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12 4 Y E A R S O F S E R V I C E

October 2016

At HARVEST FARM

But God wi� never forget the n� dy;

THE HOPE OF THE AFFLICTED

wi� never perish.PSALM 9:18

(NIV)

Finding Hope

Behind the fun and games of the Harvest Farm Fall Festival is the life-changing experience of our New Life Program. The hard work of the men in our program is what makes the

Fall Festival possible, and on top of building good work habits, program participants learn important life skills and build healthy relationships that help them

work their way out of homelessness and addiction.

FROM HAYRIDES TO THE CORN MAZE,

petting zoo and pig races, there are fun activities for everyone to enjoy

at the Harvest Farm Fall Festival.

Join us at the Harvest Farm Fall Festival this year and celebrate how lives are changed thanks to your support!

Look for more photos of Monty on ourFacebook page: Facebook.com/DenverRescue.

“We didn’t know much about the Mission before all this happened,” Alice and Joe say together, describing how their son went from a successful career to nearly killing himself through alcohol abuse.

“It was terrible,” Alice says. eir son, Monty, is 54 years old and says he was lucky to have the support of his family. “So many of the guys at the Farm either don’t have parents or have bad parents,” he explains. “Having my family behind me was huge.”His career in the restaurant business started when he was just 15 years old. He worked through college, became a bartender and was a manager at a popular sports bar in Denver. But working at a bar meant alcohol was constantly in his life. “It built a foundation that drinking is just what you do, whether you’re having fun or not,” he explains.

In July, Monty celebrated his one-year

anniversary of graduating the New Life Program ...

At HARVEST FARM

Finding Hope

Eventually, his life began to spiral out of control. “I started drinking so much that I didn’t care about my relationships, my job or my family,” he explains. In a short period of time, he got a DUI, his girlfriend left him and he lost his job and house. Before long, he was locking himself in his apartment with a bottle of alcohol, unsure how to end the cycle of destruction. “We had to take him to detox twice,” his mother remembers. Finally, Monty came to a point of desperation. With his lease running out and his probation o� cer demanding that he � nd a program to join, he reached out for help.Unfortunately, the � rst place he found wasn’t a good � t.

“I tried a 30-day program at a rehab facility, but it was too quick. I was drinking the day I got out,” he admits. He continued searching and eventually found Denver Rescue Mission’s Harvest Farm. However, with only 72 beds at the Farm, there’s not always an opening for someone to join the New Life Program immediately. In fact, it would be three months before space would be available for him. Desperate, he returned to the rehab facility. “I was there for two more months,” he says. “It was terrible. I couldn’t talk to anyone. It almost felt like a jail.” When his parents were � nally allowed to see him, they all agreed he needed a better solution. Alice called the Mission to see if Monty could join the New Life Program at Harvest Farm a month earlier than expected, and there was an opening! “It was a relief to drop him o� at the Farm,” Alice says. “It was sad, but it was great.”As he expected, Monty liked the Farm from the moment they pulled into the dusty driveway just o� I-25 in Wellington. “It’s always tomorrow that you’ll get better,” he says, “but tomorrow never comes. But when you’re at the Farm, you have tomorrow to do it, and you have today.” Monty liked the Christian foundation of the New Life Program, and the Bible studies, work therapy and church on Sundays helped establish a routine that had been absent from his life for a long time. He was able to be honest with himself and found solace in speaking with a counselor about his past. “It was a relief to get o� my chest how destructive my addiction had been,” he says. “I really liked the Farm. Everyone there treated you like they were on your side instead of just waiting for you to mess up.”In July, he celebrated his one-year anniversary of graduating the New Life Program, and today, he works at the Horsetooth Retriever Kennel a few miles away from the Farm. He enjoys working with the black labs, training them for competitions that test their skills as hunting dogs. His bosses, Kenny and Marcy, have hired men from the Farm to work at the kennel for 15 years.

“It’s a great job—probably the best I’ve had,” Monty says. “My boss is great, and the dogs always like seeing me. at’s always rewarding. I go back to the Farm sometimes to visit.”But Monty’s life wasn’t the only thing changed because of Harvest Farm. � anks to this experience, Joe and Alice have a new outlook on what it means to help those in need. “It changes your perspective,” Alice explains.

“When I see someone on the street, I realize how close Monty came to being in that situation. Before, I would think things like, ‘Why can’t they do something to help themselves?’ But I look at it in a totally di� erent light now. ese people need somebody to help them.”Joe went on to explain why they continue to support the Mission; “You get things in the mail every day, but when it starts a� ecting you, that’s when it starts to open your eyes,” he says. “It’s easy to wonder what makes one organization more deserving than another, and we see why now because we were a� ected by it. ank goodness he went to the Farm. It � t just right.” ank you for supporting the life-changing work at Denver Rescue Mission. Because of supporters like Joe, Alice and you, people struggling with poverty, addiction and homelessness are able to work through their hurts, hang-ups and hardships to build a better future. Whether it’s through Harvest Farm or at our other locations in Denver, you help change lives every day when you donate and volunteer to help the broken and hurting.

