newsletter

Mar

ch 2

015

Life reborn

“I didn’t live a good life and I was scared to die.”

— Ron

Ron grew up in Baltimore, MD and lived a hustler’s life on the streets. “I didn’t live a good life and I was scared to die,” he recalls. And not scared to die in the way that people think about growing old and one day passing on—Ron’s talking about randomly being shot

in the middle of the street on a sunny Tuesday — that kind of “scared to die.”

Looking back, Ron says, “Dealing and hustling is just

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your life on pause and it’s up to you to hit the play button. I hit the pause button for 30 years. I had people who wanted to kill me. I was in the trenches, getting high and partying. I wasn’t doing nothing there but throwing bricks at the penitentiary.”

Ron’s fear of dying on the streets became so real he had to leave Baltimore. He left without a plan. He just knew he had to move away. Ron landed in Lancaster only because he had an uncle living in the city, and thought he’d be able to sleep on his couch.

Things were tight for a while and eventually life’s events landed Ron at Water Street Mission. Some might consider this a tragic turn in what was a desire to start over. Ron, however, realized this part of his story was the lynchpin in his healing and renewal.

The journey through the Mission was really difficult at first. There were goals and guidelines. Ron experienced true accountability and an authentic community, two things he never experienced over the 30 years he spent striving to make a life on the streets. At Water Street he realized life wasn’t about his pursuit to survive, it was about living with intentionality and purpose rooted in his newfound relationship with God.

During his time of healing at the Mission, Ron discovered the natural talent he had to work with teens recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Every so often, while he was staying at the Mission, he’d go and speak at a rehab facility for teens. Ron says he doesn’t have a college degree, but he definitely has a life-skills

degree that speaks loudly to teens stuck between living life and pushing the pause button.

“When I got to Water Street I had no idea that people had the hearts they had,” Ron said. During his stay at the Mission, Ron experienced true compassion and heard God’s truth that he is a treasured child, in God’s kingdom, and he doesn’t need to hide from death anymore. It freed him up from so many past hurts and mistakes. He walked away from the Mission a transformed man.

Today Ron has a full-time job working at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for youth. Everyday his past sheds light on how he can lead a younger generation down a healthier path. Ron chose to dive into a different lifestyle, and he was forever transformed by that choice. Now he is sharing the wisdom and truth he gleaned from the Mission with teens who are on the edge, and is working to prevent the threat of homelessness and addiction. •

Smiling is a universal expression of all things pleasant. When someone smiles, friend or stranger, positive feelings emerge. But, many of the guests who come to Water Street are embarrassed to smile because of the condition of their teeth. For years they have put off visiting the dentist. Maybe they experienced anxiety over their visit, or perhaps they didn’t have the money to spend on regular cleanings.

Water Street Health Services offers free dental exams, cleanings, extractions, and denture fittings. People with a high level of fear often express complete gratitude for the dental hygienists who care for them.

restoring Smiles

It’s common to walk through the dental clinic and hear guests praying with staff.

Dr. Lydia Baird is the residential dentist at Water Street. One patient she attended to had decaying teeth from years of smoking and poor dental hygiene. The patient received excellent services while staying at the Mission and was able to improve his oral health significantly. However, his addiction to nicotine was going to keep his oral health improvement at a standstill. This particular patient asked Dr. Baird to pray for him to quit smoking. His ability to quit was quicker than Dr. Baird or he had ever witnessed before. Today this patient is no longer a guest at the Mission and has moved into permanent housing and found a job. Thank you to our volunteers and donors for helping to transform the lives of people here at the Mission. •

Smiles were repaired 280

renovation

Our campus facilities are being upgraded to enable the best atmosphere for a homeless person to focus on what matters: goals to gain housing, improve health, and find a job. Over the past year many changes have occurred, including the rehab of one of our men’s residences on campus.

One of the men moving into his new room was asked what it’s like to stay in one of the updated residences. "This is nicer than any place I lived growing up and as an adult,” he said. He had a smile and glow in his eyes as he fought back tears.

This update is only the first of three phases. Looking ahead, there are plans to rehab two more

community bathrooms in the men’s residence and install air-conditioning.

a donor has pledged a $35,000 match for the remaining two phases. Would you prayerfully consider donating to improve the living conditions for the homeless men here at Water Street? The amount needed to complete phase two and three is $70,000 by April 30, 2015. We are already halfway there with the generous match! Please consider donating to Renovation Project Match today and call Tim Farrell, Director of Stewardship, at (717) 358-2025 or by email at tfarrell@wsm.org. •

“This is nicer than any place I lived growing up and

as an adult,” said one resident at the Mission.

Thank you to the E. E. Murry Family Foundation for funding Phase I of the renovations.

Note from Jack

Living and working in the city, I have seen so many young men and women descend down a road they never intended. It is easy to surrender to the easiest path when we can’t see beyond our immediate circumstances, even when we know it’s wrong.

Ron lacked hope in his early years, but when he arrived at Water Street he found hope and renewal in something greater than he could imagine. He found hope in the love demonstrated by the staff and volunteers and he found hope in the plans they helped him develop for his future. Most importantly he found hope in Jesus’ forgiveness, grace, and love.

Today Ron is fueled by a sense of purpose that is rooted in God’s unconditional love for him. Thank you for helping us to provide hope to the hurting and hungry. •

Moving Forward TogetherLet’s make this spring truly rejuvenating for thousands of homeless men, women and children. Will you join us as we raise $1.59 million by June 30, 2015? Lives are counting on it. Prayerfully consider giving today.

•Use the enclosed envelope

•Call Sharon at 358-2028

•Visit wsm.org/donate

Leave a LegacyMany people maximize their giving by making a gift to Water Street in their will or trust. Giving a gift through your will or trust can also be a way to make a gift in honor or in memory of someone. This gift also creates a tax deduction. If you have questions or need assistance, I am here to help. Call me (Tim Farrell, Director of Stewardship) at (717) 358-2025.

15WSM03

Jack crowleyPresident of Water Street Mission

We are seeking volunteers for our Children’s Ministry who will partner with our staff as we seek to love, encourage and develop the children staying at Water Street. As a Children’s Ministry volunteer you will lead short lessons and games for the kids and be a key supporting role to the staff overseeing the children’s ministry.

children’s Ministry Volunteers

Call ashley at (717) 358-2069 or email awilliams@wsm.org •

All of us at the Mission would like to wish you and your family a

Easter at the Mission

blessed Easter. It’s a celebration of hope and renewal found in the new life we are all given because of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection. Water Street Mission will be serving Easter Dinner to hundreds of men, women and children. Through good food and great community, we pray that our guests experience a taste of God’s goodness and the hope that is found in Him. •

2015

Event Calendar

Top chefs Dinner auction April 24, 2015 Register @ wsm.org /top-chefs

city Wide clean Up May 9, 2015

Drive away hunger Golf Tournament June 19, 2015

110th Year celebration September 24, 2015