12 6 Y E A R S O F S E R V I C E
DenverRescueMission.org
June 2018
A Window of
Hope
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13: 12-13 (NIV)
Letter from the CEO
13 AY • JUNE FATHER'S D
Dear Friends, In my job, I hear a lot of stories about brokenness, about pain and suffering, about what addiction does to someone and their family. From these stories, I have come to realize that we are all broken, that we all have experienced suffering in our lives. It is not just the homeless, needy or addicted who have pain. Some of our suffering may be through no fault of our own, and some of it may be the result of poor decisions. But the bottom line is we all have struggles, and we all are broken. The good news is that I also have the wonderful opportunity to hear stories of how people have overcome their struggles and, in particular, their addictions. These are incredibly happy stories of redemption and rehabilitation. Our staff and volunteers at the Mission get to be a part of loving on people and watching God work in hearts and lives to heal people physically, emotionally and spiritually. We also see relationships with families and friends restored. We tell folks who come to us for help that no matter what has happened or what we have done, no matter how bad it has been, God loves us all and has a purpose for our lives. We are never too broken, nor is it ever too late to receive Jesus’ love and have your life changed forever. The stories of change make my job one of the best! Thanks for loving the people we serve with your financial, volunteer and prayer support. We cannot do this without you! God Bless,
Brad Meuli President/CEO
Family and community are essential to rehabilitation, but many of our participants have lost contact with their family, which is why Father’s Day is an excellent opportunity to reach out, mend broken relationships and celebrate community. On June 13, we will honor dads, both the ones who live at The Crossing and the ones who fathered our participants.
Hit A Home Run
Against Hunger Wedn e s d ay , Ju ne 2 0
Join the Colorado Rockies, King Soopers and Denver Rescue Mission for the “Hit a Home Run Against Hunger”drive. Please bring nonperishable or canned food items to the Colorado Rockies game on Wednesday, June 20 to help feed the poor and hungry in our community! And when you shop at King Soopers from June 24 through July 21, be sure to show your support by making a monetary donation as you check out.
For more information please contact Lisette at Lisette@DenRescue.org or 303.313.2414
Evan’s image of himself was distorted. Meth. Alcohol. Cocaine. He was held captive to his addiction.
But he’s no longer an addict. Today, he’s healthy, he’s sober, and he’s taken on a new image
A Window of hope Windows are an avenue through which people see and experience the world around them. There is nothing remarkable about their design or the way they work—they simply provide a view, an image of reality, and they do it perfectly. As humans, we need windows in our lives, windows to see, to learn, and when the conditions are right, to provide us with moments of beauty. In May of 2016, 28-year-old Evan saw himself through a window, not the kind that one might peer through to watch song birds sing or snowflakes fall. On that day, Evan saw himself through a window that revealed more about himself than it did the world around him. It was the dead of summer in Bridge Creek, Oklahoma. He was at his drug dealer’s house. He hadn’t slept in nine days because he was coming off of meth. He stirred around the living room, searching for what little belongings he had—a toothbrush, deodorant, an extra pair of shorts. He put his possessions in a small bag, threw it on his back and walked out the front door. Evan had a truck, handed down to him from his family some years ago. But on this day, his truck wasn’t running. He’s not sure what was wrong with it, perhaps the oil needed changing or the belt had gone bad, but without his truck, he was forced to walk.
everywhere,” says Evan. “I was just sweating. I got about four miles down the road, and then I just couldn’t go any farther. I crawled into a ditch and finally went to sleep by a telephone pole.” He isn’t sure what time he fell asleep, but he didn’t wake up until the next day—still in the ditch, still leaning beside that telephone pole. “I just remember thinking to myself, ‘what are you doing? This is miserable.’” For Evan, that ditch was a window—the place where his view of himself changed, the moment when he saw himself for what he truly was. “I realized I was a full-blown addict,” says Evan. “I was a junky, and I knew it.”
I had to break down and reach my hand out, and I feel like God extended His hand to me and lifted me up.
Home is often described as more of a feeling than a place, and perhaps that is true. Home is wherever people go for rest and comfort and love, which is why Evan was about to make the 10 mile walk from his drug dealer’s house to his parent’s home. He walked on a back country road, surrounded only by cow pastures and rows of corn. The sun glistened off the ground beneath him, reflecting on his face. A bead of sweat slipped off his forehead and into the dirt below. His body yearned for rest. With each step, he could feel the skin under his foot softening from perspiration and weariness. The rocky pebbles beneath the sole of his Adidas were beginning to rub a blister on his right foot. His head drooped toward the earth. “It was hot and bugs were
After he woke up, he finished the walk to his parents' home. And just one day later, his mom and dad would wake Evan up in the middle of the night—bags packed and the car running—and drive 12 hours to Denver Rescue Mission. They didn’t tell him where they were taking him, and for good reason. It was commonplace for him to come home, plead for help, get cleaned up, shower, and eat only to leave again—and get high again—a few days later. His parents drove to the Lawrence Street Shelter where Evan enrolled in Next Step. From Next Step he was accepted into the New Life Program.
In August of 2017, he was playing in a homerun derby for a softball league many of our New Life Program participants play in. Just days before, he was contemplating things, “I was on the fence in my recovery. I was questioning whether or not I could stay sober. That homerun derby was big deal for me, it was a big part of my recovery.” It wasn’t just the homerun derby that was a big deal, it was also the people there watching Evan participate in the derby. “My family was there,” he says. Evan won the homerun derby, and when he won, he walked over to his mom and dad and gave them a hug. It was a simple gesture, but it was one of those moments—a moment of beauty.
