Summer 2018 • Volume 54 • Issue 3

On Page 5, read how your gifts help individuals like John find restoration

and healing, every season of the year.

R O C K F O R D R E S C U E M I S S I O N

P.O. Box 1958 • 715 West State St. • Rockford, IL 61110 • (815) 965-5332 • rockfordrescuemission.org • info@rockfordrescuemission.org Rockford Rescue Mission shares hope and help in Jesus’ name to move people from homelessness and despair toward personal and spiritual wholeness.

For the full version of this article, ask for a FREE copy of “Make Your WHY a Way

of Life” by contacting Ted Tomita at (815) 965-5332 or

tedtomita@rockfordrescuemission.org. Or bless your family today with a God-honoring will at christianwill.org/rrm.

PAINFUL MEMORIES OF

A VIOLENT CHILDHOOD

continued to impact

John’s life.

Dear Friend,

Contrary to what many might think, summertime offers little relief – and can often bring even greater challenges to our neighbors who are homeless and struggling. Landlords are more willing to evict, or utilities may be disconnected when the weather is warmer. As a result, we’re welcoming more women and children through our doors. Those on the street risk dehydration and turn to us for cool water to stay clean and hydrated, and we see an influx of guests who need safe beds.

The needs of these individuals and families are critical, regardless of the season. Yet during the summer months, donations to Rockford Rescue Mission drop off, so we must make an extra effort to let our friends know the importance of their continued generosity.

I encourage you to prayerfully consider the many opportunities included in this newsletter to partner with us today and in the weeks ahead. Your gifts of financial support as well as time and prayer will ease burdens and restore hope for hurting men, women and children.

Thank you and God bless you for your dedication to our ministry.

Partners in Hope, Sherry Pitney Executive Director

ReflectionsFROM THE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Executive Director Sherry Pitney encourages Mission

friends and partners to remember the needs of homeless and struggling

children during the summer months.

2

On March 19, the Mission celebrated the grand opening of a hair salon in Pitney Place to help homeless and struggling guests boost their dignity and self-esteem. “We want to provide these hurting guests with a service that will bring some normalcy to their lives while empowering them to achieve their goals,” says Executive Director Sherry Pitney. “When we look our best, we feel better, stand a little taller and are ready to conquer our day.”

The salon was made possible through the generosity of a donor who stayed at the Mission with her mom and sister in the 1980’s. Sisters Tammy Herman and Theresa Peters, along with friends Warren & Lori Slabaugh, dedicated Marie’s Salon to the memory of their mother who was a hairstylist. The salon is staffed by Rockford Rescue Mission volunteers who are stylists from local salons. If you have professional services you would like to share with Mission guests through our Mission salons, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at (815) 965-5332, ext. 151. Your partnership will be truly appreciated!

Mission Salon Boosts Self-Esteem

How Your Gifts Are Changing Hearts and Lives X January - April 2018

Food

47,815meals served

Advocacy

2,511total sessions

Shelter

14,989nights of lodging

Medical Care

410clinic appointments

Financial support from individuals, churches, businesses and organizations make our programs and services possible. Your continued generosity truly blesses our ministry and those we serve.

Spiritual Guidance

822spiritual decisions

Clothing & Personal Hygiene

70,527items distributed

Education & Career Assistance

363Works! Center participants

S ince January of this year, nearly one-third of the women who turned to Rockford Rescue Mission have been impacted by domestic violence. While

the severity of their physical wounds ranges from scratches and bruises to broken bones, the emotional damage takes much longer to heal. Heightened fear, social withdrawal and substance abuse combined with anger, anxiety and depression are typical responses to their tragic experiences. But the spiritual destruction can be even more heartbreaking.

“At the Mission, we come alongside these hurting women, meet them where they are and give them the very thing that has been withheld from them – love without a price,” says Women’s Program Supervisor Crystal Savage.

With the Mission’s Hope Clinic on site to assess and help with physical healing, the staff, volunteers and mentors offer advocacy and practical resources to address each woman’s situation while caring for her spiritual needs. “We do this through everyday interactions,” Crystal says, “a ‘Good Morning,’ a compliment, a prayer, a special note of encouragement, giving them a Bible and loving them the way Jesus taught us to love others.”

That compassion and understanding also extends to the children of the victims in the Mission’s care, who have often witnessed domestic violence and are therefore at greater risk of becoming a substance abuser, having a mental health diagnosis, or bringing violence into a relationship during adulthood. “Domestic violence

is truly cyclical,” Crystal explains, “and we need to be proactive about bringing education, awareness and change to our community so our children don’t grow into adults believing that what they have seen is acceptable.”

