New Bethany Ministries Newsletter Winter 2017

Transcription

1 New Bethany Ministries Newsletter Winter 2017 Greetings- The mission of New Bethany Ministries is to provide opportunities for a secure future to the hungry, homeless, poor, and mentally ill of the Lehigh Valley. In This Issue: Just Born s Volunteer Award A Legacy of Positivity: Restoration House A Turkey-tastic Year Nonprofit Energy Makeover Update 2018 Wish List Upcoming Events Phew! Where did the year go? Seems like yesterday that we talked about all the things we had planned for the year. AND now, in December, we are able to share that we accomplished, or made headway on, all that we set out to do. Where to start?... Executive Director Diane Elliott poses for a selfie with our friends from Just Born Quality Confections We raised sufficient funds to renovate a two-story garage into a new, choice-based food pantry that will provide more fresh food to more people more often. We are expecting a late winter, early spring opening. We are currently renovating the fourbedroom detached house adjacent to the new pantry and anticipate that it will be ready for a family in the early part of We completed renovations to the row home we purchased and a family moved in during the spring. We are reroofing and repairing sidewalks at our Coplay facility at this moment. We established our first community garden, which was tended by several of our residents and provided fresh produce to our meal center. We renovated our meal center. We now have many new kitchen appliances, HVAC, and a new floor in the kitchen, the kitchen pantry and dining area. The dining room also underwent lighting upgrades and other renovations. It is a much more welcoming and warm space, and we are becoming more energy efficient (see story on page five). We held our first nutritional counseling session. We held several legal clinics. We held our first family event Summer Sizzle Miniature Golf Tournament. As I write this we are in the process of gathering and distributing full turkey dinners, that will allow more than 400 households the opportunity to share a wonderful holiday dinner at home with their families. We are also doing the prep work for Luminaria Night where neighborhoods come together and build community as they celebrate being the light in their neighbors darkest hours. The list goes on and while we lost our very successful Restoration House transitional housing program (see story on page three), continued on page 2...

2 we are finding new and creative ways to provide the case management that led to those successes to all we serve. These resources will be provided in our new Center for Community Partnerships, which we anticipate will open in the Spring. Work is underway to develop the relationships that will allow us to start this work as soon as the room is renovated. Most importantly, we have seen, and continue to see, the impact of these changes and acts of kindness on our guests and residents. The changes in some of our folks have been incredible. Some of these changes are tangible, like Jose who was featured in our fall e-newsletter and at this year's Souper Day Event. For others, the changes are less evident, but every bit as powerful. In either case, one thing was clear, those we serve know that everything we accomplished over the past year was for them; that all these partners, donors and volunteers came together to give them a real home and a warm, dignified, safe place to eat and live. They know that our 2017 theme of Everyone Matters is more than just words or a catchy phrase. They know that all of you really do care about them, that they do matter. So, as you gather with family and friends this holiday season, think about all those whose trust you have gained, whose self-respect you have bolstered, whose hope you have renewed, and whose lives are better because you were there. Take this time to celebrate 2017 and all you did to show that Everyone Matters. Thank you and God Bless- Congratulations Just Born Quality Confections! Congratulations to our friends at Just Born Quality Confections! The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley awarded the company a Spirit of Volunteerism award during the 15th annual award ceremony on November 1st (pictured below). The company was awarded this honor based on nomination from New Bethany Ministries. For over fifteen years, the team has supported New Bethany Ministries through a myriad of service programs including the celebration of children s birthdays in our Transitional Housing Program, cooking and serving meals in our Mollard Hospitality Center, providing sweets for and sponsoring our annual Souper Day Event, and volunteering for an entire day bagging sand and preparing kits for our annual Luminaria Night distribution. During this 20th Anniversary Year of Luminaria Night, the team once again helped us prepare hundreds of kits in the Illicks Mill Pool House with plenty of smiles and fun. Congratulations to our partners!

