the April 2015 Newsletter

Thank you to Charlottesville artist Rod Marshall-Roth for the
donation of four original paintings to add beauty to the Rescue Mission
P.O. Box 11525, Roanoke, VA 24022
rescuemission.net
Making My Way Towards Easter
In the morning my clock goes off at
4:30AM. I go to the kitchen and pop a cup
of tea into the microwave, fill the dog’s dish
with fresh water, take my vitamins, empty
the dishwasher that did its’ work while I
was asleep, pull any dead leaves out of the
flower vase on the counter, start a load of
laundry, and get the newspaper left outside
my door.
Then I go to the pantry and open a small
packet of dog food for Buddy.
Up until the moment I open that tin of food,
Buddy remains curled up on his pillow with
nose tucked under tail and two front paws
posed as if in prayer. But the moment I open
the food I hear the ringing of the tiny bell he
wears on his collar as he jumps off the bed
and makes a mad dash for the kitchen.
I do not know if his canine ears can hear
me pop the top on the small can or if his
ever-twitching nose picks up on the aroma
of the morsels inside, but if it be by nose
or ear—Buddy always comes running—not
a moment sooner or later—but just as the
food container is opened.
I have tried opening the food as quietly as
possible, changing the routine and opening
it first thing or last thing, closing the door to
the bedroom to block sound and scent—but
Buddy knows.
Food always gets his attention—even when
he is sound asleep.
Thinking about Buddy and his amazing
ability to go from deep snore to ravenous
(540) 343-7227
By Joy Sylvester-Johnson
chew in nanoseconds prompted me to think
about what gets my attention and forces an
involuntary (choice-less) response.
The mention of mustard or dill pickles
makes me swallow. The scent of frying
fish makes me wrinkle my nose and cross
my eyes while the sight of a sleeping baby
always makes me smile. The taste of good
chocolate makes me sigh and the touch of
silk prompts me to close my eyes and for
just an instant take leave of wherever I am
and go to that happy place that exists only
in my imagination.
There are days when every event, every
person, every sight and sound and scent
seem to remind me of God’s presence. And
then there are those other days, surrounded
by the same people, places, and things—
where I manage to go hours at a time without
giving God a thought.
Everyone these days is talking about “mindfulness.” It is not a new concept, but like
many things we think are new, it is an
ancient practice that has been rediscovered.
For Christians it was first mentioned in the
English classic The Cloud of Unknowing,
written by a nameless monastic in the 14th
century. The concept of mindfulness was
expanded three hundred years later in the
very practical reports of Brother Lawrence
(17th century), a French lay brother in a
Carmelite monastery. Brother Lawrence
was thought to be best-suited as the scrubber
of pots in the kitchen, while others more
gifted carried on the more intellectually
challenging work of the monastery. He
wrote about his kitchen work in a small
Continued on back page
APRIL 2015
April 11 - 2nd Helpings
Art Reception: “ARTX2” with
Dave Ovenshire, Raku Potter,
& Midge Ovenshire, Painter.
1-3 pm
April 15
Auxiliary Leadership Council.
Noon
April 16
Bless My Sole. 5:30 pm
May 14
The Network Meeting.
5:30 pm
May 15 - 2nd Helpings
Special Evening Opening
for “The Stories We Hold”
Photography Exhibit. 6-8 pm
May 20
Secretary Appreciation Day.
12:00 noon
May 21
Bless My Sole. 5:30 pm
June 13 - 2nd Helpings
Art Reception: Betty
Williamson & Myrtle
Hooker, Watercolorists.
1-3 pm
June 17
Auxiliary Leadership Council.
Noon
June 18
Bless My Sole. 5:30 pm
Receive this newsletter
online call (540) 343-7227
rescuemission.net
2ndhelpings.org
(540)491-9405 Shop/Gallery
(540) 491- 9409 Cafe
http://stores.ebay.com/
roanoke-rescue-mission
Trigg Street Church of God from Abingdon, VA toured and served dinner
WHAT GIVES?
you do
The Reason Why
The Reason Why
The Reason Why
Northside High School Girl’s Basketball Team did a penny collection
and donated $665 and took a tour of the Rescue Mission
Because you want to make sure the Rescue
Mission will be there for the next family in crisis
The Rescue Mission
Foundation
is for people like you, who want to ensure there will be
funds for the future and a financial reserve for emergencies.