Monty says his family’s support was a huge part of his life-changing experience at Harvest Farm. His parents, Joe and Alice (left), and one of his two sisters, Judy (middle), were able to join him at his graduation celebration in July 2015.

Support lasting change at Harvest Farm today!Use the enclosed envelope to make your gift, or donate online at DenverRescueMission.org/Donate.

Dear Friends,Recently, I spoke about our work at Denver Rescue Mission with a gathering of generous donors. A man raised his hand and said, “ e numbers you have just given us for meals and beds are great, but tell us more about Jesus’ impact on people’s lives at the Mission. at’s why most of us give.” His words really gave me a reason to pause and think, because the numbers are BIG. We served over 830,000 meals last year, and this year, it could be as many as a million meals. ONE MILLION. Wowzers! How is that even possible? We also provided more than 350,000 nights of shelter last year. at’s 350 thousand times we provided beds inside a building—a dry, warm and safe place, away from the dangers of the street. But it’s ultimately about more than all of those numbers. Because of the love we have for Jesus Christ, because of our belief in him and his call on our lives, because of his example of love for the poor and for all people, and because we believe Jesus can change lives now and for eternity, our sta� and volunteers work every day to share meals, beds, clothing, and especially the gospel. In short, Jesus is our hope!Next year we will celebrate our 125th year of existence. Wowzers again! Since the Mission was founded in 1892, Jesus has been the bedrock of our work, and this remains the case today. Loving up on people with Jesus’ love is our legacy, and I assure you that we plan to continue sharing his hope for as long as our doors are open. We cannot do this work without you. anks for letting us share not only a meal or a bed with people who are experiencing homelessness, but also the Good News of Jesus. I love this work! God Bless,

Brad MeuliPresident/CEO

Letter from the CEO

Do you � nd it di� cult to make time for rest in your busy life? Finding rest is di� erent than sleeping. It’s being able to have peace in your heart despite the circumstances, and in today’s world, peace is something many of us struggle to � nd in our lives.Request a FREE copy of our latest brochure, “3 Keys to Finding Rest in a Chaotic World,” to learn how to start creating rest in your life today. Check the box on the enclosed reply card to receive your copy.

4th Annual Sporting Clay Classic

Do you like shooting clays? en come join other shooting sports enthusiasts at the Mission’s 4th Annual Sporting Clay Classic on ursday, October 13, at the

Kiowa Creek Sporting Club in Bennett, Colorado. e event includes lunch and a day of fun competition

to help our homeless and struggling neighbors.Contact Josh for more information at

JLittlejohn@DenRescue.org. To register, please visit DenverRescueMission.org/SportingClayClassic.

� is year’s event is proudly sponsored by:

Lawrence Street Community CenterMeals, restrooms, showers, washing machines and dryers, clean drinking water, and access to Mission staff for encouragement and guidance

Lawrence Street Shelter Overnight shelter for men, chapel and health clinic

Champa House Residential facility offering long-term help toward self-sufficiency to single mothers with dependent children

Harvest FarmRural rehabilitation program for mennear Fort Collins

Fort Collins Rescue Mission Meals, shelter and transitional programs for men and women

The CrossingTransitional program for families and rehabilitation program for men

Ministry Outreach CenterCentral warehouse facility including food, clothing and furniture distribution

Administration & EducationEntry point for Mission programs and home to the Mission’s administrative and development staff

Family ServicesTransitional program, assistance for permanent housing, and mentoring

StatisticsMission Events

Changing Lives is the monthly news publication of Denver Rescue Mission.

Director of Communications: Christine Gallamore

Designer: Rachel TitusWriter: Robert Bogan

Meals provided

Nights of shelter provided

Chapel attendance

Clinic services provided

August YTD (� scal year)

P.O. Box 5164 • Denver, CO 80217 • 303.297.1815

How You Help

Denver Rescue Mission Outreaches

Clothing distributed (lbs.)

14th Annual Harvest Farm Fall Festival

When: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October

Learn more at HarvestFarm.net.Use the coupon to the right

for $2 o� admission!

4th Annual Sporting Clay Classic

When: ursday, October 13Where: Kiowa Creek Sporting Club

in Bennett, ColoradoContact Josh for

more information at JLittlejohn@DenRescue.org.

To register, please visit: DenverRescueMission.org/

SportingClayClassic.

The Last Waltz Turns 40!Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the iconic concert � lm at e Last Waltz Revisited.

When: Wednesday, November 23 at 7 p.m. Where: e Fillmore Auditorium Bring canned food items to the concert and receive a commemorative poster!For more information, visit LastWaltzRevisited.com or contact Stacy at SParker@DenRescue.org.

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