HOPENOW Winter 2013
A Quarterly Publication of the
VISALIA RESCUE MISSION
volume 4 | Issue 4
pg. 8 Eight Ways to truly care for the Homeless pg. 7 Do-it-Yourself Holiday Inspiration pg. 7
CONTENTS
WINTER 2013/2014 Issue 4 - November 22 , 2013
Discover What’s inside 03
Message From Danny
04
Events Calendar
06
Connect
07
Helping the Homeless
08
Executive Director Danny Little shares his thoughts on the coming season. See all the upcoming happenings with the Rescue Mission and join us!
Fill out our connect card to help us stay in contact with you in 2014.
Learn 8 ways you can truly help the homeless in our community.
Passing On a New Legacy
Read the story of two siblings who were able to turn their lives around with help from the VRM.
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Jewelry Team
11
Holiday Inpiration
15
Meet these amazing volunteers who are making a huge impact!
Change a life by shopping with us this holiday season.
Letter From Mark
OUR TEAM Danny Little Mark Shelton Jessica Cavale Molly Schengel
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF COMM. DEVELOPMENT PRODUCED BY CREATIVE DIRECTOR PHOTOGRAPHY LAYOUT | DESIGN BY PUBLISHED BY
4Creeks Creative Eric Riley Forrest Cavale / Ryan Krauter Mark Veldkamp Visalia Rescue Mission
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 109 Visalia, CA 93279 TELEPHONE: 559.740.4178 EMAIL: hope@vrmhope.org WEBSITE: www.vrmhope.org FIND US ON THESE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS
Chairman of the Board, Mark Shelton, encourages us to always trust in God. twitter
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HOPE & RESTORATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
FROM DANNY a letter from the executive Director
S
omeone said that if you’re not growing, you’re dying. I like the thought of forward progress and working toward a goal. I believe by working in the right direction, good things will happen. For the twelve years I’ve been at the Visalia Rescue Mission, we have certainly seen progress and lives changed. We have made significant advances in helping a struggling population of the Central Valley. In one year we have seen over 133, previously homeless men placed into permanent housing. We have seen our overnight guest population donate over $300,000 worth of volunteer hours back to the VRM, thus improving our community.
We’ve seen families restored, relationships reconciled and our guests experience the love of Jesus Christ. My hope is that we keep moving forward. The Mission operates on a limited income; these last few weeks of the year are where we fundraise 80% of our annual budget. We need your help. Thank you for all you have done. We believe our best days are yet ahead. Thank you and God Bless! Danny Little John 10:10
Merry Christmas ... and Thank You from Visalia Rescue Mission Your gift has helped Change Lives! Please consider the VRM when making your year-end donations. Watch our newest video: www.vimeo.vrm
Ways to donate Mail to: P.O. Box 109 Visalia, CA 93279
Online: www.vrmhope.org Questions about giving? Call 559-740-4178 or email jessica@vrmhope.org
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VISALIA RESCUE MISSION | Winter 2013/2014
LET’S CONNECT HELP US CONNECT WITH YOU BETTER IN 2014! We want to ensure that we are connecting with you in the best way possible! Tell us how you prefer to stay in contact with all things VRM! Please fill out the form below and send it back to us and we’ll be sure to update our records accordingly. Title
Name (First & Last)
Spouse
Address City/State/Zip Phone
Email 1
Email 2
How do you prefer to receive our HOPE NOW MAGAZINE? Mail Email I’ll go online to the VRM Website and/or Facebook Would you like to be added to our email list? YES! Add me to… Event emails Volunteer emails I am interested in…. Check any of the boxes below, and we will be sure to get in contact with you! Coming for a tour Volunteering my time Donating financially Donating my resources Planned giving // Estate & Wills If you would like to contact us directly 559.740.4178 hope@vrmhope.org Be sure to connect with us on FACEBOOK/INSTARAM/TWITTER/VIMEO/YOUTUBE to stay up to date on the latest!
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Eight Ways
TO TRULY HELP THE HOMELESS Sometimes being approached by a homeless person is intimidating — their needs often seem too overwhelming – but we all want to treat them with dignity and respect. Here are some simple guidelines to equip you to truly help the homeless people you meet: 1) BE PREPARED.
5) PRAY FOR THE HOMELESS.
Anticipate the opportunities you may have to engage with homeless people and be “salt and light.” Develop a game plan. In time, you might find that you are intentionally walking closer to the person on the sidewalk or merging into the left lane, just to ensure you have an encounter.
