House of Hope News Breaking the Chains of Addiction

Transcription

1 House of Hope News Breaking the Chains of Addiction Fall/Winter 2016 Edition 2 An Evening of Hope Twinkling lights and napkins folded to resemble a tuxedo greeted the over 200 guests attending An Evening of Hope, the largest fundraising event for House of Hope. Guests enjoyed a delicious gourmet meal highlighted by the main course of lobster and beef tenderloin while they enjoyed music provided by Marcia Spear. A silent auction featured items from putters to jewelry to tickets for various attractions. Vacation destinations were offered in the live auction. An American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol was presented by Congressman Daniel Webster and was auctioned. Jon Wolf presented his testimony explaining his life changing experience since entering the program at House of Hope. Mr. Wolf explained he started with alcohol as a teen and moved on to other drugs. When he hit bottom, his friend s mother told him about House of Hope. He opened his heart and his mind and has been moving forward, taking each day as a new opportunity. The vocal entertainment for the evening was provided by Angie Wiswesser and Sean Pollock. Master of Ceremonies was Pastor Gary Cantrell of New Covenant United Methodist Church. Thank you to all the donors, attendees and volunteers that made the evening a success. From the Desk of Pastor Malcolm Mosley Season s Greetings from the House of Hope. It is with great honor, praise and glory to God that we are seeing men come into our program broken and leaving after being made whole in the completeness of God. Our life is a journey and the journey is made up of the paths we choose to take. In the journey of life, one will face high roads and low roads, headaches and heartaches, losses and conflicts and also joys and sorrows. Nothing holds you back more than insecurities and most of the time we get in life what we focus on. If we confess to be followers of Christ, we never face the journey alone. Jesus promised us that he would never leave us nor forsake us. Let this season be a time to get closer to God. God is the only one who can unfailingly get us through our challenges and grant us new opportunities. God gave us the greatest gift; His SON His SON gave us the greatest sacrifice, His LIFE. Through that sacrifice we are set free from all of the bondages of sin. Your past was never declared a mistake if you learned from it. One of the greatest lessons of LIFE is learning and growing from your mistakes and failures. God is a God of restoration and forgiveness and knowing that is what enables the men here at the House of Hope increase their Faith. I remembered that someone told me long ago that Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows that God is the one who is leading. Pain makes you stronger, Patience makes you submissive, Heartbreak makes you wiser and Obedience makes you surrender! Thank the past for the opportunity for a brighter and better future. In ALL things give Thanks to God for He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith! In closing, Be the person that will make everyone else feel special and do it with the elements of Love, Compassion, Mercy and Grace. Congressman Daniel Webster at An Evening of Hope Guests were treated to an evening of elegance to benefit House of Hope

2 TESTIMONY OF EDGARDO VELAZQUEZ My name is Edgardo Velazquez. In the year of 2013 I was completely lost in a world of drugs and was addicted to Heroin. One day I was just out and about hanging out in the area where I would purchase and buy my drugs and a lady from out of nowhere approached me. She began to pray over me and it was quite a long prayer. I have always heard that prayer will open up any door. It was truly beneficial for me. Immediately after she finished praying for me she pulled out a card that said Youth Challenge of Florida which was the former name of House of Hope. The card was a card that stated that there was a ministry that focused on the restoration and helping men with addictions. I knew that I was at the end of my road and I needed someone to come to my rescue. The lady told me to give them a call and I did. With that call my life changed completely. I had my first encounter with God for the first time in my life. After being in the program for a while I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was the best decision that I have ever made in my life. That decision saved my life. It was for me a new beginning. I have had my challenges and times of endurance, but it was through that process I began to work towards being made whole. I am now after being restored backed to Christ serving as a supervisor in the program. I am able to assist in helping others as I was once helped. It is a great feeling to know that you are giving back. I can t think of anything in my life where I have been more fulfilled. I have made the achievement in obtaining my high school diploma while here in the program and I am also a program graduate. I thank God every day for the Staff and Leadership at the House of Hope. I have a lot of wonderful people in my life, like Mr. Len, Mrs. Virginia and my pastor, Pastor Malcolm Mosley. They opened the doors for me to be here up to this very day. I have learned that you must have discipline in your life to succeed and it with that discipline that you are able to stay close to God. I am truly grateful for being here and for House of Hope saving my life. I thank God first and the Board of House of Hope, especially Pastor Malcolm Mosley, my pastor and program over-seer. To God Be the Glory & Thank you Annual 5K Run and Walk House of Hope hosted the 2 nd Annual 5K Run and Fun Walk on Saturday, September 10 th. Over 230 attendees participated in the timed event under the banner Breaking the Chains of Addiction. Overall winner was Joseph Cilenti, 17, of Bushnell who also won the event last year. Cilenti, a student at South Sumter High School, was followed by his younger brother, Jonah, the second place finisher. Overall female winner was Virginia Hatch of Ocala. The event was organized by Kurt Backstrom and Phil Radford. Backstrom began a running group for the men at House of Hope early in It s a way to get the guys focused and believing in themselves, Backstrom said. The men enjoyed it so much they began entering races in surrounding communities and often won 1 st place in the team category as well as their individual age groups. Several of the teams they regularly competed against took part in the House of Hope event. The morning began with The Star Spangled Banner sung by Pastor Malcolm Mosley who also welcomed the runners. It takes many volunteers to organize this event. Singer Cari Lovett of Hernando County sent off the runners with a moving version of Amazing Grace. The volunteers from South Sumter High School assisted at the event and worked water stations on the course. All participants received a medal provided by Villages_News.com and a t-shirt from Legacy Team Sales. Other event sponsors were Thrivent Financial, George Nahas Chevrolet, Bill Bryan Subaru, Bill Bryan Kia, Plaza Cadillac and Pearson Nissan.

