ovens. Cost: $20,000. Updates for our fire alarm system. Our current system is outdated. For the

safety and security of our guests, it is imperative that we address this need. Cost: $10,000. Updates in our Chapel. We are in need of new lighting and a new ceiling in our Chapel at the Men’s Shelter. Cost: $40,000. New roofs. Roofs at both our Men’s Shelter and our Women and Children’s Shelter have multiple leaks and are in dire need of replacement. Cost: $400,000. General facilities upkeep. We can always use amazing volunteers to help us paint, clean and repair spaces. Cost: Priceless! Please consider joining with others in our community to help complete these muchneeded renovations. For more information, contact our Development Coordinator, Dyann Romeijn, at 259-3800.

We support the Montana Rescue Mission responsedesignmt.com 406.698.0804

MONTANA RESCUE MISSION ¬ November 2018

Thanks to You!

Montana Rescue Mission is blessed with a very giving community, comprising individuals, corporations, churches, and foundations. This past year, the following are just some of the organizations demonstrating God’s love in a big way!

Operational Support: Billings and Beyond Faith Chapel Billings Westend Walmart Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation Fortin Foundation of Florida

Fresh Life Church Muryl and Lu Myhre Foundation Town Pump Charitable Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation

Meal Support: United Way of Yellowstone County

Women and Children’s Shelter Lobby/Kitchen Remodel and Safety Project: 100 Strong American Lutheran Church Billings Community Foundation Breakfast Exchange Club of Billings Cloud Peak Energy Dan and Jeanne Scott Family Foundation Downtown Exchange Club of Billings

Gianforte Family Foundation MDU Resources Foundation Muryl and Lu Myhre Foundation Rocky Mountain Community Church Treacy Foundation First Interstate Bank Centennial Youth Foundation Sample Foundation

Men’s Shelter Security Cameras and Commercial Dryer: Breakfast Exchange Club of Billings

Men’s Shelter Cloud Program for Recovery: Gilhousen Family Foundation

Women and Children’s Shelter Exterior Wall Repair: Billings and Beyond - Faith Chapel

Women and Children’s Shelter Entry Dorm Bathroom: Home Depot Foundation

Women and Children’s Shelter Dormitory: Lowe’s We are thankful for these and many other generous donors, like you, helping us fulfill our mission.

A Very Personal Thank You Montana Rescue Mission relies entirely on support from our community and from individual donors like you. Every one of our hurting neighbors who find healing and hope at the Mission knows that we wouldn’t be here without you. “I’m extremely grateful. You helped us out a lot more than you imagine,” says Naomie. “Every little thing that you do for the Mission, for us, touches every mother, every child, every father, everybody who has fallen on hard times. In this world, nowadays, it’s so hard to look for a place for help. Montana Rescue Mission is one of the very few places that actually helps people anymore.” Will you help more individuals like Naomie and Mike with your gift?

November 2018 ¬ MONTANA RESCUE MISSION

3030 4th Avenue North Billings, MT 59101 (406) 252-9218 Serving the region for over 37 years

MONTANA RESCUE MISSION Â¬ November 2018

3030 4th Avenue North Billings, MT 59101 (406) 252-9218 Serving the region for over 37 years 12

November 2018 Â¬ MONTANA RESCUE MISSION