MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES. CROSSroads NOVEMBER Thanks for helping people help themselves! also inside: See what MTM guests are thankful for

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1 MEL TROTTER MINISTRIES CROSSroads NOVEMBER 2016 Thanks for helping people help themselves! also inside: See what MTM guests are thankful for

2 from our CEO We Thank God for You! Dear MTM Family, If you lost your job and your home, or if your family member were living on the streets, what would you thank God for this Thanksgiving? Many of the guests who are seeking shelter and support at MTM this holiday season are asking themselves the very same question. The reality is, while the local economy is showing signs of recovery, many people have been left behind because they don t yet have the skills and self-confidence to move forward into jobs or housing. People who have never needed help before are suddenly struggling and homeless. Others have lost track of beloved sons, daughters, parents or siblings and have an empty place at their table and an ache in their heart. Dennis Van Kampen CEO, Mel Trotter Ministries your prayers and partnership go a long way toward healing people who have been hurt by addiction, poverty and abuse. This Thanksgiving, many people like Jesse in this issue of CROSSroads and the men and women working at Magna Mirrors will give thanks to God for you and for your support of Mel Trotter Ministries. Because you care, more than 300 people secured housing and jobs this year and many more will hear the Gospel and experience the love of Jesus. Your gifts will also provide meals, safe shelter, counseling, Bible studies and other services that lift hearts and change lives. Your prayers and partnership go a long way toward healing people who have been hurt by addiction, poverty and abuse. It s encouraging to know that when individuals heal, very often so do their broken families. As you prepare to count your blessings this year, will you reach out to your brothers and sisters at MTM? With so many first-time guests at our table, it s more important than ever that we fill this holiday season with all the warmth and joy of God s love. Thank you! Grace and peace,

3 Grateful for work and finan Magna Mirrors, Effex invest in MTM guests It is estimated that more than half of the men served in Mel Trotter programs have or will obtain jobs during their stay. Most of the guests at MTM are ready and eager to work, yet barriers like transportation, criminal backgrounds and the stigma of homelessness stand in the way. A creative collaboration between Effex Management Solutions, Magna Mirrors and Mel Trotter Ministries job readiness program recently became an answer to the prayers of those who were looking for jobs and the company looking to fill them. Joe Homrich, Program Manager at Effex, discovered that Magna Mirrors an automotive supplier that creates car mirrors for Ford, Toyota and others was struggling to fill openings at its rural plant in Alto, Michigan. Joe and a co-worker presented an idea to Magna Mirrors that if they could bring transportation to high-population areas like Grand Rapids where there are able and willing workers, jobs would be filled. Magna Mirrors agreed to try Joe s idea and since April, Magna Mirrors has been providing bus transportation from Mel Trotter and other area agencies to the rural plant just outside of Lowell. Six MTM guests are employed at Magna Mirrors and Joe is already thinking of other ways to collaborate. We needed to think outside the box. We ve definitely had a lot of good workers come and a lot of them are still working here today, he explained. William has been working at Magna Mirrors for four months. He struggled with a drug addiction in the past but has stayed clean and sober while staying at Mel Trotter. When he found out about the job opportunity he filled out an application and got a call the following day with an offer. Thank God, he said. Now, free from the bondage of his addiction and from the fear of failing drug tests at work, William has been able to pay off backed child support, save some money and most importantly build a stronger relationship with his two kids. The hours are comfortable, this is a friendly place. I d like to thank everyone for everything they re doing for me, William said. Arthur, 25, was homeless in Chicago for three months and had nowhere to turn. He came to Mel Trotter looking for refuge away from the big city and found more. He got a job at Magna almost immediately. It was a blessing, he said. Arthur recently got his first paycheck. Working here is I d like to thank everyone for everything they re doing for me. William

4 cial freedom fall & winter Needs List We need the following goods, new or like-new: Industrial washer and dryer for the women s program Large plastic totes Pillows, sheets and blankets Two large bulletin boards 1-in. binders with dividers Men s pants/jeans, sizes Please info@meltrotter.org or call if you would like to drop off your donation or have any questions. Patricia completed MTM s addiction recovery and job readiness programs in August and now has an apartment of her own. great. I m one step closer to my goals. He is talking to his supervisor about taking on more responsibility. who truly want to work. It s an amazing feeling knowing that we re helping them help themselves. For Joe, it s even more gratifying to witness the positive effect a steady job has on Arthur and William and the many others who punch in every day. Everybody has their struggles. These are people Your continued support for Mel Trotter will help even more men and women discover their God-given capabilities and empower them to build promising, stable lives in the coming year. Thank you! We ve definitely had a lot of good workers come [from MTM] and a lot of them are still working here today. Joe, Effex Management 20 th annual thanksgiving banquet Sponsorship opportunities still available Sponsorship opportunities for the 20 th annual MTM Thanksgiving Banquet (Nov. 24) are still available! Get your family, friends or co-workers together and sponsor a table at $250 or above. It s a great way to contribute during the holidays and know that while you re enjoying your meal with family and friends, the lost and forgotten in Grand Rapids are also enjoying food and fellowship. If interested, contact Frank Grant at or frankgrant@meltrotter.org. The meal feeds up to 2,000 of our neighbors who are hungry and homeless each year on Thanksgiving Day. Be a part of this moving feast at meltrotter.org/thanksgiving.

