Fall 2006 Transforming Lives Newsletter, Gospel Rescue Ministries

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    \-/ttt****

    Every;'ear, Gospel Re scueMinistries pi.rrticip:rtes in the Filnnie\tae \\'illk for the Homeless. ri'hichis a communit;'-n-ide campaign toraise support for and autareness ofhomelessness in DC. Once again wesent walkers down to the NationalMail on the Saturday beforeThanksgiving to represent GRM inthe 5K rn'alk-a-thon.

    would like to go rn'ith us to the schools next year, oryour own walk,let us knorn'l

    Rescue Ministries also sponsors a series of communityfor the homeless during the fall season, one on the "Big Walk"

    one on Thanksgiving day, and one on Christmas Day. Theseare free and open to the public, and are special affairs whereare invited to sit down and be served as if they were at a fine

    still time to donate to these dinners, and every penny isPlease help us feed the homeless this Thanksgiving and

    as by sending us a donation in the enclosed envelope. Helpthe homeless for the holidaysl

    GRM is a presence in these schby providing food and schoolsupplies at key times throughouthe 1'e;rr.Charrydale Baptist Church alsosponsored their own mini-walkwith over 100 walkers participaMini-u'alks are a blast, and agreilt \\,ay to support the progamof GRM. If your church or

    Transforrning Livery$ryttu-&",*"/ik^ecFC/uNrTED wAy #8s1s G0SPEL RESCUE I\/IINISTRIES 0F IVASHINGTON DC VOLUI\,IE 7, ISSUE 4, FALL

    Helps the HomelesFannieMaeWalk for the HomelessIn addition to the "Big Walk", part

    t-rf our invt-rh-ement in the campaignis tt-r t;rkc the u';rlk to 3 DC publicscht-rols. GR\t staff irnd clicntsu-ent to \lirrtin Luther King,Jr.Eiementary and Savol' Elementaryin southeast, and WheatleyElementary in northeast, to talk tothe children about homelessnessrrncl to fr'rcilitatc "mini-lr'irlks" ineach school.

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    DonMeIvhDear Friends.Lqr r rrlrruo) tfuNKa\We conrinue t( thatJGod for His faithfulness. The summer months were quite challenging, but God alwayscomes through,'fHdugh the support and decp commitment of all of you.We are in the process of changing the look of Transforming Lives, our quarterly newsletter. Some changes arestill to come, and we hope that this nern' format u'illbe appealing to you, providing more information about the

    different program areas of GRM. All of these programs rvould not be possible without your support, so we thank you for yourcontinued faithfulness to our ministry.Wghaveqompleted the purchase of the neu' transitional housing facfity, as advertised in the last newsletter. 'We are now read)'t{being th} renovation process. The goal is to have our new housing facility compieted and residents moving in by March 2007.Phase,kelep this project in your prayers. We need your continued prayer and financial support to finish this work. We invite youto consider making an additional gift towards the renovation of our new building.We invite you to visit GRM at any time. Our holiday dinners are an excellent dme to come doNn to "the \Iission" to see us atwork, feeding and ministering to the least of these in our community. The next Phase C(impledon Celebration (previously'Gradu-ation") is coming up on Saturday. December 2 at 10 A\1. lf you \-ould like more infLrrmitiLrn rrn f,nY r''f these e\'e nts, or about an\' ofthe programs going on at CRM. I inrite 1ou to give mc r c l.As always, we thank God for you and for your steadfast commitment and support of the *'ork the Lord is doinp in this place. \[.rtGod bless you and yours during this holiday seast.rn. In His Sen.ice. \r

