5 Realities of a Homeless Shelter at Christmas

“Most people dream of a white Christmas, with a thick shimmering layer of fresh snow blanketing the world, wrapping everything you know in a cozy embrace.” So begins an article from the website “Cracked” entitled “5 Realities of a Homeless Shelter at Christmas.” The writer then makes this startling observation; “a white Christmas can [expletive] murder you.”

The post is rather cynical and is peppered with profanity, but the points made are valid and important.  They are summarized here:

#5 – People Treat the Homeless as Props.

These shelters, says Brock Lee, a worker among homeless charities in the UK, “exist to help people with serious problems. They do not exist to round up sideshows and parade them around for gawkers or to help regular folks to gain perspective on their own lives.” It is not completely uncommon to receive a call from parents who want to bring their children to serve meals at the Mission so the children will be more appreciative of the benefits they have. The Rescue Mission does not exist to provide a “scared straight” lesson for unappreciative children. We exist to help at risk individuals who are at crisis points in their lives.

#4 – Don’t Expect Everyone to Be Grateful
Some have a “bad volunteer experience” because they expect people at the shelter to be overjoyed with gratitude that someone would leave the comfort of their homes for an hour or so to serve them food. In reality, many who are accustomed to the street have genuine trust issues, particularly when it comes to strangers. Besides, some know that this is a “feel-good” experience for the volunteer and there is little thought for lasting help. Admittedly, some of the individuals that you will meet at the Mission will be extremely thankful for your service. Unfortunately, some will not.

#3 – Donations are Bizarrely Random

Missions often receive items that someone cannot use or don’t know how to use. We have received broken microwave ovens, with the idea that someone here could repair it; we’ve received opened and partially used bottles of vitamins, OTC medications, and such like. Many of the items donated to us are exactly what we need.  Sometimes, charities become a substitute dumpster.

#2 – Homelessness Kills

Fortunately we are in an El Nino weather pattern in the North East, which, so far, has meant a mild, warmer-than-average winter. Last winter was brutal. People living on the streets are at great risk in cold weather. In fact, hypothermia does not require brutal cold to set in.

#1 – Breaking through Isn’t Easy But it Does Happen

There are stories of individuals who have broken the cycle of homelessness, poverty, and addiction.  The Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley has taken pro-active measures to increase expectations and accountability to lift people from this vicious cycle. The added component in our approach is the gospel of Christ. Without apology, we are a gospel rescue mission, cleverly disguised as a homeless shelter. In the end, we cannot change anyone. However, we serve a Savior who can change everyone through the life changing message of the gospel.

O Christmas Tree

This is the third year that the Mission has placed a tree at Mill Creek Park's Fellow's Riverside Gardens Davis Center. The theme this year is "A Winter Celebration." This event is sponsored by WKBN, WYFX, and Friends of Fellows Riverside Gardens. In addition to their regular hours, according to their press release,

“Every Saturday and Sunday, the Gardens will be open until 8 p.m. so that everyone can enjoy the Electric Garden, where the grounds will be lit with thousands of twinkling lights... Guests will also be able to experience over 40 live fir trees on display throughout the Davis Center uniquely decorated by local non-profit organizations."

Stop and visit the display and look for the tree decorated by our Development staff.

 

 

Another Graduation

Doug Gough with our graduates

For only the second time, the Rescue Mission graduated 5 men from its Discipleship Academy. This celebration was held this past Friday in the dining hall at the shelter on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. You can watch a 19 minute clip of the graduation and a video of one of our graduates, Roger Young, singing to close the program. Congratulations John Dalton, Chris Dengard, Mike Entler, Brad Flachbart, and Roger Young.

 

 

Thank You

This video "Thank You" card is sent with gratitude to all who gave of their time and resources to help serve those who seek shelter at the Rescue Mission.

