Caught in Winter’s Grip

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

February
3

Winter is making history. Record-breaking snow and subzero temperatures and wind chills are affecting much of the country, including the South.

All of us who have been caught in the grip of the wintry weather know how uncomfortable the biting cold feels. Your fingers and toes can begin to freeze in a matter of minutes. Most of us are able to retreat into a heated house and warm up before the onset of frostbite or hypothermia. But for those with nowhere to live, these wintry conditions are extremely dangerous and can be life threatening. Imagine the plight of our nation’s homeless. It’s unimaginable to think of living outside and sleeping in this weather, isn’t it?

Organizations like ours — the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) — give the homeless refuge from the snow and subzero temperatures. We do not turn anyone anyway at DRMM. The beds in our emergency shelters have been filled to capacity several times already this winter. So we provide chairs and place mattresses on the floor to accommodate the overflow. Just being in warm surroundings and eating a hot meal make a world of a difference to the homeless.

During this cold weather, we keep our doors open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We also allow our homeless clients to remain in our emergency shelters for a longer period if the temperature is below 32 degrees. We also use this as an opportunity to extend additional help to those who have come to our door. Our case managers talk with our clients and try to determine the root cause of their homelessness. We offer them a chance to get medical treatment, counseling and transitional housing.

Unfortunately, the chronic homeless usually don’t take advantage of our assistance. However, we remain hopeful and inspired by the many lives that we are able to save and transform.

As you sit in your warm house looking out of the window at the snow and listening to the howling winds, remember those who are trying to brave the elements. Support your local shelters with donations such as coats, blankets, food, and money so that we can help the homeless survive this extremely harsh winter.

Dr. King’s Dream

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

January
18

As the nation prepares to celebrate what would have been the 85th birthday of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I can’t help but wonder, “What would Dr. King think about our world today?”

Dr. King’s sermons and speeches centered on his dream for equal rights for all. He envisioned a future where all human beings were treated with respect, dignity, and integrity. Dr. King preached about social justice, empowerment, and peace. He also waged war against poverty, labelling it a major challenge similar to racism. In his last major speech before his assassination, Dr. King addressed the issue of poverty, saying “If a man doesn’t have a job or an income, he has neither life nor liberty nor the possibility for the pursuit of happiness. He merely exists.”

Unfortunately, Dr. King would be disappointed to know that today the number of Americans living below the poverty line exceeds the number who lived in poverty throughout his lifetime. Poverty and homelessness certainly remain two of this country’s most pressing issues.

Here at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), we embrace the same beliefs and teachings as Dr. King. We treat our clients with dignity and respect. It doesn’t matter what circumstances led them to seek us out. Human decency entitles them to the same opportunities and treatment as anyone else. We teach our clients job and life skills that enable them to rebuild their lives and become productive citizens in the community.

Martin Luther King Junior Day gives all Americans an opportunity to continue the fight against income inequality and social injustices. The federal holiday is celebrated as a National Day of Service where people volunteer to help those less fortunate and work to solve our nation’s problems.

That’s what Dr. King believed in — making this country a better place. As we honor his life and legacy, I ask you — “What are you doing for others?”

Paying it Forward

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

December
24

Recently, while reading a newspaper column about the importance of paying it forward, I was reminded of the following Bible verse:  “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed.”  – Proverbs, 19:17
This verse is particularly meaningful at this time of the year. As families celebrate Christmas with gifts and food and welcome in the New Year with parties, it is important that we do not forget those who are less fortunate.

When you give to non-profit agencies that assist the homeless, hungry, unemployed and disadvantaged — like the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) — you enable us to share the hope and love of God with those who need to know that all is not lost. The number of people turning to us for help has risen to an all-time high. Imagine if the same situation is occurring at rescue missions and shelters in cities across the country! We cannot imagine having to turn away frightened mothers and children or hungry seniors or men lost in their addictions. These are the people in need of real help and real hope this holiday season.

DRMM is thankful for faithful friends and supporters whose hearts are full of compassion for the poor. Their gifts can mean the difference between a homeless man shivering on the streets or being able to eat dinner and sleep in our heated shelter. When you help those in need, you will reap the rewards of knowing that you have made a tremendous difference in someone’s life. This scripture from the Book of Proverbs says that giving to the poor is like lending to God Himself, and He will reimburse those who honor those created in His image.

