The Rescue Mission of Roanoke’s Weblog

Roanoke Times News story below

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/167354

Volunteers from 1st Pres. in Atlanta, Georgia put on a Kid’s Carnival.

Linda and Karen, co-workers at Elizabeth Arden, are in the E.V.E. (Energy, Vision, Enthusiasm) Network which is a committee of local business women who help the Rescue Mission network within the community.   Once a month, The E.V.E network gathers to discuss important needs and plan events, like the StellarOne Drumstick Dash.   

Karen’s involvement in the E.V.E. Network began when our friend Leslie, a member of the E.V.E. Network and now the Mission’s Volunteer Coordinator, invited her to take a tour of the Mission. Linda’s involvement in the E.V.E. Network started after being deeply moved by Gus Johnson’s story that was told during her husband’s Rotary Club meeting.

The girls asked two questions, “What can we do?” and “How can we help?”…

First, they did a cell phone drive.  Linda and Karen decorated boxes and put them around Elizabeth Arden asking, “Donate your old cell phones to raise money for the Rescue Mission!” Their co-workers brought their old cell phones in.  But, it didn’t stop there.  Elizabeth Arden employees told their spouses and their spouses told their employers.  First Team Auto donated fifty cell phones.  And word spread to businesses associated with Elizabeth Arden; their purchasing agent donated another fifty phones.  For each phone collected the Rescue Mission receives up to $30.  Elizabeth Arden and friends collected over 200! 

When Elizabeth Arden refurbished their cafeteria, Karen knew exactly what to do with all those tables and chairs! “To the Rescue Mission! That way, the stuff wasn’t sent to the landfill.” That’s about fifty tables and three hundred chairs.  Maintenance at Elizabeth Arden, started to get the message, ‘don’t send it to the landfill!’…so they donated bookshelves too.

When Human Resources had left over cologne from Relay for Life, Karen and Linda knew exactly where it should go.  They called friend Leslie and donated about 75 cologne and aftershave sets.  The Rescue Mission gave the gift sets out on Father’s Day to the men in the Recovery Program.  

“You just have to put people in the mindset to rescue and recycle things.” Think Rescue Mission! Have extra boxes? Think Rescue Mission.  Extra merchandise? Think Rescue Mission. Outdated materials? Think Rescue Mission.  It’s a matter of getting people to think economically, letting nothing go to waste.  “Connections.” It’s spreading the word about what you can do to help.  Connect with your co-workers, classmates, and friends.  It’s getting other people excited to serve along side of you.   

Karen said, “I really don’t feel like we’ve done much. We’ve really just scratched the surface.  We’re just beginning, we have many more ideas.”

All of this energy comes from what happens here.  God changes people’s lives here. Don’t you want to be a part of that?   Ask yourself the same question “What can we do?” and “How can we help?” change people’s lives.  You may find that the answers will change your life.

Hope taking pictures of a family staying in our Shelter

A few weeks ago Hope and her family toured the Rescue Mission.   At the end, they wanted to know how they could help.  We talked about serving food, working in the thrift store, and reading bedtime stories.  Bedtime stories?! That was it. Every weekday night, the kids at the Rescue Mission gather at 8:00 and listen to volunteers read bedtimes stories.  The family signed up to read and entertain.   Then, we started talking about gifts.  Oh, her kids are gifted storytellers..dramatic, animated, and great entertainers.  Also, the oldest daughter, Hope is gifted at photography.  “The Rescue Mission can use that too!” Then, Hope offered to take pictures of the kids.  We scheduled her for June 11 in the afternoon.

                    Yesterday, “A photographer is coming today to take pictures of the kids after school!” was written in red sharpie across the white board.  One mother became very excited! She said, “I have never had a picture taken with all of my children.  One of my girls is two and a half years old and she has never had a picture taken of her.  I have no pictures of my kids.”  But when Hope and her friend Kristen came, there were no people…so we went knocking room to room. 

“knock, knock”…

”hello a photographer is here to….”

“We know! I’m trying to get my kids ready.  I’ll be out there in just a second.”  The mother frantically brushed one kid’s hair and pulled a pretty shirt over another one’s head.

Most of the rooms were busy dressing up for Hope. The families were expecting her.  Hope went outside and started taking pictures.  The kids loved it.  They posed and primped.  They played and laughed. 

                  While watching Hope and Kristen photograph the children, one woman turned to me and said, “Thank you so much.  I don’t have pictures of my children.”  Now, the mom will.

                Hope had a wonderful time too.  We are most delighted when we use the gifts that God has given us to bless other people.  

Last night was GIRLS NIGHT.  Monica, Leslie, and Becca had the recovery girls over to Monica’s house for a cookout and games.  As soon as the recovery girls arrived, Pat took the meat and started grilling.  She flipped burgers and rolled hot dogs over the fire.  Everyone else sat out on the back porch chatting and smelling the meaty smoke.  Rachel found the mini-umbrellas and knew just the right place for one…in her hair. Diana propped her feet up.  Becky made a delicious macaroni salad.  Everyone sipped soda and munched on crackers and dip.  It was nice.  Pat announced, “The meat’s done!,” and a line of hungry girls filed behind her.  We ate hotdogs and hamburgers, chips and dips, beans, and macaroni salad—the perfect summer meal.   After dinner, we played games: Taboo, Cranium, and Spades. We laughed and played.   Fun and fancy-free. For dessert, we enjoyed ice cream and brownies from the Mission.  On the back porch, the Taboo game got bigger and bigger until the competition fizzled out.  But the fun didn’t stop. Then, Rachel lay on the grass and looked up at the girls on the porch, “Come roll with me!”  Someone said, “Okay!” then another and another…Ready set go! And they’re off! While rolling downhill, Becky’s laugh echoed throughout the backyard.  After their bodies stopped rolling, they climbed back up the hill and laughed some more. When the fireflies started to come out, the girls went back to the Mission.  GIRLS NIGHT was a blast!