3 A Legacy of Positivity: Restoration House As our Restoration House Program comes to a close, we honor many stories of success made possible thanks to the program. During the Program s seventeen years of operation, 142 families with over 304 children gained the life skills, education, and support necessary to improve their lives. But, it s not all about the numbers. Restoration House supported many single mothers and single fathers with children, as well as two-parent families during its 17 years, with most parents completing an educational degree before leaving the program. Thanks to the Program s help in identifying, enrolling in, and financing an education, graduates of Restoration House made amazing strides. They found work in diverse career fields including engineering, stenography, occupational therapy, education, government, phlebotomy, and business ownership. Oana, a recent Restoration House graduate, left the program with her Oana and her son this November Certified Nursing Assistant Degree and a job at Cedarbrook Nursing Home at the end of October. She and her son now have a home in a nice, quiet neighborhood. Thanks to the money Restoration House encouraged her to save up, Oana could afford to move into a place during the last month of Restoration House, stating, If it wasn t for Pam (the Restoration House Case Manager), savings wouldn t be a thing. I wouldn t have been able to afford this place. Pam really did her work to make sure I got here she was on me and helped me make it happen. Today, like many other Restoration House graduates, Oana is making a livable wage and has plans for the future: I m working on saving up for a car, and want to start the Licensed Practical Nursing Degree at Lehigh County Community College and Cedarbrook. Along with Oana, other Program graduates have gone on to thrive in many ways, including going off cash assistance programs, earning additional degrees, as well as giving back to New Bethany Ministries through donations, volunteering, and mentorship. We are proud of our Restoration House Program, which through its lifetime had over a 75% success rate in graduating families that accomplished all three of the program s goals: to finish an educational degree, to secure full-time employment, and to secure permanent, affordable housing. Beyond these goals, Restoration House provided the support necessary to change participants mindsets. Restoration House Case Manager Pamela Lewis stated of this process, When you change someone s mindset positively, A Children s Art Lifeskills Class at Restoration you give them the ability to believe in themselves and what they House from 2016 can do. You help them be a better role model for their children, and more able to sustain their families. We look forward to instilling this same positive change in many of those we serve in 2018 in our new Community Partnerships Program.

4 A Turkey-tastic Year! Thanks to the generosity of our community family members, this year s Thanksgiving meal distribution and Thanksgiving Day meal were among our most successful yet! We distributed more than 700 turkeys this Thanksgiving, including more than 400 complete turkey meals to local families who may otherwise not be able to celebrate the holiday. In fact, we received so many turkeys, canned items, and fresh foods that we were able to supplement many regular food pantry baskets with additional foods after the holiday. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving Day, the Bethlehem Police Department served a hearty Thanksgiving meal in our Mollard Hospitality Center. Seventeen officers served lunch to over 100 people from 11:30-1:30 on the 21st. On Thanksgiving Day, more than 20 volunteers served 14 turkeys with all the fixings to over 80 folks. Thanks to all who made this year s holiday special for our neighbors! Over 17 Members of the Bethlehem Police Department served a Thanksgiving Meal on Tuesday, November 21st to those in need. More than 80 folks joined us on Thanksgiving Day as we prepared 14 turkeys and all the fixings to celebrate with our community family. There was plenty of pie to go around on Thanksgiving, kindly served by the over 20 volunteers who spent the morning at New Bethany Ministries. Match Your Donation, Double Your Impact Does your employer offer a matching gifts program? If so, you can increase the impact of your gift to New Bethany Ministries! Some employers even offer gift matching benefits to retirees. Not sure how to get started? Reach out to Kate Cohen, Director of Development and Communications, by calling x206, or by ing kcohen@newbethanyministries.org. Thank you for your support!

5 2018: A More Sustainable Year Thanks to the Sustainable Energy Fund s Nonprofit Energy Makeover award, 2018 is shaping up to be a more sustainable and efficient year for our organization. Through the below efficiency improvements, the Fund estimates a savings of at least $12,000/year for New Bethany Ministries, enabling us to invest more money in programming, along with the added bonus of allowing our organization to run greener! Nonprofit Energy Makeover Improvements: Retrofitted all lights to LED technology (pictured left) Installed lighting occupancy sensors in common spaces Installed a high-efficiency clothes washer and dryer in the Mollard Hospitality Center Installed minisplit heat pumps in the Mollard Hospitality Center Replaced window AC units with heat pumps in our Transitional Housing Program Our Wish List As we look to the possibilities of 2018, our organization s ability to provide for those in need would be bolstered by a gift of, or a monetary donation for, any of the following: Refrigerated Truck $70, Metal Furnishings for SRO Program $12, $15, Members of the Lafayette Men s Lacrosse Team volunteer during the Nonprofit Energy Makeover Kickoff Event this October Weatherized windows, doors, electrical sockets, the Mollard Hospitality Center vent, etc. Installed low-flow water fixtures for showers and sinks Wi-Fi Retrofit for our Main Facility/ Office Building $5, New Ovens for our SRO Program $550.00/ each Professional Floor Stripper/ Waxer $ Battery Powered Leaf Blower $ Rolling Shopping Carts $40.00/each Thank you for helping New Bethany Ministries grow!

6 333 W. 4th Street Bethlehem, PA Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 486 Lehigh Valley PA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Upcoming Events: Holiday Gift and Food Drive: December 1st through the 22nd Christmas Day Meal at New Bethany Ministries: Monday, December 25th at 10:30 Spring Hunger Campaign 2018: March-June 2nd Annual Summer Sizzle: Saturday, June 2nd at Putt U Miniature Golf SAVE THE DATE for our 2018 Souper Day Luncheon: Tuesday, October 16th Many Thanks to Our Partners: Keep In Touch: Stay up-to-date on all that s going on at New Bethany Ministries by following us on the platforms or by subscribing to our monthly e-newsletter: P: F: newbethanyministries.org