"I have an inner peace I ve never had before in my life. Thank You!" YEAR IN REVIEW Pg. 3. RENEE S TESTIMONY Pg. 5. THE PASTOR S PERSPECTIVE Pg.

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1 February A PUBLICATION OF THE RESCUE MISSION THE PASTOR S PERSPECTIVE Pg. 2 YEAR IN REVIEW Pg. 3 RENEE S TESTIMONY Pg. 5 Trauma was a part of Dave s life from a very early age. Things he had no control over. Things that he thought he never had to deal with. Just forget about. Drugs and alcohol helped him do that. After 35 years of using, his life was a complete mess. In and out of jail. Broken relationships. Stealing, lying and breaking hearts had become a way of life. After release from yet another rehab center, Dave had nothing but a bus ticket in his pocket. He rode the bus downtown and started looking for a bridge to sleep under. But instead he found The Rescue Mission. The Rescue Mission gave me hope, says Dave. My life was in chaos. Making wrong decisions and bad choices. I needed to stop. I needed to change. The Mission gave me a direction that I didn t even know existed. It opened doors for me and showed me how to make amends. "I have an inner peace I ve never had before in my life. Thank You!" Dave realized that he needed to overcome his addictions and deal with his past once and for all. Now a graduate, Dave spent 18 months in our Long-Term program. He focused on his recovery and his renewed relationship with Jesus Christ. He attended counseling to start to heal from his past. And became a role model for others in the program. Today, when I speak of the future, I m excited. I m a very determined, confident, Christian man who has been blessed. I have an inner peace that I ve never had before in my life. Thank you for helping me become what God wants me to be! + CONTINUED ON Pg. 2 TheRescueMission.net ph

2 February Charis House Gala Live & Silent Auction Building Hope...One Block at a Time Saturday, May 11, 5:30-9:00 p.m at the Grand Wayne Center To buy an event ticket online or learn more about sponsorship opportunities visit: TheRescueMission.net/auction Contact Andrea Hatfield ext. 138 andrea@therescuemission.net Rev. Donovan A. Coley, Sr. CEO Senior Pastor The season of Easter is a time of reflection for me. These words come to mind: faithfulness, friendship and fruitfulness. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, culminating in His resurrection confirms God s faithfulness in saving us from our sins, leading to a changed life. Recently, a gentleman, who regularly volunteers here, shared with tears in his eyes what this place meant to him. The Mission for him is a place where he gives back as an extension of his love and friendship for the poor, lonely and often hopeless. He truly exhibits friendship. Finally, I am at awe regarding the fruitfulness seen and experienced by many as they come and go through our doors. Fruitfulness represented by men and women finding jobs, finding housing. And some finding a new life through Jesus Christ. Children s lives are also being impacted positively. I have watched a child with failing grades move to being on the honor roll. The smile on his mother s face was priceless. As The Rescue Mission moves into it s 110th year of service, we have seen God s faithfulness, experienced your friendship and witnessed much fruitfulness. Together, we are changing lives for good. TheRescueMission.net ph FORT WAYNE, IN

3 February Meals Served Nights of Lodging Individuals Served to the homeless and hungry provided to individuals In our residential programs Statistics are from December 1, 2011 through November 30, 2012 In partnership with The University of St. Francis, Charis House s in-house health ministry has provided nearly 450 medical appointments for our women & children this year. Staffed by volunteer physicians and nurse practitioners, it provides residents with free basic medical services, education, and referrals. TheRescueMission.net ph Your support in 2012 provided not only food, shelter and other necessities to our residents. It also helped bring the love of Jesus to individuals who otherwise might never encounter Him. Thousands of men and women attended our daily Chapel services and through that ministry, nearly 100 individuals gave their lives to Christ this year! FORT WAYNE, IN

4 Easter is a perfect time to share the hope of Christ. And the new life that He can bring. You have the chance to help people right here in our area. To change a life. To make our community a better place. And to give the hungry and hurting in Fort Wayne hope to find new life. Please send your donation today. "...just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:4 Looking for another great way to support the Mission? Shop at Treasure House, our thrift store at 2203 Lafayette St. Bring in this coupon and receive 25% off your entire purchase now through March 31st. THANK YOU to our friends at F&M Tile and Terrazzo for donating a beautiful new floor in our dining hall at Life House! The new floor, valued at over $10,000, will last for decades. Another great example of how an area business can support our community. entire purchase valid through 03/31/13 Q: Do my gifts really make a difference? Yes, every gift, no matter how big or small, makes a difference! Here are some examples of how you are helping.

5 February Renee just wanted what all of us do, to be loved and live a happy life. Instead, her life was full of pain and rejection. At a young age, she was sexually abused by her mother s boyfriend. She just wanted to play and be a little girl, but that was stolen from her. Her heart was full of anger and hatred. She became a rebellious teenager. And fell for any guy that offered her a smile. Drugs and alcohol were her comfort. They never told her she was ugly and worthless. They never beat her. By the time she was a young adult, Renee had five children and was addicted to drugs and alcohol. Renee says, Crack cocaine became my best friend, my whole life. I hated the person I had become. She gave up parental rights to four of her children, knowing that they would have a better life without her. Her choices finally landed her in jail. After nearly six years in prison, she was released and had nowhere to go. Renee at her graduation, being congratulated by a friend. Renee came to Charis House. This program has given me a lot of tools, she says. And made me recognize the beautiful person I am inside and out. My number one strength is God. And He gave me gifts to use. I am open-minded, I can listen and accept feedback. I am a woman with integrity. She graduated from the Long-Term program in January. She is involved with her church, and is looking forward to having a place of her own, a job, going to school, and enjoying life clean and sober. She finally found the love that she has longed for the love of Jesus. $5 provides 3 meals for a hungry person. $10 provides a night of safe shelter. $20 provides one week of education and job skills programming for an individual. $100 provides shelter, meals and programming for a child for nearly one week. 301 W. Superior St. Fort Wayne, IN 46802

6 Upcoming Events Apr 28 / 12:00pm / Headwaters Park Homeward Bound Walk Help raise funds for and awareness about affordable housing and homless needs. Entertainment and activities. Corporate Partners The Rescue Mission would like to thank our corporate partners for their faithful and generous support. May 4 / 1:00pm / 431 Fairmount Place 2nd Annual Charis House Benefit Cruise-In Games, food and fabulous cars. For more information, contact Teresa Jones at , ext 306. May 11 / 5:30pm / Grand Wayne Center Charis House Gala and Auction Save the date! Live and silent auction to benefit the women and children of Charis House. For details or ticket information, please contact Andrea Hatfield at ext. 138 May 15 / 4:30pm / 301 W. Superior St. Tour and Learn Learn more about homelessness and what happens at The Rescue Mission. Free event open to all. Please contact Diane Richardson at , ext. 112 to RSVP. Transportation provided between facilities. YOU have a chance to help the hungry and hurting in Fort Wayne. To change a life. To make our community better. For many, this will start at our Easter meal. YOU can offer compassion and hope for just $1.51 a meal. PLEASE SEND YOUR BEST GIFT TODAY. Enclosed is my Easter gift of: $15.10 for 10 meals and hope $22.65 for 15 meals and hope $30.20 for 20 meals and hope $ to help as much as possible Please bill my credit card Name Street Address City State Zip Credit Card # (if applicable) Exp. Date I want to give hope for new life this Easter Signature