CrossRoads. Now I m Part of the Change Eldon Millett shares his journey back to hope. Preparing to give thanks. my view. Preparing to give thanks

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1 my view Volunteer Orientation: october 6 and November 3, 9-11 a.m. ll who wish to volunteer must first attend an orientation session at the Mission. No reservations necessary. Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration: November 21 One of our biggest of the year! We ll be serving up a hearty, traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the fixin s to our Skid Row friends and neighbors. Graduation: october 12, 7 p.m. You re invited to celebrate with the 29 men and women who have successfully completed our program. Join us at the Mission on October 12 for their graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. and a dessert reception starting at 9 p.m. Preparing to give thanks Our Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration is just over a month away, but we are already in the thick of preparing to feed more than 3,000 guests that day. It s a chance to share food and fellowship with our Skid Row friends and neighbors, and let them know we care. New Web site goes live! Each man and Though they come woman who shows up at our door is someone to us broken that God has created at our table they and loves. Though they come to us broken find hope... by substance abuse and homelessness, at our table they find hope for new life, new direction, and a new future. We re excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned Web site. Now it s easier than ever for you to give online, learn more about volunteer and other opportunities, and hear inspiring stories of people whose lives you re helping to change. Your support helps provide the hot meals, showers, shelter, and programs that make it possible for us to keep reaching out to these precious men and women. Thank you for making a more powerful impact than you may ever even know. Counting on you, month after month! Donate Your Car and Get a $500 Tax Deduction Every month thousands of men, women and children come through our doors looking for food, shelter and hope for a better life. Keeping meals on the table, the laundry done, the lights on, and caring people available to listen and help are all part of our monthly budget. re you thinking of selling or trading your old car? Why not donate it instead? s a charitable donation, your contribution will help support the vital work of the Los ngeles Mission! No matter what condition your vehicle is in even if it doesn t run, has not been currently registered or has been in an accident we ll take it. You don t even have to worry about delivery, because we ll pick it up for you. It s hassle-free! Plus, donors may be eligible to a $500 tax deduction or whatever the vehicle sells for over $500. Most importantly, your car donation can make a life-changing difference to the men and women who come to the Los ngeles Mission for help. To donate your car and arrange a convenient pick-up time, call 1(800) That s why our Meals a Month partners are so important to our work. Knowing we can count on their support each and every month helps provide a predictable income for the Mission. It means we can be better at budgeting and more resourceful in our planning. nd with fewer mailings to our monthly donors, the money saved on administrative costs can go directly to our vital programs and services. Become a Meals a Month Partner Each day, hungry and hurting people in our community need the Los ngeles Mission to help them find hope and healing. Not only is monthly giving the most convenient way to provide support, but you will have the blessing of knowing that you are making a tangible difference in people s lives every single month. Stay Connected Keep track of the latest Mission news, make safe online donations and more. Herb Smith President Check out our new webpage at /give to become a Meals a Month partner! Follow us on Twitter: TheLMission Subscribe to our video channel: youtube.com/ilovelmission 1 News from Los ngeles Mission Donation Drives SIGNS OF HOPE From Herb Smith Fun ideas for organized giving From Chaplain Tim Law OCTOBER 2012 News from the Los ngeles Mission For three days... I hadn t had anything to eat. That first meal meant a lot to me. Eldon Millett UTI graduate Find out what s coming up at the Mission page 1 Edison Turns on the Giving Spirit page 3 Yes! I want to help hurting women and men find hope for a new future. Here s my gift of: Many thanks to the John W. Carson Foundation, Wells Fargo Bank and City National Bank for graciously sponsoring our 76th gala. Preparing to give thanks How one company group made a big difference Give online: Become a fan on Facebook: facebook.com/losangelesmission On page four On page three If you haven t already joined our monthly giving program, becoming a Meals a Month partner is easy. Simply fill out the form below or go online to our new monthly giving website page at /give Visit us today at! Blessings, On page one m $25 m $50 m $150 m $ become a meals a month partner m I would like to become a Meals a Month partner. I will give a monthly gift of $. My first gift is enclosed. Please make your check payable to: Los ngeles Mission and mail to: P.O. Box 60127, Los ngeles, C To give a gift by credit card, visit us online at or call (213) , ext page 5 THNK YOU! N DDRESS PT CITY EMIL Make a difference every month 303 E. 5th Street Los ngeles, C STTE 5 receipt for your tax-deductible gift will be sent to you shortly. N12 Now I m Part of the Change Eldon Millett shares his journey back to hope page 2