Ask God to bring them peace and encouragement to meet their physical and emotional needs to satisfy their spiritual hunger. Specifically, ask God what he would have you do in each situation.
2) RECOGNIZE THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE (AND THEIR PROBLEMS) ARE NOT ALLTHE SAME. The person you meet may be a battered woman, an addicted veteran, someone who is lacking job skills…the list goes on.
3) TALK TO THE PERSON WITH RESPECT. Taking time to talk to a homeless person in a friendly, respectful manner can go a long way. We all need the consistent love and encouragement of other human beings to help us make smart choices in our lives.
4) PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE TO MONEY. If a person is asking for spare change, instead of giving money, offer fast food coupons. Better yet, bring carryout from a restaurant, and sit or stand with the person and share it. Depending on the person’s expressed needs, you can also offer gloves, socks, tissues, a granola bar, bottled water, etc.. You can also download the new VRM resouce Card which has all of out locations, service, and meal times. Download from www.vrmhope.org and hand them out!
6) DON’T HESITATE TO CALL THE POLICE. In extreme weather, a stationary individual may be on the verge of hypothermia or heat stroke. If in doubt, call the police. You may save their life.
7) ENCOURAGE THE HOMELESS TO GET HELP THROUGH VISALIA RESCUE MISSION. Every day the Mission provides a variety of services that include: meals, shelter, clothing, food box, case management, and health care. The Mission’s NEXT STEPS Volunteer Work programs and Drug and Alcohol Recovery programs give people tools to overcome addictions and become productive, contributing members of the community.
8) SUPPORT VISALIA RESCUE MISSION. The Mission is solely supported by caring individuals, churches, businesses, and civic groups who see the value of sharing their resources with the less fortunate.
Donate & Help Change a Life
God works, and is working in our family today.
rowing up was rough for Brandy and David. They recall moving around a lot and rarely staying in one place. “We were always moving. Either chasing something or running away from something,” recalled Brandy, “then there was the alcoholism and domestic abuse, but for us that was normal.”
“I always knew she was smart and could do anything, but in her addiction she was non-existent. At her graduation, I finally saw her alive again.”
Siblings, Brandy and David grew up, moved apart, married, and had their own children. But still, they carried the pain and dysfunction of their family’s past with them.
After Brandy’s graduation, she and David’s relationship began to grow as she continued to reconcile with her family.
G
Brandy eventually moved to Mariposa where she found herself addicted to Meth for 17 years. “Drugs were the only way I knew to cope with the pain I was feeling, I didn’t know there was another option,” said Brandy. David, though he was a hard worker, recalled using work and drugs as a way to avoid the real issues of his past. “I was high all the time. It was the best I could do to get by.” Eventually, Brandy was faced with the fact that she either needed rehab, or she would go to prison.
“I went to other rehab programs, but none of them worked; none of them were offering me what I really needed, which was Jesus.” Finally she heard about the VRM’s House of Hope Recovery Program and decided this would be her last try. “I was willing to try anything to get out of the hole I was living in.” Finally, Brandy found a safe place to address the pains of her past. “The staff at the House of Hope walked with me and introduced me to a God full of grace.” After one year in the program, Brandy was ready for graduation and to see her family for the first time in nine months. Her brother David, who was still struggling with addiction, recalled seeing his sister for the first time – and knew immediately that something was different.
“Now, I am participating. Because of the VRM I got my boys back, my family back, a home and a job,” said Brandy.
David soon realized Brandy had something ‘special’. “I never thought I needed rehab, I had a steady job and a roof over my head. But once I saw Brandy after her graduation, I realized that I not only wanted, but I needed whatever she had found at the Mission.” In time, and with the help of his sister, David entered the House of Restoration, a Drug and Alcohol Recovery program at the VRM. “I was scared. I was scared, because I knew the program worked. But I had a lot of issues I needed to deal with.” David has now been in the program for a little over 6 months. “I still have a long way to go. But at least I am on my way to being a better man and a better father.” As Brandy and David talked about their families, their kids and what the future holds, one thing they both were thankful for was a new legacy. “For the first time in my life, I have something that I actually want to pass on to my kids, and that’s God,” said David. “God and a desire to love and serve others.” At the Rescue Mission, we are blessed to touch the lives of individualsand to share Jesus with them.
