Christmas. Family. Homeless.

12 6 Y E A R S O F S E R V I C E DenverRescueMission.org Christmas. Family. Homeless. One of these words does not belong with the others. This Christmas, give the gift of hope for our families at The Crossing. December 2018 AC L P A E B O ET d i K a

The Crossing... AC L P A transitional programs E B O ET d i K a The Crossing s Kids, all 5 0 of them, are bound to have a great holiday season. Here are just a few of the ways we re celebrating Christmas with them. "CHRISTMAS IS MY FAVORITE THING EVER!" JORDIN, AGE 6 CHRISTMAS 4 KIDS WHIZ KIDZ CHRISTMAS PARTY What s Christmas 4 Kids? It s a big gift wrapping party! One week before Christmas, our donors and Crossing parents get together to wrap special gifts for our kids to open on Christmas morning. It's a blast! Whiz Kidz is a non-profit with more than 50 sites that serve more than 800 students, grades 1 through 5, to provide one-on-one tutoring. In December, all of our children invite their tutors to The Crossing, and together, they sing carols and have a Christmas party! "I LIKE GETTING NEW CLOTHES!" DEVAUGHN, AGE 6 19 TH ANNUAL BRONCOS HOLIDAY PARTY Denver Broncos players, cheerleaders, and Miles the Mascot stop by The Crossing with a special catered dinner and presents for our families. They hang out with the kids, play games, decorate cookies and have tons of fun! "I JUST WANT TO MAKE A SNOW ANGEL!" "I'M EXCITED FOR THE PRESENTS." JAYDIN, AGE 10 BEVERLEY, AGE 11

Faces of Homelessness in Colorado Did you know that, in Colorado, there are nearly 25,000 homeless students enrolled in schools? In fact, 14,000 of those students live in the seven-county Denver Metro area.* Several factors contribute to a child experiencing homelessness. The top three are affordable housing, poverty and domestic violence.** At Denver Rescue Mission, we have an average of 50 children living at The Crossing with their parents/guardians. Joe Bermingham, our Youth Coordinator, talked about some of the challenges our kids face when navigating homelessness. Most of our kids come from hard pasts, he said. They ve gone through a lot of grown up things in their young life living in cars, living on the street, abusive situations. Some of them haven t been able to participate in after-school activities because of transportation issues or because they have to take care of their siblings while their parents work two or three jobs. It s tough. Many of them just haven t had a place where they can be a kid. That was the motivation for beginning our Youth Program in 2005, to provide a safe place emotionally, physically and spiritually where kids can just be kids. Many of The Crossing s children have lived transient lives and this lack of stability begins to shape all of their experiences. Eight-year-old Isabella shared her family s story before coming to the Mission, We were homeless, she said. We lived on the streets and then we lived in hotels; we lived in a car, too. I was very excited when we came here because it looks a lot safer than other places we lived. My mom and dad always have smiles on their face, now. One of the most perpetuating issues of homelessness is its impact on children. A child without a stable home is twice as likely to repeat a grade, be expelled, be suspended, or drop out of high school.** A lot of our kids are anywhere from a month "I was very excited when we came here because it looks a lot safer than other places we lived. My mom and dad always have smiles on their face, now. to three years behind in school, says Joe. It s not that they re not intelligent, it s just that, before they came here, they were homeless and they ve missed a lot of school. Reading and Writing Club (which also includes math tutoring) is one of the ways the Mission is fighting back against poverty s impact on children. The club is hosted at our Denver Broncos Youth Center every Monday through Thursday after school. The kids spend 45 minutes with staff, interns and volunteers receiving tutoring and homework help. The purpose of the club is to help the kids catch up to their grade level, said Joe. On their first day, we do an assessment, we find out their reading level and their math level. Then, we begin working to help them progress from there. When asked about how he hopes the program impacts kids, Joe thought about it for a few seconds and said, You know, these kids really are brilliant. And many of them have never had the opportunity to live the life of a normal kid. We just want to come alongside them and create an atmosphere of trust and security and, of course, create a place where kids can be kids. With your help, we re creating that space, not just for the kids, but for their families, too. Thank you for supporting our youth, and thank you for providing our families at The Crossing with a merry Christmas! *coloradotrust.org/content/story/colorado-sees-surge-child-homelessness **childtrends.org/indicators/homeless-children-and-youth You can help Your donations allow us to provide these children and their parents with an opportunity to thrive as a family. Donate today at DenverRescueMission.org/Donate.