We’re here to help you with your giving plan.
Annuities Attractive rates offer a great way to
support families at the Rescue Mission, and secure
lifetime annuity payments for you and your family.
Bequests Consider including the Rescue Mission
Foundation in your Will or Trust. Plan now to leave
a lasting legacy.
Charitable Gift Planning Take the time to consider
what you want to accomplish with your charitable gifts.
Make a plan...
• IRA distribution/Retirement Plan
• Life Insurance
• Real Estate
Take A Tour. See Today What Your Gift Will Do Tomorrow.
Be a part of their future. Your prayerful decision today will make Mission
Possible for those in crisis tomorrow.
Did you make your bed this morning? The Layman
family volunteered on Saturday morning to help make
100 beds in the Men’s Shelter. They sang as they worked
and made it a great family project. They fluffed and
blessed each pillow; hoping that as each man rested his
head there that night, he would know someone cares.
Contact: Gail Strickler, Planned Giving Officer
540-777-7687 • [email protected]
www.rescuemission.net
Drying Out, Digging In and
Looking Up
If you ask Larry Holt what he appreciates most about his 18
months in the Rescue Mission’s Recovery Program, he is
quick to answer.
“I’ve learned obedience and humility. I’ve gotten the opportunity
to step back and look at myself, to dig in deep and really look
at my behaviors and attitudes. I’ve learned to put my trust in
God and in the program and in the Recovery Team.”
Holt, a 44 year-old divorced father of two teenage children and
an older son who died in a dirt bike accident, entered in the
recovery program 30 days after a binge drunk landed him jail.
“I started drinking at 15,” he says. “It eventually just caught up
with me and went from being ‘manageable’ to being destructive
and out of control very quickly.”
Holt’s drinking problem cost him his marriage and his job as a
technical specialist for an engineering firm. Several failed attempts
at rehab and two DUI convictions later, a judge finally refused
to release him from jail until the next date of intake for the
Rescue Mission’s Recovery Program.
Holt has never looked back. “Those 30 days in jail gave me
a chance to dry out. I got clear-minded and realized what I
needed to do.”
Holt, who has especially enjoyed his service assignment in
the program’s pottery studio, is due to graduate this Spring
with hopes of joining the Graduate Peer Support team. “It’s
an opportunity to give back to the program and to my peers
and the staff, and to continue to grow.”
A group of 11 students from Boston University/Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway stayed at the Rescue Mission during
the week of March 9-13. During their stay they volunteered with various local organizations, as well as here at the Rescue
Mission. On Friday, March 13th, they were given a tour of the Rescue Mission by Kyle Edgell, and then pitched in to help
sand, paint and organize the lower level of the 4th Street Thrift Store in preparation for the Manna Mission Ministry pantry.
Kyle took them to 2nd Helpings for lunch, then they returned to continue work in the pantry. They joined everyone in the
afternoon Rally, and all stated it was an enlightening and rewarding experience. “It’s also nice not to see snow for a change!”
they remarked—Boston received over 108 inches of snow this past winter! We appreciated their enthusiasm and energy.
In
Memory
&
Honor
of...
To Remember and Honor, to Remember and Honor
IN MEMORY OF
Lucille Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Donna Bauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Katherine Bramblett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alberta Brammer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Richard D. Bratton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emmett & Mildred Brown . . . . . . . . . . .
Mr. & Mrs. Walter B. Camper . . . . . . . .
Bernard Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Daniel O. Croy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lee DeHart, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edward Ellis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edwin A. G. Ellis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Eleanor Ergenbright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dorothy Felty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ross Figard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bill Freeman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Iris Gibson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fannie M. Goin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Archie Goode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Steve Grantham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Willard Hamill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lynn Hammond, Jr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
David Helmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mr. & Mrs. Claude Henderson . . . . . . .
