Page 3 Give joy Page 5 One goal, many partners Page 8 The new has come! Journal Stories of God s provision through you Spring 2015 It s like I m free here! Meet Stephen. When he came to Mel Trotter Ministries, he was battling alcoholism and urgently needed our help. Today, he devotes his life to helping others. As our pantry assistant and general Jack-of-all trades, Stephen is indispensable! Find out how you helped transform Stephen s life. Read his inspiring story inside! I can do all things in Christ, who strengthens me. ~Philippians 4:13
The Lord has changed my life As pantry assistant at Mel Trotter Ministries, Stephen wears many hats. When donations of food are dropped off at the Mission on Wednesdays and Fridays, Stephen is responsible for organizing and stocking our pantry shelves with what we can use and arranging for the rest to be sent to another local ministry so nothing goes to waste. It s Stephen s job to train and manage the volunteers who come to help out in the pantry. And when a call comes in offering a donation that needs to be picked up, he takes the wheel as a truck driver. And I do inventory, he adds. It s a big responsibility, a very big responsibility. Recently, when Stephen was out on medical leave, we found out just how much we ve grown to rely on him. Thankfully, Stephen is back on the job and very content to be here. Where else could I find a job that pays me and helps me live for God with people who love me and trust me? But ask Stephen what he loves most about his job and he says, I get a chance to share my story and my life with guys and say, I ve been where you ve been. Been there When Stephen came to Mel Trotter Ministries more than 8 years ago, he was the one needing help. I was having a lot of problems with drinking and fooling around with drugs, he explains. And I wanted to stop. And I couldn t stop... That s when Stephen started looking for a place to get away, get sober and I m very content, says Stephen. Where else could I find a job that pays me and helps me live for God with people who love me and trust me? start a new life. God led him to leave his home in Flint and come here. The Lord has changed my life 100 percent, he says gratefully. When I came to Mel Trotter Ministries, I began to know God and have contact with God because I began to read the Bible. Overwhelming joy and peace Stephen never looked back. While in the program, he began to work in our food pantry, assisting with many of the tasks he is responsible for now. After graduating, he was eventually hired on staff and he s been with us ever since. Stephen often visits his adult children and family in Flint, but home is now Grand Rapids. He loves his life here, and is grateful to you and others for making it possible. I ve got an overwhelming joy and peace in my life today, he says. I d like to thank you for how you provide money, clothes, food...without your help, I wouldn t know God. E Your support truly can make a lasting difference for people like Stephen. Please continue to give so that more lives can be transformed. Thank you! This Easter season... GIVE JOY! Some say a picture is worth a thousand words. Take a look at this photo and what do you see? We see joy! Joy where there was once the pain of hunger. Happiness born out of hope. We see...easter in action, through your giving! You see, there is more than one kind of hunger. The deep spiritual craving for hope is no less agonizing than the gnawing pain of an empty stomach. With your support, hungry and homeless people find food for bodies and souls at Mel Trotter Ministries. And more. They find the hope of Easter, all year long. And hope transforms lives. The cold months of winter often eat up household budgets, driving many more families and individuals in need to our food pantry. To make sure our pantry shelves remain stocked all throughout this blessed season, we need your help to provide food...and give joy...to every person God sends to us. Each time you give, you demonstrate the compassion of Christ. And hopefully, you also receive joy. The joy of knowing you ve made a difference. E For more information on how you can help, visit us online at. Thank you for caring! Now through Easter Sunday... Annual Hope Tote Campaign It s that time again! Time for our annual Hope Tote Campaign. Between now and Easter Sunday (April 5), you can help give our neighbors in need hope to hold on to. If you ve never heard of a Hope Tote, it s a small plastic bag you can fill with inexpensive, unused, travelsize items such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, tissues and socks for Mel Trotter Ministries to distribute to homeless people. When they are able to clean up, their dignity is restored, they feel better about themselves and they re more likely to make other changes that can transform their lives forever! The Hope Tote Campaign is an easy, meaningful way for you, your family or your church or business group to make a difference. We supply the Hope Totes. You simply fill and return them by Easter Sunday. Soon they will be in grateful hands, giving our homeless neighbors practical help and the encouraging hope they need to take a step towards a new life. Get involved now! E For more information or to request your bag(s) today, please visit us online at /hopetote or call (616) 588-8723. Thank you! 2 3
