Cry No More! (Summer 2010)

Dear Friend,
    As many adults in our shelters recall their dysfunctional childhoods—and boys and girls in our youth programs share the realities of their current living situations—they speak of children forced to make adult decisions and of absentee, addicted or “unprotective” parents who either don’t care about their youngsters or don’t know how to keep them safe.
    I’m both shocked and saddened when I hear such tragic accounts.  They prompt me to remember my blessings as a child raised in a family where both parents were present, loved God, and truly cared for my needs.  Yet I know that apart from a life-altering relationship with Jesus Christ, man can do horrendous things to other human beings, even their own children.
    Some of the most moving words I’ve ever heard came from former Christian Life Program graduate and current staff member Johnny Evans.  In his testimony he says with tears of sadness and joy, “I’m so happy ‘cause I’ve been trying to do it for so long.”  He’s recalling the vast majority of his life spent trying to find happiness and answers apart from Jesus Christ, pursuing what often brought pain to others and only temporary relief from his despair.
    Psalm 56:8 speaks of God keeping a record of our tears—even collecting them in a bottle. He truly cares for the overwhelmingly difficult lives of the men, women and children we seek to love every day.  Thank you for loving them through us!
                                       
                            For His glory,
                            Rev. Daniel J. Doty
                            Executive Director
 

      Get Started Online!

City Union is blessed with scores of adults and youth—along with groups from churches and businesses—who want to connect with our community by serving as Mission volunteers.  To make the application process quick and convenient for our growing number of Mission partners, we’ve taken it online.  If you’d like to volunteer, visit www.cityunionmission.org and click on the green VOLUNTEER button.  You’ll find a list of available opportunities, as well as a link to the online application process.  Applications are reviewed once a week and you should hear back from our volunteer coordinator within 10 days!  Thank you for serving with us!

“My grandson is what brought me to the Mission,” says Dennise, who has been caring for Michael—now 4—since her daughter went to prison two years ago.  “I didn’t want the same things to happen to him that I’d done to my daughter and my parents had done to me.”

            Dennise remembers getting high and drunk with her mother in grade school.  Sadly, that wasn’t the only heartbreaking situation she faced at home.  “I’d watch my dad shoot up.  Then he’d beat my mom and leave.”  He abused his young daughter sexually, too.  Eventually Dennise’s parents split up and left her and her siblings with their grandparents.

            As an adult, Dennise continued her drug use and started running—from herself, from her children and from the tragedies she faced as a child.  “Like my mom, I just kept feeding myself drugs and running from my failures and past hurts.”  Dennise’s daughter continued the pattern of substance abuse and crime, and like her grandparents, Dennise found herself with young Michael.  She was still using drugs when Michael came to live with her.  There were no lights in her tiny apartment and only cold running water.  She begged for food for Michael from neighbors and relatives.  “It was so hard on him—it brought me to the bottom,” she recalls with tears in her eyes.  She knew Michael was the family’s only hope to break the cycle.  But she had to make changes in her own life first.

Dennise and Michael came to City Union Mission’s Family Shelter in April 2009, and she entered our New Life Program.  “The Mission has helped me so much—from my health and my inner-self to decision-making and caring for my grandson—and to know that everything I’m learning comes from the Bible!”  Today she’s graduated from our program, is working on her GED and has applied for housing.  Michael has blossomed in the Mission’s stable and loving environment and will start Kindergarten in the fall.  Dennise believes coming to the Mission is God’s plan to end her family’s vicious cycle.  “I’m praying this will be a changing point for my grandson and my daughter, too,” she says, with tears of joy!

“I cook from my heart and I love to see people eat.  That’s why God put me here,” says City Union Mission Cook Mary Sturgeon.  Mary prepares breakfast and lunch—more than 300 meals daily—for the guests in our Men’s Emergency Shelter.  And in keeping with the Mission’s heart-healthy objective to minister physically as well as spiritually, she does her best to provide a menu that is balanced and nutritious.

            This might be a challenge for cooks in some kitchens where, like City Union Mission, much of the food is donated.  But Mary, a country girl who’s been cooking all her life, takes pleasure in finding creative ways to prepare wholesome meals.  “For example, we get a lot of ribs: I make rib stew, ribs and rice, and barbecued ribs.  For each meal, I try to provide meat, a green vegetable and a starch.  We try to have bananas or apples or a fruit cup every morning.  I work with what I have to make sure these men have enough to eat and that it’s presentable and tasteful.”  And when she sees the expressions on the men’s faces when they see what she’s cooked up, she knows her work is good.

            But filling hungry bodies isn’t the only part of Mary’s job that brings her satisfaction, she also fills hungry souls.  She is assisted in the kitchen by shelter residents, and she opens her heart to them.  “When the men come in the morning, they’re happy to see me.  I ask them how they’re doing.  I want to make them feel worthy—give them self-esteem.” 

            City Union Mission is grateful for Mary’s passion for preparing healthy menus and for the wholesome food donated by so many caring individuals and organizations that allows us to keep our meal costs low.

Our City Union Mission administration and staff not only work hard to stay on top of the changing needs of the men, women and children we serve, we also plan proactively to stay ahead of them.  For nearly a decade, strategic teams made up of representatives from every area of the Mission have been meeting regularly to assess trends and needs in the city, evaluate our programs and develop opportunities to improve our services in support of our mission and vision.

