Hope Grows Here, T-Shirt Campaign!
UPDATE: Thanks to all who joined in on our campaign that ended on Sept. 15th. 18 t-shirts were sold and you helped raise $252 towards furnishing a Sober/Transitional Living Home for men. On behalf of MCRM, we are grateful for your support. Thank you and God bless!
With your help we've recently rented an additional Sober/Transitional Living Home for men in Merced. Funds from this campaign will help us furnish the home and get more men in our program as soon as possible. Hope truly does grow in Merced County. Thank you all for sowing seeds of HOPE. CLICK HERE to view and purchase a shirt!
CAMPAIGN ENDS SEPT. 15th, 2018!
Overcoming Giants In Our Lives
On Tuesday, August 21st, we witnessed the bravery of two of our recovery participants as they presented their “giants”. Based on the Biblical confrontation between the boy, David, and the Philistine giant, Goliath, our participants are required to identify major issues in their lives that have become major stumbling blocks or “giants” for them, such as self-worth, jealousy, and anger. The participants must find 20 scriptures that represent their journeys and complete action plans, including to whom they can go to in a time of need when they are struggling. The participants' presentations of their “giants” to their peers and the Mission staff are opportunities for affirmation, growth, and the releasing of strongholds in their lives. The “giants” become a resource for our participants so that, as they face other issues in their lives, they will have a model for dealing with those issues.
How Do You Envision Solving the Homeless Crisis?
How do you envision solving the homeless crisis? Providing a meal and overnight shelter simply enables people to stay homeless. Criminalizing the behavior of people who are homeless also does not address the root issues. How about a solution that is FAR MORE COST EFFECTIVE and reduces the cost to tax payers by over 50%? We need to work toward supplying the basic human need, which is a permanent place to live. The attached video gives good reason for this position. Please take the time to watch it, and while it’s from a few years ago, this program which was tested over 20 years has proven to be effective and continues to spread throughout the whole United States. It’s a model which has been adopted by H.U.D. and the video will help you understand why we are doing what we’re doing. Traditional treatment has been shown to be successful approximately 25% of the time while the Housing First model has been shown to be about 85% successful.
At the Rescue Mission we firmly believe in the Housing First Model. In California and Merced County housing is limited and there are not enough places to house people. Research shows if California doubles the amount of affordable housing being built each year it will take 10 years until there is enough housing available to meet the need. Therefore, while we firmly believe in the Housing First Model, we are working very hard to provide transitional housing. Through our transitional group home programs, we can move people from the hospital, incarceration, and the street into transitional housing as we work to help them find permanent housing. Housing First is the ultimate goal, transitional housing is simply a stop-gap measure until enough housing is available.
God Changing Families
On July 8, 2018 at Gateway Community Church it was a privilege to witness some of our program participants, and their family members get baptized. It is truly a blessing to be part of these men, and women's journey, and witness God working not only in our program participants lives but in their family's as well. God bless.
David Carr
Care Services Manager
Annual Homeless Connect Coming Up Soon!
The Merced County Rescue Mission will once again join the Coc (Continuum of Care), in sponsoring the Annual Homeless Connect. This event will be held on Friday, Sept. 28th, 2018, at the Central Presbyterian's Hoffmeister Center from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Organizations from Merced County and City and many private organizations will come together to provide services to people who are homeless. These services help people address health concerns, housing, obtaining identification (essential for any type of application) and there will be assistance for veterans. Lunch will also be provided. One of the highlights of this event will be that each homeless person will receive a new backpack provided by Hope Mills, filled with hygiene items, clothing, and food. The County Human Services Agency will be there along with Sierra Saving Grace to assist with housing concerns. We anticipate approximately 300 homeless individuals to come to receive services. Once again we are grateful to Phil Schmauss for heading up this tremendous event.
If you or your organization want to be a part of this incredible day, please contact Tim Adam, 209-947-1394.
Equipped To Change Lives!
Congratulations to our Director of Services, David Carr, who just completed his CCAPP training (California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals), for addiction counseling. In addition to a year-long course of study, David had to provide over 3,000 hours of counseling to others while under supervision before being eligible to take his final exams. Now having completed his exams, David is recognized as a California State Certified Counselor. "When I first walked into the CCAPP course I was told that in a year I would be a different person. After completing the program both my thinking and my perspective changed and I AM a different person. I am now better equipped to listen to people and to help them in their recovery." This is a valuable qualification for both David and the Rescue Mission as he supervises the Service Coordinators and Peer Navigators of each of our programs and provides counseling to our program participants. As Executive Director, I am extremely pleased to see our staff continue their professional development for the enhancement of our programs, services and our community!
Dr. Bruce Metcalf,
Executive Director of the Merced County Rescue Mission
