Dear Friend,

With the holiday season just around the corner now, it seems like everywhere I go, I hear Christmas songs: “I’ll be home for Christmas” . . . “There’s no place like home for the holidays” . . . “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

For most of us, including me, it is the most wonderful time of year, isn’t it? But it’s not for many hurting men, women and children who have no home for the holidays. For them, it can be the saddest time of the year. Every day is a reminder of everything that’s gone wrong in their lives. And it’s hard to escape the feeling that no one cares.

But you and I do care. More importantly, God loves them so much, He sent His only Son that first Christmas so that He could redeem them.  And with the love of Jesus Christ, you and I can show them love, too. All year-round, we embrace every man, woman and child who comes to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission with Christ’s love and compassion. Christmas gives us a unique opportunity to show that love and compassion in a special way.

That’s why your support is so important. You’re providing meals, shelter, clothing, education, job training and so much more to hurting men, women and children who may have nowhere else to turn. Through your generosity, they know how much you care. For many, coming through the doors of MRM may be the first time they feel welcomed. It may be the first time they’re surrounded by love and encouragement, and maybe the first time they feel it just might be possible to experience a “Merry” Christmas!

This holiday season, you will help the Milwaukee Rescue Mission serve more than 44,524 meals to hurting men, women and children. But you’ll provide more than food. You’ll remind our hurting neighbors that they are loved.

Thank you . . . and Merry Christmas!

I thank God for you,
Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.
President

Dear Friend,

Fall is always such a wonderful time here at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. As summer draws to a close — finishing up projects at our North Campus, nurturing kids through our City Camp, and so much more — our thoughts turn toward the challenges our homeless neighbors will face with the changing weather, a new school year at Cross Trainers Academy and, yes, the excitement of Thanksgiving right around the corner.

I know, Thanksgiving is still more than two months away. But it really is a remarkable time, and there’s no place I’d rather celebrate than with our guests at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. In many ways, the holidays can be a painful time for the men, women, and children here who have lost so much. But we are reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Through support like yours, these precious souls find reasons to give thanks — reasons like a hot meal, a warm bed and the reminder of God’s love. They know that, despite their painful circumstances, God is faithful and will lead them through those circumstances. They are truly grateful for the food they eat, safe shelter and for people who care — people like you.

And so am I. As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I am truly grateful for God’s faithfulness and His steadfast love — and I see that faithfulness and love every day through your generosity and compassion. You make gratitude possible at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. You make Thanksgiving possible — not just one day a year, but 24/7, 365 days a year. So on behalf of myself and all our guests — thank you.

Sincerely,
Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.
President

This May, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission (MRM) celebrates its 125th anniversary. Since 1893, MRM has provided essential resources for those who are hurting and homeless in Milwaukee, including meals, shelter and other care. Over a century later, MRM continues to provide for the basic needs of our homeless neighbors, and has expanded the mission of its founders to focus on education for children and adults, job training and community resources.

“We are humbled to see how God has been so faithful since our founding,” says Dr. Patrick Vanderburgh, President of MRM. “And we are grateful for the generous support of our community. Without the contributions of so many of our generous neighbors, we wouldn’t be able to help those in need in our city—and we wouldn’t be celebrating 125 years of ministry!”

In 1893, Civil War veterans in Milwaukee were struggling with issues like alcoholism and homelessness and had few resources available to them. That May, a group of churches met together and the concerned citizens took an offering to open the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. MRM provided meals and shelter, as well as opportunities to work and hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

For 125 years, MRM has continued that work and expanded it. In 1991, MRM opened Joy House, a shelter for women and children that now houses up to 100 people each night. In 2006, MRM started Cross Trainers Academy, a private school for children in the community that now serves around 300 students K4-12th grade. In 2014, the Equip department was established to provide resources to the community, including tutoring programs, a summer City Camp, discounted fresh groceries, hygiene items, job fairs and legal help. Most recently, Joy House was expanded through the Door of Hope program in early 2018, which serves single women who are homeless.

The Milwaukee Rescue Mission celebrated this milestone anniversary with around 450 friends and supporters at the Pfister Hotel on May 17, 2018.

