J.D. was a young man in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong sort of people, when a terrible crime occurred that got him sent to prison.

Only the hope for forgiveness, redemption, and a second chance at life—a new beginning—sustained him as the hours, days, and years crawled by.

When at last he was released, the only thing J.D. knew for sure was that he wanted a different kind of life than the one he’d known before, and that he was never, ever going back to prison.

He knew the statistics: Within five years of release, more than 75% of prisoners are arrested again. But J.D. was determined to beat the odds. He would rebuild his heart and his life from the ground up.

Only, how to begin? Who would ever believe he was worth helping?

Your support of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) gave J.D. the chance for a new beginning in life.

“I came here after 27 years in prison,” J.D. says. “This place breathed new life back into me. There are so many positive people. They helped me get a job. It’s like God set me down in the middle of all these positive people who help me, strengthen me, and get my mind back on the right track. I’m focused now. I thank God for them.”

J.D. was so excited to begin again that he said “yes!” to every task and opportunity DRMM staff laid before him. As we do with others who come through our doors, lost and broken, we provided J.D. with meals and shelter, job and educational counseling, Bible study, and so much more.

We prayed with and for J.D. and helped him understand that Jesus had personally assured he would get a second chance.

A grateful heart, a life transformed

Your support provided J.D. with the tools, encouragement, and spiritual guidance to get on a different path in life—and stay there.

“Everybody here has a hand in building you up. They don’t just tell you, ‘We care for you.’ They demonstrate it,” he says.

“As I began to read my Bible, I began to grow. I began to stay more focused. This place helps you rebuild yourself, they give you a solid foundation, spiritually and mentally.”

J.D. is working and living independently today, but he is still very involved with DRMM because he wants to give as much to others as he has been privileged to receive.

Deeply grateful, J.D. wants DRMM’s donors to know he appreciates the help he received, and that other’s lives are being saved and changed each day. “Thank you. Without you, there would be no me. I hope you’ll continue to help DRMM. Every man you help builds a chain, a ladder to help other men.”

This Christmas, J.D. is thanking God for you and the new beginning in life he has received. With your ongoing support DRMM can continue to be the place where broken lives are rebuilt in Detroit!

John was thin and hollow-eyed when he came through our doors. He was seeking shelter and needed help, because he wasn’t sure life was worth living anymore.

Over a hot meal we learned that he was desperately sick with a heart condition which made it impossible for him to work. He had another serious heart condition, too—a broken heart.

“My wife left me . . . and she left me homeless and broke,” he finally shared.

We prayed with John, and then—because friends like you make it possible with your support—we gave him shelter, set him up with counseling to work through his losses, and made sure he got medical attention.

This Christmas will be the first joyful one John can remember in a long time. He is healing, inside and out, and looks forward to the day he can work again and get on with his life. “DRMM has helped me a great deal. I can talk to my counselor when I need to. She’s helping me get a new start,” he says.

The support of caring friends and donors have made a profound impact in John’s life, and he knows now that life is indeed worth living. “Thank you,” he says. “I don’t know where I’d be if not for you.”

Thank you for your ongoing partnership to help us feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and offer the tools for a fresh start in life. Lives are being saved and changed each day!

Your support is helping the youth of today become the leaders of tomorrow

Gangs, drugs, alcohol, and teen pregnancy have become the new normal, putting Detroit’s youth on the fast track to prison, poverty, and a lifetime of despair. That’s why DRMM has answered God’s call to provide help and hope to children in distressed communities through a life-changing youth program—officially launched as the DRMM Youth Leadership Academy.

Thanks to the generosity of DRMM donors, and an anonymous supporter who provided matching funds to get the project off the ground, DRMM has formally launched the Youth Leadership Academy.

This program is an afterschool initiative created to cultivate youth through academic achievement, and promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle through sports activities.

Tutoring and mentoring are being offered by youth and adult volunteer tutors, as well as accredited volunteer teachers. Youth academic volunteers will be provided through a partnership with the Caleb White Project for grades K through eight.

A variety of athletic activities encourage and promote fitness and assist in the development of hidden talents a child might otherwise never discover.

Our athletics partners include the Silverback Wrestling Team of Highland Park, the Dearborn Track Club, and Little-Ma-Power Enrichment Academy for basketball.

Dozens of children are already involved in the Youth Leadership Academy, and the program will continue to ramp up, ultimately serving hundreds of children. This measured growth ensures staff and volunteers can provide the best care and attention to each child’s unique needs.

Sincere thanks to all who continue to support this ambitious and life-changing program financially, and through the gifts of time and talent as volunteers. Together, we’re trusting God to bring positive change into the lives of children throughout our community.

Volunteer Nisha is helping DRMM rebuild Detroit—one life at a time

Nisha has a heart for the needs of others. And she knows without a doubt that she can and is making a difference in a great many lives—and in the future of Detroit—by serving as a volunteer at DRMM.

“I’ve volunteered most of my life. It’s just something you do. You get involved, you help out,” Nisha says. “So when I moved to Detroit a couple of years ago, I thought, I want something to do other than hit the mall today. After my first day at DRMM, I felt I could volunteer for a couple of hours a week.”

Her first day was in the kitchen, working alongside a teen-aged volunteer. “He asked me why I was there and I explained that I just wanted to spend my Saturdays in a different way. I asked him the same question, and he said, ‘If I don’t volunteer, who is going to be there for Detroit? It has to be people like us. Our parents did it, and now it’s our turn. We have to take care of this city, otherwise, it will just turn to nothing.’”

The young man’s words compelled Nisha to return, again and again, serving in many capacities. The most challenging by far was a request for Nisha to organize a job fair, where local employers could meet people looking for work. The experience was tough, but Nisha did a wonderful job and is looking forward to tackling a similar venture in the future. “I really believe that employing people in Detroit is what’s going to get our city up and running,” she says.

Nisha is making a difference in a great many lives, but she insists that the people she helps are making an incredible difference in her own life, too. “They’re not just charity cases that we’re trying to help. They’re people and they’re our brothers and sisters. We’ve got to help them. If we don’t get involved, no one is going to care. Detroiters have to care about Detroiters, otherwise it’s never going to work.

“Volunteering is food for your soul. It heals wounds and bad feelings. Volunteer and you’ll feel better. I guarantee it.”