 

Cold Weather

Although the weather forecast sounds more like Fall, today is the first day of the Cold Weather Emergency Program. The program, sponsored by Help Hotline and now in its 26th year, runs December 1 through March 31. The Cold Weather Program is a cooperation among many of the agencies that comprise the Mahoning County Homeless Continuum of Care.

Before the kick-off news conference, which was held at the Rescue Mission, representatives from cooperating agencies participated in the annual Homeless Awareness Walk. This year they walked from the Covelli Center in downtown Youngstown, to the Rescue Mission on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Hometown Hero

Our very own Karen Romandetti is this week's Hometown Hero. Of course, all of us at the Mission consider her a hero, but WYTV will officially recognize her as one on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. If you watch the evening or morning news segments, you can catch her surprise and the interview with morning anchor Len Rome.

Karen is our receptionist and is often the first staff person that you meet when you come to the Rescue Mission. Thanks "Miss Karen" for all the important work you do as you present a smiling face to all who come through our doors.

As Seen on TV

The Rescue Mission has produced a new 30 second TV spot that highlights the current situation at the Mission. There is an unprecedented need for our services in the Mahoning Valley. You can get a firsthand look here.

Pomp & Circumstance

L-R: Harley, John, Joe

This past Friday, the Rescue Mission Discipleship Academy saw yet another graduation. Three men completed the year-long course that includes more than 600 hours of educational and biblical instruction, as well as hands on servanthood training through various service duties.

Congratulations Joe Beveridge, Harley Champlin, and John Goins for achieving this milestone by the grace of God. You may view a 17 minute video of the graduation here

Goodie Bags

A box of treat bags were given for the children (and maybe some who are merely childlike) staying at the Rescue Mission. Rosemary and Patty presented this gift in behalf of the Altruza Club. Thank you for thinking of the children who are experiencing homelessness.

In fiscal year 2014, we logged 5297 overnight stays for children. The Mission is grateful for those who remember the kids who, for the time being, call the Mission "home."

Rollin'

Finally, the new Mission truck has been graced with the appropriate signage. We now have a “rolling billboard.” Thanks to grants from the Youngstown Foundation, the Home Savings Foundation, and the Ruth Beecher Charitable Trust who made this possible.

Fit and Focused

Since 1992, the Rescue Mission has operated from 2 locations: from our warehouse on Glenwood Ave and from the Emergency Shelter Building on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Beginning this week, there will be a change in business as usual.

In a press release, Executive Director, Jim Echement said:

 

The Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley’s Emergency Shelter continues to experience an unprecedented increase in the number of overnight guests and meals served to the community. The average overnight census has reached 130 people nightly from just 65 people five years ago.  In the same time frame, the average number of meals served has also increased dramatically from 273 daily, climbing to 631 daily meals this year.

 

At this increased service level our resources have been stretched necessitating change.  We are grateful that the community remains faithful and our revenue has remained steady ¾ yet it has not kept pace with the increased demand for services.  To that end, and to remain faithful to our primary purpose as an emergency shelter, The Mission must channel its resources toward the needs of our burgeoning overnight census: shelter, meals, educational, employment, and recovery programs.

 

The changes have resulted in consolidation of the two Rescue Mission locations. All services will now be operated from the shelter location at 962 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.  We have begun to wind down operations at the warehouse located at 2246 Glenwood Avenue.  It will close by December 31, 2015. 

 

Looking forward, we are requesting the community to limit in-kind donations to non-perishable food stuffs  and personal hygiene items¾ all of which can be dropped off at the Mission’s consolidated location, 962 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Youngstown.

 

The Mission is extremely grateful to our faithful donors for sustaining our operations for nearly 125 years.  We embrace the changes that must be made to satisfy the needs of our community and look forward to a continued partnership as we maximize the impact of your generous cash and in-kind donations.

 

Somethin's Happenin' Here...

So, if you know this opening line as the lyrics to a 1970's era protest song by Buffalo Springfield, then you are certainly dating yourself. But, something is happening here. The Mission has closed the books on fiscal year 2014-2015 and opened the page to fiscal year 2015-2016.  This is always a time to reflect upon how the ministry has grown or declined.

The good news is that business is good. The bad news is that business is good. When business is good at a homeless shelter that means that more people need the services that are offered. Increase in “customers” does not translate to an increase in income.  Unlike a business, income does not always keep pace with demand.

These charts show the sharp increase in overnight guests and meals served in the past several years. More people than ever are counting on the Mission to provide food and shelter. The increases seem to show no signs of letting up.

 

 

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, our income has remained steady. We are doing our due diligence to streamline our ministry and focus in on our purpose as stated in the sidebar on the right.





Shuttle to the Shelter

The Mission is offering to shuttle your group to the shelter for a 30 minute tour of the Rescue Mission. We will pick up your group from your workplace or any other central location and return you safely using our 15 passenger van.

Recently, a group of nurses, doctors and social workers from St. Elizabeth’s Ambulatory Clinic rode the shuttle for a tour. These individuals provide such valuable services for our clients and others in the community. Thanks for all you do and thanks for coming in.

On the Cutting Edge

Well, not really. But the new Marshall’s Department Store in Boardman invited Executive Director Jim Echement and Board President Marisa Volpini to cut the ribbon for their newest store’s grand opening. As part of the event, Marshall’s donated $5000.00 to the Rescue Mission.

Thank you, Marshall’s and TJX  Companies, Inc. for being a part of the Valley’s economy and partnering with the Mission to reach out to those who experience homelessness in our community.

 

Yes, I See that Hand...

Today’s post is courtesy of Brad Weber, our Volunteer Coordinator:

It’s hard to summarize what our volunteers mean to us.  From driving clients, to helping with resumes, to serving meals, we have a volunteer to help with just about any task here at the mission.  And the great thing about the amount of volunteers we have?  It keeps growing.

Currently, we have approx. 800-900 volunteers that serve at the Mission.  This consists of individuals, church groups, students from YSU, and local business employees.  The most common area for volunteering is in the dining hall.  Numerous churches in the area have specific days that they serve a meal during the course of a month, and some of the churches even prepare and cook the meal for our clients!  Most of these church groups have been serving for many years, and come in so often that they have really grown close to the clients and other staff members.  We also look for larger groups to help with our Super Saturday event, which is a morning of spring cleaning around the mission designed to accommodate groups of 10 or more.

Right now, we have a large number of students from area high schools and from YSU serving at the mission.  Most are doing hours for national honor society, some are doing hours working towards completing their major.  We are happy to welcome them!

We are always looking for additional volunteers.  We would love to meet with you and show you around the Mission and talk to you about the opportunities we have here!!  If you are interested in serving here at the mission, please contact Brad Weber, our Volunteer Coordinator, at 330-744-5485 x212.  He would be happy to setup a tour and meeting with you to discuss more about volunteering!

 

 

Rock the Hair Net

It’s not just a matter of cleanliness; it’s entertainment. Thanks to these meal serving volunteers for joining in the fun.

Astellas Pharmaceuticals




Canfield Presbyterian



I Was Born-Again Lazy

My name is Josh Avery, and until 2007, I was born-again lazy. It's a strange sounding term, but it's one that my friend J.R. created for the kinds of people who accept and profess Jesus but do nothing about it. From a young age, I had accepted the sacrifice of Christ and had become "born again," but beyond that Christianity had very little impact in my everyday life.

 

 I attended Church every single Sunday morning, helped with my local youth group, and was even taking Bible classes at Geneva College to achieve a Bachelor's degree in Student Ministry-- but I was still lazy when it came to actually doing something about my faith. Faith was something I talked about on Sunday morning and within my classes, not something that transformed day to day interactions.