“The Mission not only brought us close together, but it brought us close to God, close to our families, close to our kids.” - David “This is just the beginning for our family, and we owe it all to the VRM and Jesus Christ.” - Brandy
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VISALIA RESCUE MISSION | Winter 2013/2014
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT There are hundreds of ways to get involved and volunteer at the Mission. Here’s one unique way that a committed team of volunteers have started making a HUGE impact. Deena, another member of the team, has been making her own jewelry for over 12 years. Her husband is a graduate of our Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program, and she was looking for a way to get involved. “This has been a great way for me to use my skill and my time to give back to the VRM, which has given so much to my family.” In just the six months that this team has been together, they have processed more that 2,150 pieces of jewelry. The jewelry then goes to one of our two thrift store locations and brings in an average of $3,000 per month! The best part is, ALL of those funds go right back into supporting our programs and helping people get off the streets and out of addiction. “It’s amazing to see the direct fruits of our labor. The time I spend here is translating into dollars that really is changing lives. What a blessing it is to be a part of it!” said Kathy. “I love being a part of something bigger than myself,” said Deena, “my skills and my time are helping people encounter Jesus.”
Meet our Jewelry Team. This dynamic group of individuals consists of four dedicated volunteers who donate their time weekly in the Thrift Department of the Mission. Together, they sort, clean, process and price every single piece of jewelry that comes through our doors. Kathy, who has volunteered at the Mission for years, was looking for a new way to get involved. After attending one of our new volunteer orientations, she heard about the need for a jewelry processor. “I knew nothing about jewelry, so that was a little intimidating. But I had time - and I wanted to do something impactful with it.”
This amazing group of women have helped rise over $10,000 for the Mission in the short time they have been on the team. This is a great example of the unique way you can partner with the Mission to help provide a hot meal and a warm bed for the homeless in our community.
Interested in learning more?
Come down and join us for a Volunteer Orientation, and get a feel for what the Mission does, what the needs are and ways you can get involved!
Just go to www.vrmhope.org for more info and times.
D.I.Y.
Do-It-Yourself
Every time you shop at Rescues Treasures and Simply Chic Boutique, your funds go directly towards supporting the life changing working at the Visalia Rescue Mission!
HOLIDAY INSPIRATION
SHOP. CHANGE A LIFE.
What if this holiday season, the gifts you give not only put a smile on your loved ones face… but also help change a life? Although shopping at thrift stores might not be what you had in mind for holiday shopping, it is a great opportunity for you to tackle those Pintrest projects on to you DIY board. So, for the sake of holiday inspiration, here are a few interesting and unique ways people have used items found at our thrift stores, and gave them a new purpose!
We are in the business of RESTORING both goods and PEOPLE Visalia local, DIY enthusiast and craft extraordinaire, Amy Stillwater, regularly shops at Rescued Treasures for her crafting goods. “Not only are their prices the best, but it’s a fun way to challenge my creativity.” Amy has made a number of gifts, décor items and knick-nacks for her family, friends and home. Here are just a few examples of ways she has taken items found at Rescued Treasures and gave them a whole new purpose. Supplies purchased at Rescued Treasures: old t-shirt, pair of jeans, felted blue sweater, and buttons.
Amy made this stuffed animal whale for her daughter, who affectionately named it “Whale.”
Repurposing
Goods
Amy also has her own Etsy store where she sells her knitted goods. ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/dailythreadshop)
Of course, there are always those furniture pieces that you’ve been inspired by, and thankfully we have a whole stock of fun furniture waiting for your crafty touch. Anna is a DIY expert and has redone over 25 pieces of furniture. “I purchase all of my furniture from Rescued Treasures because its affordable and I know it’s going to a good cause.” She has redone furniture not only for her home but as gifts to her kids and relatives! Here is an example of one piece, See more examples from Anna’s DIY project at our stores.
Before
After
Restoring
Furniture CUT OUT THE COUPON ON PG. 12 AND USE IT TOWARDS YOUR NEXT DIY PURCHASE!
MEMORIALS & HONORS IN HONOR OF
IN MEMORY OF Jesus Magdaleno
Joseph Smick
Davie & Megan Bodily & Family Steve & Keri Paregien
Ronald Devins
Katelyn Kelly Steve & Amber Smith
Ray Lewis
Ronald Devins
Ruth Keen Smith
Felix Brandon Cruz
Anthony Martinho Betty Martinho
Linda Williams
Tony Ribeiro Jr.