3 Thank You Frank and Mike! In 2014 a new ministry was established at Hope Lutheran Church named Hands of Hope to help build, remodel and refurbish the campus at House of Hope. In 2004 hurricane damage was very severe on many of the buildings and structures located on the 28 acres of property in Wildwood. Repairs were not completed and as a result many of the buildings were not in use. Two members of Hope Lutheran Church stepped forward to co chair this new ministry Frank Mastalka and Mike Slating. Both men have impressive backgrounds in the construction industry. In the past two years, 3 of the 4 buildings have been brought up to code and now are presently used by House of Hope for dorms, fellowship hall, kitchen, print shop, classrooms, conference room, chapel and offices. The fourth building is near completion and will house additional offices and a new chapel. These men encouraged others to come forward and help rebuild the center. They not only are remodeling and rebuilding but on the journey they are breaking the chains of addiction by teaching and encouraging the men to work right alongside of them. Recently Frank Mastalka made a decision to once again take up his personal tool box and work on the outreach called Handyman Ministry at Hope Lutheran Church. We thank Frank for his dedication, time and talent he shared with all of us. Also a BIG THANK YOU to his wife Maggie for sharing Frank with all of us. Mike Slating has also made the decision to step down as one of the co-chair on this project, and will continue to work along with the men and women each week. We thank Mike for his dedication, time and talent he has shared with all of us. A BIG THANK YOU to his wife Pam for sharing Mike with all of us. Building #4 which will have the new chapel, conference room and offices is coming to completion. As a result of these two men and their vision the buildings are impressive and up to date and up to code. The grounds are picturesque and very inviting to walk around. Work continues with the men and women who continue to see this project come to completion. We thank each one of the many volunteers for sharing their time and knowledge in every aspect of making House of Hope what it is today. Each time there is an event so many people step forward to help, organize and enjoy themselves. The definition for volunteer states a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking, to perform a service willingly. We thank each and every one of the men and women who step forward on this amazing journey. We will continue to keep you updated as this amazing project of rebuilding continues. Please contact House of Hope if you are interested in more information or a tour of our campus, To find out more about becoming involved in the Hands of Hope ministry, please contact Len Robertson, Under the direction of Frank Mastalka and Mike Slating, the Hands of Hope volunteers gutted and rebuilt the facilities. We thank them for their leadership!

4 House of Hope Shares Their Blessings House of Hope recently hosted 2 fundraising events on campus. In August, Shirt and Sports Sale and on October 8th the Third Annual Yard Sale. Each year we are truly blessed by the many volunteers who participate: those who work, those who donate items and the outpouring of people who attend. This year more than one ministry, House of Hope, benefited from these events. We were able to reach out and help others with the many items that were not sold at the sales. Those who benefited were the Humane Society, Sozo Kids (families/children in the Ocala Forest), a family needing furniture and household items for their start up apartment, The Villages library received the remaining books, Sacred Fire Church in Bellevue, Operation Shoebox, Christmas baskets and goodies for shut-ins. In addition, last year we obtained dorm furniture from a college in Florida, which consisted of single beds and mattresses, desks and chairs to furnish our dorm rooms. We were blessed with more than we have been able to use and as a result 20+ beds and a number of dressers were shared with NovusWay Ministries, a joint ministry of Lutheridge+Luthercok+Luther Springs sites where they hold retreats and camps for men, women and children of all ages. This ministry is part of the ELCA Church in America. In addition to sharing with NovusWay, we recently shared some of these same extra beds and dressers, a piano, freezer, table and chairs, and two couches with Victoria s Haven, located in Leesburg. Reverend Victoria L. Johnson was in need of furniture for women s ministry for emergency shelter, addiction, and transitional housing. Watch for Our Ribbon Cutting In early 2017, upon the completion of Building 4, House of Hope will be hosting a Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting. As new members of the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce we have been able to raise awareness of the House of Hope in the community and make connections with area businesses. We hope you will join us for this event! Volunteers enjoyed lunch with the men of House of Hope while preparing for the yard sale. The yard sale attracted shoppers from throughout the area. Pastor Cecil Johnson and Reverend Victoria Johnson from Victoria s Haven receive items from Pastor Malcolm Mosley

