Take Out Team

A new initiative is underway at the Rescue Mission. We are enlisting local restaurant owners and managers to become part of the Take Out Team. We are asking team members to commit to providing lunch once each month, each quarter, or whatever schedule works best. Participating restaurants can either prepare the meal for take out and we will pick it up or even better, bring it to the Mission with a team of coworkers. There are volunteer opportunities to serve the meal alongside our clients and staff. It's a great team building experience and really will provide a sense that everyone involved has made a difference.

As a Take Out Team Restaurant:

• Your food donation is 100% tax deductible and we can provide you with a receipt.
• We will feature your restaurant name in our dining hall, on our website, and in social media.
• You'll get to know our volunteers, staff, and clients and see firsthand how God is working in Youngstown.

For more information contact our Food Services manager, Rodney Stevens at 330-744-5485.

Seeking the City

Jeremiah 29 gives the text of a letter that the prophet sent to the Jewish people who had been deported to Babylon. Rather than bemoaning their captivity, Jeremiah tells them to “seek the welfare of the city where I sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jer. 29:7).  Add to this Jonah’s commission to go to Nineveh, “that great city” (Jonah 1:2, 3: 2-3), and it becomes clear that God has a concern for cities. While modern American Christians think that God works best in the suburbs (hence the proliferation of suburban churches), we neglect the cities to our hurt.

Tim Keller is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in the heart of Manhattan. He has written a blog post called “The Difference Christianity Could Make in the City.” I think what he says could apply to Youngstown, Akron, or any other city.

The Rescue Mission serves the entire Mahoning Valley, but we are located in the city of Youngstown and we are invested here. Will you join us in praying for the welfare of the city?

Lent

Many Christians the world over are making preparations for the Lenten season. Essentially, Lent is observed as a time of fasting in preparation for Easter Sunday. The 40 days before Easter is said to correspond to the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness where, according to the Gospel accounts, He fasted for 40 days. Some Christians fast on Ash Wednesday and on every Friday of the season. Many define fasting as forgoing meat on those days.

One wonders if this practice is at all relevant in secularized 21^st century America. It appears as if the idea of “fasting” has become trivialized in our culture. According to Christianity Today, the top five items that people listed in 2015 to give up for Lent were: school, chocolate, Twitter, alcohol, and social networking.

On a more serious note, Pope Francis remarked, in the online edition of Time Magazine, that “fasting must never become superficial.” Francis frequently quotes John Chrysostom who said, “No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others. So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great.” The point of this article is expressed in the next sentence; “so, if we’re going to fast from anything this Lent, Francis suggests that even more than candy or alcohol, we fast from indifference toward others.”

Thus the motivation behind this post: it is surprising to learn of the things from which people will vow to abstain, almost as a joke, but neglect paying attention to the things that matter. This is reminiscent of the word of Jesus to the Pharisees; “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done without neglecting the others (Matthew 23:23).

Here’s the reality: while some are voluntarily abstaining from chocolate, Twitter, Facebook, donuts, or what have you, others are going without adequate food, appropriate clothing, or habitable shelter. This is not voluntary. This is called homelessness. Instead of making a game out of a serious season, why not vow to make a difference in someone’s life. Contact the Rescue Mission and we can show you how.

Point-in-Time

 

Photo: Barbara Davidson/LA Times

January is the month for the annual point-in-time (PIT) count across the nation. HUD mandates that a yearly census of the homeless population be gathered to guide its allocation of support for those agencies that rely upon HUD funding to provide services for the homeless and near homeless population.

The numbers from 2015 are telling. The PIT count was 183 in 2010; in 2015 it was 368, 74 of which were considered unsheltered (living in places not meant for habitation). By all accounts the increase in numbers was partly due to the improvement in accuracy in the counting process.

If the population of the Rescue Mission is any indicator, the count will be at least the same for 2016. This is significant in that the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley is the only emergency overnight shelter in Mahoning County. We have seen a marked increase in the number of individuals served at the Mission – an average of 131 per night for fiscal year 2015.

Stay tuned for information on 2016 PIT. In the meantime, consider what you can do to help the Mission care for this increasing need.

Business is Good; Business is Bad

As we are out among people, we often hear the question, partially asked in jest, “How’s business at the Mission?”  The reply is sometimes unexpected: “Business is good – which means business is bad.” That a shelter such as the Rescue Mission is necessary is an unfortunate commentary on modern culture. In affluent America, the existence of homeless shelters is an enigma.

What brings people to the Mission? Why is business good? There are various reasons why an individual or a family might experience homelessness. Attempts to generalize the causes often fail to consider the unique situations that characterize certain parts of the country. However, if we are to speak in general terms, we may speak of these as factors that lead to homelessness.

• Traumatic Circumstances – It is not uncommon for a single mother with children to find herself and her children homeless because of domestic issues; either some sort of abuse or the desire to escape criminal activity in a home. A family may experience the loss of housing due to an emergency such as a fire.
• Financial Issues – The rising cost of housing make affordable housing difficult to maintain with near minimum wage jobs. Add to this the cost of basic child care and subsistence expenses and homeless shelters become the stopgap option.
• Substance Abuse – Homelessness is often a secondary condition of drug or alcohol abuse. This is particularly true in the Mahoning Valley where heroin use is at epidemic proportions. It is inexpensive and accessible. People caught in addiction have often burned all of their bridges with family, friends and any other network they have developed. The Mission is the last alternative.
• Chronic Homelessness – According to the online version of The Christian Post, “chronic homelessness, which is defined as homelessness among people who have a disability – including serious mental illness or chronic medical issues – also make up a substantial number of the homeless.”

It is with mixed feelings that we can say that “business is good” at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley. That people experience homelessness is unfortunate; but that we have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with more and more people is a great opportunity that we do not take lightly.

Ideas for a New Year

We are well into 2016. The winter in Northeast Ohio has been unusually mild with the warmest December on record. January, however, has welcomed the first brutal cold snap with single digit low temperatures and more in the immediate forecast. Winter is usually a difficult time for those who experience episodes of homelessness – particularly demanding for people who live on the streets.

If you are in the habit of New Year’s resolutions, or setting goals, or even making lists, here is a list of things you can do to help alleviate the plight of people who are in homeless situations as we begin a new year:

1.      Be Aware

The fact that there are people who have no permanent and stable housing does not appear on the radar of most people who live functional, “normal” lives. Wherever you live, realize that you are not too far from someone who has no place to call home. Additionally, most Americans are 1 or 2 paychecks away from being homeless themselves. Homelessness is closer than you think.

2.      Be Considerate

When you encounter homeless people, treat them with love, dignity, and respect. This may be difficult for some who have an aversion to “hobo’s” or “panhandlers.” But understand that no one wakes up one morning and makes a conscious decision to be homeless. It is always at the end of a series of events or choices poorly made. Know that the people you meet at a shelter or on the streets were once just like you.

3.      Be Engaged

Likely, you live near a homeless shelter, a rescue mission, or a food bank. These organizations thrive on volunteer involvement. You may volunteer to perform services that may seem insignificant, but they eliminate the need for those organizations to hire staff to accomplish those tasks. This is an invaluable service for organizations that depend upon non-profit dollars.

4.      Be Invested

Organizations that help homeless people usually are not-for-profit organizations that depend upon donated dollars to fulfill their mission statement. The appeal for donations may become wearisome, but the reality is that the “squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Determine to become a regular donor to those agencies that exist to aid people in homeless situations. Like many of these organizations, the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley relies solely on donations. We do not seek nor receive any type of federal funding to help us bring hope to the hurting and homeless of our valley.

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.