A Window of hope COntinued “They drove all the way down to watch me play, and that really meant a lot to me. It gave me confidence that I can finish the program, and it helped me see myself as capable and loved.” On that day, Evan’s image of himself changed. No longer was he an addict, surrendered to his addiction. Just seven months after the homerun derby, he had landed a job and graduated the New Life Program. “When I was in that ditch, I saw myself for who I was—a broken person, and in need of help. I finally realized I couldn’t do it on my own. I had to break down and reach my hand out, and through my experiences in the program, I feel like God extended his hand to me and lifted me up. That’s something that will always stick with me. I’ve always told people the main thing Denver Rescue Mission taught me was: "blessed are the poor in spirit." And that’s where I was when I showed up at the Mission—I’m never going to think that I can do things on my own.” The New Life Program is a rehabilitation program that your donations support. Through courses, counseling and case management, people are empowered to navigate their addiction with success. But what’s just as important as sobriety is encouraging our participants to engage in community with the people around them. It’s because of healthy relationships and community that people are able to view their life through windows of hope and see themselves as valued and loved.
“I don’t see myself as an addict anymore—I want to be a good friend, a good father and a good son. Coming to The Crossing and making friends with people who have experienced similar things was an important step in helping me,” says Evan. “We shared our experiences together, and we talked about them. Before The Crossing, I felt I was weird or different—like I’m the only one with all these problems—but that’s not true. Lots of people have similar problems, and it’s important to help each other through them.”
Like community and relationship, your donations are also windows, the avenues by which our participants can experience a life of recovery and rehabilitation. Thank you for helping people view themselves through windows of hope!
DONATE TODAY, AND CHANGE A LIFE LIKE EVAN’S FOREVER. Visit DenverRescueMission.org/Donate
Rehabilitation
Dr. Michael Schneider on Why Denver Rescue Mission Matters
Originally from NYC, I moved to Vail in 1988. A few years later I opened the first podiatry practices in Vail, Aspen and Frisco. Retiring in 2011, my wife and I moved to Denver. Soon after moving here, I realized that I had more to give. I needed “purpose.” I began volunteering at the Barth Hotel in 2011 followed by Denver Rescue Mission in 2012 and then at the Little Sisters of The Poor, Mullen House. I’ve always enjoyed working with people. Volunteering at Denver Rescue Mission has morphed into somewhat of a “calling” for me and my wife. The folks in our building are constantly leaving clothing donations for the Mission at our door. We have received donations from a shoe company (SafeStep) and an orthotic manufacturer (Superfeet) which has enabled many Mission guests to have the comfort and support they so desperately need.
Statistics How You Help
I have met some wonderful folks as patients and coworkers here. I get hugs, see tears and receive blessings from clinic guests and New Life Program participants. Recently, a graduate of the New Life Program asked me if I would be his surrogate dad as he never knew his father. Emotional moments like those keep me humbled and gratified to be a part of Denver Rescue Mission.
April
Meals provided
65,737
35,251
Guests have their immediate needs met, and we build relationships with them. Once trust is established, our invitation to consider long-term solutions, like the life-changing programs we offer, is more readily accepted.
Rehabilitation
257,507
Chapel attendance
25,076
3,530
When he’s not making house calls, Dr. Schneider volunteers at Barth Hotel, Little Sisters of the Poor, and Denver Rescue Mission. He’s a podiatrist who finds purpose in giving back to his community by providing care for people’s feet. He graduated from The New York College of Podiatric Medicine in 1983, and was recently named 7NEWS’ 7Everyday Hero, a weekly honor awarded to Coloradoans who are making a difference in their community.
emergency services
521,013
Nights of shelter provided
I would say that being a part of the Mission has been a highlight of my career. The people here are compassionate and caring. From those who work here to those coming in the door seeking help, Denver Rescue Mission is an amazing and caring organization. Denver Rescue Mission has fulfilled my “sense of purpose.”
our Core Strategies
YTD (fiscal year)
Clothing distributed (lbs.)
19,696
242,159
Clinic services provided
416
Locations Lawrence Street Community Center: Meals, restrooms, showers, washing machines and dryers, clean drinking water, and access to Mission staff for encouragement and guidance Lawrence Street Shelter: Overnight shelter for men assigned daily, chapel and health clinic
Program graduates overcome destructive habits, maintain healthy community, obtain full-time employment, and provide for their own sustainable housing.
Holly Center: Overnight shelter for men assigned weekly and lockers for storage
Transitional Programs
The Crossing: Transitional program for families and rehabilitation program for men
Families and individuals develop and practice important life skills, save money, gain the tools they need to provide for their own housing, and transition into a self-sufficient lifestyle when they graduate.
Community Outreach People at risk of becoming homeless or transitioning out of poverty find assistance with basic needs like food, clothing, furniture, and other household items, while interns and other missions around the world learn how to alleviate poverty through a Christ-centered response.
Harvest Farm: Rural rehabilitation program near Fort Collins Fort Collins Rescue Mission: Meals, shelter and transitional programs Ministry Outreach Center: Central warehouse facility including food, clothing and furniture distribution Administration & Education: Entry point for Mission transitional programs and home to the Mission’s administrative and development staff
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P.O. Box 5164 | Denver, CO 80217 | 303.297.1815
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