My kids were taken from me... I was at my wits end

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1 Page 3 Easter Hope Page at a Glance Page 7 What s the baby s name? Stories of God s provision through you Spring 2013 Mel Trotter Ministries My kids were taken from me... I was at my wits end Raised by alcoholic parents, Peggy learned it was okay to yell at one another and to use alcohol as a coping mechanism. It took her 20 years and a lot of painful loss to admit to herself that her life was out of control. At her wits end, she cried out to God. What happened then?...at their wits end...they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. ~Psalm 107:27-28

2 Stories of God s provision through you I feel I have a purpose again! Being raised by alcoholic parents, I learned it was okay to yell...and to use alcohol as a coping mechanism. My name is Peggy. Growing up, I didn t have much exposure to God or church. I didn t quite grasp the concept of God and what He could do for me in my life, if only I allowed Him. I felt as though I wasn t quite good enough, and that was the reason things never seemed to go right and my prayers were never answered. As a child, I was pretty shy. I would always go out of my way to please others and not cause any trouble. I didn t want anyone not to like me. As I got older, I decided I wasn t going to be that person any more. I guess I could say that I rebelled. As soon as I hit my teen years, it was all about the weekend drinking spot. At the time, it didn t much affect me...as it later did dramatically. Getting married and becoming a parent with adult responsibilities was an excuse to drink. As the marriage soured, alcohol became my therapist. Eventually my drinking became I now have a brighter outlook toward my future, says a grateful Peggy. such a problem that my children were removed from my care. At that point, I truly did try to maintain my sobriety to no avail. I was at my wits end. I couldn t quit on my own. An honest look It took me 20 years to finally be honest about my drinking. The court recommended Mel Trotter, and being a resident here has truly been a blessing. Learning healthy strategies of coping and maintaining my sobriety through one-on-one counseling, classes and group therapy has helped me to understand the whys and hows of my addiction to alcohol. Every day I have a God moment. I ll be thinking, This isn t working. And something happens to resolve it. It s got to be God. Through patience, prayer and guidance, I now have a brighter outlook toward my future. After Mel Trotter, I plan to re-enter college and become more involved with my church and its Celebrate Recovery Program. I feel I have a purpose again! Because you care, Peggy like so many other men and women has found a new life of purpose and promise at Mel Trotter Ministries. Your steadfast support is truly appreciated and makes a life-changing difference! Please consider helping again today. READ MORE STORIES OF HOPE ONLINE meltrotter.org/success-stories 2 Mel Trotter Ministries Journal

3 Easter Hope The essence of Easter is hope and new life. With more and more Grand Rapidians experiencing hard times, hope can be elusive. Hunger is impacting so many of our neighbors, and the Mel Trotter Food Pantry program is more and more crucial to our community outreach ministry. To put this in context, last year our meal service averaged over 500 meals per day! This Easter season, we expect to provide more than 74,000 meals not just on-site at the Mission, but through our food pantry distribution to families living below the poverty level. We need your help to make sure we have ample supplies of canned goods, produce, bread, milk...all the nutritious items needed to feed a hungry family. For more information on how you can help, contact Rebecca Robertson at (616) or rebeccarobertson@meltrotter.org. Thank you for caring! Hope is in the bag! It s that time of year again. Our annual Hope Tote Campaign is under way, and we re asking for help from the community. Between now and Easter Sunday, March 31, you can help us prepare to give our homeless neighbors hope to hold on to! A Hope Tote is a small plastic bag that can be filled with inexpensive, unused, travel-sized items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, tissues and socks. Hope Totes will be distributed to homeless people to help them clean up and feel better about themselves. When they do, they re more likely to make other changes that can transform their lives forever! The Hope Tote Campaign is a meaningful (and easy!) way for you, your family or your church or business group to get together and make a difference. We supply the Hope Totes. You simply fill and return them by Easter Sunday. We ll take it from there! Soon those little bags will be in grateful hands, giving homeless Grand Rapidians practical help and the encouraging hope they need to take a step towards new life. The days are passing quickly, but there s still time to help. For more information or to request your bag today, visit us online at meltrotter.org/hopetote or call (616) Thank you! 3 Mel Trotter Ministries Journal

