Ennis spent the last few years caring for his 90-year-old father. Desperately sick, especially toward the end, he thought of little else but making his father as comfortable as possible.

So, he was completely unprepared for what happened next!

Right after his father’s death, the manager of the senior living facility told Ennis he had to leave. Immediately.

Ennis was instantly homeless—during a pandemic lockdown!

“I had to sleep on a park bench downtown,” he says, shaking his head at the awful memory. “The police came and said I had to leave, but I didn’t have anywhere to go—so they brought me to DRMM.”

The policemen encouraged Ennis to come inside and get the food and shelter he urgently needed—all of which is provided through the gifts of caring friends like you who really care.

Still, Ennis hesitated outside the Mission doors. He’d never had to ask for help before.

Finally, he took a deep breath and stepped inside . . .

Over a good, hot $1.95 meal provided by someone like you, we listened as Ennis shared about his father’s last days and the trauma of homelessness. Then we prayed and talked at length about God’s plans for his life.

And we assured Ennis that God brought him to us to get the healing, hope, and fresh start he longs for . . .

“I hoped the Mission would take me in, and they did,” Ennis says. “They gave me food to eat, fresh clothes, and a Bible. I’m thankful.”

I am thankful, and grateful too, for friends like you who made sure Ennis got the help he needed, but—

Every day between now and Easter Sunday, the Mission will provide as many as 5,000 meals to people who are hungry, homeless, jobless, and without hope.

So, please share a gift right now to provide as many life-changing $1.95 meals as you can to reach suffering neighbors like Ennis. And thank you for partnering with DRMM this Easter. You are a great blessing to our neighbors in need!

On wet and bitter cold days like this one, I am especially thankful for friends like you who care about their struggling neighbors.

Why? Because you are truly saving lives.

Let me tell you about Jim* . . . He was soaked and shivering when he came through the Mission doors.

Over a hot meal, Jim told us he’d been laid off and couldn’t find another job—like so many others in our city since the COVID-19 crisis began.

Next, he lost his apartment and was homeless in the dead of winter. I’m so thankful God led him to us!

“It was cold. There was snow on the ground,” Jim said, remembering that terrible day when he thought he might actually freeze to death in an alley or under a bridge.

“It was a relief when I walked through the door and felt the heat . . . and when I ate my first meal here—because I didn’t have any food or money.

“I’m thankful because without the Mission, I would be sleeping outside.”

Once he was safely off our frozen streets, Jim got the help he needed to get back on his feet. Our staff assists with job placement and education services for people seeking work—and for those battling substance abuse, we have a treatment program to break those chains of addiction.

This is how lives like Jim’s are saved and changed, and it’s why your help today is so important.

During the freezing days of January, we anticipate as many as 2,200 hungry and frightened people turning to us for food and shelter.

Every $28 you give now will provide a day of life-saving care. So, please make a generous gift now to give hot meals and safe shelter for as many suffering people as you can . . . it could mean the difference between life and death.

*Name changed for privacy

In all my years at DRMM, I have never seen such an enormous need for hope.

It’s true! There is real despair in the faces of men, women, and children throughout our community. No mystery—it’s because they’re hungry, homeless, jobless . . . and scared.

In fact, that describes Mike’s circumstances exactly . . .

It was over a meal provided by a friend like you that we learned about the long, hard path Mike traveled that led him to us. He had tears in his eyes as he shared about the hunger and homelessness that were once his only companions.

“I was staying outside under a bridge,” Mike says. “It’s nice to have a bed and not have to dive in a dumpster to eat out of garbage cans.”

In the days leading up to Easter, we will provide meals and groceries to as many as 5,000 hungry and hurting people just like Mike  . . .

The way I see it, every one of those encounters is more than a chance to share food with the hungry . . . it’s 5,000 chances to spark renewed hope and launch new beginnings!

“I’m thankful every day,” Mike says, for the second chance he received. “Without the Mission, I would be under a bridge with the weather, stray dogs, coyotes, and crumbling concrete.

“Better days are ahead, and I’ll be happy to be back on my feet.”

This Easter will find Mike in a much better place because caring friends and donors gave him hope and the tools to overcome homelessness, joblessness, addiction, and more.

But so many others are still struggling . . .

For the sake of those who are hungry, hurting, and without hope this Easter, please make a gift to provide as many $1.95 meals as you can. And when you make your gift, you’ll have the chance to sign an Easter Pray Card that may make a life-changing difference for someone who is in despair.

Thank you for sharing the mercy and love of Christ with our neighbors in great need this Easter!

*Name changed for privacy