“The hardest part of assisting these women and children is that we are in the middle,” Crystal says, explaining the staff and volunteers don’t often know the beginning of the women’s stories, nor will they know the end. “But I do have faith that God brought them to our doors for a reason, and whether it is a long stay or a short stay, no one’s life will go untouched.”

Visit rockfordrescuemission.org for the latest information on these and other upcoming events.MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Executive Director Tour and Lunch 11am • Rockford Rescue Mission 715 West State Street To reserve your place or for more details, call (815) 965-5332.

July 25 August 22

September 26Wednesday

Remade at Main Street Market 9am • Midway Village(See coupon on Page 6)

September 8Saturday

Restoration Celebration 7pm • Rockford Rescue Mission715 West State Street

September 11Tuesday

Women of Hope 7pm • First Free Church2223 N. Mulford Rd.

September 20Thursday

CHANGING LIVES THROUGH GOD’S LOVE…

Your continued generosity will allow us to meet the special needs of the growing number of women and children in our care who have experienced domestic violence. God bless you for caring for our community.

“It is truly beautiful to see our community of women at the Mission surround their sisters in crisis and recovery and help them see their worth, value and purpose – a story only God can write!” says Women’s Program Supervisor Crystal Savage, shown comforting a Women’s Crisis Center guest.

3

Providing hope and healing for victims of domestic violence

Concert 7pm (doors open at 6:30)Featuring Jeff & Sheri Easter

July 27Friday

S unny days are here… but many in our community still long for a light of hope to overcome dark times. Our 97-Day Summer Campaign to care for those in our community who are homeless,

addicted and struggling is under way now! Memorial Day through Labor Day,

your gift will help provide nearly 40,000 meals… 11,400 nights of safe shelter… and 2,400 items of clothing, along with faith-based advocacy and practical resources that empower individuals to become independent and contributing members of our community. Our expenses for June, July and August are expected to run as high as $338,877 and we need your help to meet that goal!

Men, women and children throughout the Rock River Valley need our assistance and we need yours. Share your sunshine today by sending a gift with the enclosed reply card. Also, please take the opportunity to pass this newsletter to a friend or family member, so others will be encouraged to join with us in meeting our neighbors’ summertime needs.

Share Your Sunshine...and BRIGHTEN LIVES!

Share yourSunshine!

97-DAY SUMMER CAMPAIGNThank YouRockford Park District

A generous grant from the Rockford Park District makes it possible for residents of our Life Recovery Programs and their families to experience summertime activities that allow them to feel like part of the community. Vouchers are provided for relief from the heat at Magic Waters Water Park, or relaxing trail rides at Lockwood Park. Nature lovers can enjoy the Birds of Prey exhibit at Atwood Park and sports enthusiasts can hone their athletic skills at the Indoor Sports Center at Mercyhealth Sportscore. Discounts are also offered on summer camps for children.

Other activities are offered throughout the year as well, and we join our residents in their gratitude for this outpouring of support.

P lease Join us!PERRY PITNEY MEMORIAL CONCERT

You’re also invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new William Howard & Lucille D. Dittmar Performing Arts Center on the Mission’s second floor. The celebration will precede the concert at 6 p.m.

Featuring Jeff & Sheri Easter with Special Guest Luke Pitney

Friday, July 17, 2018 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30)The Great Room at Rockford Rescue Mission715 W. State Street

Tickets are available in advance at Rockford Rescue Mission or online at rockfordrescuemission.org.

Come early!

“It ’s got to be God first! ”

5

It costs $29.76 to provide one night of emergency shelter for a homeless individual, including three hot meals, a safe bed, a cleansing shower and essential toiletries, along with clothing and shoes when necessary. Most importantly, guests also hear God’s Word and learn of opportunities to change their lives through our comprehensive programs and services.

Your gifts and prayers allow Rockford Rescue Mission to be a place where hurting individuals like John can begin their lives anew, every season of the year.

God bless you for your gift today and your ongoing support.

I t was while in our Life Recovery Program that John began to understand the root cause of the

anxiety and depression he’d struggled with for years – and that had consumed most of his adult life…

“My parents fighting… hearing the screaming at night… never knowing if someone was going to be hurt,” he explains, “or who’s going to be taken away.”

