Answer Bill was stuck.

Transcription

1 June 2015 Transforming Lives. Transforming Our City. PhoenixRescueMission.org Finding the Answer Bill was stuck. He felt too much shame to go back. After all the time and energy the counselors and his new friends had poured into him over the last six months, Bill couldn t stand the thought of returning to the Men s Recovery Program a failure. Instead of facing his friends and confessing his relapse, he made a decision that would put his life in danger. He decided to take his chances living on the streets during the hottest months of the year. Continued on page 3 INSIDE: 2 Story on the Street 5Transforming Our City... One Camp at a Time 6Handing Out Hope

2 keeping the main thing, themainthing a message from Jay Cory, President and CEO B ill (cover) learned very quickly that summers in Phoenix are not the same as the ones he experienced on the East Coast. Here the lack of humidity, mixed with triple-digit temperatures can shut down a body in as little as 15 minutes of exposure. That s why Code Red is so important. Through this initiative we re gathering and distributing life-saving bottles of water, and other cooling items in the hands of those who need them most our homeless friends and neighbors. As you may have read last month, we ve had great success so far. Since Code Red started in 2013, the number of deaths due to heat related illness in Phoenix have plummeted every year, from 110 in 2012 to 76 in 2013 and finally to 26 in We need your help to continue to drive that number down. We re on the lookout for teams of people who are willing to serve with the Hope Coach and help distribute water bottles, Heat Relief Packs and other cooling items on a regular basis to the men, women and children we serve. We have volunteer slots open on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. For more information please call Thank you for your help in keeping our streets safe this summer for those we serve! The concept of Paying it Forward is not lost on those who complete Phoenix Rescue Mission s recovery program. Not long ago many of our graduates were desperate, strung out, and lost -- barely able to stand in line for a meal. It is a hopelessness that is hard to understand unless you have experienced it firsthand. Watch as men from our recovery program volunteer at Mama Jo s Saturday OutreachatAndreHouseindowntownPhoenix.Notonlydotheysharetheirtestimoniesofovercomingthegrip of drugs and alcohol, but they serve those waiting for a meal. See them give back and inspire others to make radical changes in their lives. Use your mobile device and QR reader app to scan the QR code to see the life change you make possible. Don t have a QR code reader? Visit us at phoenixrescuemission.org/story

3 Finding the Ans Bill arrived in Phoenix in November of 2013 looking for escape from a past ruled by addiction. He found his way to the Phoenix Rescue Mission and signed up for our Men s Recovery Program in hopes of turning his life around once and for all. For six months, he went to counseling sessions; he studied the bible and for the first time, felt like he was on his way to leaving drugs behind forever. Then one night, Bill made a bad decision and relapsed. Turning away from the Mission in shame, he decided to take his chances on the streets instead. He had heard that the summers in Phoenix were rough, but he wasn t worried. Bill explains, I would have to plan my day around finding water. It was more important than anything else. I could miss a meal, but water water was life or death. I worked in a Pennsylvania quarry growing up. It was hard work and there was no shade all day. I thought I could handle it. But back there I never needed water like you do here. The humidity kept you hydrated. Here it s a totally different kind of heat. Bill s plan was to find a job, get back on his feet and finish his recovery on his own. But instead of looking for work, Bill found all his time was spent simply surviving. I would have to plan my day around finding water. It was more important than anything else. I could miss a meal, but water water was life or death, said Bill. Eventually the heat was too much for Bill. He began to hallucinate and lived for a while in a state of confusion. Then, without warning, one day he woke up in the ER for severe dehydration. It was a wakeup call. The shame he carried for relapsing wasn t worth dying for.

4 wer After spending a brutal summer on the streets, Bill returned to the Phoenix Rescue Mission and re-enrolled in our Men s Recovery Program in September I want to let others on the street know that they have a choice, that the Phoenix Rescue Mission is a safe place where they can clean up their lives. Christ is the answer to what they are looking for. Today Bill is a graduate of our recovery program, living at one of our transition houses and working a full-time position at a large retail warehouse. He s saving up for a car and is looking forward to getting his own apartment soon. His experience on the streets has made Bill more determined than ever before to work toward a better future and help others on the same journey. He tells us, I met Christ here at the Mission. He used my relapse to bring me to a new level of understanding of His love and what it means to be reborn. I don t know how I survived, but I want to let others on the street know that they have a choice, that the Phoenix Rescue Mission is a safe place where they can clean up their lives. Christ is the answer to what they are looking for. Use your mobile device to scan the QR code and hear Bill s story in his own words.

5 Transforming our City PARC Bench goes tent by tent to end homelessness Homeless camps dot the landscape of Phoenix. Usually found in abandoned lots, under bridges and in back alleyways, they are breeding grounds for drug use, prostitution and violence. The trash they produce and the attention they attract can quickly become a danger to the neighborhoods where they exist and to homeless men and women who call them home. compassion, our caseworkers assess their situations and determine how we can find solutions to their needs. The most desired outcome is that they choose to leave the camp behind in favor of a finding hope and a new start at the Phoenix Rescue Mission. In an effort to bring transformation to such places and hope to their residents, the Phoenix Rescue Mission is partnering with local law enforcement through the PARC (Police and Rescue Collaboration) Bench program, we wrote about in January. For the past month, our shared focus has been to bring to end homelessness for the residents of these camps. Phoenix Rescue Mission and local law enforcement are working together to eliminate homeless camps and provide essential services to those who need it (left). Outreach workers from the Mission and Southwest Behavioral Health assess the needs of each camper (right). Our approach is a three step process: Step 1: Establish a History We start by talking to the neighbors and property owners of the camp site to get an idea of how long the camp has existed and who lives there. Step 2: Report to the City After we gather information, we then report our findings to the city. The city sends out a police detective to confirm the facts and speak to the property owners. Step 3: Assess the Need Outreach workers from the Phoenix Rescue Mission and mental health coordinators from Southwest Behavioral Health along with police officers interview each camper one-on-one. With Just two weeks ago, three of the campers we spoke with decided they had enough of the streets and took a ride back to the Mission on the Hope Coach! Through your support, we re visiting homeless camps all across Phoenix and bringing the hope and transforming power of Jesus Christ to each one. It s just another way our partnership is making our city a brighter place for those we serve! This is a brand new program so expect updates on our progress in the future. Thank you for the support that makes life and city-transforming projects like this one possible! 5

6 Should you give a panhandler money? We see their somber faces at intersections, in parking lots and outside convenience stores every day men and women carrying cardboard signs pleading for assistance. The sight convicts us; it twists our hearts and makes us want to help. But is this really helping? Many times the dollars we give to someone on the streets only serve to further an addiction. By offering a free meal or a coffee instead, we provide temporary comfort at best. Offering a free meal or cup of coffee, while it provides temporary comfort, is not sustainable. Our hearts sink when we see the person attached to the cardboard sign on the corner the next day. So how can we help without enabling hand them a Phoenix Rescue Mission Panhandler Pack. Assembling a Pack is easy. Keep it in your car and you will be ready the next time you are sitting at an intersection. In a one-gallon zip lock bag place: Rescue Referral Card -- we ve included a few in this newsletter to get you started! This handy card list our address, our services, and a map to our location and meal service times. Bus Ticket one all day bus pass can be purchased at grocery stores across Phoenix for $4 and provides a safe, easy way to get to the Mission. Bottle of Water keep our homeless neighbors hydrated on their journey to our shelter. White Socks a new, clean pair of socks provides comfort for the trip ahead and protects against blisters that come from walking in worn shoes. *Optional items include a granola bar, sunscreen and toiletry items. These items have the power to change a life by providing the means to find true hope and transformation at the Phoenix Rescue Mission. We hope that you use the cards that we ve enclosed to get you started. Those who are truly at a crossroad might be unaware of the services provided to those who need a hand up. A moment of conversation could help change the direction of someone s life. To mail a gift: P.O. Box 6708 ~ Phoenix, AZ For shelter & meal service: 1801 S. 35th Avenue ~ Phoenix, AZ ~