I didn t want to live

Page 3 A grand re-opening Page 4 Be a blessing! Page 7 Up and running Fall 2012 Mel Trotter Ministries I didn t want to live JoAnn had a wonderful job, a beautiful home in a historic Detroit neighborhood, good friends and a daughter she adored. How could someone with so much to live for want so much to die? Inside, JoAnn shares the answer and why she is so thankful for you. HOW CAN WE THANK GOD ENOUGH FOR YOU IN RETURN FOR ALL THE JOY WE HAVE...BECAUSE OF YOU? ~1 Thessalonians 3:9

JoAnn s life had turned into... I didn t want to live No Greater Joy People often say that I don t look like an addict. I respond by saying, Addicts come from all walks of life. After 50 years of marriage...a man looked at his wife, and said, You know honey, after fifty years, I ve found you tried and true. The wife s hearing wasn t very good, so she said, What? He repeated, After fifty years, I ve found you tried and true. The wife finally replied, Well after fifty years, I m tired of you too! * My name is JoAnn. I destroyed my life with crack cocaine. I had a great job, a beautiful home in a historic area of downtown Detroit and wonderful friends. I withdrew from everyone and eventually lost my job. What s so sad is that in the beginning, I didn t even know what crack was. My addiction started after my daughter left to go to college. I didn t know it at the time, but I had been very dependent on her for my happiness. I got involved with a guy who introduced me to cocaine and then we started smoking crack. My whole life just fell apart. A toxic heap I was so ashamed that my life had turned into a toxic heap, but I couldn t stop. I didn t want to live anymore so I smoked about $1,000 worth of crack, swallowed After God pulled her back from death s door, JoAnn is rebuilding her life one day at a time. an assortment of prescription medication with a fifth of vodka and sat in my car as it ran, with the garage door shut, for about 18 hours. I really do believe that God saved me because my doctor could not explain why I was still alive. At this point, I knew I needed help. So I entered a short-term recovery program in Metro Detroit. While I was there, I heard about Mel Trotter. And I made the decision to come here, to separate myself from everything that was comfortable and familiar. And to find out why I did what I did, to build a stronger relationship...thank you so much to with God and to everyone who has given acquire the tools to rebuild my life. Now so graciously. I hope that I m a graduate of the when I m back on my feet, women s addiction I can give as generously... recovery program and I work as a ~JoAnn House Manager helping women who come into the program and women and children who come into the shelter. I love my work here and I take my life one day at a time. God has not yet revealed my overall purpose, but He will as I continue to follow Him throughout my life. READ MORE STORIES OF HOPE ONLINE /storiesofhope.aspx 2 M e l Tro t ter M i nist r i es Jo urnal This dear couple was able to get past this relatively minor misunderstanding because after 50 years of marriage, they had learned to prioritize their love for God, love for family and leaving a legacy for the ministries they love such as Mel Trotter Ministries. Watching their children follow their example was deeply satisfying for the couple, who experienced the blessing of 3 John 1:4: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. For a FREE copy of Growing Your Family God s Way, simply check the box on the enclosed form or contact Tim Swiney, Director of Development at Mel Trotter, at (616) 588-8768 or timswiney@ *Source: Ten Secrets for a Successful Family by Adrian Rogers Coming to a neighborhood near you... Mel Trotter Thrift Stores Exciting news! After undergoing an extreme makeover, Mel Trotter Ministries Store has a new name (Mel Trotter Thrift Stores), a new look (from fresh paint to updated lighting to beautiful murals on the walls), new product offerings and much more. Everything s new...except the great bargains you ll find. And of course, the satisfying experience of shopping for a cause since every time you shop at one of five Mel Trotter Thrift Stores you help change lives. You won t want to miss the GRAND RE-OPENING of a store near you. For dates and details, visit our website at 3 M el Trotter M inis tr ies Jou rn al