Betty A. Hickenbotham . . . . . . . . . . . .
Edith Hillman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mrs. Colleen James Huffman . . . . . . .
Nellie Hurley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gene Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Floyd Kelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sonny Lower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GIVEN BY
Glenn Angle
Bill & Sandy Beasley
Mark J. Bramblett
Debby & Larry Gibson
Donna Ooghe
Charlie & Carolyn B. Price
Darlene B. Simpson
Joseph B. Camper
Jeanette M. Clark
Genetta H. Lewis
Mr. & Mrs. Linwood Epperly
Edith Garst
CII Service
Donna S. Ooghe
Janet C. Trussell
J. Overstreet
Jonathan & Laurel Phillip
Danese Jones
Albert & Marjorie Shaner
Irene Davis & Page Price
James & Cheryl Lanham
The Commissioner of the
Revenue’s Office, Roanoke County
Lois Sue Hash
Debby & Larry Gibson
Patricia A. Shaw
Diane S. Goode
Darla G. Guilliams
Mr. & Mrs. Carl S. Jensen
The Reddens
Mr. & Mrs. Carl S. Jensen
Allan R. Kjeldsen
James Hickenbotham
Mr. & Mrs. Carl S. Jensen
Lois Sue Hash
Paula Vail
Mr. & Mrs. Cranston Williams, Jr.
Richard & Ruby McCulley
Ruby & Richard McCulley
Evelyn Jones
Diane S. Goode
Sara L. Lower
IN MEMORY OF
Bob Lefever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stanley H. Lewison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ruth Naomi Mason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Barbara McDaniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ruth Bradley McDowell . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sylvia Mills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Patsy Mullins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
James Pedigo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Roy C. Perdue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
John H. (Johnny) Powers, Jr. . . . . . . .
Becky Dillon Maxey
John H. (Johnny) Powers, Jr. . . . . . . .
Mr. & Mrs. Alexis Radjou . . . . . . . . . . .
Gene Rieder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Michael Robertson, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Harold Shaffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mary Lee Shirley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mary Jo Shoaf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jo Shoaf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Judy Riley Sink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ethel Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Donald Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dorthy Tingler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Geri Toler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jeri Toler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ruby Vest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GIVEN BY
Linda Lefever
Allan & Cathy Paterson
Clyde & Connie Davis
Lani F. Davis
Frank & Betty Hoopes
Paula Vail
Toni A. Bishop
Sandra & Bob Bowman
Barbara Ann Burkholder
Audrey Cahill
Glenn & Carolyn Martin
Molly Metts
Steven & Lucinda Pasternak
Brenda & Robert Short
Mr. & Mrs. Jeryl Stinson
Shirley Witt
Mr. & Mrs. Floyd M. Markham
Genetta H. Lewis
Bonnie J. Perdue
Geneva Dillon, Cindy Dillon and
Lowell & Vivian Gobble
Pat & Jack Musel
Arnetta B. Powers
Shirley W. Sellars
Brandon Williams
Beth Wooldridge
Peter F. Radjou
Ms Pam Speigel
Jenet B. Rovertson
Edith Garst
Paula Vail
George & Beezie Whitaker
J. Bayne Clapp
Suzan & Gene Anderson
Jackie & Edna Riley
Barbara S. Guthrie
David & Donna Fizer
Kathleen L. Loan
James Campbell
Paula Vail
Paula Vail
For Memory and Honor Gifts received
February 15 through March 15
IN MEMORY OF
Sampson G. Vincent . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Omar Vannoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sallie Ann Pendergrass Ward . . . . . . .
Rev. Troy Webb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Veronica Weiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ira N. Witt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kenneth Witt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ray & Jeff Witt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Julia Younger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dan Zuro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GIVEN BY
Jill Vincent
Karen Vannoy Newsome
Allan & Cathy Paterson
Betty Davis
Lisa & Mark Fennessy
Genetta H. Lewis
Shirley Witt
Shirley Witt
John Ackerman
Lynette Martin
IN HONOR OF
The Lunch Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sue Anglin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Bill Bane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Suzanne Barnett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Llewyn & Kaislyn Caldwell . . . . . . . . . .
