SEPTEMBER 2014

MISSION: RESCUE

Contact Us: info@BoiseRM.org | 208-343-2389 | PO Box 1494, Boise ID, 83701 | www.BoiseRM.org

Restoring Faith, Hope and Family

CITY LIGHT HOME FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN (Boise) � RIVER OF LIFE RESCUE MISSION (Boise) � MINISTRY CENTER & WAREHOUSE (Boise) LIGHTHOUSE RESCUE MISSION (Nampa) � VALLEY WOMEN & CHILDREN’S SHELTER (Nampa)

A DIVINE INTERVENTION“I was tortured by my past and the things we had gone through. There’s something about being that far down, the darkness is just nuts and you feel like you are cut off from any light.”

As Jennifer relates the events leading up to her first stay at Boise Rescue Mission Ministries, she says she considers it all a divine intervention.

Early in life Jennifer suffered abuse at the hands of a friend’s father and other male adults in her life. She says, “I grew up in California in two worlds. My parents were the best people you could even imagine. My dad helped invent the floppy disk and my mom worked at Intel. My dad was really the only good

man I ever knew and my mom, she was relentless and never gave up on me. But because they worked a lot, we had a lot of babysitters. There was a lot of abuse – with the babysitters’ husbands, the father of a friend, and other men in my life.”

Jennifer says that, even though she had great parents, she didn’t know how to tell anyone about the abuse she was experiencing or how to cope with the shame. She started running away at a young age. She married her high school

sweetheart when she was nineteen, but the relationship didn’t last.

She says, “When I had my son, I had separated from his father and I remember wondering why God chose me to be his mom. I told him it was going to be hard but we would get through it together and I did my best. I had jobs, but then would lose them. I went from one bad relationship to another and had two more children, both girls, less than a year apart.” >>

Thank you for giving!

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>> “I remember asking myself what I was doing, telling myself I had three kids, I couldn’t continue to have these issues. I ended up marrying my youngest daughter’s father. I was trying to do things right, like everyone else did, but I ended up marrying into abuse.”

Jennifer knew she had to take her kids and leave her husband when he directed his abuse toward her son. “It was such a hard time. My dad was dying and we were living too far away. Then one night, my husband came home drunk and started to hit my son. I just packed up the kids, stuffed what I could carry in black garbage bags, and went to a women’s shelter. They helped me get home to my parents and the blessing was that I was able to be there to hold my dad’s hand when he passed away.”

Jennifer says she remembers being strong for her dad. “I know that was a gift, to be able to say goodbye to him and to be strong for him. But then I tumbled, I just lost it. It was the first time I really started using drugs seriously.”

By 2009, Jennifer says she tried to get clean and managed to pull things together

a couple of times, but really was sinking farther into her addiction. “The kids were getting older, but I was still tortured with my past and the things we had gone through, I couldn’t see past it. There’s something about being that far down, the darkness is just nuts and you feel like you are cut off from any light. I was trying to do the best I could, but it wasn’t enough.”

One day last summer, Jennifer says she couldn’t take it anymore. “I packed up what I thought I would need to detox and drove to Boise. I knew I couldn’t live like this anymore; I was physically dying.”

She says, “I don’t know how I didn’t get arrested but I was sick, driving erratically, with stuff in the car I shouldn’t have had. I was supposed to stay with a friend, but got panicky and ended up at a hotel for the night. They told me that City Light Home for Women and Children was a place I could find help.”

As she looks back now, she can see how God had a hand in ordering the events of her life to draw her to Himself and to City Light where she did find the help she needed, both for her and her family.

We are thrilled to tell you that both Jennifer and her oldest daughter are celebrating a year clean and sober and Jennifer says she couldn’t be more grateful.

“Thank you! I just want to say thank you for letting my daughters come into the program with me. Because I don’t know what would have happened to us without this place. But now, not only can we be productive members of society, we can give something back.”

She says, “You know, we’re pretty cool gals, the three of us, and my son, he’s doing great too. He has taken my dad’s place as the good man in my life and I can’t wait for him to join us in Boise after I graduate from the New Life Program. With all of our stuff focused in the right direction, we have a lot to give. So I just want to say thanks to the people who helped provide it.”

A DIVINE INTERVENTION (CONT.)

Scan here or go tohttp://vimeo.com/105262493

to watch more of Jennifer’s interview.

Holiday Volunteer OpportunitiesThe year’s schedule of holiday events and volunteer forms will be

available online WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST at BoiseRM.org.

Opportunities to serve fill up very quickly. Apply early!

Give Shelter, Food & Hope

Year-Round!

No one Should Have to wonder where they are going to sleep tonight

BREAD

LIFEfor

DONOR CIRCLE

MONTHLY GIVING MADE EASY

Every day of the year, Boise Rescue Mission Ministries counts on the generosity of people like you to help us meet the needs of hungry and homeless men, women, and children across the Treasure Valley. It’s easy to join and you can choose the frequency of your gifts.

� Set up your own recurring donation (monthly, quarterly, or annually) at Community.BoiseRM.org/Bread � or contact Melanie at 208.343.2389 or melaniem@boiserm.org

BREAD

LIFEfor

DONOR CIRCLE

FALL CLEANUP NEEDS:

- Disposable Gloves and Garden Gloves- Black Garbage Bags - Garden Hand Tools (Small Shovels, Spades, Hand Rakes, etc)- Shovels, Rakes, Hoes, Edgers- Long-Handled Loppers - Shears, Limb Saws- Garden Hoses

We invite you to join our faithful Bread for Life Donor Circle (people who give routinely to the Mission), knowing your gifts allow us to provide warm meals, safe shelter and life-changing opportunities to those who need it the most all year-round.

