Dear Friend of the Mission,

We just celebrated our 125th anniversary with a joy-filled Night of Celebration at one of our supporting churches. It was a wonderful evening filled with moving testimonies, great music, countless reminders of God’s faithfulness, sweet fellowship and delicious refreshments.

Tony King, the very first graduate of our New Life Program going way back to 1989, shared how the Lord opened up a job for him at Rutgers University/Camden in November of 1989 through the New Life Program. During his stay at the Mission, he overcame his drug addiction, his faith in the Lord was renewed and he was able to become the kind of father that his daughters hoped for and wanted. Both of his daughters are now college graduates and enjoy successful careers. A few years ago, one of his daughters who buys toys for us every year for our annual Christmas toy giveaway thanked us for giving their dad back to them. Our Men on a Mission singing group (they are all graduates from our New Life Program) blessed everyone with their extraordinary 4-part, acapella Gospel singing. These men all entered the Mission more than 20 years ago as homeless, drug addicted men – their lives have been forever changed by the grace of God working through the Mission.

Gilbert Reese, another graduate, shared how he had been homeless on the streets of Philly from age 18 to his early 40’s, often living under 30th and Market Streets in Philadelphia. He was in and out of the Mission 9 times before “it took.” Because of God’s love and kindness working through the Mission, he is now living in his own apartment and is reunited with his family up in the New Brunswick, NJ area.

Robert Jessie, also a graduate of the Mission who now works for the Mission as our sorting room supervisor (he supervises the processing of the 6-8 tons of clothing you donate each week to the Mission), shared how he was number 39 on our waiting list when he first called the Mission as a homeless man years ago. He thought he would never get into the Mission, but the Lord opened the door, and he was able to come into our program just a few days later because none of the 38 men ahead of him returned our phone calls. Robert knew that the Lord was smiling upon him. Today he is married, active in his church, lives in his own house, and enjoys his ministry at the Mission.

Because of your support, these successes and celebrations are your celebrations. Your gifts are being used every day to provide life-giving, life-changing and life-saving help to the homeless men who live at the Mission. Thank you for making a difference through your gifts.

Celebrating together with you,

Robert A. Emberger, D.Min.
Executive Director