    L RESCUE MINIFrom the Executive Director

    Transforming Lives MinistryAutumn is an exciting time for the people atTransforming Lives Ministry. TLM clients areactive participants in the Walk for the Homeless,and many of the guys went to our 3 adopted DCpublic schools to interact with the kids and tospeak to them about staying in school and sayingno to drugs.12 new men entered the program in September.At the end of November we have 30 men in theprogram, one of the highest end-of-cycle countsin recent TLM history.The staff has been undergoing reconfigurationand consolidation. The assistant director positionwas eliminated in September, allowing the casemanager to take on greater responsibility inTLM's day-to-day operations. An addictionscounselor has joined the evening staff on a

    DavidBdrnes,Directpart-time basis to complement the work of thedaytime addictions counselor. 4 new internsjoined the staff. The therapy service has shiftedits priorities to more group work and lessindiridual rherapy, allou'ing the therapist tospend more time on continuing care needs.Church partnerships and participation continuto be active, rounding out the spiritual growththat the men are receiring. A recent revival ata partner church u'itnessed 4 TLM men eitherreceiving salvation or rededicating themselvesthe Lord's work. A like number did that just thweek before at TLM's Men of Valor meeting. Gis surely moving in a marvelous way!If you would like to be a part of what Goddoing at TLM, give Dave Barnes a cail at 2t73r.

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    G.$PEL RESCUE MINIS:Fulton House of Hope

    Ir is thc n.rissit'rn of .\PR,\'$to prom(rtc.rncl cnft.rrcc thc highcst clurrlit;' rcgul;rtor;'strnclrrrcls lor clclir ct-ing scn'iccs rcletccl ttrelcoht'rl, tohrtcct.r ;rncl othcr clrugs (ATO|))rrclclictions; to IrICvcnr ATOD ilclclictir)tts;' t,'' iclcntifr'. trcrlt trncl rch:thilit.rtcrns u'ht-r arc irddictccl givir-rg pritrrit,l'ro rcsiclcnts of thc District of Coltrnrbirr.As .r ccrtificcl .\PIt.\ pr()srr1rn, Fuitt-rn"StayingF ocused"In 2001, I graduatedfrom the Fulton Houseof Hope, a drug rehabilitation center forwomen. At first,I struggled everyday withthe desire to leave. I gave myself plentyof excuses'. my children need me, try grandchil-dren need me, everyone thinl

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    T]re ScJ,oo] oi

    L RESCUE MINITotji o].l cr\rrr

    AnELITE nau program!On December 5, 2006, the School ofTomorrow will launch an excitingnew program that will hopefullydraw more clients to our services andbetter equip them for the workforce.The Economic Literacy InfonnationTechnology Employment EducationProgram (E.L.I.T.E) is a six monthtraining course that focuses on adulteducation, information technology,career developrnent and economicliteracy.E.L.l.T.E is designed to help adultlearners realize their potentialand ability to become gainfullyernployed and financially self-sufficient by linking the essential

    skills and competencies required tofind and perform excellently in acareer of the client's choosing.This prograrn equips individualswith marketable skills that areperformance based and certified.The E.L.l.T.E. Program also includesa family literacy night everyfourth Thursday. The program hasscheduled labs on most Fridaysfrorn 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. for adultbasic education, GED tutoring, andcomputer skills development.E.L.l.T.E. provides an opportunityfor adult learners to acquire certifiedskills that will help thern to bebetter equipped for the future in

    Chry stal J ones, Director

    adult literacy. information technology, andcareer developrnent. The SOT is a vendorfor Vocational Rehabilitation and a licensedWorktbrce Readiness Testins Site.

    LearningHow to "Fish"The computer labs in the School of Tomorrow have become the center forGRM clients to mLlster a \1ery importltnt component of the job search process:Identifying and obtaining permanent cmpk-ryment viir thc intcrnet. Tlr,o graduates ofthe Septernber WorkNet class successfully obtirined permanent positions by utilizingonline job search skills taught during the class.When Edu'ard Woody started the class, he u'as not computer literate and haddifficulty using the keyboard. With consistent practice and focus, after a 12 rn'eekperiod, he was the first member of the class to obtain a position online. In fact, thesubmission of his resume on the first try garnered him a position rn'ith IAP WorldSen'ices, Inc, the food services contractor for Walter Reed Army Medical Center.Woody, as he is knorn'n, is nou, happily employed as a full-time food services workerr,l'ith opportunities for advancement. He never dreamed that he would have been ableto achieve such an accomplishment.