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been here. People say, ‘How can you be happy in the recovery program at a homeless shelter?’ Well, I’m happy.  You learn to look at people different.  We’re all God’s creatures, whether you want help or not. But, if He can change me, then He can change anybody.”  –Terri

Terri is a gem.  You can usually see her carting around in a bright red ‘Jesus’ hat and an even brighter smile.   She is a bright light because she is willing.  She was willing to enter the Mission’s Recovery Program and have a good attitude.  Willing to let the Lord change her behavior and habits.  Today, she praises God for the transforming work that He has done in her life, through the Mission.   That willing spirit is a bright light.  You can see it in her simple actions—singing in the choir on Friday, greeting everyone with a smile, and a good listening ear.  It’s also visible in the more obvious; Terri is physically challenged because she had an accident and as a result is missing a part of her leg.  Most people dwell on their limitations, but Terri doesn’t.   The Lord makes the weak strong.  But, Terri is quick to note that the weak, must be willing.

On Monday, 18 5^thgraders from Clearbrook Elementary came to clean the playground.  They began with a tour of the Mission and then a yummy lunch of hot dogs, fruit, fried chicken, and salad. With full bellies, the kids went over to the Women and Children’s Center to clean the back patio and play area, which was clearly in need of some TLC.  Mulch peppered the cement in disarray; weeds grew next to the flower beds and dusty pollen coated the white gazebo. The back patio quickly becomes a mess because of playing kids and ’spring dandruff.’ The Mission needs volunteers to help. Clearbrook Elementary came to the RESCUE!  They swept up the mulch and put it back in the playground. The kids scrubbed the gazebo smooth and pulled the weeds dead. When they left, the back patio and play area were in perfect order. The kids loaded the yellow bus in single file line and went back to school.  Thank you for coming to the RESCUE!

Wayne is the ground’s keeper at the Roanoke Rescue Mission.  When showing me the gardens he said, “Do you know what’s amazing about all of this?”

I said, “What?”

He said, “All of these plants have been donated. All of these plants have been planted by me. And, all of these plants are still alive!” 

Do you know what is amazing about Wayne?  His maintenance tools are bought and donated to the Mission by Wayne.  He says, “I use them now and when I retire I’ll leave them for the person after me.”  Not just the little shovels and rakes, but the riding lawn mower, too.  When the mower broke, Wayne bought a restored mower and added some restoration work himself.  Wayne gives his time, his tools, and his appreciation to the Mission.  He is a thankful man – that is why he gives so much back.   At your place of employment, would you buy the paper, the pens, the staples, the cleaning supplies, and the computer?  Would you purchase the stuff you need to work?  Wayne does.  That’s one of the reasons why Wayne is amazing.  His treasure IS The Rescue Mission and his treasure is AT The Rescue Mission.

Cle and his sponsor.  Program participants have a sponsor for encouragement.

Uneita, the human resources person at the mission.  She has a beautiful voice!

Around the second week of May, Cle handed me a piece of paper.  “What’s this?” I asked.  With a big smile he said, “It’s my graduation schedule.”  I looked at the paper and read… Opening Prayer… (blank), Awards and Achievements…(penciled names), Special Music…(penciled Unieta), Speaker…(CLE in bold), Closing Prayer…(blank).  I said, “Cle, you’re graduating!? Congratulations!” With an even bigger smile he said, “Yea.”  That second week of May, Cle was planning for his graduation on May 31, 2008. 

                The looming question is, “Can I make it to graduation day?”  For twelve to eighteen months, our program participants think about the day they complete the program. That day pronounces them sober, mentally healthy, spiritually minded, and a person of character.  That day pronounces them a changed person.  The change is hard and slow.  That change takes over a year.  So, every single day they fight against bad habits, attitudes, and thinking patterns.  If they are willing, God makes them a new creature in Christ, the old goes and the new comes. They are transformed by the renewing of their minds.   Day by day the Rescue Mission exposes program participants to scripture, character classes, and honest work ethic.   Day by day, the program participants expose their minds to new behavior and standards.  That’s hard! Like all of God’s children, they have to allow God to lead the way.  After Cle’s graduation, one guy came up to me and said, “I don’t think I’ll ever make it to graduation…” I looked him in the eyes and said, “Yes, with God’s help you will.  We’re cheering you on.  Cle did it. You can too.”

                So on May 31, 2008, Cle graduated.   His every-day at the Rescue Mission led up to his graduation day. On June 1, Cle became support staff to encourage the other program participants.  So the renewing continues.  CONGRATS CLE!

Every Friday, the mission has RALLY! The mission stops working.  The kitchen empties, incoming calls go to voice mail, and all rooms become still, except the chapel.  Everyone gathers in the chapel to celebrate the program participant’s accomplishments and ‘phase ups.’ Our MC’s are program men and women.  Our music is lead by a Recovery Choir.  We celebrate anniversaries and birthdays.  And on special days the mission celebrates a graduation, like Cle. Finally, Rally ends with a hallmark song, “Rescue Road.”