Latest News – Page 25 – Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries

“Thank you. You gave us hope . . .”

Posted in: August 2019 Newsletter, Stories

August
2

The flooded basement in LaPortia’s home was growing worse by the day, taking a dangerous toll on her entire family—but especially for her child who struggles with chronic asthma.

Finally, she swallowed her fear and decided she had no choice but to take her children and leave their home. But where could they go? The landlord, who wouldn’t make repairs to the flooded basement, also refused to return the security deposit needed to secure a new home!

Family members tried to help them, but money was tight and there was not enough room in any of their homes. Then LaPortia’s grandmother welcomed the family, but before the children were even settled in, shots were fired at the house from a passing car!

Desperate to keep her children safe, LaPortia turned to DRMM and for the first time in a long time, she felt hope.

“I never thought I’d be living in a shelter, but staying here for a short time will help so much,” LaPortia says. “And my kids love being here because there are other children. They’ve made friends and can just be kids together.”

With her children safe and happy, LaPortia is able to focus on next steps for her and her family. She was amazed to learn that DRMM offers more than food and shelter. Thanks to support from caring friends and donors, she’s also receiving life-changing resources that include day care, job and educational counseling, and more.

LaPortia is grateful to God for delivering her family to DRMM, and for supporters like you who give so generously. “Thank you for your help, we really need it,” she says. “Thank you for being the type of person who opens your heart and gives to help others in need. I’m grateful that you’re helping me and my family, and also that you’re helping so many others who are in an even worse situation than me.”

Please make a gift now to help reach other families who are in need. Especially now with a new school year about to begin! You can help at-risk children stay safe, nourished, and have the confidence to succeed in school!

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Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

July
3

“O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight

O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming

And the rocket’s red glare, the bomb bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave”

Happy July 4th to you and your family.

Thank God the weather is good and we can all enjoy indoor and outdoor festivities with family and friends, while reflecting on our collective heritage and personal responsibility as citizens of this great country called the United States of America.

As the Star-Spangled Banner waves everywhere, and fireworks rend the air, we are reminded of the great sacrifices of those whose resplendent vision and resilient vigor paved the way for us to savor the freedoms and opportunities we have today from Detroit and Denver to Seattle and Sacramento.

In blood, sweat and tears, our freedom-yearning and brave founding fathers created the world’s best democracy and birthed the world’s greatest economy, leaving us with the awesome benefit of enjoying the fruits and the fervor of playing our individual part in further strengthening and enlarging their legacy.

One way many compatriots have done this is by charitable giving.

In fact, I consider it one of the bravest things anybody could do – sacrificing their precious resources – like time and money – for people they don’t know.

So, I doff my summer hat for those who will visit the sick, assist the elderly, feed the hungry, give hope to suffering children or donate money and materials toward uplifting the living conditions of indigent compatriots this Independence Week.

God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Summer’s Terrible Secrets

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

May
15

When some people think of summer, they’re thinking of vacation plans, trips to the beach, and family get-togethers. For many others though, summer is a very scary time.

Here are a few reasons why summer is a rough season for many people in your community:

Summer = Hunger—When school is out, the meals many boys and girls depend on are unavailable. So for a family who is already having trouble making ends meet, providing extra meals for their growing children—all summer long—seems impossible.

Desperate parents will water down the milk (and everything else) to make it last longer. They’ll tell their hungry little ones, “Drink a big glass of water and your stomach will stop hurting.”

I thank God that DRMM’s caring friends and donors give generously so we have the resources to welcome hungry families who turn to the Mission for a meal or a bag of groceries from our food pantry!

Summer = Deadly Heat—Soaring temperatures greatly impact senior citizens and the homeless. Many struggle to make ends meet, but are ashamed to ask for help. But the fact is that heat can be deadly for the most vulnerable people among us.

The same is true for the homeless . . . I pray they will come in from the sizzling streets and find cool refuge and a much-needed meal. Because when they do, we can offer life-changing help along with prayer, fellowship, and a plate of nutritious food!

Summer = Fewer Friends to Help—Just when the needs of our neighbors are rising along with the heat, donations to the Mission drop because so many of DRMM’s supporters are away on vacation. No one will ever be turned away, but it’s a huge challenge to meet the incredible need without emptying our pantry, too!

That’s why, as President of DRMM I am sounding the alarm to alert every caring friend to get involved NOW so DRMM can prepare for the long hot days of summer that will threaten so many vulnerable men, women, and children in our community.