4 Stories of God s provision through you Make a difference Join Meals-A-Month Have you heard about our special Meals-A- Month Partners? These faithful friends help change lives month after month, all year long with a monthly gift to provide meals and other vital services for people in the Grand Rapids area who desperately need help. If you are a Meals-A-Month Partner, thank you so much for making a difference month after month! If not, please consider joining today. It s easy and it s rewarding! Mel Trotter Ministries can even set up A M E A L S M O N T H an automated deduction from your checking account or credit card, and you can customize your mailing schedule as you need to. To become a Meals-A-Month Partner, contact Tim Swiney at timswiney@meltrotter.org or call (616) You can also sign up right now by checking the box on the coupon provided with this newsletter. You ll help provide meals (and more!) every single month. Thank you! Shop and Save at Mel Trotter Thrift Stores Color Tag Sales Are EXPANDING Shop in one of our 5 stores to see what s on sale this week! Everything is now included in our color tag sales except books. Every Wednesday, every store...books are 50% off! Find a store near you in: Grand Rapids th Street Grand Rapids, MI Sparta 538 S. State Street Sparta, MI Belding 363 E. Slate Street Belding, MI Jenison 7500 Cottonwood Dr. Jenison, MI Middleville 4525 N. M37 Middleville, MI Mel Trotter Ministries Journal

5 Hope by the Numbers 2012 at a Glance 2012 ministry numbers are in, and they re quite impressive! Through your compassionate, generous support, Mel Trotter Ministries provided: Meals: 187,010 hot meals served more than 12 per day Bed nights: 83,412 Emergency Shelter bed nights approximately 229 people each night 19,742 bed nights for men and women in the S.A.V.E. (Spiritually Accountable, Vocationally Equipped) Recovery Programs an average of 54 per night Day Center and Food Pantry: 178 families served weekly 4,868 emergency food boxes provided, totaling 102,228 meals Safe day shelter for 8, visits to our legal clinic Health Care: 3,086 visits to our clinics (services valued at $289,551) 85 vision 1,908 chiropractic 1,093 dental Programs: 16,575 program hours, including counseling sessions and group classes Decisions made for Christ: 216 Food donations received: 390 tons valued at $1,914,889 Volunteer hours: 33,278 hours of service, valued at $288,144 We are committed stewards of your donations, and as you can see by the numbers, they made a tremendous difference. There are many ways to be involved in this rewarding work. Please prayerfully consider the role God is calling you to fulfill in For more information, visit us online at meltrotter.org/donate or call Rebecca Robertson at (616) Thank you for caring! 5 Mel Trotter Ministries Journal

6 Stories of God s provision through you Closer than you think Here in Grand Rapids, we re blessed to live in a community defined by strong, positive values of family, faith and compassion. But even here, people are not immune to hard times. The economic downturn of recent years has hit our community especially hard. More people are living tenuously on the edge of poverty, hoping and praying they can make ends meet from paycheck to paycheck. An illness, an injury, an unexpected expense...one hard knock can tip the scale and put people out on the streets. Homelessness is closer than you think. More than 2,500 of Kent County s homeless children sleep in motels, cars, Missions and local shelters every night. Did you know that on any given night, more than 700,000 Americans are homeless? That s startling. But it gets painfully personal when it hits us where we live. For example, right here in Kent County 17 percent of our families are living in poverty. And more than 2,500 homeless children in our community sleep in motels, cars, Missions and local shelters every night. That is why your ongoing, thoughtful support is so crucial. With every donation you give, every hour you volunteer and every prayer you pray for this ministry, you are doing your part to help fight homelessness in Grand Rapids. Thank you! More people are living tenuously on the edge of poverty, hoping and praying they can make ends meet from paycheck to paycheck. Prayers and Praises Please pray for: Salvation of men and women who come to Mel Trotter. Family restoration through recovery. Employment opportunities for graduates. Spiritual insight and wisdom for staff in dealing with the myriad of problems that are part of the lives of the people we serve. God to raise up mentors, tutors and volunteers. Please give praise that: Graduates have found spiritual, emotional and physical healing in Christ, and are going forward with God. Many graduates have found employment, housing, a church home and restoration with their families. God has provided mentors and tutors, and that they are playing an important role in the lives of residents....though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again... Proverbs 24:16 6 Mel Trotter Ministries Journal