            For example, the Bible says our bodies are members of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15)—and building a healthy body is a major component of building and maintaining a stable life.  So one area under consideration today is a shift toward more heart-healthy living.  Not only does this encompass the food served in our facilities, but also the educational programs we offer residents in our long-term recovery programs.  We want to provide these committed individuals with options for proper diet, exercise and weight management while they’re in our care and also teach them how to make appropriate choices to maintain good health when they’re on their own.

            Over the years, recommendations from our strategic teams have also led tonew practices to identify and remedy wasted resources; a system to ensure consistent scheduled maintenance of all Mission facilities; a study to identify ways to improve client recidivism rates and dozens of other initiatives to improve our outreach and client outcomes.

            The Mission is grateful to the men and women who have made their commitment to the work of these strategic teams a priority in addition to their everyday responsibilities.  Their efforts enable Your Mission to serve the hungry, homeless and poor of Your City as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Employees of Assurant Employee Benefits and their children celebrated “Bring Your Child to Work Day” by stuffing more than 1,000 backpacks with school supplies for City Union Mission.  The backpacks and materials were donated by the employees themselves, and Assurant provided large pallet boxes to transport the final products to the Mission.  The children also held a bake sale, and the proceeds were matched by the company, netting an additional $200 for the Mission.  Volunteers from the company will be on hand for the distribution of the backpacks to needy youngsters during the Mission’s Stuff the Bus event in August.   

“Our employees have big hearts,” says Jonna Kaiser, who organized the project for Assurant.  “And we want to instill in our kids how blessed they are that, for example, they get to pick out their own backpacks and school supplies.”  City Union Mission is grateful for the company’s generosity and the inspiring example they set for other businesses in the community that want to get involved.

Christmas came early for parents and children in City Union Mission’s Family Shelter.  In April, Cricket Communications, in conjunction with Christmas in October, spent the day painting, planting, mulching and landscaping to increase the comfort, safety and functionality of the Family Shelter’s Rainbow Room (common gathering area) and playground.  The contributions of money, materials and manpower included:

• Installing $5,000 worth of rubber crumb mulch around our outdoor playground equipment
• Building, installing and replacing picnic tables and benches
• Planting $20,000 worth of trees—donated by Hermes Landscaping
• Painting, installing high-efficiency lighting and replacing the chalkboard in the Rainbow Room

            “We’re amazed by the generosity of these two organizations who made this ‘makeover’ possible,” says City Union Mission Executive Director Dan Doty.  “There are simply no words to describe the joy in the eyes of our families as they realize how much others care about them.”  “We’ve really enjoyed our partnership with City Union Mission and Christmas in October,” says Jennifer Sanborn, area marketing manager for Cricket Communications.  “Both of these organizations are so very important to the Kansas City community."

Vacation Bible School has always been about children.  But at Gashland Presbyterian Church and Covenant Chapel, it’s now about K.I.D.S.—Kids In Divine Service!  Both churches have shifted their VBS curriculums away from what the children get in the form of crafts, games and treats to what they can give through outreach here in our community.  This year their focus is on City Union Mission. 

            For example, “they’ll learn how the Mission began and hear about people who have been helped and how volunteers can make an impact,” says Shawna Ketter, VBS coordinator for Covenant Chapel.  “We’ll use Bible stories to introduce the Mission and how its programs are biblically based,” explains Paula O’Hara, Children’s Director at Gashland Presbyterian.  Both groups will also take on projects including painting and sanding new bed frames for the Mission shelters, as well as raising money for mattresses and collecting items like swimsuits, sunscreen and towels for the disadvantaged youngsters who will attend Camp CUMCITO.

            “Now there is a real purpose to what they’re doing in VBS.  We’re here to do more than entertain,” says Dave, and Shawna agrees:  “We want children to learn there are needs in our community and how they can meet those needs—how they can be like Jesus.  On the last day we’ll encourage them to continue to share their own faith and to put that faith into action.”

Nearly 500 motorcycle enthusiasts raised almost $21,000 in support of City Union Mission’s programs and services at the 21st annual Bikers With a Mission (BWAM) Run for the Homeless benefit ride on May 2.  Funds raised through the event are not included in City Union Mission's annual budget and will go to help clients with emergency needs such as utility assistance, bus tokens, medications, baby formula and eyeglasses.  Since its inception, the event has raised $561,373. 

            Glenn and JoAnn Hicks were awarded two round-trip tickets provided by Midwest Airlines for securing the largest amount of pledges.  Jim Buchner received a custom-made knife donated by Bill Miller of W.M. Knives, Warsaw, Missouri, for second place. 

            City Union Mission thanks all the riders who participated and sponsors who donated prizes and made other contributions.  Visit www.cityunionmission.org for more details and photos from the 2010 ride.  Mark your calendar for next year’s ride on May 1, 2011.

Demands for our services don’t decline during the summer, but donations usually do.  So we’re asking compassionate friends like you to “adopt a day” to help a hurting soul. 

            Due to the generosity of many churches, businesses and individuals providing in-kind gifts that alleviate budgeted needs, we can offer food, shelter and other services—to thousands of people each year—at a cost that would otherwise be much greater.  The Mission spends only about $16.30 to provide one child or adult with emergency services for a day and only $29.87 per person per day to care for the men, women and families in our long-term recovery programs.  For this small amount, we offer life essentials and medical care, as well as Christian counseling, education, job training—and so much more!  

            Your small investment will bring a big return:  The homeless will find food, shelter and opportunities to live productive lives.  Please send a gift today in the envelope provided, or donate online at www.cityunionmission.org.  Your generosity is such a blessing!