FortCollinsRescueMission.org
June 2016
Worth Helping
Margie says staff like Stephanie, FCRM Kitchen Manager (right),
were influential in her success at Fort Collins Rescue Mission.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)
Worth Helping
“I will be the
first woman to
complete the
Steps to Success
program after
starting here
in overnight
shelter. I want to
be an example
to other women
so they can be
encouraged to
join the program.
I want them to
know they can
do it. I hope that
once I graduate,
I can come back
and volunteer
or mentor other
people who are
in my position.”
- Margie
Margie has done a lot of things in
her life. She’s worked in construction,
at restaurants, as a bartender, in
retail, and as an assistant in a nursing
home. But what she’s most proud of
is helping raise her grandson since
he was just three months old.
She also suffers from fibromyalgia, severe arthritis,
degenerative discs, osteoporosis, and pain from torn
muscles in her back and neck. Needless to say, she
wasn’t able to help her husband provide for both her
and their teenage grandson when finances got tight.
Her husband was able to care for their grandson alone,
but he wasn’t able to financially support both of them
at the same time. Eventually, she moved in with her
daughter and son-in-law in order to ease the tension
on her marriage and their bank account. For several
months, she lived on and off with them until a
disagreement caused her to leave—this time
for good.
But Margie couldn’t return home to be a burden on
her family. “My husband is doing the best he can with
what he has,” she says. “He’s a wonderful man. It’s just
the circumstances.”
This time, she had nowhere to go. “I looked into
Loveland, Longmont, Boulder, Denver, and Fort
Collins,” she says. “Estes Park doesn’t have anything
to help people who are homeless, and there’s nothing
in Loveland, except when it’s really cold in the winter.
The Mission was a last resort.”
When she finally came to the Mission for emergency
overnight shelter, she knew she found the right place.
“I feel comfortable here. Not in the sense that I want to
stay here forever,” she says laughing. “It will be nice
to have my own place and take care of myself, but for
now, it works.”
When she first found herself on the streets in Fort
Collins, the experience changed her perceptions
about homelessness. “Before I had this experience, I
would look at people and say, ‘Oh, that young man can
go out and get a job, but instead he’s just flying a sign.’
That was how I thought. But then I got to know some
From the CEO
Dear Friends,
Not everyone who comes to Fort
Collins Rescue Mission for help
suffers from drug or alcohol addiction.
Sometimes it is poor life skills or poor
choices that have gotten people into
trouble, and other times it’s just life’s
circumstances. Whatever the reason that folks come to
us, we believe God loves them and has a plan for their
lives. And because God loves them, we believe every
person, no matter their situation, is worth helping.
Often, it can take weeks or months, and yes, sometimes
even years before change can happen. Is it worth it?
Yes, we believe it is. Over the years, I have had the
of these people. For 90% of them, this is not their
choice. There are other places they would rather be.
It breaks my heart to hear their stories.”
Margie thought she could make it on her own. She
tried for months to get back on her feet, without
success. Sharon, the Women’s Facility Assistant at
Fort Collins Rescue Mission, continued inviting her
into the Steps to Success program. “I kept telling
myself, ‘No, I got this.’ But I didn’t have it,” she
says. “I got really sick and even had a small stroke.”
Finally, she cried out to God for help in the middle
of Jefferson Street one cold afternoon in December
2015. “Tears were rolling down my face as I sat down
nearby,” she explains. “Sharon came out of the door
and said, ‘Margie, will you please come into the
program?’” It took Margie just moments to respond.
“That was the answer to my prayer,” she says.
Today, Margie is excited to complete the Steps
to Success program and get back on her feet. She
also hopes to soon succeed in a four-year struggle to
obtain disability assistance, but she says the Mission
helped her most by giving her the confidence to move
forward. “They gave me the feeling that I can get back
wonderful opportunity to see many lives changed. Each
life, each person changed, gives all of us at the Mission
the strength, courage and motivation to keep on going.
It also makes us thankful for your support! Thank you
for partnering with us in changing lives. It is so worth it!
God bless,
Brad Meuli, President/CEO
Denver Rescue Mission/Fort Collins Rescue Mission
What is the
Steps to Success program?
The Steps to Success program is a 3-6 month
program during which participants develop
important life skills and community relationships
they need to see long-term change in their lives.
on my feet again,” she says. “I felt like I was
just worthless, but I don’t feel that anymore.”
Thanks to your generous support, Margie will soon
be able to take care of herself and hopefully be with
her family again someday. And she’s grateful for
the help she’s received. “Never stop giving,” she
responded when asked what she would say to
someone reading this newsletter. “We’re worth it.
I’m so thankful for those who believe people like
me are worth helping.”
Thank you for helping people like Margie get back
on their feet again and for joining us as we reach
out to our homeless and struggling neighbors and
say, “You’re worth it too.”
Help someone like Margie today by supporting emergency services
and life-changing programs at Fort Collins Rescue Mission!
Give online at FortCollinsRescueMission.org or use the enclosed envelope to mail your gift today.
Look for Margie’s story on the Mission’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/FortCollinsRescue. Share her inspirational story!
Mission events
Statistics
April
YTD (fiscal year)
Meals provided
8,602
A Special Honor from the
Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce.
In March, we were selected as “Business of the Month” by
the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce. Thank you
for this great honor, and for your continued encouragement
as we work to change lives in our community!
Nights of shelter provided
5,002
916
Outreaches
Fort Collins Rescue Mission
Meals, overnight shelter and transitional programs.
Harvest Farm
Long-term New Life rehabilitation program, farming and ranching operation,
food and clothing distribution, and Fall Festival.
Denver Rescue Mission
(Multiple locations in Denver) meals, overnight shelter, health clinic, rehabilitation programs,
family services, transitional programs, assistance for permanent housing, clothing and
furniture distribution.
11,038
Churches Involved
Together, we make a difference
through Thrivent Choice.
A heartfelt thanks to all who directed Thrivent Choice Dollars®
to Fort Collins Rescue Mission through the Thrivent Choice®
program. Thrivent Financial, a Christian, not-for-profit financial
services organization, and its members once again showed us we
can make a difference when we work together to help those in need.
47,862
Chapel attendance
Thank you for your support this Easter!
Because of your support, 116 homeless and hungry people were
able to join us at our annual Easter Banquet this year. Thank you
for partnering with us for this special event to provide a meal, foot
washing by volunteers and staff, and the opportunity to hear the
good news of Jesus Christ to our homeless friends and neighbors.
89,992
13
13
Changing Lives is the monthly news
publication of Fort Collins Rescue Mission.
Director of Communications:
Christine Gallamore
Designer: Rachel Titus
Writer: Robert Bogan
Connect with us on Facebook:
Facebook.com/FortCollinsRescue.
blog.DenverRescueMission.com
316 Jefferson Street • Fort Collins, CO 80524
970.224.4302