ABOUT MRM
The Milwaukee Rescue Mission is a Christian organization that has served those who are hurting and homeless in Milwaukee since 1893. At the Main Campus at 19th and Wells Streets, Safe Harbor offers emergency shelter and long- term care to homeless men, while Joy House serves homeless women and children. Guests receive food, shelter, spiritual direction, job-skills training and other services to give them a fresh start. Each year, MRM provides around 300,000 meals and approximately 90,000 nights of shelter. The Equip community resource program also provides tutoring for area children, job resources and basic necessities. In addition to MRM’s Main Campus, the North Campus on 15th and Center Streets houses Cross Trainers Academy, a school for at-risk children from K4 to 12th grade, as well as a 4-star licensed daycare. More community outreach programs are scheduled to launch at the North Campus in coming months.

Dear Friend,

Men, women and children who are homeless often live in a world without hope: they may have no food, no bed, no home and no safety; they may struggle with addiction or mental illness; they start to despair. And that is the greatest struggle of all—the hopelessness that life will never get any better.

Among the most powerful words in Scripture are these words of Jesus: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26, NIV).

In other words, Christ’s resurrection offers us hope that death and despair do not have the last word — not only for men, women and children who are homeless, but for ALL of us. It is the cross that reminds us that the world isn’t divided between those who are blessed and those who aren’t. Apart from the cross, we are all hopeless, living in darkness and despair.

At Easter, we celebrate because, in the end, there is no “us” and “them.” We are all just sinners who need the forgiveness that Jesus offers through His death and resurrection. You, me and every hurting, homeless man, woman and child — we’re all in this together, brothers and sisters knit together as the family of God.

This is the amazing story of Easter. This is the story we tell 24/7, 365 days a year. And as our partner, you tell it too.

I hope you enjoy reading Michael’s and Tenesha’s stories in this issue of Soup for Your Soul. Although the details of their stories may differ from yours or mine, we all share this — Christ died that we might have life and hope!

May God grant you a blessed Easter,
Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.
President

Dear Friend,

I am so grateful for the faithful support of friends like you! Your kindness has made a real difference in the lives of our homeless neighbors — for men in Safe Harbor, our men’s shelter, as well as women with children in Joy House. But in the last few years, we have begun to see that there is one group that still needs help — single women.

Women who are homeless and unaccompanied by dependent children are in a particularly vulnerable situation. There are very few places they can turn to for help, and staying on the streets can be very dangerous. They may face theft, assault or worse. It can seem hopeless.

Until now. Because of the increased need, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission is stepping into the gap and opening up space to provide safe shelter, hot meals, warm beds, spiritual care and even long-term case management for these hurting women, so they can experience transformation in their lives through Jesus Christ. We’re calling this expansion of Joy House the Door of Hope Program, because that’s what it is — a gateway of hope to give vulnerable women a chance for new life.

I know you care about these precious women as much as we do. I’m so grateful for all the support you’ve given to hurting men and families at MRM. Now, I pray that your generous, loving compassion will extend toward women who need you more than ever.

Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.

President

Dear Friend,

With the holiday season right around the corner, I pray that your heart is filled with joy and glad tidings. I love the weeks leading up to Christmas, with all the warm memories and time to spend with friends and family.

Don’t get me wrong, I know there’s a lot of stress, too, with Christmas shopping and too many things to do. But working here at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, I’m reminded every day that my holiday stress is nothing compared to the paralyzing loneliness, desperation and hopelessness that many of our struggling neighbors experience.

The season can be hard for homeless men whose addictions cost them their family, and homeless single moms who have no money for presents or food for their kids. While most of us celebrate a season of bright hope, our homeless neighbors struggle with regret and discouragement.

But thanks to your generosity and compassion, men, women and children at MRM experience real Christmas joy. The holiday meals, the gifts wrapped in love and the caring support they receive here all help lead hurting people that much closer to the real miracle — the gift of a new life. And our Christmas celebration of Christ coming to Earth reminds us of the promise He would bring — good news and joy for all the people.

As you read this newsletter, I hope you see how you are giving the gift of hope and new life to hurting people this holiday season. Thank you for your friendship and support, and may your holidays always be filled with the love of our Savior.

I thank God for you,

Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.
President

Did you know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month? It’s a tough topic to discuss, but it strikes close to home for those of us at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. Many women in our shelter have suffered from abuse—in 2016, it was almost 50% of the women we served.

No one should have to live in fear of someone who is close to them or suffer abuse at the hands of a spouse or boyfriend. But one of the worst things about domestic violence happens when we stay silent. When women are too afraid to tell someone or to seek help, they often end up in even greater danger.

Joy House, our shelter for women and children, is one of the places women can turn to when they flee a situation of domestic violence. Sometimes, they come to us with just the clothes on their back, because they just knew grave danger was imminent.