LETTER FROM THE CEO Donate a vehicle. Change a life. Dear Friends, I think we can all agree that Christmas is about Jesus, that He is the reason for the season. And I think most of us would agree that Christmas is also about the kids. Maybe one of the reasons I feel that way is that Christmas morning still makes me feel like a kid. Now that I am an adult, a dad, a grandfather, I don t receive as many gifts on Christmas, but the ones I do receive always make me feel special. When 104.3 The Fan and Denver Rescue Mission partner to provide a Season of Hope to our New Life Program participants, I think the participants experience a similar feeling feeling special and grateful for the presents they receive. Having the humility to enroll in a rehabilitation program and asking for help is hard, and no one plans to be in a rehabilitation program over Christmas. But the fabulous dinner that is provided during the event, and the gifts each of them receive, let these men know they are loved and that there s hope for a new life. The same is true at our Denver Broncos Holiday Party for our STAR Transitional Program participants. Imagine if you were in a transitional program, trying to move your family out of homelessness and several Broncos players and cheerleaders came to feed your family a gourmet dinner, give your entire family gifts, and decorate cookies with your kids. That s exactly what happens on this night, and our families feel so loved because of it. We live in a compassionate community, and I get to see this generosity every day through so many like you. I get to see the joy your gifts bring to those who have nothing. For this, I am so thankful. It makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning! This Christmas, like all the Christmases during my time at Denver Rescue Mission, I am thankful for the birth of Jesus and for your gifts that are changing lives in the name of Christ. May you have a very Merry Christmas! God Bless, Your donated vehicle may be given to graduates of our long-term programs, ensuring that they have reliable transportation so they can get to work and live a productive, self-sufficient life. Donating your vehicle is easy and your gift is tax-deductible. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS UNIQUE PROGRAM, VISIT DenverRescueMission.org/Vehicle-Donation. DENVER RESCUE MISSION 104.3 THE FAN and PRESENTS On December 20th, Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan and Denver Rescue Mission will team up to provide Christmas gifts for the men in our New Life Program, a long-term rehab program for men experiencing homelessness and addiction. Many of the participants haven t had the joy of unwrapping a gift in years! Thanks to our partnership with 104.3 The Fan, we are excited to provide Christmas dinner and gifts for our men in the New Life Program! sports RADIO THe Fan Brad Meuli President/CEO

162 Households MOVED INTO PERMANENT HOUSING 152 Children living at the crossing completed 3,270 hours of homework Mentors provided tutoring, support and encouragement to 22 of our youth Children experience homelessness, too. But your gifts are helping us provide them and their parents with opportunities to find a way home.

Mark Schlereth and Mike Evans on Why Denver Rescue Mission Matters our Core Strategies Where does your desire to give back to the community come from? Evans: Being able to see the reaction of people when you help, it makes you feel good. But more than that, it means so much to them, and it makes you want to go back and do it again. Schlereth: Since I came [to Denver] as a free agent in 1995, I ve had the opportunity to partner with Denver Rescue Mission. It s just important to me to love people well, to give back and to be a part of the community. When you meet some of the men in our New Life Program, and you hear their story, what impact does that have on you? Evans: It s powerful to hear from those guys, to see them talk about their struggles and where they ve come from. Then, to hear them share how they feel Denver Rescue Mission is turning their lives around it s awe-inspiring. Schlereth: The whole principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not to judge people, but just to love them. When you talk to guys who are a part of the New Life Program what s so inspiring is their ability to accept responsibility; and to see their hearts change through their experience with Jesus and with this program, like Mike said, it s awe-inspiring. After the Season of Hope Dinner on December 20 is over and the men go back to their rooms, what do you hope they take away from it all? Evans: Last year, their reaction when they opened their gifts, and these weren t extravagant gifts, they were simple a basketball, socks, a shirt but to see how much fun they were having watching others in the program open their gifts, that was really cool, watching them share that joy and share that moment with each other. I like to think that the whole event will help bring people closer together, maybe cause them to form stronger bonds with each other. Schlereth: I think this is a section of society that a lot of people look down on and say, Well they need to get a job, they need to take responsibility. Homelessness is kind of a forgotten section of our society, and to see our fans and listeners pitch in to support these men and help them get back on their feet I just hope the guys feel that love; that they see the outpouring of support from people who listen to 104.3 The Fan. Mark Schlereth, co-host of Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan, played 12 years in the NFL between the Redskins and the Broncos. Plus, he earned two trips to the Pro Bowl and snagged three Super Bowl rings. He's currently an analyst for FS1 and does color commentary for FOX Sports. Before FS1/FOX, he was a long-time analyst for ESPN-TV. Mike Evans, co-host of Sports Radio 104.3 The Fan, is a proud graduate of Syracuse University. Mike is an award-winning talk show host via the Colorado Broadcasters Association. He's been covering the Broncos and the rest of the Denver sports scene for almost 20 years! emergency services People are invited inside, off the street where their immediate needs are met and critical relationships are built with Mission staff. REHABILITATION Men living with an addiction are equipped with work readiness skills, receive help to overcome destructive habits, find permanent housing, and begin a new life. transitional programs Families and individuals in need receive case management, develop life skills and save for permanent housing. COMMUNITY OUTREACH We provide assistance with food, clothing, furniture, household items and holiday meals for people struggling in our community. Locations Lawrence Street Community Center: Meals, restrooms, showers, washing machines and dryers, clean drinking water, and access to Mission staff for encouragement and guidance Lawrence Street Shelter: Overnight shelter for men, chapel and health clinic Holly Center: Overnight shelter for men assigned weekly and lockers for storage The Crossing: Transitional program for families and rehabilitation program for men Harvest Farm: Rural rehabilitation program near Fort Collins Fort Collins Rescue Mission: Meals, shelter and transitional programs Ministry Outreach Center: Central warehouse facility including food, clothing and furniture distribution Administration & Education: Entry point for Mission transitional programs and home to the Mission s administrative and development staff 48th Street Center: Overnight shelter for men, operated in partnership with the City of Denver. DENVER RESCUE MISSION IS A PROUD MEMBER OF: P.O. Box 5164 Denver, CO 80217 303.297.1815