2014 General Brochure - The Foundry Ministries

Social Enterprises
Sound financial stewardship is among our top priorities, and
nearly two-thirds of our annual budget is self-funded. For every
$1 our donors contribute, The Foundry raises nearly $2.50
through our social enterprises. You can help us maintain this
level of financial independence by supporting our SuperThrift
Outlets and Auto Sales Center.
The Foundry SuperThrift Outlets
Rescue Program
Since 1971 the heartbeat of The Foundry Ministries
has been to “rescue the perishing.” Through our
Rescue Program, marginalized members of our
community find acceptance and resources to rise
above their circumstances. We ease their struggles
and meet urgent needs through food boxes, clothing,
emergency shelter, medical and dental care, case
management and discipleship. Addiction, joblessness,
poverty and parenting are just a few of life’s challenges
addressed during our community mealtime. Believing
these men and women have potential opens the
door for us to encourage, mentor and advise those
facing chronic issues on how to move out of their
challenging situations.
Special holiday celebrations, as well as activities
and classes, are held for our neighbors who long
for fellowship and purpose. Worship services are open
to the community every Thursday evening and Sunday
morning. In times of crisis—when people have
lost their belongings in fires or storms—we offer
vouchers for clothing and furniture through our
Super-Thrift Outlets.
In addition, UAB School of Nursing Foundry Clinic
offers primary and urgent care for health concerns—
including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart
disease—at a reasonable flat fee for those who are
uninsured or underinsured, and our Dental Center also
provides low-cost exams and procedures.
“The Foundry is a
place to receive
encouragement
and to help
encourage others.”
—Community guest
6550 Aaron Aronov Drive
in Fairfield
Mon. – Sat., 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
1636 B Second Avenue Southwest
in Cullman
Mon. – Sat., 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
(close Wednesday at 5 p.m.)
Stocked with a large inventory and wide variety of new and
gently used items, shoppers find everything from household
necessities to one-of-a-kind treasures that meet their families’
needs and budgets. Residents of our Recovery and Re-Entry
programs cultivate retail and customer-service skills as they
sort, price and stock merchandise and help shoppers locate
the items they are looking for.
The goods on our shelves are donated by members of the
communities who make supporting this enterprise a way of
partnering with us in our mission. Some of the items are used
to provide for our residents’ immediate needs or given through
a voucher system to low-income members of the community,
but most are sold or recycled with the proceeds supporting
our ministries.
We would be blessed to accept your in-kind donation at
either of the locations above or in the bright orange collection
bins at multiple locations throughout the city. For more
information on donating goods or to request a pickup of large
items, call (205) 424-2400 or visit www.foundrythrift.com.
The Foundry Auto Center
Sales Center
730 19th Street
in Bessemer
Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Service Center
1918 Sixth Avenue N.
in Bessemer
Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
At The Foundry Sales Center customers find a wide selection
of reliable cars, trucks and vans at reasonable prices. Proceeds
from sales of the vehicles support our programs, and working
at the Sales Center offers our residents an opportunity to build
marketing and sales skills.
You can donate a car, receive a significant tax deduction and
feel good about supporting our life-changing outreach. At our
Service Center, vehicles that have been donated are cleaned,
detailed, repaired and made ready for sale at the Sales Center.
Work-readiness opportunities at the Service Center provide
residents with training in car repair and maintenance they can
use to find employment when they leave our care.
Call (205) 426-9000 for more information about donating
a vehicle.
You Can Make
a Difference
You’re invited to be part of our
ministry to the addict, ex-inmate
and destitute. Please consider
these opportunities to make a real
and lasting impact on the men,
women and families we serve.
Financial Contributions
Your tax-deductible contributions provide the
financial foundation for our programs. Donate online
at www.foundryministries.com, mail a gift to
The Foundry Ministries, P.O. Box 824, Bessemer, AL
35021, or call (205) 424-HOPE (4673) to
give by credit card or set up automatic transfers
from your bank account. We can also provide
helpful information on giving options such as
stock, property and other noncash gifts, as well as
planned gifts.
Vehicle Donations
When you donate a vehicle of any kind to The
Foundry Ministries, you receive a tax deduction and
we receive much-needed income to fund our Christcentered ministries. To donate your vehicle or to
schedule a pickup, call (205) 424-HOPE (4673) or
log on www.foundryministries.com.
In-kind Gifts
Your donations of food, personal-care items, new
or gently used clothing, furniture and other goods
help us meet our residents’ daily needs. Your
gifts also enable low-income families to purchase
affordable quality products at our SuperThrift
Outlets, which provide funding for our annual
budget. Learn more about donating to our thrift
stores under “Social Enterprises.”
Where
Lives are
Reshaped
Our Mission
To restore hope and rebuild the lives of the
addict, the ex-inmate and the destitute
through Christ-centered recovery, re-entry
and rescue.
Our Vision
Hands
Our Stats
of God
Permanently transformed lives through
Christ-centered ministries.