Mae & Thornton Cauley . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mia Farmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gabrielle, Randy & Mark Gatzke . . . . .
Rev. Tim & Becky Gearheart . . . . . . . .
Freda Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jane Hurt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dr. Betty Lacy Jones . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Joy Levy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Beth Maxwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alan Perry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alan Perry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emery Clair Perry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Walker Reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Marcia Richardson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Amber Scott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Joan Sledd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Harrel Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Veronica Weiss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
JoAnn West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ann Whitlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Military . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Our Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mom & Dad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GIVEN BY
Patricia Givens
Paula Vail
Martha B. Carnes
Paula Vail
Lorine L. Lambert
Karen S. Carter
Bill & Carol Linn
Jane W. Bower
Emory & Sylvia Tarpley
Irene W. Eanes
Paula Vail
Barbara Dickinson
Frank Davidson
Paula Vail
David Tucker
Janet Shockley
Bill & Flo Fahrbach
Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Apgar
Drew Gibbons
Bill & Carol Linn
Robert E. Sledd
Lucille P. Bell
Lisa & Mark Fennessy
Paula Vail
Drew Gibbons
Shirley Sutphin
Dennis & Barbara Harris
Julie L. Owen
The Art of Holy Listening
For the Spiritual Directors at the Rescue Mission, volunteering
their services to Recovery and Tabitha program participants
is a ministry of listening. “It’s exciting to see God at work in
peoples’ lives,” says Spiritual Formations Coordinator Gary
Coppedge. “A guy who was angry and withdrawn when he
came into the program, over time blossomed, and he even got
active in church.”
Under the leadership of Coppedge, a retired Presbyterian
minister currently employed part-time at the Mission, the
Spiritual Direction team has grown from two people to 12.
Each spiritual director usually meets twice a month with their
assigned program participant. Recovery participant Rob Epperly
says his meetings with Coppedge have helped to renew and
strengthen his faith, and given him a safe place to say whatever
is on his mind.
“There’s a sense of understanding,” Epperly explains. “I know
I can talk to him about anything and I can be myself. There can
even be a silence between us and there is a sense that God is
present with us.”
Coppedge says such freedom of authentic communication is
borne through the art of “holy listening.” “I get to hear their
story and listen for how God is at work in their life, and then
reflect that back to them for their consideration.”
Besides Coppedge, the volunteer spiritual directors include
David Dixon, John Simpson, Riley Chattin, Christian Beuggert,
Liz Mortlock (all pictured with Coppedge), as well as David
Fox, Erin Hensley, Tom Milam, Jonathan Harris, Roger Lily,
and Katrina McMillan-Zapf.
Leslie Littlefield consults with Processing Supervisor Karen
Bonds in the 4th Street Thrift Store
I LOVE MY JOB!
“Sometimes it is good to have a change. A new person brings
new perspectives and ideas.” Leslie Littlefield was referring to
Marian McConnell, hired to fill her former position as Volunteer
Coordinator. But she could have just as easily been referring to
herself, as she steps into her new role as the Rescue Mission’s
Director of Industry.
Littlefield, who started out as a volunteer, has served as the
Volunteer Coordinator at the Mission for seven years. Recently
she was promoted to a new position created to oversee the
Mission’s three thrift store locations, as well as the Distribution
Recycling Center.
“Ultimately, the goal is to be able to increase funding through
industry to support our ministries and mission of helping hurting
people in Jesus’ name.”
Littlefield still has one foot in the volunteer coordinator role as
she trains her successor, and has high praise for McConnell. “She
is definitely capable. With her background and her experience
Marian McConnell greets visitors before leading a tour of the
Mission
and her own network, I think she will be able to take the volunteer
efforts at the Mission to an even higher level.”
McConnell recently retired as Public Affairs Officer for the
Veterans Affairs Hospital in Salem, but she is no stranger to
the Rescue Mission, having interned at the Mission through
a leadership program in 2001. After retiring from the VA, she
began looking for a part-time job, but nothing seemed to fit.
