122 Years of Service
DenverRescueMission.org
August 2014
one M AT T E R S “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? Matthew 18:12 (NLT)
From the CEO Dear Friends, How are you defined? Some of us are defined by where we come from originally, the college we went to, the job we have, the car we drive, or maybe the accomplishments of our children. Sadly, some of us are also defined by tragedy in our lives. Sometimes tragedy is not our fault, but the result of an accident or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And sometimes, tragedy is the result of our own poor choices. Many of the men and women who are in our New Life Program have been defined by their addiction to alcohol and drugs and the toll it has taken on them. They have forsaken family, friends, jobs, and material possessions; anything else that might have significance in their lives has taken a backseat to their addiction. I know this might sound incredible to many of you, but that is the power addiction has over a person. Now here is the good news—addiction does not have to be how someone is defined. No matter what has happened in the past, there is hope. Hope in the person of Jesus Christ to change a life forever. At Denver Rescue Mission, we want to help participants in our New Life Program redefine who they will be in the future. Our message to the folks who come to us for help is a simple one: God loves you and has a plan for your life, and your life going forward does not have to be defined by alcoholism or drug abuse. When someone’s life can be defined by their relationship with Jesus, and in the light of eternity, there is hope. Thanks for coming alongside us as we share the good news of the Gospel with those who seek a new future! God Bless,
Brad Meuli President/CEO
Denver Rescue Mission Rafting Trip On June 5th and 6th, over 100 Denver Rescue Mission staff and program participants enjoyed a summer rafting trip, donated by Wilderness Aware Rafting Company. Thank you Wilderness Aware for providing a day of fun in the sun!
Volunteer Information & Tour Sessions If you would like to learn more about Denver Rescue Mission’s programs, locations and volunteer opportunities, please attend one of our Information & Tour Sessions held weekly at the Lawrence Street Shelter or The Crossing. You’ll hear how Denver Rescue Mission is making a difference across the Denver Metro area, and learn how you can be involved in changing lives! To sign up for one of the following tours, or for more information, visit DenverRescueMission.org/volunteer, or call 303.953.3955. Lawrence Street Shelter Mondays 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The Crossing Thursdays 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Fridays 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
ERIC
was an alcoholic for 30 years before finding his faith and sobriety at Harvest Farm. August 28th marks one year and seven months of sobriety for him, his first full year without alcohol since starting to drink at the age of 15.
one M AT T E R S Eric’s favorite story is about starfish. It goes like this: There was a man taking a walk along the beach one morning, and he saw a woman in the distance, seemingly dancing. As he got closer, he realized that she was throwing something out into the sea. Closer still, he saw the objects she was throwing: starfish— thousands upon thousands of them. He approached her and said, “You can’t possibly make a difference here. There are so many of them!” She picked up a single starfish, threw it into the ocean and said, “I made a difference for that one.” It’s a simple story, but a powerful one.
When Eric talks to others about Denver Rescue Mission’s donors, he always tells this story. He feels like one starfish that a donor cared about. “They don’t know who I am. They have no reason to help me. I could never repay them. There is honestly no monetary gift I could give to repay what they’ve given me,” Eric says, choking back tears. The way the Mission has impacted Eric’s life is so evident. He can barely finish a sentence without referencing it. After prematurely leaving the program in 2009, he graduated in March of 2014. His graduation did not come without significant effort on his part and a community of staff, program participants and donors to carry him through. “While I was at the Farm the first time, I really wanted to be sober. It was all I could think about. But I was trying to make the things they said and did fit into my life. I didn’t fail because the Farm failed. I failed because I was trying to manipulate sobriety,” he remembers. After leaving, his addiction progressed. He was in the hospital 20 times in one year, going through withdrawal each time. He was on the brink of death. “I wanted to stop, but I couldn’t. I wanted my life to be normal. I wanted the consequences of my drinking to be gone, but I didn’t want to take the steps to make that happen. I wanted to keep drinking. Until you’re done, you’re not done. This was my life until 2013 when I came here the second time,” Eric explains. He continues: “This time, I didn’t care what anyone said or asked of me, I would do it. My ego was gone. Addicts have this amazing egotism, myself included. My success was a result of absolute commitment. I was done.” Eric had to get over himself before he could get over his addiction. He felt different this time, surrendered. And staff saw a distinct change in him, too. “The first time Eric was here, he wanted to have the program happen to him. The second time around, he didn’t just passively take in what was happening but actively participated. He really radically changed. He took instruction, listened and applied it very well,” says Brad Rhoda, Manager of Operations at the Farm. The Farm employees were a crucial piece of Eric’s recovery: “The staff and the people here are amazing.