But when they come here to MRM, they find safety and help. Your generosity gives them safety. Not only do they receive meals, shelter and clothing, they are surrounded by loving staff members who remind them of their worth and importance. In fact, our staff are specifically trained to help our neighbors who have experienced serious trauma.

And there’s more. Women who come to Joy House can stay and heal. We provide classes for them to grow, counselors for them to talk through what has happened and time for them to reconnect emotionally with their children. Their needs are met, and they can begin to heal—and to hope.

So this October, I ask you to remember those who are suffering from Domestic Violence. I ask you to pray for them. And, if you are able, I’d ask you to give.

Even something as simple as a hot meal can be the first step for a woman in need to start down a path towards a brighter future—a future that holds promise for her and her children.

Please consider joining many other generous friends who make brighter futures possible every day!

Dear Friend,

A colleague once told me, people aren’t homeless because they run out of money. They’re homeless because they run out of relationships. They’ve run out of friendships and community. And that’s far more tragic than a lack of money.

One of the most heartbreaking things I hear from folks at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission is that they feel completely alone as they try to cope with their addiction or homelessness. They’ve failed time and time again to fix their problems without any outside help. They can’t.

But no one can. We all need help. We need family and friends. We need love, encouragement, wise counsel and practical help. And that’s the great thing about the Milwaukee Rescue Mission — we are a community of friends and neighbors ready to offer this kind of support to those who want it.
I hear it over and over from our guests. The meals and shelter saved their lives. But what transformed their lives was the love, friendship and support they found here. When they realized they aren’t alone, change happened.

But here’s the thing: There is no one more important in this community than YOU. As a donor, everything that happens here, from meals to relationships, happens because of your generosity. As a community, we all have roles to play. And the role you play in this community makes this great community possible. It’s not just your check, it’s YOU — your love, your compassion, your commitment and your relationship with the hurting people we serve together. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.
President

Dear Friend,

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

It’s not always easy to empathize with people we meet. Most of the time when we encounter someone, we see only the surface, where they are at a moment in time. But how well do we really understand them?

Take Lakesha and Paul, both featured in this issue of Soup for your Soul. On the surface, you’d see two hurting people who’ve made bad decisions in their lives, decisions that led to addiction, violence, prison, loneliness and homelessness. But if that’s all you knew, you wouldn’t truly understand them.
Empathy is hearing someone’s story, his or her entire story, and trying to understand it. It’s not just knowing the decisions they made, but understanding what may have led them to those decisions. Because when you understand the painful traumas of their childhoods, the rejection and regret they endured as adults, only then can you begin to relate to them, to empathize with them.

That’s when you begin to understand that if you had experienced what they had, your life would probably look much the same. That’s why we tell the stories of these extraordinary men and women in our newsletters. When you understand their stories, you begin to understand that we might look different, or come from different backgrounds, but we’re really not so different. We all have the same needs. Our stories may look different. “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

That’s what sets caring, compassionate people like you apart. As a supporter of the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, you demonstrate real empathy all the time. You read the stories of these hurting men, women and children — and you understand. You care. On behalf of all those we serve, thank you for all you do.

Sincerely,

Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.
President

Dear Friend,

I can’t imagine what Jalissa must have felt. A young mother with her kids, hungry and homeless, and despite the bitter cold, none of her family or friends would take her in. The fear and stress she experienced must have been unbearable. And that’s why I’m so grateful friends like you were able to provide help by supporting the Milwaukee Rescue Mission.

But Jalissa and her children aren’t alone. Over the next 12 months of 2017, thousands of men, women and children will find shelter here. This winter, up to 400 people a night will find a warm, safe bed. Thanks to compassionate people like you, so many vulnerable people will find refuge from the bitter cold.

And, I’m grateful for your support that can help provide them with so much more. You see, the Milwaukee Rescue Mission isn’t just a shelter. Every day as men, women and children begin to experience counseling, education and job training, lives are changing. Most important of all, however, we have the privilege of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, because that’s where transformation truly begins.

I believe that, through your generosity and God’s grace, 2017 is going to be a great year! We will work together to continue to improve our programs to help even more men and women put their broken lives back together. And we will also further expand Cross Trainers Academy, our K4-10th grade school, to provide education that can be the key to improving the lives of families in our community.

As we begin 2017, on behalf of those we serve, thank you for journeying with us in this new year!

I thank God for you,

Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.

President