Finally, a sermon at church prompted her to change direction.
“The pastor talked about the story of the fishermen who
weren’t catching anything. Jesus told them to cast their nets
on the other side of the boat, and they brought the nets in full
of fish. I realized I was casting my net in the wrong places.”
McConnell says it was then she remembered her love for the
Rescue Mission as an intern, and sent her resume in the hope
that there might be an opening. “I prayed for the right parttime job, and I got a whole new full-time career. I love it here.
I love that I can be public about my faith, and that what we
do here has such an immediate impact on people’s lives. I am
blessed.”
Volunteer with Us!
Summer Camp Leaders
For a week of camp in June and July
Summer Camp Van Transporters
9:00 am - 10:30 am and/or 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
weekdays in June & July
Breakfast Volunteers
Monday morning 5:30 am - 8:00 am
Hairdressers
For Back to School Blast, August 9 from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
To Volunteer Please Contact Marian McConnell at
540-777-7651 or [email protected]
The Rescue Mission thanks Homestead Materials for the loan
of a new forklift to use in the food pantry
Not sure how you can help or want to learn more about our
services? Join us for a tour of the Rescue Mission any Monday
at noon starting in the reception lobby at 402 4th Street SE.
Making My Way Towards Easter continued from front page
volume, Practicing the Presence of God, which continues Some days I am more successful than others. It is then that I
to inspire, perplex, and disturb us four hundred years later. remember God never asked me to be perfect (I did that for myself
and pay the price for it in disappointment when I am not).
For Brother Lawrence, life, no matter how mundane, was the Rather, God asks me to be “willing.”
medium of God’s omnipresence (‘All-ness’) and love.
If the world, which is in a frightful state of anxiety and depression,
“Nor is it needful that we should have great things to do. We is to ever come to know God, it will be in part when we who
can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying are followers of Jesus intentionally look for God in all things.
on the pan for love of Him, and that done, if there is For those of us who would pay attention and be “mindful,” the
nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship sacred becomes an overlay of the most common things so that
before Him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards each sight or sound or scent and each taste or touch becomes a
I rise happier than a king. It is enough for me to pick reminder that we are the adult beloved children of a loving God.
up but a straw from the ground for the love of God.”
I am not there yet, but Buddy gives me hope. Surely if my
In other words, Brother Lawrence found God present in whatever canine companion can have the automatic response to come to
happened or needed to be done. He noticed the presence of the source of what gets his attention day after day after day, I
God in the sacredness of each moment. It didn’t matter whether too, with practice, may be able to have as my default intellectual/
he was washing dishes in the kitchen or kneeling at the altar to emotional/sensory setting to consistently look for God in every
pray. For him the Divine was ever—and fully—present in each place, in every face, and in every event.
moment.
And when I forget (which will happen), I hope you will remember
As we have been making our way towards Easter I have been and remind me: We are Resurrection people who live and work
trying to be more mindful of the presence of God in all things. and breathe in God’s Presence. Amen.
Students of the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, volunteer their time at the DRC and 4th Street Thrift store
Wish List
Men’s Shelter
Deodorant, Disposable Razors, Shaving Cream
Food Shelter Ministry
Milk, Eggs, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Coffee, Syrup
4th St. Thrift Store
Newspaper for Wrapping Merchandise
DRC
Commercial Grade Canvas Laundry Carts
(between 12 and 20 bushels is the size preferred)
Jubilee Acres
Tractor
Meals and More
These numbers represent lives changed through God’s
blessings and your generosity!
Feb. 2015
YTD
Meals served
Shelter nights
Clothing items provided
Professions of faith
Volunteer hours Class hours of instruction
Clinic patient visits
Value of healthcare provided
Case management encounters
Recycled Items (pounds)
22,379
9,084
1,765
496
6,642
1,492
1,450
$270,788
380
43,060
47,544
18,945
4,773
844
14,846
3,095
2,758
$555,013
859
94,500