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

Dear Friend,

I hope the stories of Jack and Jasmine, in this issue of Soup for Your Soul, encourage you. Theirs are just two of the lives you’ve helped transform this year.

Like most men and women who seek help at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, they were both deeply hurt in childhood by people in their lives who neglected, abused or even abandoned them. The emotional wounds most of our guests have experienced in their lives can follow them for a lifetime, often crippling them with bitterness, anger, self-loathing, drugs, alcohol and even more hurtful relationships. They never felt seen, known, loved, or valued. All they wanted was for something — or someone — to take their pain away. They just want a new life. A new life story.

And thanks to a Child born in a manger, we know there’s a Bigger Story that makes that new life possible, for all of us. At the Incarnation, Jesus clothed Himself in our flesh, pain, and weakness. Then he embraced us, as if to say, “I see you. I know you and love you. I will redeem you and never abandon you.”

Just like our guests — just like Jack and Jasmine — Jesus experienced pain, struggle, loneliness and poverty. And He died to set us free from all of that. That’s the story, and that’s the message, that makes healing possible for every hurting man, woman and child at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission.

And thanks to generous and caring people like you, even more struggling people will hear that story this Christmas. Of course, our human gifts to each other could never compare to God’s gift of His Son. But, like Jesus, your gifts tell our guests, “I see you. I know and love you. And I will not abandon you.” You offer them real gifts of hope and new life.

So as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior this holiday season, thank you for your caring partnership.

I thank God for you,

Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.

President

Dear Friend,
It’s been quite a year since we opened our new North Campus in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, where we moved Cross Trainers Academy last September. Lindsay Heights is one of the most challenged, violent and traumatized communities in Milwaukee.

At our new North Campus, we’ve expanded Cross Trainers Academy to enroll 250 students and opened a state-licensed day care, the Child Enrichment Center. In addition, new community outreach programs provide resources to strengthen neighborhood families.

At our North Campus, hundreds of children receive life-changing, quality Christian education. The move places MRM where many of our students live, in a community suffering from the cycle of poverty that many of their families have experienced for generations. An education is one of the keys to breaking that cycle.

Transforming lives is what the Milwaukee Rescue Mission is all about — not just for students, but also for all the struggling men and women seeking our help. And education is vital to that transformation — education that starts with the life-changing power of Jesus Christ and keeps going as we help improve educational skills and addiction recovery and provide valuable life-skills that will change the direction of their lives.

None of this is possible without your support. God is using you: Your gifts give adults in our programs the resources they need to succeed, and they equip students with a quality Christian education that opens the way to a brighter future. You are providing more than just food and shelter for people in need: you are helping to enable them to be all that God has made them to be and to fulfill His calling in their lives.

Thank you for your partnership, loyalty and compassion as we work together in the name of Jesus Christ!

Sincerely,
Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.

Dear Friend,
1 Thessalonians 5:14 perfectly describes what happens here at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, thanks to your support. To admonish, to encourage, to help people in their weakness and to show patience — it’s really everything we do for those we are called to serve. It’s the very heart of the gospel, and the essence of what family and community are all about.

It’s unconditional love. When you’re struggling and hurt, it’s impossible to measure just how important it is to be surrounded by people who love and value you simply for who you are. It’s life-changing.

Yes, we first take care of people’s essential human needs: food, shelter and clothing. But the human need for loving, caring, supportive relationships is no less important. No one can thrive outside of relationships and community. In fact, almost every man and woman here at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission will tell you how important the relationships they experience here have been for their recovery.

Just as God loved us while we were yet sinners, we try to model that same love with one another. But it’s not just us. It’s YOU. This is what your support and prayers really mean to the hurting men, women and children at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. It means a loving, caring community, a community where no one gets left behind.

We all fall down at some point in our lives. Hopefully, someone will be there to pick us up when we do. Thank you for being the kind of person who is there when someone falls. Your loving compassion transforms lives.

Sincerely,
Patrick H. Vanderburgh, D.Min.

President