Just ask Dwight*.

It was a caring friend just like you who provided the $1.95 meal that made a pivotal difference for him at the lowest point in his life . . .

You see, Dwight is a veteran, and he was proud to serve our nation. He knows what it means to give his all to his country—and his employer. Yet, after 15 years with the same company, he was laid off.

Shaken but resilient, Dwight found another job and gave them 12 years of devoted service . . . only to be laid off again.

“I was ‘downsized’—twice,” he says. “I just want a job where I can take care of myself.”

Suddenly, like so many people who have lost jobs since the pandemic came to Detroit, Dwight was struggling to find a job. Any job.

Over a good hot meal provided by a friend like you, we prayed with Dwight and assured him that we could help him through this difficult time in his life.

He listened when we told him that God loves him, that neighbors like you care, and that he could find work and rebuild his life through our job and educational programs, counseling, and more . . .

“I’m grateful for DRMM. This is a dignified place, and I’ve been treated with the utmost respect. They know me by name,” Dwight says with a smile. “I don’t think there is any other place like DRMM.”

Because of your support, Dwight found meals, help, and hope at DRMM. This Christmas will find him filled with joy because he knows that God has a plan and that friends like you care.

But so many other people are in desperate need! Please make a gift now to help another hungry and hurting neighbor get a holiday meal that could change everything for them this Christmas!

*Name changed for privacy

Across Detroit, Christmas will be a difficult time for men and women who have lost jobs, families on the brink of homelessness, isolated senior citizens, and other neighbors who are struggling to survive. Please partner with DRMM today to provide meals, help, and hope. Here’s how you can help:

Make a donation today. Every $1.95 you give now will provide a delicious holiday meal that could launch a new beginning in someone’s life! Or, if you want to make 12 times the impact, you can set up a recurring monthly gift by filling out the enclosed reply slip. Your gift today will help provide:

• Meals, groceries, and more to our neighbors who cannot afford to buy food.
• A special Christmas Day meal for people who are hungry and homeless.
• New toys for children in need so they have a gift to open on Christmas.
• A socially-distanced Christmas Day service and other celebrations to put joy and hope in the hearts of people who are suffering.

Pray for our neighbors who are in need of help and hope. Ask God to shower His mercy and love on those among us who are hungry, without jobs, or facing homelessness. Ask God to plant the seeds of faith in many hurting hearts this Christmas!

Thank you for your prayers and gift to provide meals and so much more for struggling families and individuals this Christmas. Your support helps DRMM share the mercy and love of Christ with people in our community who are in need and without hope.

This will be a difficult time of year for families and individuals who are out of work and facing homelessness. Your gift will be a great blessing to neighbors in need this Christmas.

Since the pandemic devastated Detroit, more people than ever before are turning to DRMM desperate for a meal, safe shelter, or merely seeking God’s love and mercy—like James*, who lost his job then watched helplessly as his savings dwindled to nothing.

“When I couldn’t pay my rent, I didn’t know where to go, so I came to DRMM,” James says, remembering those dark days. “It was a horrible feeling, not having anywhere to go, not knowing when I was going to eat.”

He’d heard about DRMM but never imagined he would need help with getting food or shelter. He says, “When I walked through the Mission’s door, I felt relief . . . I felt relieved when I ate my first meal here because I didn’t have any food or money, nothing. I’m thankful for the Mission because, without it, I’d be sleeping under a bridge somewhere.”

James is so grateful for the food, shelter, and many kindnesses he has received. His stay at DRMM has also strengthened his faith and equipped him with the tools and encouragement he needed to find work and rebuild his life.

“I came during the coronavirus, and they quarantined us to keep us safe. The staff did an excellent job,” James says. “Whatever situation you’re in, they try to help you out. They’ve helped me a lot.”

This Christmas season, James is giving thanks for DRMM and those, like you, who support our life-changing outreach. He says, “I want to thank the donors very much for giving their time, donations, and thoughts to us—and please don’t stop because we are in need.”

Please share a gift today to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and provide the tools for a fresh start in life for others who are suffering. Your prayers and partnership will be a great blessing to our neighbors in need during these difficult days!

Your support gave James help and hope in the difficult days since the pandemic hit Detroit. “I might be homeless, but I’m not out on the streets,” James says, gratefully.

