Dear friends
As we approach the end of our fiscal year September 30th, we have much to thank God for! It’s been a BIG year for us. We’ve definitely experienced huge change (and all the normal aches and pains that go along with such change). At the same time, we’ve thankfully enjoyed ongoing stability and significant growth.
Financially, it looks like we will end the year in the black with all of our expenses covered. That’s even with some capital projects we tackled this year including a new roof, a major repointing project, a new walk-in refrigerator, and all new computers. That’s a huge praise! We’ve significantly expanded our staffing (and with it our annual expenses) by hiring an Executive Assistant and a Program Director. Both were necessary for me to step away from some daily tasks and into the role of Executive Director. Bob Emberger continues to be a tremendous help mentoring me in my new role, coordinating our volunteers and church partnerships, and doing grant writing. We’ve also increased our minimum starting salary to make sure every team member earns a livable wage. We have a great staff that continues to joyfully love and serve the men in Jesus’ Name. All of this lends great stability to the Mission community.
This stability, in turn, has allowed us to keep on growing and developing the scope and quality of the program services we offer. Over the past year we began covering 50% of the money our graduates needed to move into their own apartments. We’ve been tweaking the New Life Program to better fit today’s job market and our residents’ current needs. We’ve leaned even harder into celebrating residents’ milestones and achievements, like publicly honoring men when they advance in the Program from the Foundations Phase to the Careers Phase and begin their job search. We’ve added more layers of addiction recovery support, and we’re actively trying to cultivate an atmosphere of hope in the midst of all that is broken in our lives, families, city, and beyond. These things and more are the results of asking the simple question, “What does it look like to love God and others right here, right now?”
That’s a question the Mission has been asking for decades. It helps us focus on people, not programming. It allows us to meet men where they are and adjust what we do to help. Thank you for your part in helping to love our men well. As we begin our new fiscal year on October 1st, your generous financial support is needed more than ever as we all continue to experience increased expenses. Thank you in advance for your support, prayers, and encouragement!
Grace and peace,
Heather L. Rice, D.Min.
Executive Director
