A Home of Her Own

Last July, we shared the story of “Katherine,” an older woman who came to the Mission when health and family issues left her in great need and with little support. During her stay at the Mission, she committed to regaining her health and independence. Forcing herself to be active, she became a regular sight as she exercised in the cafeteria, which had been a gym when the women and children’s shelter building was an elementary school.

The road was a long and difficult one, with many challenges. However, Katherine persevered. In spite of a few letdowns regarding housing, she finally found a place in an independent, senior living facility. While it took a few months to finalize inspections and get financing in place, Katherine was in her home before Christmas. This gave her the opportunity to spend time with her daughter and grandson.

Today, Katherine continues to grow in many ways. She is making great strides in recovering her health, with positive news from her doctors and medical care providers. She has found a good support system at Judson Baptist Church. The church offers a welcoming environment to guests of the Mission, and Katherine recently took the step to become a church member. Although she moved out of close proximity to the church, they still pick her up every Sunday.

Her next step is getting her own car and taking full responsibility for her finances, as she was appointed a guardian when her health was so fragile.

Katherine recently celebrated her birthday and remembered that she had been scared she would never live to see it. Her life is so different now than when she first came to the Mission. Not only her hope but also her faith has been restored. To you, our supporters, she says, “I appreciate the shelter. It was there when I needed it. I made lots of friends. Thank you...take care of yourselves.”

We echo Katherine’s words of gratitude. Your gifts are making an impact in the lives of many individuals, like Katherine, in desperate circumstances and struggling with overwhelming despair. Thank you for being part of providing food, shelter, and hope.

the Increasing Need

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11

In this wonderful section of scripture in 1 John 4, we learn so much about God and His loving goodness and kindness. In short, “God is love.” Consequently, we love one another because He first loved us. The propitiation or appeasement of God’s wrath is satisfied through the work of His Son. Past, present and future…“Jesus Saves.”

I am thankful that we are able to serve nearly 250 people each night and share with them the Hope that is found in no one else. I am also thankful that we have so many rescuers who care about what we do and whom we serve. Over the past decade or so, we have seen an exponential growth in elderly people entering into homelessness or simply taking much longer than average to exit out of homelessness. In addition, we are experiencing a higher number of mental health disorders. These women and men are vulnerable with little capability of ending their homelessness in the near future.

Recently, I had the opportunity to serve alongside a couple employees at the Outreach Drop-in Center from approximately 1:00 AM until around 5:00 AM. I was reminded that, when most of us are comfortably asleep in our beds, we have compassionate people “on the ready” and serving throughout the night. Men and women who might otherwise stay in abandoned buildings or on the streets prefer the oversight and familiar protection of our Outreach Drop-in Center. This need increases as people with mental health disorders grow steadily displaced or experience stress in the necessary routine of an overnight shelter. Again, thankfully, our rescuers and personnel are ready to serve to the best of our abilities, to meet the need that exists in our capital area.

We will continue to love people because God loved us first, and we’ll continue to tell people about God’s plan of reconciliation. Thank you for helping us make a difference every single day and every single night of the year. Thank you for being a rescuer!

Executive Director,
Mark Criss

Mental Health Awareness

May is Mental Health Awareness month. At the Mission, we serve many individuals struggling with diagnosed and undiagnosed mental illness. We also have guests suffering with depression, anxiety, and trauma. We are grateful to be able to offer our staff regular Homeless Training by Ryan Dowd on topics such as de-escalation and dealing with trauma to help better serve our guests as they work to overcome not only the challenges of homelessness but also many of the underlying issues that may have led to their current circumstances.

Calico Beans

This recipe is just in time for barbecue and picnic season! We received a large donation of bacon, so our cooks were able to offer this for guests at a dinner meal. It is hearty enough for a main.

Family Size: 6 Servings
1 pound lean Ground Beef
4 ounces Bacon, chopped
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1 (16 ounce) can Baked Beans with Pork
1 (15 ounce) can Kidney Beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can Butter Beans
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Ketchup
1 tablespoon Dry Mustard
2 teaspoons White Vinegar
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Mission Size: 180 Servings
30 pounds lean Ground Beef
7 1/2 cups Bacon, chopped
15 cups chopped Onion
30 (16 ounce) cans Baked Beans with Pork
30 (15 ounce) cans Kidney Beans, undrained
30 (15 ounce) cans Butter Beans
12 cups packed Brown Sugar
15 cups Ketchup
2 cups Dry Mustard
1 3/4 cups White Vinegar
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir Beef, Bacon, and Onion in the hot skillet until Beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat. Combine Baked Beans, Kidney Beans, and Butter Beans in a large bowl. Stir in Brown Sugar, Ketchup, Mustard, and Vinegar. Add cooked Beef mixture; mix thoroughly and season with Salt and Pepper. Transfer mixture to baking dish (9x13-inch for family size). Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes.