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| Volume 1, Number 1 • October 15, 2007 • www.agrm.org | ||
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| Well, here
it is! This is your new electronic e-mail newsletter from AGRM. We’ve called it “Street Smart,” because that’s what you need to be to work in rescue mission ministries—and this newsletter, we hope, will be a valuable resource to keep you that way. We encourage you to e-mail us your comments, but more than that, e-mail us your ideas for content to share with the rest of the members. Just send them to editor@agrm.org. We’ll take it from there. And feel free to cut and paste copy to other staff, board members, or donors; we simply ask that you reference AGRM’s “Street Smart” when you do so. Oh, and it’s been suggested that some of you might want to hermetically seal this collector’s edition for posterity, but you don’t need to—it’s electronic!
Staff transitions at the national office
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| New government
grant money available The Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the availability of $98 million in Access to Recovery (ATR) grants, available in 18 states, five tribal organizations, and the District of Columbia. From a rescue mission perspective, one of the key elements of Access to Recovery grants is that people seeking drug and alcohol treatment receive vouchers, allowing them a greater range of choice in selecting the services most appropriate for their needs. The announcement represents an expansion of a highly successful 2004 ATR grant program. More than 170,000 people with substance abuse problems received treatment and/or recovery support services through the first round of ATR grants, exceeding the three-year target of 125,000 people. For more information about the Access to Recovery Grants program, visit http://www.atr.samhsa.gov/.
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| Prison population
on the rise In 2006, the adult prison population in the United States was 2.1 million, nearly double the figure from 1990, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nearly one quarter (23 percent) of parolees are released into homelessness. Seven out of 10 have a history of drug abuse. More than half do not have a high school diploma. Two-thirds are rearrested within three years, and 40 percent are sent back to prison. Rescue mission programs can have a dramatic impact in reducing these discouraging numbers.
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| Handmade soup
bowls bring in funds The Pueblo Rescue Mission, in Pueblo, Colorado, is one of three local nonprofit organizations that benefited from the 12th Annual Empty Bowl Community Fundraiser Project. Participants received a handmade ceramic bowl made by a volunteer and filled with soup from a local restaurant. Most of the bowls were made by students at the Pueblo School of Arts and Sciences; however, some of the residents and staff of the rescue mission made and contributed bowls also. |
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| AGRM's
Online Want Ads You can be a “Street Smart” sponsor Sponsorship opportunities are available for Street Smart. We’ll publish Street Smart monthly, distributing it to individual, organization, and business members of AGRM. To learn more about sponsoring Street Smart, contact Phil Rydman at pwrydman@agrm.org, or call (800) 624-5156.
January 8–10 January 30–February 1 February 15–17 March 2–4 March 12–14 May 24–28 For more information, log on to www.agrm.org/events, or call (800) 624-5156.
Course 305 – Human Resources (3 credits)
Course 402 – Life Skills Training (3 credits)
Bartlesville, Okla. – Cook – (Non-member mission) Seeking experienced individual as a full-time cook. Previous mission experience preferred. Room and board plus weekly salary provided. Contact: Naomi Hill, The Lighthouse Outreach Center, PO Box 124 Bartlesville, Okla. 74003. 918-336-9029 Fax: 918-337-0015 Bellingham, Wash. – Shelter Supervisor – Responsible for front desk activities, perform case work/referrals, facilitate/teach classes. Two years of Bible College training preferred, good communication skills, computer literate, valid Wash. DL. Contact: The Lighthouse Mission, P.O. Box 548, Bellingham, Wash. 98227. 360-733-5120 Fax: 360-733-7158 hanse@thelighthousemission.org Roanoke Rapids, N.C. – Multiple Openings - Men's program manager, two kitchen managers, two truck drivers. Consult http://www.umrr.org for position descriptions. Union Mission of Roanoke Rapids, PO Box 968, Roanoke Rapids, N.C. 27870. 252-537-3372 Fax: 252-537-7373 edirector@umrr.org Santa Maria, Calif. – Rescue Mission Director – Work with management and Advisory Board to provide leadership, direction and management of this Christian ministry. Bachelor’s degree + 5 years ministry, management, and non-profit experience desired. Strong leadership, writing, computer and administrative skills required. Fax/email resume and work history. Rescue Mission Alliance, 125 S. Harrison Ave., Oxnard, Calif. 93030. 805-487-1234 Fax: 805-385-4126 brenda@rescuemission.com Seattle, Wash. – Multiple Openings – Gift processing data entry operator, cook-women and children's shelter, production worker-retail ministries, director of recovery ministries, director of outreach ministries, program assistant-prison ministries, warehouse food coordinator, community center staff/video production, high school outreach staff, administrative assistant/children's ministry outreach staff-White Center, office manager-Youth Services. Contact: Roslyn Alake, Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, PO Box 202, Seattle, Wash. 98111. rosalake@ugm.org; http://www.ugm.org Walla Walla, Wash. – Men’s Services
Mangers – Responsible for program activities in men’s
unit, providing Christian leadership to residents, and case management
services to assist men in planning for their temporal/spiritual lives.