2 my view Volunteer Orientation: october 6 and November 3, 9-11 a.m. ll who wish to volunteer must first attend an orientation session at the Mission. No reservations necessary. Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration: November 21 One of our biggest of the year! We ll be serving up a hearty, traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the fixin s to our Skid Row friends and neighbors. Graduation: october 12, 7 p.m. You re invited to celebrate with the 29 men and women who have successfully completed our program. Join us at the Mission on October 12 for their graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. and a dessert reception starting at 9 p.m. Preparing to give thanks Our Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration is just over a month away, but we are already in the thick of preparing to feed more than 3,000 guests that day. It s a chance to share food and fellowship with our Skid Row friends and neighbors, and let them know we care. New Web site goes live! Each man and Though they come woman who shows up at our door is someone to us broken that God has created at our table they and loves. Though they come to us broken find hope... by substance abuse and homelessness, at our table they find hope for new life, new direction, and a new future. We re excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned Web site. Now it s easier than ever for you to give online, learn more about volunteer and other opportunities, and hear inspiring stories of people whose lives you re helping to change. Your support helps provide the hot meals, showers, shelter, and programs that make it possible for us to keep reaching out to these precious men and women. Thank you for making a more powerful impact than you may ever even know. Counting on you, month after month! Donate Your Car and Get a $500 Tax Deduction Every month thousands of men, women and children come through our doors looking for food, shelter and hope for a better life. Keeping meals on the table, the laundry done, the lights on, and caring people available to listen and help are all part of our monthly budget. re you thinking of selling or trading your old car? Why not donate it instead? s a charitable donation, your contribution will help support the vital work of the Los ngeles Mission! No matter what condition your vehicle is in even if it doesn t run, has not been currently registered or has been in an accident we ll take it. You don t even have to worry about delivery, because we ll pick it up for you. It s hassle-free! Plus, donors may be eligible to a $500 tax deduction or whatever the vehicle sells for over $500. Most importantly, your car donation can make a life-changing difference to the men and women who come to the Los ngeles Mission for help. To donate your car and arrange a convenient pick-up time, call 1(800) That s why our Meals a Month partners are so important to our work. Knowing we can count on their support each and every month helps provide a predictable income for the Mission. It means we can be better at budgeting and more resourceful in our planning. nd with fewer mailings to our monthly donors, the money saved on administrative costs can go directly to our vital programs and services. Become a Meals a Month Partner Each day, hungry and hurting people in our community need the Los ngeles Mission to help them find hope and healing. Not only is monthly giving the most convenient way to provide support, but you will have the blessing of knowing that you are making a tangible difference in people s lives every single month. Stay Connected Keep track of the latest Mission news, make safe online donations and more. Herb Smith President Check out our new webpage at /give to become a Meals a Month partner! Follow us on Twitter: TheLMission Subscribe to our video channel: youtube.com/ilovelmission 1 News from Los ngeles Mission Donation Drives SIGNS OF HOPE From Herb Smith Fun ideas for organized giving From Chaplain Tim Law OCTOBER 2012 News from the Los ngeles Mission For three days... I hadn t had anything to eat. That first meal meant a lot to me. Eldon Millett UTI graduate Find out what s coming up at the Mission page 1 Edison Turns on the Giving Spirit page 3 Yes! I want to help hurting women and men find