Making a Difference in Thousands of Lives

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

September
2

Last month, the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) celebrated our 101st anniversary with an inspirational event featuring emotional testimonials from our clients, a delicious dinner prepared and served by DRMM clients in our culinary arts program, and music performed by our clients.

Since 1909, DRMM has provided services to tens of thousands of people in the community. We feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the poor, treat the addicted, educate the disadvantaged, and save lost souls. As you can imagine it takes a lot of money and resources to provide the volume of services that we offer. That’s why my primary goal at the DRMM anniversary celebration was to show our friends and supporters exactly how their donations are making a difference in thousands of lives.

There’s no better way to illustrate this than hearing the personal stories of people who came to the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries when their lives were on a downward spiral. We heard from a gentleman whose former lifestyle resulted in him being stabbed and shot numerous times. Today he works as a DRMM staff aide and attends a local community college. A female client described her longtime drug addiction and how DRMM saved her life. She is now celebrating eight months clean. And a young, single mother of five talked about her drug addiction and a long string of abusive relationships with men, which led to her children being taken away. Today, she has been reunited with the kids and has completed one year of college.

We often hear people lament that they want to know how their tax dollars are being used. But do you also know how your donation dollars are being used? Do you realize how important your donation dollars are to non-profits like DRMM? I hope so. Charities across the country are making a difference in so many lives. And it will make you feel great to know that you are part of those miraculous transformations.

Crimes Against the Homeless

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

August
27

Last week, a jury in Pennsylvania found a man guilty in the stabbing death of a homeless man during a robbery. He faces mandatory life in prison with no parole.

A 2009 report by the National Coalition for the Homeless showed an alarming increase in violent incidents against the homeless over the past decade. At least 880 unprovoked attacks against the homeless by “non-homeless” people were reported.

A Maryland state senator pushed for legislation that added homeless people to the state’s hate crimes law. Now, several other states are considering making the same change.

With our bad economy, more and more people are being forced onto the streets, therefore becoming visible targets for would-be assailants. Even more troubling is the fact that nearly 60 percent of the suspected attackers over the past decade were teenagers, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless report.

Acts of violence and hate crimes against homeless people should not — and cannot — be tolerated. Too often, society looks at the homeless as castaways who made bad decisions, sunk into poverty and have no future. That couldn’t be any further from the truth!

Homeless people are worthy, not worthless. There is hope for them. We see it everyday at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM). Our primary mission is to help the homeless get back on their feet and transform their lives permanently. We provide the basic necessities of life and give them resources and direction on how to achieve productive lives.

We’re all God’s children, regardless of our economic, social or ethnic backgrounds. We all deserve the same respect and dignity. Everyone’s life is important.

A Century of Service

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

August
20

One hundred years is a long time to be in business or serve others. The Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) is proud to celebrate its 101st anniversary this year. Out of curiosity, I decided to research some of the other businesses and nonprofits that have been around for a century or more and what they have accomplished during that time.

In the past 100 years, United Parcel Service (UPS) transformed itself from a single-city bicycle messenger company into one of the world’s largest transportation and logistics companies with more than 400,000 employees. The Boy Scouts of America just celebrated its 100th year of serving local communities and the nation. The U.S. Army Reserve has served with honor and strength in every major military and humanitarian engagement since 1908. And the National Urban League is celebrating 100 years of serving on the forefront of the civil rights movement.

The Detroit Rescue Mission also has a rich history of serving the community. Since 1909, DRMM has provided hope for the hopeless, shelter for the homeless, food for the hungry, and help for the addicted. We motivate the disadvantaged to rebuild their lives. And we minister to the total person: body, soul and spirit. Of course, none of this is possible without the love of God.

Just like the other organizations and companies that have reached — or surpassed — the century mark, DRMM has devoted countless hours and a wealth of resources to our mission. That mission is to meet the basic needs of humanity, while helping individuals turn around their lives. Unfortunately these needs in the community will not go away in the next 100 years. We’re proud of how far we’ve come. And we’re prepared to continue our work for a long time to come.

Summer is Just Another Season for the Homeless

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

August
19

It’s August and most of us are still hoping for several more weeks of warm temperatures and soothing sunshine, because summer never seems to last long enough.  While we are enjoying the weather, flowers, and vacations, there is a group of people who are not able to bask in the good feelings associated with summertime. They are the thousands of homeless men, women and children in this country.  Unfortunately for them, every season is filled with need and feelings of hopelessness.