Be a blessing to hurting neighbors! Holiday Brown Bag Food Drive As we head into the fall season, many Grand Rapidians are hungry, homeless and hurting. Please join with Mel Trotter, The Grand Rapids Press and Biggby Coffee in our annual Holiday Brown Bag Food Drive. Look for the brown grocery bags and drop-off locations in The Press on October 18. The drive will run from October 22 through December 3. (Help us surpass last year s record of collecting over 54,000 pounds of donated food!) All donations help feed the hungry, homeless and hurting through our Community Service Distribution Program. We would like to extend a special thank-you for the support of our sponsors, The Grand Rapids Press and Biggby Coffee. For information about this year s Brown Bag Food Drive, call (616) 588-8766. Great Thanksgiving Banquet Picture this...the lovely Steelcase Ballroom at DeVos Place, tables elegantly set, smiling servers standing by to welcome 2,100 guests to a feast fit for a king. That s how many meals we served last year at our Great Thanksgiving Banquet, thanks to the help of hundreds of caring volunteers who gave their time to help make it happen. With your help, this year s feast will be just as delicious and the festivities will be unforgettable to our homeless, hungry friends. One of our guests last year was JoAnn, who shares her inspiring story in this issue of the Journal. It is a feast, an incredible banquet! she shares. People were served their meal at a table, by wonderful volunteers. There was even someone that came in and entertained us on the grand piano. It s not only open to the residents of Mel Trotter, but to anyone in the community...it s very heartwarming. On November 22, Mel Trotter Ministries will once again have the joy and privilege of hosting our guests. They will join the ranks of presidents as they enter the Steelcase Ballroom at DeVos Place to enjoy a traditional turkey dinner with all the delicious trimmings, prepared by our culinary staff in the ballroom s state-of-the-art kitchen. As they dine, our guests will be entertained by groups from local churches and organizations. Thanksgiving food boxes will also be prepared and distributed to people who want to celebrate at home but can t afford the fixin s for a holiday meal. The Great Thanksgiving Banquet is always a special event, but to make it happen, we must start getting ready now. If you would like to help or are interested in knowing more, call (616) 454-8249 or visit us online at Turkey Drop It s hard to give thanks with hunger pains in your stomach. Please remember our homeless, hurting neighbors as you plan your Thanksgiving festivities. Mel Trotter Ministries and our corporate sponsor, WOOD Radio, will be holding our annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drop on November 14. You can be part of this meaningful community outreach by dropping off frozen turkeys from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Celebration Cinemas North and South. The turkeys will be used in our Thanksgiving and Christmas food boxes. Last year we received 967 turkeys. Can you help us reach our goal of 1,000 gobblers? For information, go to or contact Rebecca Robertson at (616) 588-8766. 4 M e l Tro t ter M i nist r i es Jo urnal 5 M el Trotter M inis tr ies Jou rn al