hope for a new future. Here s my gift of: Many thanks to the John W. Carson Foundation, Wells Fargo Bank and City National Bank for graciously sponsoring our 76th gala. Preparing to give thanks How one company group made a big difference Give online: Become a fan on Facebook: facebook.com/losangelesmission On page four On page three If you haven t already joined our monthly giving program, becoming a Meals a Month partner is easy. Simply fill out the form below or go online to our new monthly giving website page at /give Visit us today at! Blessings, On page one m $25 m $50 m $150 m $ become a meals a month partner m I would like to become a Meals a Month partner. I will give a monthly gift of $. My first gift is enclosed. Please make your check payable to: Los ngeles Mission and mail to: P.O. Box 60127, Los ngeles, C To give a gift by credit card, visit us online at or call (213) , ext page 5 THNK YOU! N DDRESS PT CITY EMIL Make a difference every month 303 E. 5th Street Los ngeles, C STTE 5 receipt for your tax-deductible gift will be sent to you shortly. N12 Now I m Part of the Change Eldon Millett shares his journey back to hope page 2

3 Now I m Part of the Change I never had a problem with alcohol or drugs. There was just a lot of homelessness. When I was 17 my parents kicked me out. I spent a lot of years moving around after that. lways gone a few months, got a part-time job, got a little bit of money together and then moved on. bout a year and a half ago I was living with my sister in Texas. One day we got in an argument and she asked me to leave. I drove to rizona and looked for a job. I couldn t find one and ran out of money. I left my van on the side of the road to get some gas. The van got impounded and I ended up on the street. With nowhere to go, I hitchhiked out to the Los ngeles Mission. Out in the cold It was October or November when I got here. For about two weeks I wandered the streets or stayed in Griffith Park. I had no money and I couldn t find a job. You can t apply for a job anywhere without being able to use a computer, and I never learned how to use one. One night I was underneath a table canopy in the park when it was raining. I had a piece of plastic to keep dry, but it was still freezing. guy came up there who d been drinking. He just passed out. We started talking when he woke up the next morning and he said, Come on, I m going to take you to a place you can stay. nd he brought me down to the Mission. taste of new hope When you re starving and you haven t eaten a meal for a few days, that first meal definitely tastes good. nd eating a meal tends to calm you down. You feel like maybe everything s not so hopeless. I don t know how to express in words how thankful I am for the Los ngeles Mission. t first it was just a place When you re starving and you haven t eaten a meal for a few days, that first meal definitely tastes good...you feel like maybe everything s not so hopeless. ~Eldon Millett, UTI Graduate to stay, a meal. s I ve gone through the program, I know they re going to help me get a job. I ll have a place to stay until I get back on my feet again. Getting our lives back In my job now at the Mission desk, I give out the applications to people wanting to get in. I m seeing the kind of problems they have. I m seeing what they re looking like, what they re going through. nd then I m seeing them weeks down the road and what the program does for them. It s a complete change. It s like their life has been given back to them. Like mine was. Now I m seeing I can be of help. It feels good to know that in my work here at the Mission I m part of the change happening in people s lives. 2

4 From meals to changed lives When Eldon came to the Los ngeles Mission last November he hadn t eaten for three days. During the holidays so many men and women arrive at our doors just like Eldon desperately hungry and hopeless. That first meal can be the beginning of a fresh start in life. This November, Eldon is on the other side of that wall of hopelessness and hunger. In fact, now he s giving out the Mission program applications to others who are ready to take that first step to a better life. Last year, Eldon was just one of thousands who came through our doors from October to November. During those two months the Mission gave out: 26,543 articles of men s clothing 5,250 shower and shave tickets 8,666 bed tickets 43,377 meals s you can see, the entire Thanksgiving season is a time of high demand for our services, and the need continues to be great. Your donation will help us be ready to feed and help more people this year. Thank you for helping the Los ngeles Mission make a difference! Edison Turns On the Giving Spirit When Edison employee Tina Kasten saw a news story about the Los ngeles Mission s Easter Basket drive The Mission really empowers people to do more for themselves. It s just amazing. ~Tina Kasten Edison Employee for homeless children, she felt a pull on her heartstrings. Tina