    Keith Hubbard, on the other hand, did have some computer skills. Until WorkNet, hc had not been trained to search for a jobonline. After mastering the job search process on websites such as America's Job Bank, SnagAJob, Monster, and others, he wasalso able to obtain a position in the food services industry. He is now employed as a grill cook with Lindy's Bon Apetit in theDistrict. Keith also credits his employment success in part to the availability of the computer lab in the School of Tomorrow.Both clients agree that the concept of "learning how to fish" in meedng their employment needs has been a tremendous blessin5that will serve thcm in years ro comE.

    Keith Hubb ar d and E dw ar d V o o d1,, clientsin theTransformutglives Minis tr),, nowworL

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    $ [L RESCUE MINIBESTJob Development Ellis Hodges,Director\\ ol-lrNcf ls Woiltutg! /,r Ratp/rJanrcs,BESrsrrrd,rrt'r-rsPCl Rc-scttc \linistrics' \\'orkNct ilrogriull is provicling rrn innovativcn -rv it-rr clicnts to lci.rrn the ins irnd outs of job scarching. Ar.ail;rblc ttr:hc r-ncn of Tr;rnsfonling Livc i\4inistrics, Reacl;'To work, ancl for thc\\'trtttCrl frrrn-r Thc Fulttu Housc of Hopc. irnd undcr thc lcaclcrship of thcDrrcctr-rr of thc \\'orkNct program. Ellis Hodgcs, livcs arc bcins inrIr.lLtccl. ;rncl sr;tlrility'bcing acldcd ft-rr indivicluirls, iucl familics. Rcccnrll'\rrntc cltrrcnt ;tncl plsr p;rrticiprrnts \\,crc askccl a scrics of clucstion:rcg;rrding thc uscfulncss irnd ber-rcfits of thc \\/orkNct proqr;tnl. r1nLlrhc folltru itrg:trc just sonic of rhc c()nmrcnfs.lftcrtill{ trr rhe l.rer rhrrt\\'t-rrk\cr is u'r'rrkingl';' In rt'h;1[ \\';1\'s has thc \VorkNct t-'nllnc lrrh rcrrch hclpccl ;'ou?I hr'u rtcd horr frr fd,.qcf c(trcff slrcciftc 1,'hs, l.''.,r11 /rorr lirrtrn,iobs cu'c a,,,ailablc irt rtgcr'gi-c4lttcril attct in mt,ficld.

    , 1..;' 'r:,1 /ror' ro find rhc/)o'.son to contact dir-ccrh.- ,. ..,. j.,.,.1. li.r, r.', scrl.ch bl,ry,fcldof infd,.c.sr.j ''..1,. f;'...1, l.r, [... fill in and submit onlinc al4)licatiotls.I hrrorr horr fogain insfrlrfr crn nou' ntttrc confdent usingtht intcrnct for iob.scrl'chirr,q,

    * H.l'did workNet prepirre you for thc intc^'ic*'proccss?Throtghttsc of thc \.tzor'lrNcrJo ru'nctls,u,c hdvc spccific infr'trntcftittn ctndgidclincs tltm hclp us prcp(il'c cutd rcprcscLrf orn-.scivcs rlc/1.A{.r' onc (rn.onc corlr.sclin{.sc.s.si(rn u,irfi \Il-.s. Hodtcs hclps to prcparc fttr."/ivc" rlrrc.sriorrs rrf tlrc ttctutil irrrcn lcrr,.I lccn'r rcc/ ab o t t d'c'' codc, ct iquct tc, and pr cp ar iL rr irr! p o r t fol i o.I ontbcttcr inforntcd crs ro u,h(r cr?1pl(rlo-.s rl-c looliint /br..I lcantcd srrlgcstiorrs of v,hat rlof f(r su:, and do at thc irlfc'1,ic\t,.I hat'c ct tlc\\' morc profcssionql t,occtbulctrv, crnd I cctrt nott, pt'ot,idc