A year of blessings One goal, many partners Looking back at 2014, we see how Mel Trotter Ministries once again experienced graciousness and gratitude from both the givers who support our ministry and the receivers we serve. Especially throughout the fall, we were the recipient of blessing upon blessing. Thank you to Curtis Cleaners for donating more than 300 coats each one a priceless gift for people needing warm clothing to get through the winter. WOOD Radio, your sponsorship of our Turkey Drop helped us exceed our goal of collecting and distributing 1,000 gobblers. In addition, MTM gave away 500 food boxes so our hungry neighbors could have food on their Thanksgiving tables. Thank you to all our supportive friends and partners! Holiday memories On Thanksgiving Day, Mel Trotter hosted our 18th annual Great Thanksgiving Banquet. Much gratitude goes out to our banquet sponsor, Meijer and our volunteer sponsors from Ada Bible Church, Dematic, Metro Health and the Pienton Family Foundation. Nearly 2,000 folks made it to DeVos Place to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast, fellowship and fun. The 18th annual Golf Marathon of Hope was another success in 2014. Thanks to your generosity, Amber and Wally found housing for their family. Volunteers like Mitch help make events like our Thanksgiving Banquet a success. Our food pantry provides a great service to the community, thanks to your donations! Then came Christmas, and the giving continued with distribution of 750 food boxes to Grand Rapidians in need. Our doors opened to nearly 000 guests from the community who celebrated the birthday of Jesus at a sit-down meal. Volunteer servers gave a portion of their Christmas Day and received a big blessing in return. Compassion demonstrated Throughout 2014, your kindness and generosity helped transform lives through: Provision of more than 87,916 nights of shelter for men, women and children (an average of 41 per night) Over 158,651 hot meals served Helping secure jobs for nearly 107 individuals Assisting 169 families in finding permanent housing Legal and medical services for thousands And more! E Thanks again, West Michigan, for demonstrating compassion in 2014. Please help us make 2015 an even better year! The Turkey Drop ensures that families will have a happy and hearty Thanksgiving. As Vice President of Programs at Mel Trotter Ministries, Dennis VanKampen has learned that collaboration is crucial. One of the things we ve done over the past few years is to take a hard look at our core competencies, he says. What do we do well and what are the things that are not in our core competencies that the homeless need? And, instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, we identify other organizations that we can partner with so that we can meet the holistic needs of the homeless individuals and families without having to do everything on our own... Dennis goes on to explain that through that hard look, God has unveiled three gaps in the system. He has also revealed a vision for how to address these areas of need and raised up partners to help close the gaps. We can barely touch the surface in this article, but here s a quick look at some of the collaborative programs you help make possible through your support of Mel Trotter Ministries. Closing the gaps Housing and jobs for homeless families In a joint arrangement with Family Promise, an organization that does shelter and case management, Mel Trotter has reserved two floors in our shelter to service the fastest- growing homeless population moms with kids and families. We meet them, come alongside them, help understand what brought them into homelessness...and then move them into housing so that the kids are stable at home and stable in school, explains Dennis. And also start working with them in the home to make sure the cycle ends. In the first 90 days of this partnership, 7 families moved from homelessness to permanent housing with jobs. Recuperation Center Pilot Program Every day, people are being discharged from hospitals to convalesce in the streets. Nationally, about 95 percent of these people end up back in the hospital for the same diagnosis, and the hospital cannot duplicate medical claims for their fees. For over a year, Mel Trotter has been making plans for Michigan s first Recuperation Center for the homeless, right here in our facility. Recently launched as a pilot program, patients are discharged to our Center with doctor s orders for a 3-week recovery stay, under the care of our registered nurses. While recovering, patients are assisted with things like finding housing and employment to ensure they don t return to the streets. During the pilot stage, we are working exclusively with St. Mary s Hospital. Ultimately, our vision is to work with all three local hospitals and expand bed space from 4 to 40. We can t wait to see what God does with this in the future! Dennis exclaims. Network 180 and Street Reach Pilot A significant segment of the homeless population are mentally ill people who often will not come into a shelter because the setting exacerbates their problems. Mel Trotter is working on a pilot program to repurpose some space in our shelter to provide a place that is more private and dignified. Our partners, Network 180 and Street Reach, would identify and refer clients and provide case management while we would provide the shelter, ministry and core services needed to assist these experts as they work with this fragile population. Thanking God for YOU! In all these programs (and others in the works), God is working to fulfill our mission of demonstrating compassion to the hungry, hurting and homeless. We ve mentioned the wonderful community partners He has provided, and we re deeply grateful for them. But equally important is your partnership. None of this life-change would be possible without your supportive gifts and powerful prayers. We truly thank God for you. Please know that you have an open invitation to come to the Mission and see for yourself the fruit of your generous compassion. As Dennis VanKampen says, We would love to show you around! 4 5