I sincerely hope that a fun and restful getaway is on your calendar this summer. But before you go, please give generously so DRMM can ensure that everyone who is hungry and hurting gets the food, shelter, and other emergency help they need to stay Safe Over Summer!

Thank you for giving as generously as you are able, right now. And please spread the word to your friends and family, your church and coworkers, because it’s going to take all of us to keep our neighbors in need Safe Over Summer.

Chad

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Giving second chances all year round

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

April
9

“Sometimes in our lives we all have pain

We all have sorrow

But if we are wise

We know that there’s always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you’re not strong

And I’ll be your friend

I’ll help you carry on

For it won’t be long

‘Til I’m gonna need

Somebody to lean on”

Remember that ageless song by Bill Withers? I love it!

I call it The Compassionate Heart’s Anthem because it clearly reminds us of the need to be our brother’s and sister’s keeper, and underscores the fact that nobody is immune from the vicissitudes of life.

Life happens. Situations change. And people suffer untold hardships.

Some very successful persons in our society today had to retake school and college courses they didn’t have pass marks in. Some have had to declare bankruptcy. Some failed in some professional tasks and were fired or demoted. Some have even had failed marriages. Some have failed in delivering the sincere promises they made as politicians. Yet, they bounced back because they had second – and even third and fourth – chances to get things right.

They had the right support at the right time.

I am enamored by Michael Jordan’s stirring statement: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

That speaks splendidly of the importance of giving people second chances. In fact, Michael had more than a second chance. He had many chances. Imagine what could have happened if he was permanently yanked off the game just because he missed one crucial shot or lost a game. There may be no Michael Jordan on the marquee list today. He is glaringly successful because he availed himself of various opportunities presented to him to rise above failure.

So, it is important at such a time as this to highlight both the need to give people second chances, and the tough work of organizations like Detroit Rescue Mission that are doing just that.

When people make mistakes and end up in financial ruin that makes them homeless, should we simply blame and abandon them? Who doesn’t make mistakes?

When men and women commit crimes and land in prison, should we leave them to languish in rejection, joblessness and poverty after they have paid for their crimes?

And should we allow those who have been forced into substance abuse and addiction by different tragedies of life to remain robbed of their decorum, dignity and drive?

No, of course! People of goodwill should always join hands to give them the opportunity to rebuild their lives. That’s what second chances are all about.

Come to think of it, if we were in such situations, won’t we expect people around us to come to our help?

Just as nobody is above mistakes, nobody also is above misfortune. We all mess up at times. Others can mess us up too. And if we lack the right support, we can hit the rock bottom real fast.

During the Great Recession, we saw former business executives sleep in their cars and have their bath and meals in our shelters. Think about that. We also saw previously comfortable families depend on our food pantries. Many families. And we were on hand to help rehabilitate able-bodied and skilled individuals who had soiled their hands in crime because life had become too hard for them. Everybody’s case is different – as different as their destinies. But everybody in tough times needs help.

That’s why at Detroit Rescue Mission, we give second chances all year round to the homeless, the formerly incarcerated, the drug addicted, the jobless and the underemployed in need of meaningful help and hope.

Happy Second Chance Month!

Can Summer Camp Really Make a Difference in a Child’s Life?

Posted in: Stories

April
3

Jonathan says, “YES!”

Jonathan was just nine years old when he first came to DRMM’s summer camp—at the insistence of his big sister. She had seen friends and neighbors pay a high price for giving in to peer pressure and saying yes to what someone else thought was cool.

“I was just staying in my room all summer, waiting for school to start,” Jonathan says. “My sister said, ‘Go to camp, it’s the best place ever.’”

Jonathan knows now that his sister was right—Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries’ (DRMM) summer camp is truly life-changing! “Someone who doesn’t come to camp might jump into drugs or drinking. Here at camp they make you more responsible,” he says.

Now a teenager, Jonathan recently completed leadership training so he can serve as a camp counselor this summer, providing a quality role model for other children who need to know they have value, opportunities, and God’s love.

“Camp made me a better big brother, a better person, a better friend, a better family member,” Jonathan says. “I believe in God now. He saved me. He changed me.”

For three decades, support from caring friends and donors has made it possible for children whose everyday lives are filled with poverty, hunger, and hardship to experience camp . . .

If you’d like to make a lasting difference in the life of an at-risk child now and put them on the right path this summer—and in life—then give them the gift of summer camp.

Don’t wait because summer is just around the corner, and with it comes long days when school is out and the children in your community are most at risk. Thank you for following your heart to give children in your community guidance, hope for the future, and confidence at DRMM’s summer camp!

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