Winter’s Impact on the Homeless

Posted in: Stories, Testimonials

February
25

Well, it was just a matter of time. We knew the wintry weather was coming, and now it’s here. A crippling blizzard just hit the East Coast and bitter cold temperatures have spread across the entire country over the past month.

This kind of weather sends the nation’s homeless on a desperate search for shelter and a hot meal. And, who can blame them? Men, women and children are flooding homeless shelters throughout the country — filling them to capacity. Ironically, New York City’s annual homeless census had to be postponed because of the historic storm that was forecast for that region.

For organizations like ours, the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), It’s important that we not only provide the homeless with a warm respite from the deadly winter weather, but that we also provide them with an opportunity to permanently change their circumstances and get on the road to a new life. Simply giving them a place to warm up and then eventually sending them back out into the cold is counterproductive to their growth and success as valuable citizens.

DRMM is doing what we can to save and rehabilitate lives. We have been around for 106 years. We know how to help the homeless, and we know how to serve them. Shelters, substance abuse treatment, mental health programs, and career training are all very important components in a homeless person’s journey from hopelessness to hope.

We don’t turn anyone away at DRMM, even if we have to put mattresses and blankets on the floor or set up extra chairs so that the homeless can rest and sleep.

For the homeless, winter is all about survival.
For us, it’s always about saving — and changing — lives!

Give our Children and Youth a Chance

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

February
25

The National Center on Family Homelessness estimates 2.5 million children are homeless each year. As the number of homeless families in this country continues to be alarming and of major concern, it’s important that we reach out to children and youth to help prevent the factors that can lead to future homelessness. These causes include poverty, substance abuse, a lack of education and job skills, single parenting, and traumatic experiences.

In order to help keep young people on a positive track, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) offers a number of services for the most vulnerable group in our society. Throughout the year, we provide recreation and prevention programs for children. Every summer, we provide a unique camping experience for hundreds of inner city kids at our 240-acre ranch. And, we offer transitional housing for teen mothers and their children — enabling them to finish their education, while learning parenting skills.

Recently, DRMM joined with award-winning author and journalist Mitch Albom, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, and the City of Detroit to announce funding for the renovation and re-opening of a recreation center that had been shuttered due to budget cuts.

Led by Mitch’s charitable organization, S.A.Y. Detroit, the plan calls for new outdoor athletic fields, an indoor practice facility, and educational and sports programs. As S.A.Y. Detroit’s operating partner, DRMM will help run the center’s activities and oversee the restoration of the facility.

All of us understand the importance of giving children engaging, fun, and educational activities to participate in after school. They need outlets to help stimulate their minds, expend their physical energy, and to keep them from getting distracted by the wrong things. Stafford has pledged to help shape the future of the children who use the recreation center.

That’s what it’s all about — providing kids with a chance to succeed and the opportunity for a brighter future.

What Would Dr. King Think?

Posted in: Stories, Testimonials

February
24

As the nation pauses this month to honor the birthday of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I can’t help but wonder how Dr. King would feel about the current state of this world if he were alive today.

For example, what would he think about the condition of the civil rights movement?
How would he feel about the way justice is being delivered in this nation?
What would he think about the large number of people in this country who are homeless and poor?

Here at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), we are honoring King’s legacy, life and compassion with a call to service.

We cannot let Dr. King’s dream die.

His birthday is more than a holiday. It’s a time when we all should ask ourselves what we can do to make this world more like Dr. King’s dream — one where no one is judged by the color of their skin, but rather by the content of their character. And a world where, as Dr. King said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

In honor of Dr. King and to demonstrate the compassion he possessed and preached about, the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries helped two of our formerly homeless clients get a step closer to achieving their dreams. We surprised them both —presenting one woman with a car and the other with a house for her family.

We took the beliefs of Dr. King and transferred them into a generous, life-changing action that deeply touched two deserving individuals.

Now that’s something I’m sure he would have liked to witness had he been alive today.
DRMM is indeed guided by the inspirational sayings of Dr. King, especially this quote: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’

Ask yourself that question today.