363 Nights of lodging offered daily
1,035 Meals served daily
2,500 Lives touched through our Recovery,
Re-Entry, Rescue and CLCC programs
4,200 Medical visits provided annually
“The Foundry,
has so much
compassion and
so much love for
somebody like
me who is so
broken.”—Traci
Give Your Time
Volunteers are an integral part of our ministry
team. Visit www.foundryministries.com or call
(205) 424-HOPE (4673) to learn more.
by the
P.O. Box 824 • Bessemer, AL 35021-0824
www.foundryministries.com
(205) 424-HOPE (4673)
Transforming Lives from the Inside Out
Recovery Program
The Foundry Ministries channels God’s amazing
love and forgiveness to men and women battling drug
addiction and substance abuse. Throughout our longterm residential Recovery Program, a resident’s success
is determined not by the amount of time spent in our
program, but rather by his or her individual progress.
Men and women take part in counseling, identify and
overcome destructive patterns, develop life skills,
participate in adult education courses, and attend
Bible study and worship services that prepare them—
in every aspect of their lives—to return to their families
and the community. Work-readiness assignments teach
residents marketable job skills and responsibility, help
them honor diversity and the opinions of others, and
encourage teamwork.
The program also promotes family reconciliation
through worship services and guidance to help family
members more effectively support loved ones in their
journeys to recovery. Once they complete the program,
male residents may participate in our transitional
living program at Changed Lives Christian Center
(CLCC) where we continue to provide support and
accountability as they progress to independent living.
The addict
I used to be
is not who
He created
me to be.
—Meredith
“My past—my
mess—is turning
into a message!”
—James
Foundry Farm
For men who find a rural environment more conducive
to their recovery, our Foundry Farm offers an additional
setting for the Men’s Recovery Program. Located just
east of Cullman, the Farm rests on 60 acres of rolling
hills and dense forests that bring a sense of rest and
peace to men who may have come directly from the
streets or other desperate situations caused by their
addictions. Residents follow the same curriculum as
those at our main campus in Bessemer.
Here work readiness is broadened to include
maintenance and development of the farm itself and
serving at our SuperThrift Outlet in Cullman. Residents
also benefit from their involvement with local churches
and community projects.
Re-Entry Program
Thousands of men are released from prisons in
Alabama every year, many without the emotional
maturity, life skills or support system to live on the
outside. The Foundry’s long-term, Christ-centered
Re-Entry Program is designed to help them successfully
transition back into society.
Re-Entry residents live at The Foundry where we
meet their needs for shelter, food, clothing and basic
health care, and we help them obtain legal documents
such as a driver’s license and birth certificate. They
participate in counseling, life-skills classes and
adult education, and through worship services, Bible
study and prayer they apply God’s Word to modify
past behaviors and plan for their futures. They also
take part in job-readiness training through our social
enterprises to develop marketable skills. As they
progress, the men may begin seeking employment
outside The Foundry.
Upon finding a job, they pay an affordable fee for
room and board as they complete the final phases
of the program. Graduates can then take part in
transitional housing at CLCC where they receive
continued accountability and support while they find
a permanent home.
If I hadn’t
come here, I
don’t know
where I’ d
be. I couldn’t
have done it
on my own.
—Ryan
Uplifting Lives
through Education
Changed Lives
Christian Center
The Foundry’s collaboration with Changed Lives
Christian Center (CLCC) in Birmingham allows us to
provide transitional housing for graduates of our Men’s
Recovery and Re-Entry programs, as well as shelter
for homeless men in Birmingham who are seeking
employment. Men can live at CLCC for up to two years
and are provided meals, clothing, basic medical and
dental care, and job-placement assistance. As they gain
employment each man pays an affordable weekly fee
for the accommodations, while those looking for work
serve at CLCC or The Foundry’s other facilities. Living
at CLCC provides residents with a mailing address,
which is essential in their job searches and networking
opportunities.
Managed by The Foundry, the collaboration extends
our continuum of care for our graduates by two years,
allowing them more time and resources to prepare for a
successful transition back into the community. We offer
life-skills classes, GED preparation and other courses
in our Education Center, as well as meals and basic
medical care to the homeless in the Birmingham area.
Through partnerships with many local employers, the employment rate for Re-Entry
residents consistently averages 72 percent.
Overcoming addictions and
destructive behaviors is a major
component of The Foundry’s programs
and a critical first step toward rebuilding
lives. But with little or no education,
the potential for the future is severely
limited, even for men and women
who are clean and sober or who are
ready to re-enter society. Located
in our SuperThrift Outlet in Fairfield
and at Foundry Farm near Cullman,
The Foundry’s Education Centers help
residents prepare for GED exams or
improve basic skills that will help secure
a job. Volunteers and staff with a
passion for education instruct students
in reading, math, writing, computer
skills and other critical competencies
and offer positive reinforcement
and encouragement.