Richard Curtiss
Adrienne Haines
Richard & Linda LaFleur John & Linda Warner
Terry Curtiss
Janie Cardoza Souza
Lee Foster Kellum Joseph & Margaret Rychcik David Allen Kenn & Debby Harris David & Dolores De Long
Harvey & Johanna Postma Charlene Hesselink Linda Neese
Jeanette Cordoza
Louise Devries Cornelius Devries
Frank Silva Isabel Silva
Mary Ann Sousa Manuel & Hazel Sousa
Penney Dan & Leslie Hutchings Vim & Kelley Coughlin Bob & Sheila Hefner
Al Krug David & Betty Miller
Linda Kucala Ronald Kucala
DETACH THIS LOWER PORTION AND SEND IN WITH YOUR MEMORIAL OR IN-HONOR OF GIFT
MEMORIAL GIFT CARD Mail your gifts to: VISALIA RESCUE MISSION
P.O. BOX 109 VISALIA, CA 93279
Name:
Phone:
Address: In Memory of: In Honor of: Check / Charge Amount: Charge My Visa/MC#:
Exp:
CIV:
Send Acknowledgment to: Address:
Email:
Thank you for your gift that goes to help so many in need of food & shelter. When you send your memorial or in-honor gift you will receive a tax-deductible receipt. A card will be mailed promptly to the person being honored, informing them of the gift.
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VISALIA RESCUE MISSION | Winter 2013/2014
PLANNED GIVING ou have the opportunity to continue your legacy by making a Legacy of Hope planned gift. Why do we call it a legacy? Giving beyond your lifetime sends a strong message to your loved ones and peers; as well as to future generations of homeless men, women, and children served by the VRM. That’s quite a legacy! Leave a Legacy of Hope.
Y
LEave a legacy. Contact us at 559.740.4178 or Hope@vrmhope.org
NEEDS LIST MEN • UNDERWEAR • SOCKS • CLEAN SHIRTS • SCHOOL SUPPLIES (NOTEBOOKS, PENS, HIGHLIGHTERS, ETC.)
• BIKE LOCKS
Memorials & Honorary Gifts A great way to memorialize or honor someone you love. Make a gift in his or her name to the Visalia Rescue Mission.
Gifts of Life Insurance Making the Visalia Rescue Mission a beneficiary to part or all of your life insurance policy is a simple way to make a significant gift. You may receive a tax deduction for the cash surrender value, reducing your tax liability in the year of the gift.
SOME TANGIBLE WAYS TO HELP THE VRM
WOMEN • UNDERWEAR (SIZE 9 AND UP)
• BRAS
(SIZE 38D AND UP)
• SOCKS • RAZORS • DEODORANT • DAY BUS PASSES • TALL LAUNDRY BASKETS
KITCHEN SHELTER
• SOCKS
• SILVERWARE
• PILLOWS
• COFFEE
• HAIR CONDITIONER
• COFFEE FILTERS
• TAMPONS (super)
(LARGE)
• SHEETS (FOR TWIN SIZE BEDS)
• SUGAR
• CLEAN T-SHIRTS
• BODY WASH
• GROUND BEEF
• HAIR MOUSSE
• WOOD FOR BBQ
• IB’S
• CHARCOAL
• TYLENOL
• BOX TRAILER (TO USE FOR RECYCLING)
(ALL SIZES)
Winter 2013/2014 | VISALIA RESCUE MISSION
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IT’s Not JUST
a penny
a letter from THE chairman OF THE BOARD I came across a great story the other day that I want to share. It’s about a wealthy man that was caught picking up a penny on the ground as he approached an expensive restaurant that he frequented. As they were dining someone in his party questioned him about picking up the penny. He shared with them that on the penny are the words “In God we Trust”. Every time he sees a coin on the ground he picks it up not for the value of the coin but for the value of the words inscribed on it… “IN GOD WE TRUST”. This he uses as a reminder to ask himself at that moment in time “Am I trusting in God right now?”. I now look for coins to pick up to remind me of my trust level in our savior.
At the Mission we are continually trusting in Him and He has so graciously provided for us this past year. As we look forward to next year we will continue to trust in Him to provide awesome ministry partners like you to continue the work the Lord has started here at Visalia Rescue Mission. Thank you for your consistent faithfulness…. Blessings… Mark Shelton Chairman of the Board
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
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VI S A
LI
C ALIF O R N IA
932
A,
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 119
NUMBERS FROM January TO November 2013 142,117 45,370 27
MEALS SERVED bed nights PROGRAM GRADUATES
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Karen de groot JOHN ANDERSON LINDA LAFLEUR Judy Vannette MIKE ALLEN Mike De Groot JOHN KOSTER SCOTT BOSLER Rob Van Grouw
MARC SCHUIL Rance Mulliniks BRAD REENDERS STEVE BISWELL JOSH BERGMAN MARK SHELTON CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
DANNY LITTLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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