December 2014

Transforming Lives. Transforming Our City. PhoenixRescueMission.org

INSIDE: 5Turkey Drive feeds Thousands!

2The Main Thing

6Winter Wonderland Gift Drive

A Christmas of

HOPE

She was

pregnant with nowhere

to go. He was facing a prison

sentence. They prayed for a miracle.

Little did the Lopez Family know,

the gift God gave to this

world 2,000 years ago

was also their

HOPE.

Their story begins inside on page 3

theMAINthingkeeping the main thing,

a message from Jay Cory, President and CEO

This time of year, our Mission is

consumed with events, food drives,

preparing meals, meeting ever-increasing needs

and celebrating Christ’s birth with our clients. To say Christmas time at the

Phoenix Rescue Mission is busy is an understatement! But we do it all with

joy and a thankful heart knowing our efforts have eternal significance. By

God’s grace and the support of friends like you, we see lives transformed

and new creations in Christ made here every day.

I wanted to share the chart at the left side of the page to highlight how your

friendship is continuing to meet the need at a time when Phoenix has one

of the highest rates of homelessness in the nation. Together we are feeding;

providing life-saving water; offering safe, nightly shelter; and witnessing to

more men, women, and children in need than ever before!

I want to thank you for making our mission possible. On behalf of all of us

here at the Phoenix Rescue Mission, and from my heart, I want to wish

you and your family a blessed and safe Christmas holiday!

MUSIC WITH A MISSIONA CHRISTMAS JOURNEY

PHOENIX RESCUE MISSION & MUSIC SERVING THE WORD MINISTRIES

PRESENT

SATURDAY • DECEMBER 13, 20145:00PM REGISTRATION • 5:30 - 6:15PM DINNER & JAZZ

6:15PM MUSIC WITH A MISSIONHosted by

NORTHERN HILLS COMMUNITY CHURCH2740 E. UNION HILLS DR., PHOENIX 85050

RSVP required. Call or email Renee Soldanels at 602-346-3336 or rsoldanels@phoenixrescuemission.org

BED NIGHTS OF SHELTER

49,689

58,66579,456

2012 2013 2014

MEALS SERVED

294,827

341,526

386,426

2012 2013 2014

2012 2013 2014

BOTTLES OF WATERDISTRIBUTED

255,048

332,695

468,258

WOMEN AND CHILDREN SERVED (CHANGING LIVES CENTER)

2012 2013 2014

22 Women20 Children

83 Women44 Children

169 Women87 Children

MISSIONMILEPOSTS

3 4

uan and Veronica were both introduced to drugs at a very

early age. Juan started using marijuana when he was 10,

progressed to pain-killers by the time he was 14 and

started to sell at 16. Veronica lost her mom to suicide

at 15, a tragedy that caused her to self-medicate with

methamphetamine at age 16. But it wasn’t until they

met at a friend’s house and started dating that their

lives took a rapid downhill turn.

“We enabled each other’s addictions,” Juan says.

“I introduced Veronica to pain-killers and Veronica

introduced me to meth. Once you become dependent

on either you have to use it every day or you feel

awful… you don’t want to move, you’re weak and your

body hurts everywhere... and now we were using both at the

same time.”

The pain drove Juan to do things he never imagined he would be capable of to keep

them both high. He began to steal from stores, friends – even his own mother.

Juan admits, “At that point

we were numb to any kind of

remorse, we didn’t really care

who we were hurting as long as

we could make the pain go away.”

One by one they wore out

their welcome with friends and

family. Before long, Juan and

Veronica found themselves living

next to a canal in a tent they

constructed out of bed sheets.

Veronica remembers, “It was rock bottom. We would go days without eating. When we did

have food, ants and other bugs would usually get to it before we did because we were too busy

getting high. We smelled because we were washing in the dirty canal water… it was terrible. We

didn’t know what to do, but we knew we didn’t want to stay here. So one night we sat together

and prayed to God for help. Juan called his mother the next day and mercifully, she let us move

back in.”

J

Thank God the Phoenix Rescue Mission allowed my children to join me in recovery. We looked at a lot of rehab centers and none have what this place offers - a chance for a whole family to

find hope and a real future.

3 4

Their newfound convictions saw Juan and Veronica find sobriety over the

next two weeks... but it didn’t last. Soon after their first son, Juan IV, was

born they both went back to using. Something was missing. Something

they both found at the Phoenix Rescue Mission.

“We started to get high again and my run-ins with the law

were catching up to me. God gave us one last chance through my

parole officer. He said I could either get help at the Phoenix

Rescue Mission or I could serve prison time…. the choice was

obvious,” said Juan. “The counselors and staff have opened

my eyes. They showed me how to give my troubles over to

Jesus Christ, that God had a plan for my life and part of that

plan included becoming the man He designed me to be for my

family. I always knew there was a God but, for the first time, I had

a real relationship and real hope in recovery.”