5 a very special visitor Now this is something you don t see every day at the Mission! Charlie the miniature therapy horse stopped by to meet MTM guests and help them forget for a moment about the trauma they are experiencing. Charlie brought joy and comfort to the guests at our Mission during his visit. Many of the children staying at MTM had the opportunity to pet a horse for the first time. They even got a hoof print autograph from Charlie to take with them! Have you joined net community? Now it s easier than ever to manage your giving to Mel Trotter Ministries! Log on to our secure site to set up your account, review your giving history, change your address and giving preferences, and more. It s fast, easy and safe. To create your account, go to donate.meltrotter.org/register. If you need assistance, contact Mali Korc at malikorc@meltrotter.org or Feed your neighbors, help with the Fall Food Drive Now through December i am thankful for At Mel Trotter, sometimes graffiti is encouraged! Each fall we put up blank posters around the Mission and provide guests and staff the opportunity to acknowledge what they are thankful for. Many of the messages are simple and thoughtful and they are so numerous, we very nearly ran out of paper! While doing your holiday shopping, pick up some nutritious nonperishable items to help stock the MTM food pantry and feed more than 120 families each week throughout the year. Help us reach our goal of 50,000 pounds! Get a complete list of food drive items and drop-off locations at meltrotter.org/fall-food-drive.

6 Hope means everything to me right now. You helped Jesse find true freedom in Christ! Jesse always considered himself a free man. I m very free willed and strong minded. However, drugs proved to be stronger than his will or his mind. Jesse began using drugs at a young age to escape from the domestic abuse in his home. Soon, he said, I started robbing people, stealing cars and burning houses. I didn t care. By the time he was 21, Jesse did have something to care about: children of his own. I knew I had to change my life for them. I didn t want them to live the life that I d lived. Jesse faced years of struggle and several rehab programs before he came to Mel Trotter with his two boys, now teenagers. Jesse knew it was rare to find a place that would let his sons stay with him. I m very blessed and very grateful that Mel Trotter helped me, Jesse told us. The staff have been wonderful. They embraced me and made me feel welcome. Jesse has a strong resolve to work, in spite of living with cerebral palsy and a heart condition. He has been using the family s time at MTM to instill discipline in his sons, setting an example by mopping the hallways at night. He told his boys, Stick with it! Follow my lead and I promise you we re going to have our own house, a car and a good school for you guys. You have to do the footwork and build character and be strong like me. One thing has kept Jesse strong during his stay at the Mission. Hope means everything to me right now. Hope means there s a chance for me to do something good with my life. I want to tell my story and maybe just save one person. That person can save another and we can continue the cycle of good things. If you can help one person out of a thousand, you ve made a difference. As a friend of Mel Trotter Ministries, you know something about that! Jesse and his boys are waiting for affordable housing options in the city that will be near his job. He looks forward to someday giving his boys that house and car he promised them. But Jesse s vision reaches even further. I ll be back, not to live here but to work with you, side by side. I hope to be a donor and volunteer, and help people who want to change, like myself. With your help and God s grace, Jesse is truly a free man today: free from drugs and free to reach out to others bound by addiction. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 niv 225 Commerce Avenue SW Grand Rapids, MI meltrotter.org Our Mission Statement Mel Trotter Ministries exists to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus Christ toward the hungry, homeless and hurting of the greater Grand Rapids area. CONNECT WITH US Board of Directors Jeshua Lauka Chairman Janis Petrini Vice Chair Donijo DeJonge Treasurer Chuck Damon Secretary Tonja Moyer Assistant Secretary Jim Bultema Greg Heath Kurt Hein Tom McGovern Brenda Moore Ron VanHouten Trustees Roger Bruins Bruce Bush Rich Craig Mary Hollebeek Kelly Jasperse Jim Kregel Adam Lipscomb Tom Meyers Jim Mitchell Gordon Oosting