5 Please Check Your Checks! As the year comes to a close, we thank each of you for your continued support to House of Hope. We receive checks mailed directly to House of Hope or through your donation at your church. When submitting through your church, please make the check payable to House of Hope to insure that we are crediting you for your donation. This will enable us to give you a correct year end statement for tax purposes. House of Hope is an approved 501(c)(3) organization and all contribution are tax deductible. Are You A Friend of House of Hope? House of Hope is supported solely through individual gifts and fundraising events. The Friends of House of Hope was organized as an annual giving program to help meet operating expenses. Over $37,000. has been raised through this program since it began last March. Your support is appreciated and we hope you will continue to be a member of Friends of House of Hope. One recent contributor commented, I am new to the area and kept hearing about House of Hope. I attended a sale at the campus and met some of the men and heard their stories and the stories from the volunteers. I decided that was the place for me to share my time and talent as well as treasure. I became a donor to the Friends of House of Hope because I can witness first hand their life changing work. We invite you to become a Friend of House of Hope! Mission and Vision Our Mission: To help men arriving broken, strengthen them and with God s Grace leave whole. Our Vision: To help reconcile all men with life controlling addictions that come to House of Hope reconcile to God, family and society. Thank You To Our Sponsors Success of events is measured by funds raised, number of participants and the overall experience. Sponsors are an often overlooked, yet a very important part of any event. While sponsorships benefit House of Hope, the sponsors also receive benefits. Visibility at the event on signs, banners and other items demonstrate to the participants that those businesses and individuals have an interest in supporting the House of Hope and breaking the chains of substance abuse. When you visit one of our business sponsors, please thank them for supporting House of Hope. Our sponsors for An Evening of Hope were Thrivent Financial, The Villages_News.com and Total Office Technologies of Florida. Individual Sponsors for the event were Dick and Geri Peterson, Don and Janet Schlegel, Bob and Pat O Dell, and Len and Virginia Robertson. How Can I Give? There are many ways to give to House of Hope and the Friends of House of Hope campaign. Cash, Check or Credit Card Stocks or Bonds - A gift of your securities, including your stocks or bonds, is an easy way for you to make a gift. By making a gift of your appreciated securities, you can avoid paying capital gains tax that would otherwise be due if you sold these assets. Memorials - Memorial gifts are a lasting remembrance of a special person who has touched you during his or her life. Tribute/Honor Gift - To celebrate a special occasion, a gift may be made in honor of someone. For more ideas, visit our website at Are you a Thrivent Financial Member? Thrivent Financial members have the ability to designate where their Choice Dollars are donated. These dollars are a benefit of being a Thrivent member. City of Hope Intl., the corporate name of House of Hope, is eligible and registered to receive these dollars. Please consider designating your Thrivent Choice Dollars to City of Hope International d/b/a House of Hope. Many of our volunteers are Thrivent members and have signed up for an Action Team to assist with events and projects at House of Hope. Visit the Thrivent website at Thrivent.com for more information on this exciting benefit.

6 Welcome Our New Administrative Assistant Please join us in welcoming Sandra Lamourt as our new administrative assistant. Her responsibilities include working with Pastor Malcolm in the day to day responsibilities as well as overseeing the scheduling of classes and appointments for the residents. Sandra brings skills and knowledge as well as a cando attitude that have already made House of Hope more efficient and effective. Sandra also is fluent in Spanish which will benefit the program. House of Hope News City of Hope International, Inc. d/b/a House of Hope of Florida 4738 N.E. 49 th Boulevard Wildwood, FL (352) Don t Forget About the IRA Charitable Rollover There is good news for donors in their 70s and for the causes they care about. A recently made permanent law makes it possible to give individual retirement account (IRA) assets to charity, free from federal tax, annually. As such, our donors can give far more with less! This may be an attractive giving option for you if you are over 70½ and now receiving minimum IRA distributions but do not need the extra income. On December 18, 2015 Congress passed the PATH Act, making permanent this unique charitable giving opportunity. Owners of traditional IRAs who are at least 70½ years old can make direct charitable transfers up to $100,000 annually. Individuals may exclude the amount distributed directly to an eligible charity from their gross income. Contact your investment advisor for more information. May God bless you and your loved ones this holy and blessed time of the year as we await the birth of our Savior Jesus. We thank you for all your support throughout the year and look forward to your faith in each one of the men at House of Hope and the staff. We are praying that you have a safe, happy and holy Christmas. Thank you for caring, now and always. The Men of House of Hope FRIENDS OF HOUSE OF HOPE Please accept my tax deductible gift of: $1,000 $500 $250 $100 Other Please charge the full amount noted above. Please charge my credit card monthly in the amount of $ Visa MasterCard American Express Discover # EXP / 3 digit code My check payable to House of Hope is enclosed I would like to tour the House of Hope. Please contact me. Signature Phone Print Name Print Mailing Address City State Zip House of Hope 4738 N.E. 49 th Boulevard, Wildwood, FL (352)