One month later a pregnant Veronica entered the Changing Lives

Center.

Today both are sober and by God’s grace their newest child, Mariposa, was born a healthy 5

lbs, 14 ounces!

Veronica admits, “If you had asked me to choose between sobriety and being

with my children, I don’t think that is a choice I

could make. Thank God the Phoenix Rescue

Mission allowed my children to join me in

recovery. We looked at a lot of rehab centers and

none have what this place offers - a chance for a

whole family to find hope and a real future.”

That’s the real gift we celebrate on Christmas

isn’t it? Jesus Christ represents our chance to start

over, to begin a journey from death into everlasting life. As

Christians, it’s a truth we should never forget. Through your

prayers and support, another family has been given a precious

gift that not only promises a better future in this world, but also

secures one in the next. Thank you helping make this Christmas

a special one for the Lopez family and all the families we serve!

Thank God the Phoenix Rescue Mission allowed my children to join me in recovery. We looked at a lot of rehab centers and none have what this place offers - a chance for a whole family to

find hope and a real future.

5

The Mission received 615 frozen turkeys donated by our friends to feed the hungry this Thanksgiving.

After lunch, guests received a guided tour of the Mission facilities, including the newly remodeled shower & bathroom facilities.

PRM CEO Jay Cory (right) provides service with a smile at the Turkey Drive event.

Our annual Frozen Turkey Sunday, November

9th, was a gobble of a good time – complete

with food, live music and family fun! Our

friends at Schuff Steel provided the enormous grill we

needed to cook up some delicious BBQ and live music

was played by The Hallelujah Blues Band.

By the end of the day over 200 of our supporters

attended and donated over 615 turkeys to feed the men,

women, and children we serve during Thanksgiving!

The week after the

event, the turkeys

continued to roll in,

helping us meet our

goal of 700 birds.

We cook 200 of

those donated

turkeys ourselves for

Thanksgiving dinner

at the shelter and at the Changing Lives Center. The

other 500 turkeys are delivered directly to families in

need across the valley. At an average of four family

members each, these 500 turkeys will touch the lives of

over 2,000 people! That’s on top of the hundred who

walk through our serving line during Thanksgiving!

We want to thank all of our friends who donated time

and turkeys to make this day a huge success. Together

we helped make this upcoming Thanksgiving special

for the families we serve!

Turkey Drive Feeds

THOUSANDS!

At an average of four family members each, these 500 turkeys will touch the lives of over

2,000 people!

Did you deliver a FIll-A-Box to a family this Thanksgiving? Share your photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #Feed-A-Family.

To mail a gift: P.O. Box 6708 ~ Phoenix, AZ 85005-6708For shelter & meal service: 1801 S. 35th Avenue ~ Phoenix, AZ 85009602-233-3000 ~ www.phoenixrescuemission.org

5

Participating stores are located in these convenient locations

around the valley:

1625 E. Glendale Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85020

5665 W. Bell Rd. Glendale, AZ 85308

8040 N. 19th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85021

Help us “Bag Hunger” this Christmas!Have a shopping list a mile long this Christmas? Rather than check it twice, sace time shopping for the Phoenix Rescue Mission by grabbing and giving canned food for families in need.

Phoenix Rescue Mission has teamed up with Sprouts Farmers Markets to “Bag Hunger” this holiday season. From now until December 20th, select Sprouts locations have put together grocery bags filled with food items at a 10% discount. Most bags cost around $10. Just pick out one of these specially marked bags, bring it to the checkout with the rest of your items and leave it with Sprouts to deliver to the Mission – it’s that simple!

It’s never been easier or less expensive to give the gift of a full stomach this Christmas, and in doing so, offering the chance at a transformed life. Thank you and God bless!

The Phoenix Rescue Mission will be hosting a Winter Wonderland event for the community on the morning of Saturday, December 20th. This event will allow parents to “shop” for their children for Christmas. Here are some of the most popular items needed:

For Parents: Children will be able to “shop” for a gift for their parents as well. Suggestions include:• Household Items such as: Towels, Dishes, Blankets, Pans, Utensils, Pillows, Sheets.• Personal care items such as: Perfume, Wallets, Purses,Cologne, Nail Care Kits, body wash, jewelry

For Teens:Arts & Crafts ItemsSkate BoardSoccer BallFootball/BasketballHair AccessoriesMP3-Player/CD PlayerHand Held GameRoller BladesMake-Up/Grooming Kits

For Tykes:Board GamesRemote Control CarsLegos SetsPlay Cash RegisterPrincess Dress Up KitLeap Frog ToysTrain SetElmoToy cars

All unwrapped gifts are due to the Phoenix Rescue Mission Donation Warehouse by Friday, December 13, 2014, 1468 N. 26th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85009. For more information contact the Volunteer Hotline at 602-346-3363 or volunteer@phoenixrescuemission.org