 

 This boring state of existence was forever altered on one late and snowy February night on the streets of Pittsburgh in that fateful year of 2007. Getting back late to a hotel conference I was attending and finding no open seats, I decided to hit the streets to hand out a free Bible I had acquired earlier that day. It was dark, cold, and every road was populated by countless homeless people attempting to keep warm in the winter winds. I eventually met a man with a pillowcase full of belongings slung over his shoulder named Clayton-- a man who asked an inevitable question I was expecting from the homeless: "Do you have any change for some food?"

 

 Instead of handing over cash and walking back to the warmth of my hotel, I decided to walk with him to a Chinese restaurant several blocks away and buy his meal. As they prepared the food, I gave him the Bible and he placed it inside his pillowcase next to the other items he had collected over the years. Since the place was closing down for the night, Clayton grabbed his meal and we headed back onto the icy streets once more. As we walked, he pointed out a group of people sitting across the street-- young and old of both genders-- who were huddled together in a pile. Clayton explained that it was highly likely that the members of the huddle didn't even know each other but were simply gathering for warmth, and that this phenomena happened often to avoid people freezing to death on the February city streets. When survival is at stake, he explained, you don't worry about who you're snuggled up next to for the night.

 

 It's been over eight years since I met Clayton in Pittsburgh and quit being born-again lazy, because I simply couldn't live in complacency knowing there were people starving and freezing on the streets. I now work at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley as a Men's Client Advisor, and I meet face to face with the homeless each and every day I go to my job. While most people (including my past self) assume that homeless people are uneducated and aren't interested in getting a job, I have come to find out that those thoughts simply aren't true. I've met countless people with GEDs who have an incredible work ethic and will take any job thrown at them, and I've also met others who have Master Degrees but have absolutely nothing to their name, nowhere to stay, and nothing to eat.

 

 Being born-again lazy is easy, but it's an incredibly boring story to tell with your life. Trust me, I used to be the laziest Christian you could ever meet. When I started to get involved in the lives of the poor, the destitute, and the needy, it changed my life forever. I'm no longer living the kind of story that revolves around me-- I'm constantly learning from the people that I'm tasked with helping at the Mission.

 

 If you've realized that you might be born-again lazy like I was, consider introducing an interesting plotline into your life story. If you feel God's prodding, come join in on the stories we've been telling here at the Mission: volunteer to serve during a meal, come take a tour; get involved in the life changing processes that occur here every single day. As you attempt to change the lives of others through your help, you'll find your life being transformed as well.

 

 My name is Josh Avery, and I was born-again lazy... but now I'm alive, past the monotony of simple existence, in the transformational work of Christ.

 

 

Fellowship Doesn't Always Mean Food - Just Sometimes

This is a group of Pastors, wives and church leaders of the Bethany Fellowship of Northeast Ohio. This group represents about a dozen Baptist churches in Trumbull and Mahoning Counties. Here they are at lunch at MVR in Smokey Hollow in Youngstown after having spent the morning at the Rescue Mission. The group held their monthly meeting at the Mission where they were treated to breakfast, a tour, and helpful information.

Thank you, Bethany Fellowship churches for your interest in the Rescue Mission and thank you for your faithfulness to the gospel.

Nothing Deep Fried or on a Stick

If you stop by the Commercial Building at the Canfield Fair and visit the Rescue Mission’s display, these are a few of the items that you will not find:

• Anything to eat on a stick
• Deep fried _________ (fill in the blank)
• Free chair massage
• Tractors
• Hot sausage sandwiches
• Award winning pumpkins

But if you stop by for a visit, you just may find:

• Smiling staff who can answer your questions about the Mission
• Information about current programs and upcoming events
• Volunteers to who love to serve at the Rescue Mission
• And, depending upon when you come, you may meet some of the men who are enrolled in the Discipleship Academy and who are anxious to tell you how their lives have been changed since coming to the Mission.
• Above all, you will find people who want to personally thank you for your support of the Mission. Without you, this good work cannot continue.

Keep On Truckin'

Thanks to grants from the Youngstown Foundation, the Home Savings Foundation, and the Ruth Beecher Charitable Trust, the Rescue Mission has a new truck. Once the signage is attached, you will see this new Ford E350 moving throughout the 3 county area picking up donations from our corporate vendors.

For more than 20 years, the Mission has utilized trucks and vans that have been purchased through grants and donations from generous benefactors in the Mahoning Valley. These vehicles are then used to pick up donations from various businesses who provide food and clothing to help serve people in homeless situations.

Thank you, Youngstown Foundation, Home Savings Foundation, and the Ruth Beecher Charitable Trust. Your generosity will be a benefit to many people.

"God Bless the Child..."

We are accustomed to seeing people standing on the side of the street holding signs asking for work or some kind of assistance. We have viewed pictures of people sleeping on sidewalks or park benches. These images usually come to mind when we hear the word “homeless.” “Homeless” has many definitions. A person or a family may be experiencing homelessness because of a personal or family tragedy; perhaps economic reasons have led to this temporary condition; or maybe a loss of family stability has contributed to a mother and her children seeking shelter.

When you think of the face of a homeless person, do you ever think of the face of a child? According to a study published in Newsweek, 1 out of every 30 children in America has experienced homelessness in 2013. This graphic shows the sad growth of this unfortunate situation.

The Mahoning Valley is not immune from the impact of this national trend. So far in August, the average number of children who are housed in our emergency shelter is 16 – with 22 children in the house this past weekend. This is not LA, San Francisco, Chicago or New York. But proportionality, the situation is similar.

Homelessness is often a family affair. And remember, some of the children you see getting on or off the school bus will do their homework at a homeless shelter.  

 

 

 

Rise and Shine

Imagine this: staff members of the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley get to start each day with a devotional challenge from the Scriptures! Sometimes we will watch a video; sometimes we gather into small groups to pray for each other and the people we serve; sometimes we’ve even been known to sing a hymn or two – making a joyful noise (with an unfortunate emphasis on "noise"). More times than not, we are led in devotions by one of our staff members. This photo is our own Pastor Terry Weyand leading us in an exposition of Psalm 37.

God is doing amazing things at the Rescue Mission. He is rebuilding broken lives, mending wounded hearts, and even helping unworthy servants to be better equipped to labor in His harvest.

Got a Towel?

Towels are a hot item at the Rescue Mission. Our overnight population has been in the 150 + range for most of August. When you consider 150 showers each day, it is no surprise that keeping clean and dry towels would be essential.

This past Sunday, the good people at Bailey Road Baptist Church donated 56 new towels to the Mission. You can see some of them in the photo. Thank you Pastor Boyd Eliot, Mrs. Brenda Eliot, and members of Bailey Road. This is a reminder of the words of Jesus that, “as you did it to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).

Why Homeless?

It is a fact that there are many people who experience homelessness in our community. The population count at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley is evidence enough: 152 on August 10. It might surprise you to learn that of this number, 19 were children. In fact, according to a 2009 study by the National Center on Family Homelessness, 1 out of 50 children in our nation will experience homelessness.

Two important questions come to mind: What causes this? How can this issue be so prevalent and yet so frequently go unnoticed?

The Causes of Homelessness:

According to a 2008 study sponsored by the US Conference of Mayors, the leading causes of family homelessness are:

·         Lack of affordable housing

·         Poverty

·         Unemployment

These are interrelated. Unemployment and underemployment contribute to poverty and the inability to afford housing. It is nearly impossible to maintain housing for a family on a minimum wage job.

The same study cited these reasons as the cause for individual homelessness:

·         Substance abuse

·         Lack of affordable housing

·         Mental illness

Other issues factor in as well: domestic violence, human trafficking, etc.

How does this go unnoticed? Probably because we do not like to acknowledge that we have real problems in affluent America. Many of us live in the suburbs where we are sheltered from contact with homeless people. Many get their perceptions of homelessness from Hollywood, a caricature of the situation to be sure.