106 Years of Helping the Homeless

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

February
16

Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) celebrated its 106th anniversary over the weekend. We spent it doing what we do best — helping the homeless. The frigid temperatures in the Detroit-area made it dangerous for anyone to spend time outside, so DRMM staff and volunteers were out on the street looking for the homeless who were trying to survive on the streets. In addition to looking for the homeless on the streets, we asked the public to call us if they saw anyone in need of a warm place to go.

Ironically, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries was founded on Valentine’s Day — a day traditionally set aside to show acts of love and caring. And, that’s what we did. We presented a universal sign of love – the rose – to the homeless individuals to show that we cared and were concerned about them. This act of kindness made the homeless feel appreciated and made it easier to initiate a conversation with them. We were able to take them off the cold streets and transport them to our shelters.

Our flagship facility on Third Street in Detroit was overflowing with men seeking an escape from the below-zero wind chill and craving a hot cup of coffee or cocoa. Although our shelter has about 70 beds, we had to make accommodations for more than 100 men who came in out of the cold.

The Detroit Rescue Mission has always been a place of refuge for the homeless and hopeless. The mission opened in 1909 as a place where the disadvantaged could receive food and fellowship. It was the brainchild of David C. Stucky, a minister who saw to it that the hungry were fed and those new to Detroit had shelter, jobs and clothing.

Over the years, we have grown to offer services that meet the changing needs of the community, whether it’s substance abuse treatment, rebuilding career skills or having a place to live while working or attending school. Every day, more than 1,400 people are serviced through DRMM, and 3,500 meals are served to the hungry.

We are a faith-based agency devoted to meeting the basic needs of humanity, while motivating individuals to rebuild their lives.

Today, I want to thank the many DRMM volunteers and workers who braved the cold to let the homeless know that someone cared about them on this Valentine’s Day 2015 — the 106th birthday of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.

Winter’s Impact on the Homeless

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

January
28

Well, it was just a matter of time. We knew the wintry weather was coming, and now it’s here. A crippling blizzard just hit the East Coast and bitter cold temperatures have spread across the entire country over the past month.

This kind of weather sends the nation’s homeless on a desperate search for shelter and a hot meal. And, who can blame them? Men, women and children are flooding homeless shelters throughout the country — filling them to capacity. Ironically, New York City’s annual homeless census had to be postponed because of the historic storm that was forecast for that region.

For organizations like ours, the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), It’s important that we not only provide the homeless with a warm respite from the deadly winter weather, but that we also provide them with an opportunity to permanently change their circumstances and get on the road to a new life. Simply giving them a place to warm up and then eventually sending them back out into the cold is counterproductive to their growth and success as valuable citizens.

DRMM is doing what we can to save and rehabilitate lives. We have been around for 106 years. We know how to help the homeless, and we know how to serve them. Shelters, substance abuse treatment, mental health programs, and career training are all very important components in a homeless person’s journey from hopelessness to hope.

We don’t turn anyone away at DRMM, even if we have to put mattresses and blankets on the floor or set up extra chairs so that the homeless can rest and sleep.

For the homeless, winter is all about survival.
For us, it’s always about saving — and changing — lives!

What Would Dr. King Think?

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

January
20

As the nation pauses this month to honor the birthday of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I can’t help but wonder how Dr. King would feel about the current state of this world if he were alive today.

For example, what would he think about the condition of the civil rights movement?
How would he feel about the way justice is being delivered in this nation?
What would he think about the large number of people in this country who are homeless and poor?

Here at Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), we are honoring King’s legacy, life and compassion with a call to service.

We cannot let Dr. King’s dream die.

His birthday is more than a holiday. It’s a time when we all should ask ourselves what we can do to make this world more like Dr. King’s dream — one where no one is judged by the color of their skin, but rather by the content of their character. And a world where, as Dr. King said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

In honor of Dr. King and to demonstrate the compassion he possessed and preached about, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries helped two of our formerly homeless clients get a step closer to achieving their dreams. We surprised them both —presenting one woman with a car and the other with a house for her family.

We took the beliefs of Dr. King and transferred them into a generous, life-changing action that deeply touched two deserving individuals.

Now that’s something I’m sure he would have liked to witness had he been alive today.
DRMM is indeed guided by the inspirational sayings of Dr. King, especially this quote: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’

Ask yourself that question today.