As he grew older, he was driven to alcohol as a way to cope with the memories of his violent childhood. Then his addiction spiraled out of control when he was prescribed a pain medication for a workplace injury. He and his wife divorced and he lost his job. After spending all of his savings, “I was pretty much homeless,” he says.

When he learned about the faith-based program here at Rockford Rescue Mission – and our understanding of the challenges faced by those impacted by domestic violence – he knew it was the blessing he needed to rekindle his relationship with the Lord and get his

life back on track. Today he is learning to put God first.

“He’s the only one who can guide me in the right direction,” he says.

Through vocational training in our Restoration Cafe, John honed the workplace essentials of responsibility and accountability. As he transitioned from the program, he was offered a job at Bergstrom, a dedicated business partner in the Mission’s Works! Center.

Today, free of addiction and deep-rooted despair, he looks forward to taking his place as an independent and productive member of his community and strengthening his relationship with his loved ones who, despite many hardships, have continued to support him.

To Mission friends and partners who have made his transformation possible, John offers these words of gratitude: “Your support gives a person an opportunity to better themselves, to get away from their addiction and to bring Christ into their lives.”

Graduation Medallion Symbolizes Life-Long Commitment

Each man and woman who completes our Life Recovery Program receives a special medallion, embossed with the Mission logo on one side and the words “I walk by faith” on the other. The coin is presented to serve as a daily reminder of the commitments these dedicated individuals have made to themselves and to the Lord.

Please join us for our Restoration Celebration on September 11 and help honor our next class of graduates as they begin their new lives.

Did You Know?

$29.76

5

Bring Your WHY to Life

6

During Main Street Marketat Midway VillageSaturday, September 8, 2018

Limit one per customer • No cash value Cannot be combined with other offers

Offer expires 09/08/2018

rr

r rr

rr

r rr

e

e

made

mader e s t o r e d . r e m a d e . r e n e w e d .

ro c k f o r d

ro c k f o r d

517

WOMEN OF HOPE EVENTThursday, September 20 • 7pm • First Free Church

Known as “Mama T,” Thelma Wells is a feisty 75-year-old with a passion for telling all who will listen that they can “BEE” their best in Christ. It’s a mission she has pursued for over 30 years, spreading her message through numerous publications and TV shows and partnering onstage with Christian and motivational speakers including Zig Ziglar, Max Lucado and Luci Swindoll. Her latest venture is leading That a Girl & Friends Speakers Agency (with her daughter Vikki) to motivate, inspire and invest in the lives of others.

I f you’ve ever spent 10 minutes with a 3-year-old, you can vouch for their curiosity. “Why

can’t I touch that?” “Why does that woman’s face look so old?”

While an untimely “why” can cause embarrassment, asking questions is how children learn, even well into adulthood. Here are several “whys” your adult children actually need to hear from you.

• Have you told them WHY they mean so much to you? Some older generations rarely said “I love you.” It’s never too late to start.

• Have you told them WHY you embraced faith? If serving Jesus is the WHY that gets you out of bed in the morning – tell them!

• Have you told them WHY you have certain personal values? What are you passionate about? If it matters to you, it’s worth sharing with them.

Many individuals turn their WHY into action, by supporting a ministry or cause that aligns with their values. For instance, a Charitable Gift Annuity is a simple way to communicate your WHY to the next generation, and bless Rockford Rescue Mission in the process.

For the full version of this article, ask for a FREE copy of “Make Your WHY a Way

of Life” by contacting Ted Tomita at (815) 965-5332 or

tedtomita@rockfordrescuemission.org. Or bless your family today with a God-honoring will at christianwill.org/rrm.

GET 10% OFF One “REMADE” item

(excludes furniture)

Get ready to shop till you drop! August 17 is National Thrift Store Day, and we invite you to celebrate it at our Mission Thrift Store. You’ll find enticing prices in our summer apparel clearance, great buys on back-to-school clothes, and bargains galore on household items and more! With each purchase you’ll know you’re helping fund our programs and services, while providing our residents with vital workplace experience.

While you’re in our store, post a selfie and tag the Mission for a chance to win a $XX gift certificate, good for your next visit. See you on August 17!

National Thrift Store Day is August 17Mark Your Calendar…

Join in fellowship with other compassionate friends for this special evening that benefits our ministries for homeless women and children. Enjoy a light dessert, inspiring testimonies and a moving presentation by keynote speaker Thelma Wells.

Watch Facebook and our website for ticket information.