At the Rescue Mission, we are doing more than sheltering people who experience homelessness. We are trying to address the reasons that caused the situation in the individual’s life. We want to provide help and hope. And, by the way, there is hope.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Many people think that they can spot a homeless person as soon as they pass them on the street. You know the type: ragged clothes, disheveled hair, unkempt and likely smelling of a mixture of alcohol and body odor. This is the stereotype, thanks in no small part to the depiction given to us by Hollywood.

While this may describe some individuals who are experiencing homelessness, it is by far not the reality – at least not here in the Mahoning Valley. Would it surprise you to know that those who have experienced homelessness and sought shelter at the Rescue Mission are people not much different than you? In the past several years we have counted among our guests: addicts, alcoholics, college graduates, real estate investors, victims of human trafficking, university professors (2 in the past decade, both with PhD’s), mom’s with children, and complete families who were in difficult situations.

The next time you think you know what a homeless person looks like, think again. In fact, look in the mirror. He or she looks just like you.

"No Soup For You!"

These are strange days indeed. Case in point is this article appearing on line from NBC News:

More American cities are blocking individuals and ministries from feeding homeless people in parks and public squares, and several Americans have been ticketed for offering such charity, according to a forthcoming report by the National Coalition for the Homeless.

To date, 33 cities have adopted or are considering such food–sharing restrictions, according to the coalition, which shared with NBC News a draft of its soon-to-be published study.

Police in at least four municipalities – Raleigh, N.C.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Daytona Beach, Fla. – have recently fined, removed or threatened to jail private groups that offered meals to the homeless instead of letting government-run service agencies care for those in need, the advocacy group reports.

This is a bizarre notion, that providing food for individuals in public places would be considered illegal. Certainly, as the article mentions, there are other issues at play here, but the impact of these ordinances are yet to be fully realized by the people who are involved in compassionate ministries.

At the Rescue Mission we serve, on average, 662 meals each day. For the current fiscal year, we have served 201,148 meals (as of July 31). All meals are prepared and served at our shelter facility located at 962 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. And, by the way, to dine at the Mission, you need only to be hungry, not homeless.

50 Shades of Care

Thank you, Alex Lischak, for the donation of 50 bags of personal care items (toiletries, toothpaste, etc.). Alex and his father brought these to the Mission over the weekend to be distributed to the guests at the shelter. 

In addition to these care packages, Alex also brought a generous monetary donation. What practical way to help those  whose lives are in a difficult place!

Graduation Day

Graduation day at the Mission is an exciting time. When members of our Discipleship Academy complete their work – usually after 12 months - we hold a graduation ceremony. Today, we graduated Greg Smith and John Maynard.

The Discipleship Academy is an intensive course of study with the goal to develop followers of Jesus Christ. It includes academic instruction, Biblical instruction, service duties and internship opportunity. See a complete description here.

Graduation is no minor accomplishment. “It was the most difficult thing I have ever done,” said Greg (left). John (right) told the audience, “There were many times that I thought, ‘I’ve been here for a few months. I’ve got this.’ But every time, the Lord encouraged me to finish the course.” These men testify to the transforming power of the gospel.

You can view a 2 minute video of today’s graduation here.

Hot Town, Summer in the City

This “oldies” tune is appropriate for this summer’s first major heat wave in northeast Ohio. Temperatures in the 90’s turn our old brick building into a kiln. Add to the heat the 130 people who stay with us at the Mission and you can see how interesting life is at the Rescue Mission.

One of the most popular misconceptions is that shelters are filled to capacity during the brutal winter months, but not so much in the summer. While I cannot speak for other parts of the country, the number of people staying at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley is consistent throughout the year. If anything, the population count increases during the summer.

Here’s the point: homelessness is not seasonal. It can happen anytime at anyplace and to anybody. So, think of the people who seek shelter at the Mission. We may have the comfort of a cool, air-conditioned home to escape the summer heat. Others do not.