Think about that for a second.  Can you imagine what it would be like to always feel helpless and no amount of bright sunshine, calming blue water or colorful flowers could make you feel better?  That describes the plight of the homeless.  Whether it’s cold or hot outside, it’s all the same to them.  Most people only think of the homeless suffering in the wintertime when the harsh temperatures can be unbearable and unfit for life on the streets.  But the need for food, clean clothing, shelter, good hygiene, and safety is timeless and knows no season.

That’s why the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM) has to be an agency for all seasons.  The homeless, addicted and disadvantaged come to us year-round for a reprieve from the downward spiral their lives have taken.  In fact, many cities experience a “summer surge,” where shelters see an increase in the number of homeless families seeking help.  Why?  There are different reasons, but some trends indicate that homeless families are welcomed into the homes of relatives and friends during the school semester, but when the kids are out of school for the summer, the living quarters can become too cramped for everyone.  Or perhaps a landlord chooses to evict a family in the summer months rather than during the cold winter season.  Or the summer shelter overcrowding could simply result from the ever-rising unemployment rates.

Yet summer is the most challenging time for agencies like ours that aid the homeless.  Donations and volunteers — the life-blood of our existence — diminish during this time of the year.  Again, that’s primarily because people don’t normally think about the needs of the homeless when the weather is great and everyone is anxious to spend more time outdoors.  Just remember, helping the homeless get started on their life-changing journeys is a reason for any season.

Counting on the Community

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

June
14

As President of the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), I depend heavily upon the assistance of the community with the work that we do for the homeless and disadvantaged. Frankly, we couldn’t perform our life-changing work without our volunteers, donors, and supporters. We are proud to count more than 50,000 donors and 120 faith-based institutions as our loyal friends.

Let me give you just a few examples of what happens when the community lends a hand to make a difference in the lives of others. Earlier this year, Starbucks employees from across the country volunteered at two DRMM facilities. They helped paint and sort hundreds of boxes of food and toiletry donations. The group assisted in demolition work at the site of our new teaching restaurant, the Cornerstone Bistro, which will be managed primarily by DRMM clients enrolled in our Culinary Arts School. A Starbucks representative says they helped us because giving back is a big part of the company’s culture.

Many other corporations reach out to DRMM. Cooper-Standard Automotive was the major reason we were able to establish a free health clinic in the Detroit-area for homeless children and their mothers. The S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic is the first of its kind in the nation — open around the clock and providing maintenance and preventative healthcare for the uninsured and underinsured. Cooper-Standard Automotive contributed money and hard work to get this project off the ground.

And, DRMM was able to give 800 families a brighter Christmas last year, thanks to the generous donations from the Michigan-based Beatrice and Reymont Paul Foundation and many other supporters.

Miracles really do happen. Especially when you can count on the community.

Charging Rent to the Homeless

Posted in: From Dr. Chad Audi

June
8

A recent declaration in New York is stirring up quite a bit of controversy. The City has begun to enforce a 13-year-old state law that requires homeless people with jobs to pay rent to stay in city shelters. According to a state official, the amount will not exceed 50 percent of the individual’s or families’ income.

Critics of the law say this is just making the financial situation worse for the working homeless. How can they save up enough money to move out of the shelters and into their own apartments and homes if they have to pay for their temporary housing? Who decides who can afford to pay and who cannot?

New York’s Deputy Mayor has stressed that the decision to enforce the law is not based on it being a moneymaker nor is the rent money being used to close budget gaps.  But in light of our poor economy, the working homeless should not have another financial burden placed upon them in their journey to recovery and self-sufficiency. Many have been evicted from their homes and have no where to go but to emergency shelters and into temporary housing. They need the opportunity to get back on their feet, while receiving the necessities of food, clothing and shelter.

At the non-profit Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (DRMM), we emphasize self-sufficiency. Clients are allowed to stay up to two years in our transitional housing program, while they further address the issues that led to their homelessness. They are able to work, go to school or get job training, while receiving a wide range of supportive services. Those in our permanent housing program are allowed to stay as long as they like and must pay some rental costs based on their income.

But what about those living in public shelters? Should the working homeless contribute to the costs of their temporary housing? It’s an interesting situation. I’d love to hear what you think.