Have you ever received an unexpected gift?
Have you ever received an unexpected gift? In those moments you’re overjoyed and overwhelmed - and certainly humbled. When God the Father gave the world His Son, humanity received a gift we certainly did not deserve. Our gracious Lord orchestrated the most wonderful and awe-inspiring delivery for the gift of His Son.
But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:4-7 (NIV)
Because of the grace of the Father through Jesus, we can have a new life. The gift we receive is not just carols and candlelight. We are given the offer of adoption by the Father. We are invited into His “forever family”. We can become His children. The gift we have been given by God the Father through Jesus provides us with the opportunity for new life. Now that’s a Merry Christmas!
Pastor Joel Dorman
First Baptist, Merced
Mission Teachers, A Special Gift
Christmas Tree Raffle
** DRAWING ON DECEMBER 4, 2020 **
Thank you for being our partner in change!
Even through these months of COVID-19, the Rescue Mission has been partnering with you to change lives. Listening, caring, loving, and giving hope to men and women in the name of Christ is key. Your gifts and prayers have been a foundation and base from which the Mission has reached out to people looking for help. The need is great, and through a multitude of programs, people have found refuge from the streets, a place to recover from hospitalization, an opportunity to build life skills, and a home from which they can begin to work before becoming independent and self-sustaining.
During these past eight months, COVID-19 has presented the Mission with special challenges. We have practiced safety measures as prescribed. When the Mission found it necessary to rent houses for its programs, little did we know that being able to house 8-10 individuals in a house would be a significant benefit during a pandemic.
Each one of our houses is a home where our participants have isolated together, protecting them from the virus.
It has been necessary during these months to quarantine people before entering one of our programs. Our Service Coordinators, who provide counseling and help with goal setting, and our Peer Navigators, who provide transportation and help participants in accomplishing their goals, all work to protect both themselves and our participants.
During COVID-19, the Mission staff has also been busy with Project Room Key. It is a state/county program in which the Rescue Mission is a partner to provide care and supervision for people coming from the streets to find shelter and safety in motel rooms. Some of the people in this program are in quarantine from testing positive for COVID-19.
During these past few months, construction has begun on three acres of our new five-acre campus, Village of Hope, One block south of the Merced County Fair Grounds a new 32-bed facility for Hope Respite Care and two apartment buildings, one for Veterans who are experiencing homelessness and one for families with young children who are experiencing homelessness. Commercial Construction Company of Merced is the contractor, and Golden Valley Engineering of Merced is the architect and engineer - with an estimated completion date of November 2021.
The other two acres of our new campus will provide space for our faith-based programs. We are working to raise funds to cover the cost of this project and hope to break ground in the fall of 2021. We are reaching out to our faith-based community in hopes they will help us raise $7 million for this project.
Learn more here: Village of Hope, the new campus
Help us raise funds for the faith-based buildings on our Village of Hope campus, donate today.
If you have any questions, please contact me, Dr. Bruce Metcalf, Executive Director, 209.480.3899.
The Mission continues to need your prayers and donations to help us through these difficult times. We also request that as you consider your year-end giving, that you would include the ministry of the Rescue Mission. Thank you for all you do and for blessing this work.
Hope Impact - with John McGeehan of Capital for Compassion
Kevin Foster and I met Dr. Bruce Metcalf and Tim Adam at a rescue mission conference in Dallas in 2017. Bruce and Tim shared the story of the recent loss of the Canal Street facility. They knew that Capital for Compassion helped missions with funding for new projects and asked how we could help. Kevin and I thought that helping a homeless mission find a new home was a huge challenge and would likely take many years. Thankfully, we only needed to be faithful to the opportunities that God put in front of us.
Capital for Compassion is a West Michigan based group specializing in community redevelopment and affordable housing. Many of the projects are for similar rescue missions across the country. Capital for Compassion was founded in 2004 with the aim that each of America’s communities become a more excellent place to live for all its residents, including the marginalized and hopeless. Since then the group has consulted on over 300 projects, obtaining over $275 million in funding for organizations that provide housing and recovery services for the homeless.
“Thanks to 16 years of dedication by our consulting team and nonprofit partners, Capital for Compassion recently surpassed $1 billion in property development. This work represents over 21,000 persons suffering from homelessness and often substance abuse, who now have access to the necessary resources to become self-sufficient and productive members of their communities,” said Founder and Managing Partner Kevin Foster. Some of these projects were in the Central Valley including Fresno, Turlock, and Stockton.
Steve Dykstra and I visited Merced in October last year. As we met with various leaders it was clear that the community was behind the Village of Hope. We agreed to seek funding from our financing partners. As we secured tax credits from a group in Fresno, and the purchase of the tax credits by Wells Fargo, we still wondered how the project could be completed. But at each turn, from acquiring the five acres site, to zoning approval, to funding sources, it has been clear that we are on a journey of faith and that God is preparing the way. We know there is much work yet to be done, including raising more capital, and we are privileged to be serving your team and community.
By John McGeehan
MCRM Annual Fall Food Drive: October 15 - December 5
Our annual fall food drive is an essential part of supplying the Rescue Mission with food to feed people who are homeless and in our many programs. Traditionally, our food drive is held at local schools, but with schools functioning remotely, we are reaching out to our community for help.
Blue food donation barrels will be placed at many participating businesses throughout Merced, where you can drop off donations to help feed people who are hungry. Please join us, to help make this time of year special for those who are in need.
OCTOBER 15 - DECEMBER 5
DONATION DROP-OFF LOCATIONS (WITH BLUE BARRELS):
State Farm Insurance 61 W. Alexander
9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm, Monday-FridayAg Center 2941 State Hwy 59
Autism Center 1160 W. Olive
Food Maxx 1300 W. Olive
Grocery Outlet 1125 W. Main
Save Mart G Street & W. Olive
Grace Community Church 1125 W. Main
Bethel Community Church, Los Banos
If your business or organization would like to participate in our annual food drive, please contact Anthony, (209) 947-8493 to request a collection barrel any time during our food drive.
Thank you, and God bless!