SEPTEMBER 2014 | 3

- Canned Fruit- Meat: Sausage, ground beef, pork, beef, chicken strips- Stuffing- Fresh Fruits & Vegetables- Frozen Vegetables- Seasonings

FOOD NEEDS:

- Towels, towels, towels!- Men’s T-shirts, Underwear & Socks- Razors- Shaving Cream- Deodorant- Copy Paper

OTHER NEEDS:

SEPTEMBER NEEDS LIST

DONATION DROP OFF LOCATIONS:

BOISE:Ministry Center308 S 24th St, Boise208 389-9840

NAMPA:Lighthouse Rescue Mission304 16th Ave N, Nampa208 461-5030HOURS: 9AM - 5PM

* Or visit our Amazon.com Wishlist for more of the things we need! Remember, if you log in through Smile.Amazon.com and search for Boise Rescue Mission, then continue with your shopping, a portion of the money you spend will be donated back to the Mission.

YOU DID IT! Because of you,121 kids who needed your help were able to start the school year right with new clothes, backpacks &

school supplies!

121 Happy Kids

Dear Mission Friends,It has been a wonderful summer at

Boise Rescue Mission Ministries, and your support was vital to all that we accomplished. Thank you so much for caring and sharing with us.

We had another fantastic Summer Kid’s Program this year with over 78 children participating. Monday through Friday, all summer long, our City Light and Valley Shelter kids were active in learning, playing, field trips, camping and…WORKING!

For the first time ever, our staff created a work experience program for the teens staying with us, and gave them the opportunity to be a part of the ministry team at the Mission. The teens learned the basics of workplace conduct from being on time and dressing appropriately to reporting their work hours to their supervisor and handling their paychecks. (Understanding the taxes taken out of their pay was a real eye-opener!) It was a great experience for them and for the Mission. We had some really talented young people helping with our daily tasks.

As fall arrives, we are already busy planning for several events including our annual Veterans Day luncheon, and the Great Thanksgiving and Christmas Banquets.

On November 11 at 11:00 AM, we will hold the Veterans Day luncheon at the First Baptist Church of Boise. Retired Colonel David Brasuell, Director of Idaho State Veterans Services, will be the keynote

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

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CITY LIGHT HOME FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN1404 W. Jefferson St.Boise, ID 83702208-368-9901

RIVER OF LIFE RESCUE MISSION575 S. 13th St.Boise, ID 83702208-389-9840

MINISTRY CENTERWAREHOUSE & ADMINISTRATION308 S. 24th St. Boise, ID 83702Admin - 343-2389WH - 368-0824Hours for donations:

M to F, 9am to 5pm

LIGHTHOUSE RESCUE MISSION304 16th Ave. N.Nampa, ID 83687

208-461-5030

VALLEY WOMEN & CHILDREN’S SHELTER 869 W. Corporate LaneNampa, ID 83651208-475-0725

BRMMBOARD OF DIRECTORSVikki Chandler, ChairTony Greer, Vice Chair/SecretaryDon Anderson, TreasurerJody BucknerAdalaide Fredriksen William LaskaJim MitchellRick ThomasCraig VerdiDon Brandt, EmeritusSandy Dalton, EmeritusDave Hills, EmeritusGerald Salisbury, EmeritusHarold Thomas, Emeritus

Our Mission Boise Rescue Mission Ministries reaches out to the community by teaching the Word of God and providing food, shelter, clothing, and opportunities to recover from homelessness to men, women, and children in need.

BO

ISE

NA

MPA

speaker and we will honor one of our own vets as Veteran of the Year. We are also excited to introduce the 100th veteran to transition from homelessness to independence through our Veterans program. We would love for you to attend. Call Megan at 208.861.9295 or email megank@boiserm.org to RSVP or for more information.

Then comes the wonderful holidays! We look forward to serving holiday meals, and making the season bright for thousands of men, women, and children again this year. If you would like to volunteer for the Thanksgiving or Christmas events, visit www.boiserm.org October 1st.

Meanwhile, we will continue to provide over 1,000 meals each day and safe, clean shelter to over 330 men, women and children nightly. Even though we see more than 400 people transition from homelessness to independence every year, a steady stream of replacements arrive daily at our doors. The “weary and scattered”, as Jesus called them in Matthew 9:36, know they can find shelter and refuge at the Mission. What comes as a surprise to so many of them is that they also find love, acceptance, and kindness flowing from the hearts of our staff. No one is a number at the Mission; everyone is a guest. I believe that’s why we have seen almost 100 public decisions for Christ in our services and many, many people rekindling their relationship with Him so far this year.

Your generous, compassionate support makes everything possible. Thank you for enabling us to be Jesus to weary folks coming through our doors. Thank you for praying for the laborers working in the harvest field. Thank you for providing for the least, the last and the lost.

Rev. Bill Roscoe

In His Service,

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, CONT.>>

P.S. You will find our 2014 Homelessness Index Survey enclosed with this month’s newsletter. We appreciate your time and support, and your opinions are important to us. Please take a few minutes to answer these 10 questions and return them in the enclosed envelope. Your answers will be kept strictly confidential and will only be reported in summary form.