Monthly giving can make a lasting difference Top 5 reasons not to have a will 6 Thank you so much for demonstrating compassion through your generous gifts and prayers to support Mel Trotter Ministries. You clearly care about people in need, and that s why we want to tell you about a special group of faithful friends affectionately known as Meals A Month Partners. These special friends help change lives all year long with a monthly gift of their own choice to provide meals and other vital services for our neighbors in need. Are you a Meals-A-Month Partner? If so, bless you for making a difference Please join us Hope Tote Continuing until Easter Sunday, April 5 19th Annual Golf Marathon of Hope Monday, June 8 For more information about these and other upcoming events, visit us online at /events-calendar A M E A L S month after month! If not, please consider joining today. It s easy and so rewarding! Mel Trotter can even set up an automatic deduction from your checking account or credit card, and you can customize your mailing schedule according to your needs. M O N T H To become a Meals-A-Month Partner, contact Tim Swiney at timswiney@ or call (616) 588-8768. Or, sign up now by checking the box on the coupon provided with this newsletter. The meals (and more!) that you provide every month can make a difference that lasts...forever. Thank you! Our Thrift Store needs your stuff Spring cleaning is a great American tradition. While you re cleaning out your closets, garages and homes this spring, keep the words simply DONATE in mind to remind you to send your gently used stuff our way. We ll come right to your home and pick up your donations. To schedule a pick-up or for more information about simplydonate, visit /donate-your-vehicle Love a good bargain? Watch for our color tags and save. From our Monday 49 sale to 20%, 30% and even 50% discounts Monday through Saturday, grab for the tags and save. Please pray: Everyone knows it s good to have an up-to-date Will, right? You may be surprised to learn that a whopping 70% of Americans don t have one. That number represents millions of families who will discover an unfortunate surprise at the end of their loved one s life. Proverbs 29:11 says...the wise bring calm in the end. Wouldn t you rather leave your family and the ministries you care about like Mel Trotter Ministries with peace, blessing and calm in the end? Or you could consider the alternative. Here are the top 5 (tongue-in-cheek) reasons not to have a Will: Your prayers are powerful 1. I like to see my family fight. 2. My elected officials can handle this better than I can. 3. My minor children will be in good hands with a State agency. That God will continue to work through our advocates and church partners to sow the seeds of His truth into the hearts of our guests For God s blessing and provision of personnel, training and supplies as we launch our new Recuperation Center For our staff s ability to continually demonstrate compassion to our guests Please give praise for: Generous donor responses over the holiday season in supplying our guests with needed winter-wear and other personal items Strong partnerships with local medical organizations in setting up a Recuperation Center at Mel Trotter Our amazing community partners that collaborate with us in meeting the needs of our guests E Find our complete prayer list online: 4. My spouse and children can handle large sums of money. 5. I m not alive, why should I care? Will your Estate Plan leave calm in the end? For the full version of this article, ask for a FREE copy of The Ultimate Way to Love Your Family by simply checking the box on the enclosed reply card or by contacting Tim Swiney, Vice President of Development, at Mel Trotter Ministries at (616) 588-8768 or timswiney@ or bless your family today with a God-honoring Will at www.christianwill.org/mtm 7
SPRING 2015 The new has come! Dear Friend of Mel Trotter Ministries, TIM SWINEY Vice President of Development Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. ~2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 I don t know about you, but I start longing for spring when the first winter storm passes through Grand Rapids. Here in West Michigan, where the weather can be so bitterly cold and harsh, it s a welcome sight when the grass begins to turn green and the buds appear on the trees. Springtime is such an encouraging visual reminder that there is hope for new life, even in the darkest, coldest times. At Mel Trotter Ministries, we have the joy and privilege of witnessing new life all year long through the changed lives of people like Stephen. I hope you are as inspired by his story, featured in this newsletter, as I am day after day by Stephen s vibrant spirit. It has been amazing to see how God has transformed this man into a new creation in Christ here at Mel Trotter Ministries. Stephen and so many others are living proof that your demonstration of compassion makes an everlasting difference. Mel Trotter can t do ministry alone, and we do not receive any government funding. We rely on friends and partners like you to keep our doors open. The outpouring of pure generosity in this community is just amazing. Thank you for your contribution and the new life you help make possible. SPRING HOPE LIST Pajamas, hats and scarves for women Pack n Play sheets Towels Bus passes OUR MISSION To demonstrate the compassion of Jesus Christ toward the hungry, homeless and hurting of the Greater Grand Rapids area. Wishing you blessings this spring, Connect with us online MY EASTER GIFT YES, I ll help Mel Trotter Ministries provide meals and change lives this spring season. I ve enclosed: m $15 m $35 m $50 m $150 m $ m I d like to give monthly. My first gift of $ is enclosed. Name Address City State ZIP Email Donate online by credit card at /donate 225 Commerce SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 454-8249 Please make your check payable to: Mel Trotter Ministries Please send me a FREE copy of The Ultimate Way to Love Your Family Please complete this slip and return it to Mel Trotter Ministries with your generous gift. Your gift is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We will send a receipt for your records. 26095-430