    I cgi t im at c d n s \ r,o'.s.I r'cr.s chcl/c,sccl. ond c', ,c)I' think on ntt, fcct u lttt bcttcr.I fccl confidcnt crt thc cnd of thc irrrcn,icry ro a/.so rr.s/c rlrrcsrior n of thccDrp/o'cr..

    .FormcWorkNcr is rhgracc of God Ptstor Hoclgcs has hclpcd nc, n cn to thc poitlt of tnl pcrsonal wnlk r.r'idr God. "'l Dclin,c WorkNcr is thcbtstwal'to prcpurt aLrd ro looh /or*rpior nrcnt."''Thc proccss must bc talrcn scriousl,t',bccausc God is ri lirrg ttr nrcrld us tou'cr d rlusring Hin b_r, trlsring ofhcrr':' !r. Hodgcsgivcs rrs cfrdrrccs. sfic ispdficnr. kn oticdgcablc, and just hclpful."

    \ .--rse comments spcak volumes to thc pQr'r'cr of GQd in rction through pcople such irs thc Director of WorkNet, Ellis Hodges.WorkNet is Workingl

    orkNet Career and ProfessionalDevelopment Program empow-ers participants to successfullyre-enter the marketplace with employableskills. WorkNet consisrs of at least 40 hoursof classroom instruction during which timestudents develop emplo;rment goals, create

    a resume, receive instruction on job search-ing techniques, and receive individualizedcareer counseling. WorkNet is a componentof the BEST (Better Employmenr for Success-ful Transition)Job Developmenr Program arGospel Rescue Ministries.

    WorJrNcr Srudorr.s, u,irh Dirccror EIlis Hodsc.s

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    GOSPEL RESCL]EMINISTRIESThe programs of GRM are:

    Tronsforming Lives MinistryComprehensive substance abuse treatment for men

    Fulton House of HopeComprehensive substance abuse treatment t'or womenThe School of Tomorrow

    An accredited adub education centerThe B.E.S.T. Job Development Progrom

    B ettcr Emplol, mgnt t'or Succ cs sfuil T r ansitio nReody To WorkA rcsidential u'orlr trainingprogram t'or ntert

    Bornobos HouseA tr anistional housingf acility for menSomorifons Overnighf SheherAn emergcnq, ot'crnight shcltcr for men

    Sullp2H o'2doH'dltH{o srD2L 00I

    GRM Wish ListAs we near the Thanks-eivine and Christmas sea-sons, there are a number of holidar. related itemsthat are on our wish list. ,a

    'r Socks, underweor (for menl v'r Gloves, scorves, hots(men ond women)'t Toiletry items(men ond womenl'r Metro posses'r New toys, gomet booksfor children

    't Twin size bedding't Blonkets)r Conned (non-perishoblel foodf.liic?LH*,?,# 6t 6g# lll

    8ro'rur8'A\AAlq8u46;afuosurqou salrEl{l

    uapnrd qdlopngEIouEl\ fSeJuaJJ.A\El IVradreg 1pgpuog auufIAIUg'lueprserd'uos4ouf uqof

    I,NU9'JOJf,aJIO e^rlnJ'ur^laN uoorlEqf 'Iazno UEA pI^

    sillsnut l0 0uv08t snssl'/ elunlo^

    Eszo-868 (eoe)v.il-(.vs (eoz),.10002 3q'uor8un

    AANI'13aus qls 0Ig)O uotButyspA

    0t 'oN JII^luadyn 'e3puqpoo16olvdEDVJSOd S'NNOIIVZINV9UOS]ruISINII/! il]S]X T