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HIS HANDS The City Mission Newsletter • maY 2018

Note from the Chief Executive Officer

New life, new partners

Spring is here, and as warmer days and sunny skies begin to reappear, those of us at The City Mission are giving thanks for new life and new partnerships in the midst of a tremendously busy season.

As the needs of our community continue to grow, the Mission is committed to working with local churches and businesses to find solutions that will have a long-term impact for the homeless in Cleveland.

These partnerships are nothing new. Since the Mission began, we’ve been known as the “Downtown Arm of the Church.” We thank God for the churches who faithfully send volunteers, welcome our graduates, and support us with their prayers and donations.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. –Hebrews 10:24

We’ve also been blessed by numerous corporate partnerships, and this month, I’m excited to tell you about a new one. AXA Advisors, a financial planning group, is working with the Cuyahoga Land Bank to renovate a house for one of our residents as part of the New Horizons Housing Collaborative.

When churches, businesses, and friends like you come together to help the hurting, it’s a beautiful representation of the body and mission of Christ. I’m grateful for your support, and I hope this issue of His Hands inspires you to consider how your church or organization might begin to partner with us as well.

Sincerely,

Following God’s footsteps

Helen finds the path to freedom and hope.

Helen has struggled with drug addiction for many years. Though she would be sober while she worked or went to school, she always returned to drugs when she felt depressed or stressed out.

Finally, her addiction cost her too much. Helen lost her apartment, and since her drug use made it impossible to find a new one, she became homeless.

“I was trying to arrange my life and not go bonkers, but it was really tough,” Helen says. “Laura’s Home had a place for me after three days, and I knew it was God teaching me a lesson.”

Unfortunately, Helen fell and broke her hip not long after she arrived. She spent a month in rehab and was afraid that once she was released from the hospital, she would be homeless again.

The staff at Laura’s Home told Helen they would hold a place for her, which allowed Helen to focus on healing.

“I will be forever grateful to Laura’s Home because they didn’t have to do that,” she says. “It relieved my mind of stress to know that I could come here and be cared for.”

BREAKING FREE

Helen is currently working her way through the long-term program at Laura’s Home, and part of the process is attending classes and chapel services. As she works to overcome her addiction, Helen is learning more and more about why it’s so difficult to break free.

Helen shares, “Once you have a habit, you always have a habit. It doesn’t go away, and it doesn’t leave you alone.

“But the classes are helping me understand why I would keep revisiting my drug habit. If you’re not prepared for [the temptation], it will pull you down and you’ll relapse.

“I’m a strong person,” she continues, “and I believe God is going to give me the power to handle this. I’m going to follow in God’s footprints and do what He wants me to do.”

FAITH FOR THE FUTURE

Once she graduates from Laura’s Home, Helen wants to find an apartment of her own. She also hopes to do something to help women and children who are facing homelessness as she once was.

Grateful for the springboard Laura’s Home has been for her, Helen she acknowledges that her eyes have been opened to the struggles of people around her.

“Before I was homeless, I never knew women lived like this—suffered like this—because we don’t see them. We really don’t—we go about our business and go to the supermarket, and unless they’re out there begging, we don’t see them.

“I think it’s good that God let me see this side of the coin, and I believe He’ll do something with it in the future.”

Helen smiles, “I prayed that God would relieve me from this addiction, and I believe He did. I know I won’t touch it again, and Laura’s Home has given me the tools I need to follow Him.”

After many years, Helen is finally breaking free from the addiction that has controlled her. Please continue to pray for Helen and our many guests who also struggle with addiction, and join us in thanking God for the freedom and hope He offers.

In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. –Ephesians 3:12

service in focus: CHURCHES

ON MISSION TOGETHER

Church involvement is crucial to us at The City Mission because our efforts are multiplied through the Church.

We need the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ to bring men, women, and children in crisis to a long-term state of stability. In fact, in 2017, 30 different churches provided more than 25,000 of the 181,262 meals we served at Crossroads and Laura’s Home. We had partners from at least 20 different churches join us at several major events, and through sponsorship and participation in our fundraising events, we were able to gain $11,940 for ministry at the Mission.

Here are some ways you and your church group can partner with us:

  • Pray for The City Mission—Become one of our vital prayer partners by signing up. We’ll send bi-weekly emails with specific prayer requests.
  • Become a Hope Partner—Join the church communities that regularly donate to the Mission.
  • Provide Meals—Serve a monthly or bi-monthly meal to men, women, and children in need.
  • Mentoring—Grow disciples through mentoring at Crossroads (Monday thru Friday, any time between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.) and the children in Pathways (Monday thru Friday from 3–5 p.m.).
  • Help with events—Join us on August 4 for the Back to School Bash and on December 15 for the Christmas Fair. We need people to collaborate with us on every aspect of these celebrations!
  • Sponsor an event—Support a major fundraising event and be visible in the community at Running with a Mission and Ride with a Mission.
  • Host a donation drive—Collect needed items such as school supplies, toiletries, towels, and much more. Let us know you’re interested and we’ll keep you updated on our needs.
  • Ask us to speak at your church—We would love to share what God is doing at the Mission!

Please consider attending a Prospective Volunteer Introduction on behalf of your church to find out how your congregation can connect. We’d love to give you a tour of the Mission and help you find the perfect place to serve. Upcoming dates include:

  • Saturday, July 14 at 10 a.m., Laura’s Home
  • Tuesday, August 21 at 5:30 p.m., Carnegie & East 55th

If you have questions or would like to find out more about how your church can change lives at The City Mission, contact us at getinvolved@thecitymission.org.

A new partner for New Horizons

Every year, more than two dozen women and their children complete the program at Laura’s Home. They leave eager to create a healthy, stable life for their children, but too often, they encounter an overwhelming obstacle: finding affordable housing.

To combat this need, The City Mission created the New Horizons Housing Collaborative, a groundbreaking program that seeks to empower one family at a time by moving a single mom and her children from homeless to housed to home ownership.

Here’s how the process works: first, we partner with the Cuyahoga Land Bank to identify a foreclosed or abandoned house. Then a local business or church partner works with their staff and volunteers to raise funds and complete the restoration.

Early this year, the Cleveland branch of AXA Advisors, a financial planning group, joined the Mission as partners in this program. They’ve nearly raised the needed funds and expect construction to begin soon. The hope is that the home will be completed by this November—just in time to bring a family in need home for Christmas.

AXA recognizes that this project is an opportunity to involve their entire company in a project that will change the trajectory of a family’s life. We’re so glad to have them as part of the New Horizons program, and we look forward to celebrating all that will be accomplished through this partnership!

To learn more about how the New Horizons Housing Collaborative works, please visit our website, or contact Ashley Fields at afields@thecitymission.org.

It’s easy to get more details about this event and register on our website. You can also see a recap of 2017’s run!

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A publication of The City Mission

5310 Carnegie Avenue // Cleveland, OH 44103 // (216) 431-3510

Providing help and hope to all people through the transforming power of God’s love.

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