Eric spent most of his time in the Farm’s kitchen, chopping veggies and preparing meals. It was through these tasks that he learned the value of discipline.
What makes this place is relationships. If you need sobriety, you can go to AA. There are many ways to find sobriety. But I needed my life to change; I needed it to turn around. They call it the New Life Program, and it’s true, I have a new life.” Eric used to pray each night, asking God to take away his addiction, hoping to wake up and be healed. “What I didn’t realize was that God does take it away, but I had to do the work. Being with God doesn’t mean that things are easy. But now, it’s not more than I can handle,” he explains. Eric has done very well since graduating. He got his old job back and has stable housing living with another New Life program graduate. He credits the Farm for all of this success: “The Farm is the catalyst for all that to occur. In the chaos of the world, I couldn’t find peace. I couldn’t stop or slow down enough. The Farm took care of my basic needs and gave me relationships that showed me that I’m not defined by my alcoholism—I’m defined by my relationship with Jesus Christ.” Look for Eric’s story on the Mission’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/DenverRescue. Share his inspirational words and life change!
Eric recognizes the value of each dollar given to the Mission. He knows the support he received at the Farm came from people like you, people who care. Thank you for believing in Eric and for supporting Denver Rescue Mission!
Mission Events
Statistics
(Fiscal Year) How You Help
Denver Rescue Mission Golf Tournament Come on out and hit a hole-in-one for the homeless! The cost is only $90 per person and includes registration, a golf cart and a delicious lunch. The tournament will take place at the Broadlands Golf Course on Friday, September 12th. For more information, please contact Lisette at 303.313.2414 or LWilliams@DenRescue.org.
JUNE
YTD
Meals served
35,471
479,493
Bed nights
18,721
253,842
Chapel attendance
3,584
83,945
Clothing (lbs.)
20,874
202,181
Medical services
1,048
13,781
Our Outreaches
2nd Annual Sporting Clay Shoot Denver Rescue Mission invites you to join us for the 2nd Annual Sporting Clay shoot fundraiser and lunch on October 9th at 11:00 a.m. at the Kiowa Creek Sporting Club. For more information or to register please visit DenverRescueMission.org/scs2014.
Did you know the Mission has a blog?
Lawrence Street Shelter: Emergency care: meals, overnight shelter, free health care, food box and clothing distribution. Fort Collins Rescue Mission: Emergency care: meals, overnight shelter; and transitional program. Champa House: Residential facility offering long-term help toward self-sufficiency to single mothers with dependent children. Harvest Farm: Long-term New Life rehabilitation program, farming and ranching operation, food and clothing distribution, and Fall Festival. The Crossing: Long-term New Life rehabilitation program, transitional program for New Life graduates and homeless families, temporary housing for interns and visitors.
Well, we do, and it’s been updated! We’ve added new categories, set new goals and introduced new authors! Notes from the Mission is a collection of thoughts and posts from employees and community partners. On it, you’ll find voices from seven different employees, sharing their unique perspective about Denver Rescue Mission. You can learn about homelessness in Denver, current Mission campaigns, touching stories about our program participants and graduates, and so much more. Visit Blog.DenverRescueMission.com to read recent posts. Don’t forget to subscribe to keep receiving updates!
Ministry Outreach Center: Warehouse facilities; food, clothing and household goods distribution. Family Services: Transitional program; assistance for permanent housing; mentoring for homeless working families, seniors and refugee families. Global Ministry Outreach: Consultation, resources and support to city/rescue missions around the world.
Changing Lives is the monthly news publication of Denver Rescue Mission. Director of Communications: Christine Gallamore Designer: Rachel Vigil Writer: Rachel Greiman P.O. Box 5164 • Denver, CO 80217 • 303.297.1815
blog.DenverRescueMission.com