went to her employee charity committee and told them, This is a nonprofit we should partner with in When Tina and her team visited the Mission, they were interested to learn that people get so much more than a bed and a meal. They were impressed with the programs that help to rehabilitate people, giving them life skills and teaching them to be self-sufficient. They get a second chance, said Tina. The Mission really empowers people to do more for themselves. It s just amazing! Partnering together for change The charity committee and Edison employees have been overwhelmingly supportive. Earlier this year, Tina s department organized an opportunity drawing that raised over $3,000 for the Mission. But they didn t stop there. One of the Edison executives donated a high-end remote control toy car, a red Lamborghini, for children to play with during the Mission s End of Summer block party in ugust. Many of the employees in Tina s department also volunteered to help during that event. Your group can do it too! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, now is the perfect time to organize your own group for a donation drive, volunteer day, or raising money for the Mission. We are so grateful for company friends like Southern California Edison whose corporate sponsorship helps provide life-changing services to those in need. To find out more about how your company can partner to make a difference this holiday season, please call Ivan Klassen at (213) , ext. 325 or visit our website at /give Help change lives with a fun donation drive side from working together with friends, family, co-workers and church groups to raise money, another way to help the Mission is to organize a collection of some of our most needed items. Make it even more fun with a special theme for your donation drive. Here are just a few ideas to get you started: Good Morning Pick-Me-Up Help provide basic necessities that get anyone s morning off to a clean start toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and dental floss. Support Your Sisters! We need comfortable bras of all sizes. This drive is a perfect activity for church ladies groups as well as the women in your workplace. Walking in the Rain We greatly appreciate gifts of umbrellas, ponchos, blankets and other items to protect our community members from inclement weather. Smart Start Help us get our community members mornings off to a healthy start with donations of breakfast food, especially cereal. We also need coffee and all related supplies (including cups). Double your gift! Does your employer have a matching gift program? Follow your company s procedures for making your donation. The next time you send a gift, your company will send us a confirmation notice and then a check making your donation go twice as far! For more creative ways to give as a group, visit our website at or call Tina Russek at (213) , ext

5 Signs of Hope By Chaplain Tim Law With the changing colors of the autumn leaves we anticipate what is to follow... Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year. Let s start with the memories that are awakened by the spirit of Thanksgiving memories filled with the joy of being with family, sharing meals with friends and loved ones. Unfortunately, we don t all share the same feelings of happiness that are usually associated with Thanksgiving. For some there is the sorrow of missing family, loneliness, hunger, and homelessness. waken the spirit of Thanksgiving Here at the Los ngeles Mission as we are preparing for the holidays, we continue to work toward solutions that will make a difference in the lives of those who come through our doors. Those solutions begin with things that most of us take for granted a nutritious meal, a phone call to family, a person to listen to you, and a warm bed for the night. If a Thanksgiving meal with us helps someone who is hurting begin the road to discovering solutions to his or her problems, maybe next year the spirit of Thanksgiving will be awakened and celebrated with happier memories. If you re someone who already thinks of Thanksgiving with fond memories of good food and family, you can pass on that gift to someone else this season. We are so grateful for your partnership as we prepare to welcome those who are hungry, hurting, and alone this Thanksgiving. Perhaps this will be the meal that makes all the difference. The Mission has really changed my life, giving me more than a meal... My dreams have come true. ~Herbert Velis, UTI graduate

6 my view Volunteer Orientation: october 6 and November 3, 9-11 a.m. ll who wish to volunteer must first attend an orientation session at the Mission. No reservations necessary. Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration: November 21 One of our biggest of the year! We ll be serving up a hearty, traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the fixin s to our Skid Row friends and neighbors. Graduation: october 12, 7 p.m. You re invited to celebrate with the 29 men and women who have successfully completed our program. Join us at the Mission on October 12 for their graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. and a dessert reception starting at 9 p.m. Preparing to give thanks Our Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration is just over a month away, but we are already in the thick of preparing to feed more than 3,000 guests that day. It s a chance to share food and fellowship with our Skid Row friends and neighbors, and let them know we care. New Web site goes live! Each man and Though they come woman who shows up at our door is someone to us broken that God has created at our table they and loves. Though they come to us broken find hope... by substance abuse and homelessness, at our table they find hope for new life, new direction, and a new future. We re excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned Web site. Now it s easier than ever for you to give online, learn more about volunteer and other opportunities, and hear inspiring stories of people whose lives you re helping to change. Your support helps provide the hot meals, showers, shelter, and programs that make it possible for us to keep reaching out to these precious men and women. Thank you for making a more powerful impact than you may ever even know. Counting on you, month after month! Donate Your Car and Get a $500 Tax Deduction Every month thousands of men, women and children come through our doors looking for food, shelter and hope for a better life. Keeping meals on the table, the laundry done, the lights on, and caring people available to listen and help are all part of our monthly budget. re you thinking of selling or trading your old car? Why not donate it instead? s a charitable donation, your contribution will help support the vital work of the Los ngeles Mission! No matter what condition your vehicle is in even if it doesn t run, has not been currently registered or has been in an accident we ll take it. You don t even have to worry about delivery, because we ll pick it up for you. It s hassle-free! Plus, donors may be eligible to a $500 tax deduction or whatever the vehicle sells for over $500. Most importantly, your car donation can make a life-changing difference to the men and women who come to the Los ngeles Mission for help. To donate your car and arrange a convenient pick-up time, call 1(800) That s why our Meals a Month partners are so important to our work. Knowing we can count on their support each and every month helps provide a predictable income for the Mission. It means we can be better at budgeting and more resourceful in our planning. nd with fewer mailings to our monthly donors, the money saved on administrative costs can go directly to our vital programs and services. Become a Meals a Month Partner Each day, hungry and hurting people in our community need the Los ngeles Mission to help them find hope and healing. Not only is monthly giving the most convenient way to provide support, but you will have the blessing of knowing that you are making a tangible difference in people s lives every single month. Stay Connected Keep track of the latest Mission news, make safe online donations and more. Herb Smith President Check out our new webpage at /give to become a Meals a Month partner! Follow us on Twitter: TheLMission Subscribe to our video channel: youtube.com/ilovelmission 1 News from Los ngeles Mission Donation Drives SIGNS OF HOPE From Herb Smith Fun ideas for organized giving From Chaplain Tim Law OCTOBER 2012 News from the Los ngeles Mission For three days... I hadn t had anything to eat. That first meal meant a lot to me. Eldon Millett UTI graduate Find out what s coming up at the Mission page 1 Edison Turns on the Giving Spirit page 3 Yes! I want to help hurting women and men find hope for a new future. Here s my gift of: Many thanks to the John W. Carson Foundation, Wells Fargo Bank and City National Bank for graciously sponsoring our 76th gala. Preparing to give thanks How one company group made a big difference Give online: Become a fan on Facebook: facebook.com/losangelesmission On page four On page three If you haven t already joined our monthly giving program, becoming a Meals a Month partner is easy. Simply fill out the form below or go online to our new monthly giving website page at /give Visit us today at! Blessings, On page one m $25 m $50 m $150 m $ become a meals a month partner m I would like to become a Meals a Month partner. I will give a monthly gift of $. My first gift is enclosed. Please make your check payable to: Los ngeles Mission and mail to: P.O. Box 60127, Los ngeles, C To give a gift by credit card, visit us online at or call (213) , ext page 5 THNK YOU! N DDRESS PT CITY EMIL Make a difference every month 303 E. 5th Street Los ngeles, C STTE 5 receipt for your tax-deductible gift will be sent to you shortly. N12 Now I m Part of the Change Eldon Millett shares his journey back to hope page 2