*Name changed for privacy

Edward* enjoyed his work with Detroit Public Schools, but when COVID-19 came to Detroit, schools were quickly closed, and Edward lost his job.

He remembers clearly the panic he felt and the questions that raced through his mind, “How am I going to do this? How am I going to pay rent and take care of my daughter?”

He used the last of his savings to set his daughter up in a small home of her own, but it was far too cramped for the two of them. So, he turned to DRMM for help in finding a new job and a safe place to stay until he was back on his feet.

Edward is deeply thankful for the help he’s received. He says, “There’s plenty to eat. I’ve got someplace to sleep. I go to the chapel, and it helps me. And they helped me out with a job.

“If you need help, DRMM goes out of their way to help you.”

He has heartfelt words of thanks to share with everyone who gives to help their neighbors in need. He says, “I want to tell DRMM’s donors . . . thank you very much for supporting me—otherwise, I’d be staying outside.”

Please make a gift now to help people who are struggling with hunger, homelessness, joblessness, and more. Your compassion and generosity will help our neighbors in need get food, safe shelter, and the encouragement they need to begin again.

Between jobs and facing homelessness, Edward found help and hope at DRMM. He is truly thankful for the safe shelter, food, and encouragement he has received—because of you!

*Name changed for privacy

Desperate to make changes, Kevin* turned to DRMM for help overcoming drug addiction and rebuilding his life. Shortly after his arrival, though, the pandemic turned our city, state, nation, and world upside down.

“I’m glad I’m here and not on the streets,” Kevin says. “This is my first time in a shelter, and I’ve learned a lot. They’re teaching me a lot.

“I never thought I’d be in this situation, especially with the virus going on. I never thought I would see this in my lifetime, people wearing masks all the time. They take our temperature, and there’s social distancing. They’re doing that for our health, for our protection.”

Besides safe shelter and wholesome meals, Kevin is grateful to be in an environment where he can rebuild and prepare for a new beginning in life. With drug use behind him, he’s ready to work and to be the best he can be. He says, “One of the staff got me a part-time job; it’s a start. Others are opening doors for me, too.”

Kevin enjoys the spiritual atmosphere at DRMM and wants supporters to know he is praying for them. “I want the donors to know they are blessing a lot of people through their support, and a lot of people need it. There are a lot of guys here who have lost jobs,” he says. “Without your help, a lot of people would be much worse off. I appreciate that you donate, and I appreciate the meals. God will bless you, and I thank you very much.”

Kevin will be giving thanks for you this Christmas, but please make a gift now to help other neighbors who are in need of safe shelter, food, and the tools to begin again.

Kevin is grateful for safe shelter and the resources to get back on his feet. He says, “I will take this experience with me and remember it the rest of my life. I’ll remember DRMM’s dedicated staff and how they’re trying to keep everybody safe.”

*Name changed for privacy

The day Scott* came through the Mission doors, he was hungry and homeless. He had been aimlessly walking our city streets. He stopped in front of the Mission for a long while, agonizing about coming inside . . .

“I knew DRMM existed, but I never thought I would have to utilize it,” Scott says, remembering the pain of his hunger.

His first meal was deeply appreciated. But what came next truly changed Scott’s life . . .

We gave him safe shelter as we helped him beat addiction and find work. Then, we helped him go back to school and learn a trade so he could regain independence.

“DRMM saved me,” Scott says. “They gave me a safe haven, a roof over my head. I started volunteering so I could help others like they helped me.”

This Thanksgiving, Scott will be giving thanks for people like you who support the Mission because he knows you are the reason—

He’s off the streets and no longer hungry.
He’s working and living independently.
He has hope in his heart and can now help others in need.

I am grateful to God—and you—for Scott’s saved and changed life, but more people are turning to the Mission for help at this time than ever before.

This year, DRMM will serve over 225,000 meals for desperate people coming through the Mission doors, hoping for a good, hot meal. Your gift of meals becomes a gift of hope to so many like Scott.

Please make a generous gift now because every $1.95 you give will provide a delicious holiday meal for someone in our community who is facing hunger, homelessness, and joblessness and has nowhere else to turn. Thank you for helping our neighbors in need!

*Name changed for privacy