That is a pretty powerful metaphor, isn’t it?  Are you paying forward your good fortune to help others? When you’re making your New Year’s resolutions on how to increase your finances in 2014, one of the best investment decisions you can make is to help the poor. Because God pays back with interest and blessings.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Giving Thanks This Holiday Season

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

December
9

The popular holiday song, Give Love on Christmas Day, encourages people to “give more than just presents from a store” on Christmas. The lyrics state “No greater gift is there than love.”

There is something else that also makes a great gift during the holiday season: Gratitude. Express your gratitude for good health, having a boss who appreciates your work, getting the support of your family and friends, or having a comfortable place to call home. We all need to bless each other with expressions of thankfulness. Tell people what you are thankful for and why. In return you will receive a renewed appreciation for your life, become energized, and build stronger relationships.

Here’s a story that explains why verbal expressions of thanks are so important, not only at Christmas and Thanksgiving, but throughout the year.

During the annual Thanksgiving service, the congregation at a church became confused as they followed along in their bulletins. According to the order of service, the next items were: “Thanksgiving Offering and Presentation of Scripture.” The church members and visitors had just finished going up to the podium one-by-one to share what they were thankful for this holiday season. Their speeches were heartfelt and emotional — filled with stories of recovering from illnesses, spending many beautiful years with loved ones who had recently gone to be with the Lord, and experiencing kind gestures from relatives and friends. They talked about how each passing year helped them see more clearly the thousands of ways the Lord had shown His love for them.

Now, the speaker had taken the podium for the presentation of the Scripture. The congregation was perplexed. What happened to the collection of the offering? Surely, the pastor had not overlooked it, they thought. While they listened to the speaker, the congregation set their offerings aside for safekeeping. However, the service ended and still no offering was collected. Afterwards, many walked over to the pastor and told him, “You forgot to let us give the offering. Here . . . ”

The pastor quickly said, “No, no. It’s all right. I’m happy to take your donations, because we surely need the funds. But, we did take the offering this morning. Don’t you remember? You stood and told God what you were thankful for. That is the offering He wanted from you today!” The church members and visitors smiled; the pastor had gotten his point over in a way they would never forget.

What is your offering today? What are you grateful for? As the pastor in this story acknowledged, it is fine to show your appreciation for people or institutions by giving material items such as money or gifts. But the Lord wants to hear a verbal expression of thanks. That’s also what our family members, co-workers, neighbors, public servants and others need to hear when they do something that you appreciate.

Bless the people who blessed you by verbally expressing your gratitude for their kind actions. It may be the best offering — and best present — that you can give this holiday season.

Detroit’s Homeless Population

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

November
22

Detroit recently made history when its state-appointed emergency manager filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, making it the largest city ever to file for bankruptcy. As Detroit works through this historic financial crisis, we also continue to attack homelessness in the city that I call home.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development just released its “Point-in-Time Count” of the nation’s homeless. The numbers are based on a count made by volunteers who fanned out across the country on a single night in January of this year.
The federal tally indicates the number of homeless in Detroit dropped less than 1-percent from the last count in 2010. The news was much better for the state of Michigan, which recorded an 11.7-percent drop. And, the entire nation saw the number of homeless drop 6.1-percent over the past three years.

On the surface, Detroit’s financial challenges can help explain why the needle barely moved on the number of homeless in the city. The unemployment rate is still high. In some cases, people are working but they’re not making enough money to maintain a home, pay for utilities, and put food on the table every night. And others have been on the streets and in an addiction for so long that they do not have the ability to turn their lives around without receiving significant supportive services.

Here at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), we understand that we must help the whole person when he or she comes to our doors. It’s not enough to provide the homeless with emergency shelter, food and clothing. We must ease them into transitional and permanent housing, so they can learn how to maintain a household. And, we must address the issues that are keeping them from becoming productive, tax-paying citizens. That’s why DRMM offers substance abuse treatment, education, jobs training, and skills building that will help our clients qualify for jobs or pursue their dream career.

It’s difficult to determine the accuracy of the federal government’s homeless numbers, since the point-in-time count is primarily limited to the homeless who are visible in the streets, parks, and shelters. What about those who may have found a temporary place to sleep that night or who may have been trying to stay warm in an abandoned house?

However, one thing is for sure; Detroit, the state of Michigan, and the nation will need financial support if we are to meet President Obama’s goal of eliminating homelessness by the end of 2020. Currently, congressional budget cuts are reducing the amount of funds that agencies like DRMM receive to address homelessness. A 5-percent cut in aid to emergency housing and shelter programs is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2014.

Let’s encourage Congress to reverse that budget cut, so that our progress on ending homelessness is not reversed.