Salary with benefits. Send resume/cover letter to Jason Wicklund, Christian
Aid Center, PO Box 56, Walla Walla, Wash. 99362. 509-525-7153 jwicklund@christianaidcenter.org;
http://www.christianaidcenter.org To advertise in future Market Street Classifieds: Individual or organizational members of the AGRM may place a 30-word classified ad listing one available position in one issue of Street Smart at no charge, and may renew that ad one additional time at no cost. Ads are due the 10th of the month before the ad is to be listed. Ads exceeding 30 words will be charged at 50 cents per word. Non-member ministries, businesses, and individuals may place an ad for $25.00 per issue for a 30-word ad. Additional words will be charged at 50 cents per word. Ads are also placed on the AGRM website. Member ministries may renew ads after the second placement at $15 per issue for a 30-word ad. E-mail desired ad placement to editor@agrm.org (subject line: Market Street Classifieds). |
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| Heroes of Hope “Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” Luke 15:4 (NIV). Two signs hung in the old St. Paul, Minnesota, mission, where I worked for legendary Pete MacFarlane 60 years ago: How long since you wrote to mother? and No case too hopeless for Jesus! I remember the ambiance: the smell of weary men hurting for a drink, the out-of-tune piano competing with street sounds, too many prodigal son sermons, the scraping of wooden chairs on asphalt tile to make room for metal cots. You don’t hear those sounds any more, and you don’t see the mother sign. It spoke of Depression-era men riding the rails, looking for a job. They hit missions for a flop and breakfast, and got the gospel to boot. But the no-case-too-hopeless sign lives on. It hangs in the hearts of all of you who stay by mission ministry. That’s why you stay—to do Jesus’ work among the hopeless. They come in many forms and in every new day. Methods, geography, clientele, and ambiance change, but not hopelessness. You’ll never build a crowd hunting lost sheep, but if you don’t reach today’s hopeless, who will?
- Contributed by Rev. Lloyd Mattson, Duluth, Minn.
ATTENTION MEMBERS:
Would you like to write an encouraging devotional thought for a future
issue of Street Smart? If so, send your submission of 200 words or less
(including a related Bible verse) to editor@agrm.org.
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| AGRM is a nonprofit organization committed to furthering rescue missions. AGRM provides limited space in the “Market Street” for advertising opportunities, services, and products to advance the cause of rescue missions. AGRM is not responsible for the claims made by its advertisers and reserves the right to select or reject any advertising, in the sole discretion of AGRM, for any or no reason. PRIVACY: Protecting your privacy is very important to us at AGRM. We will not rent, sell, or exchange your e-mail address with a third party for any purpose. All Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, unless otherwise noted. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. “Street Smart” is sent to you as a member service of AGRM. The content does not necessarily represent the views of or imply endorsement by AGRM. To submit items for publication, e-mail Phil Rydman at editor@agrm.org. |
Tom Zobel will retire December 31 as executive director of Union
Gospel Mission in Salem, Oregon. Taking over the reigns of the mission
will be Mike Rideout, formerly director of ministries at Seattle’s
Union Gospel Mission.