7 What s the baby s name? When a baby enters the world, the first thing everyone wants to know is his or her name. Some parents prefer traditional names such as John or Sue. Others go with more interesting and unusual names, such as Bill Board, Adam Bom, Kris Mass, Al Bino and Justin Case. Charity is not the most popular name for natural-born children of Christian families. Charity, however, is an increasingly common name for the child that Christian families add to their Estate Plan. Many people have included a Child Called Charity in their Will or Estate Plan. Here s how it works: Often families divide their assets equally among the children God has given them. With a Child Called Charity, families add another child to their plan. So if they have three children, they add a fourth child named Charity. Each child receives 25 percent of the estate, and Charity also receives 25 percent. Charity s share of the estate is then given to one or more charitable organizations, such as Mel Trotter Ministries. Would you like to add a Child Named Charity to your Estate Plan? It s quite simple. You can go to a local attorney or go online and include Mel Trotter Ministries as one of your children (or beneficiaries ) in your Will. Visit our online Christian Wills Guide at for easy-to-understand, money-saving help with both options. Or to get some perspective on how to treat your children in your stewardship planning, you can request a copy of our new bulletin. For a FREE copy of our special bulletin, Big Questions Every Parent Must Ask, simply check the box on the enclosed reply card or please contact Tim Swiney at Mel Trotter Ministries at (616) or timswiney@meltrotter.org or bless your family today with a God-honoring will at 7 Mel Trotter Ministries Journal

8 Dear Friend of Mel Trotter Ministries, Chico Daniels, President and CEO By the grace of God, we recycle people who have been thrown out on the junk pile of life. Spring is here a very meaningful, symbolic season that s all about hope in the Resurrection. This hope is what touches hearts and transforms lives here at Mel Trotter Ministries. It encourages someone in our program to know from Proverbs 24:16 that, though they may fall, they can always rise again. That s what we hope and pray for as we work with residents in our S.A.V.E. recovery programs. Because Christ rose, they can get up from the muck and mire they ve fallen into. They re not trapped. They re not lost. There is hope! The Resurrection story resonates with the people we serve when they realize that, in Christ, they can have the same power to rise and live again. It can take time, and there can be setbacks. Some people leave too soon and then come back. It may take two, three or even seven times going through the S.A.V.E. program to really achieve victory in their personal life. But some of them do have a breakthrough and experience lasting resurrection power. And that s what we re here for. By the grace of God, we recycle people who have been thrown out on the junk pile of life. That s what rescue means to me. It s a process of resurrection, and it s miraculous. You are a real pivotal player in the miracle of resurrection. Your prayers hold our arms up and give us strength. Your volunteerism inspires us to want to do more. I thank God for your compassionate friendship and for all you do to help the least, the last and the lost. May He bless you this Easter and always. Our mission To demonstrate the compassion of Jesus Christ toward the hungry, homeless and hurting of the Grand Rapids area. Coming up at Mel Trotter Ministries Mark Your Calendar Hope Tote Campaign: Now through Easter Sunday, March 31 17th Annual Golf Marathon of Hope: Monday, June 10 Connect with us online My gift of hope YES, Chico, I ll help Mel Trotter Ministries feed and care for homeless and hungry Grand Rapidians this spring season. I ve enclosed: m $15 m $35 m $50 m $150 m $ Name Address City State Zip Donate online by credit card at 225 Commerce SW Grand Rapids, MI (616) meltrotter.org Please make your check payable to: Mel Trotter Ministries Please send me a FREE copy of Big Questions Every Parent Must Ask Please complete this slip and return it to Mel Trotter Ministries with your generous gift. Your gift is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We will send a receipt for your records