Derrick was ready to throw away a decade of sobriety Mel Trotter kept me on track! I m Derrick and I became an addict at 27. I had never even had a drink. But my brother had died, my father was very sick and I was hanging out with a friend. He offered me some cocaine. I tried it. That s when I fell into a downward spiral. It took me 18 years to hit rock bottom. I was out there on the street just trying to get more crack. I hadn t slept much for about a week and it had been about 10 days since I had a shower. I was ready to get clean. And I did for ten years. I met a wonderful girl and I fell in love, gave her my whole heart. But it didn t work out and that break-up hurt me so bad that I seriously considered using again. I was close to throwing away a decade of sobriety. Spiraling down into God s arms I was about to fall back into that spiral. Instead I came to Mel Trotter Ministries and fell into God s arms. The staff prayed and counseled with me every day and let me stay there until I could get back on my feet. Now I go down to Mel Trotter whenever I can and volunteer at their new Day Center. I enjoy the camaraderie! Recently my auntie died and I needed to go to Derrick s life is back on track and he enjoys helping others out by volunteering at the Day Center. Detroit to her funeral, but I couldn t afford the bus ticket. I ll never forget how Mel Trotter encouraged me and helped me work out a solution for getting home to my family! Nobody has prayed for me, loved me or supported It s a joyous time to be at Mel Trotter at the holidays! ~Derrick We give thanks for your prayers Please pray for: Jobs for our program graduates and shelter guests Sobriety for people in recovery this holiday season God to provide mentors to encourage and support our graduates Please give praise that: Our new Day Center is providing for many tangible needs and assisting many in finding housing and employment Our new class on conflict resolution is helping many women to work on family reconciliation One of our program graduates is now giving back by working as a Mel Trotter House Manager me like that in my life. I m so grateful for everyone who gives. Everyone needs a little help. No one wants to be living on the street. No matter what donors can give, every little bit helps. Fifty cents, a dollar, we need it. And I m just so grateful. MARK YOUR CALENDAR! Up and running... Day Center and Food Pantry A few years ago, it was an old tire warehouse on Williams Street, just behind Mel Trotter s downtown headquarters. Today, it s our new Day Center and Food Pantry a building where blessings abound. Since opening in late April, we have been able to help 10 people with finding jobs, housing, etc. and we are partnering with 9 local agencies to help provide services for the men, women and children who are utilizing our Day Center. And that s not all! In the words of our president and CEO Reverend Chico Daniels: This will be another asset that we can use to help shelter and better serve the chronically homeless population of Grand Rapids and Kent Counties. We re excited to have this facility online and so far we re seeing a regular influx of people. We have a capacity for 100, so by the fall when people are out there With our new Day Center and Food Pantry, Mel Trotter can better serve the needs of the homeless population of Grand Rapids and Kent counties. Fill a need this fall really cold, this will be a place for people to find refuge during the day. In addition to providing a place of warmth and comfort during the day, a third of the Center s space is an expanded Food Pantry, complete with a refrigerated room for repackaging donated meats, dairy and produce into portions sized for individual households. People in need can literally come in and shop for food products and items they desperately need, explains Reverend Daniels. (And the price is right because it s free to people who can t afford to buy food!) More than $630,000 was raised in less than a year s time to make this exciting project possible. We have friends like you to thank for your awesome generosity. You are a blessing! Fall is our busiest time of year and also a season when we especially need: Children s pajamas for boys and girls Small toys: cars, trucks, dolls, stickers, fast-food toys, crayons, etc. Winter hats and gloves for men and women A complete list of daily needs is posted on our website: 6 Mel Trotter Ministries Journal 7 Mel Trotter Ministries Journal

Dear Friend of Mel Trotter Ministries, Despite the busyness and extra needs of fall, we welcome it with joy. We have so much to be grateful for this fall and we re already giving thanks here at Mel Trotter. I was recently reminded of how blessed we are to have the confidence of generous friends like you. You know, for 112 years we have enjoyed the favor of God from our donors and volunteers. Over the years, we have developed such a personal relationship with our supporters that they have never forgotten us or forsaken the poor even when hard times hit them personally. We re just so blessed to be here in Grand Rapids such a giving community that is so family oriented. How we thank God for beautiful families and friends who have rolled up their sleeves and are so passionate about serving and then instilling those values into their children. Your legacy of generosity and service to the homeless and the poor is a priceless gift to our community! We also treasure your prayers, and that s why we always include a list of prayer requests and praise reports in every issue of the Journal. This issue is also packed with news about our new Day Center and Food Pantry, special events we invite you to be involved in this fall and inspiring stories of lives that have been touched and changed because you care. Your faithful friendship and generous compassion are very high on our blessing list! May God bless you abundantly. Chico Daniels, President & CEO Our mission To demonstrate the compassion of Jesus Christ toward the hungry, homeless and hurting of the Grand Rapids area. HOPE BY THE NUMBERS January July, 2012 Meals served: 110,623 Nights of shelter provided: 47,015 Food boxes distributed: 1,632 Dental visits: 348 Chapel attendance: 34,935 Connect with us online My Thanksgiving gift YES, Chico, I ll help Mel Trotter Ministries feed and care for homeless and hungry Grand Rapidians this fall season. I ve enclosed: m $15 m $35 m $50 m $150 m $ 225 Commerce SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 454-8249 Name Please make your check payable to: Mel Trotter Ministries Address City State Zip Please send me a FREE copy of Growing Your Family God s Way @ Email Donate online by credit card at thanksgiving. 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. 21733-2