355 W. Hamilton Street u P.O. Box 748 u Allentown, PA 18105 u 610-740-5500 u AllentownRescueMission.org

FREElast!

Don’t miss… A Message fromJim Byrnes

Meals &God's love

Sponsor aMeatball!2 2 4

A burgeoning faith and an innovative Mission program have helped Shawn move from a life of despair to one of freedom and joy.

No longer living in the grips of a heroin addiction, he’s following his Savior, working hard, and becoming the man he’d always hoped he’d be.

From despair to joy / Read Shawn’s incredible story on page 3.

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TIDINGSALLENTOWN RESCUE M ISS ION Serving the entire Lehigh Valley since 1900

Fall 2016 | Volume 26 | Number 3

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Our guests may never meet you, but they give thanks for your care and support each

and every day!

If all we do with your most generous gifts is feed and shelter hungry, homeless people, we’re not doing our job!

Meals and a bed will not keep people from being homeless. They also need education and job training through our Clean Team. Food and shelter alone will not end addiction. People trapped in the prison of alcohol, mental illness, unemployment, and drug use need counseling and support.

And every single one of the men who comes to the Mission needs God’s grace.

As our busiest time of the year approaches, I need your help to make absolutely sure people’s physical and spiritual needs are met.

Donate food, or send a gift to purchase it. Volunteer, especially before the holidays. And please pray – for those who so desperately need our help, and the Lord’s, to live better lives.

Jim Byrnes CEO

When food and shelter arenot enough...

A Message from Jim Byrnes

11,382MEALS

6,300NIGHTS OF SHELTER

THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF TRAINING,

COUNSELING & PRAYER

CONNECT WITH US!

AllentownRescueMission.org

Facebook.com/AllentownRescueMission

Twitter.com/TheMission2pt0

Youtube.com/user/TheMission2pt0

You can provide both with your 2016 Annual Thanksgiving Campaign gift! Please use the enclosed envelope, or give online at AllentownRescueMission.org. Thank you!

Nourishing Food & God’s Love!

What’s On The Menu?

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Shawn was only 17 when his mother died of alcoholism. “I watched her drink herself to death,” he says.

With no other family to lean on, Shawn began using heroin to numb his pain.

“From that point on, I used as much as I could whenever I could,” he says. “My life became nothing

but a life of despair. I hurt myself and everybody in my path – lying, stealing, cheating, unfaithfulness.”

Shawn found himself in and out of rehabs and trouble with the law. Then a more serious charge earned him a prison sentence. It was then, at his lowest moment, that his cellmate led him to Christ. “I found peace in church and prayer and following the Lord,” he says.

So when the prison pastor suggested Shawn enter the Allentown Rescue Mission’s Christian Living Program, he agreed. “It’s the best decision I ever made. This program changed the course of my life, not just through my actions, but through my thinking.”

Pride was one of his biggest

challenges when Shawn came to the Mission, but working on the Clean Team changed that. “Picking up trash from the street three times a week got rid of my pride,” he says. “That trash can did a lot for me.”

Shawn’s relationship with the Lord has grown through the program, as well. “Every night, the last thing I do is get on my knees and pray, and I pray when I get up,” he says. “I feel like there’s been a fire lit in me.”

Shawn graduated from the program and is working on the Clean Team with a bright future before him. “As long as I follow Christ, everything else falls into place,” he says.

“Things I used to dream about when I was in my addiction, like not hurting people, just being a caring person, aren’t dreams anymore. They’re a reality.”

A trash can changed the course of Shawn’s life!

Here’s my 2016 Annual Thanksgiving Campaign gift:Here’s my 2016 Annual Thanksgiving Campaign gift:

Allentown Rescue MissionP.O. Box 748Allentown, PA 18105-0748

m $21.50 to feed and care for 10 people m $53.75 to feed and care for 25 people m $81.70 to feed and care for 38 people m $______ to help as much as possible

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY / STATE/ ZIP

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

FALL16

Donate online at AllentownRescueMission.org, or call (610) 740-5500, ext. 23.

CREDIT CARD # CIV/SEC #

EXP. DATE PHONE #

E-MAIL

m Check enclosed m Bill my credit card

m m m m

Sponsor a Meatball!

Join Bobby Gunther Walsh for the 14th annual News Talk 790 WAEB Spaghetti Dinner, benefitting the Allentown Rescue Mission.

More than 300 pounds of ground beef and turkey will be turned into thousands of Bobby’s “secret recipe” meatballs for the event.

Good fun, fabulous food and a chance to change the life of a homeless man starts Wednesday, Oct 5th through Friday, Oct 14th by listening to Bobby Gunther Walsh’s WAEB 790 AM weekday morning show. Call in to pledge your meatball! This donation supported event can only happen with your sponsorship and involvement.

Want to sponsor a meatball? AllentownRescueMission.org

Volunteer to help! (610) 740-5500 x 22 dfederico@armpa.org

For more information, contact Wendy Benedict: 610-740-5500 x 23 wbenedict@armpa.org

Date: Saturday, October 15thTime: 4 to 7:30 p.m.Place: Ashbury United Methodist Church, 1533 Springhouse Rd., Allentown

Celebrating

TIDINGS

The Allentown Rescue Mission held its first annual gala, Celebrating Lives Changed, on May 14. The event's featured keynote speakers included CEO of New York Rescue Mission, Craig Mayes, and former clients, Richard Bullaro and Michael Homsey. The dinner and silent and live auctions raised $64,000 to help us continue providing for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the impoverished and marginalized. Thank you to all of you who helped make this event a success through your generosity and support!

The Allentown Rescue Mission is a registered Pennsylvania charity.Official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Dept. of State by calling toll free, within PA 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. TIDINGS is funded by private donations, not government money.

Rescue, rehabilitation and restoration for people in crisis.

Board of DirectorsD. Laurence Karper / PresidentMr. John J. Hinkle / SecretaryMr. Will Hahn / Treasurer

Mr. Jack BatesMr. Dean BrowningMr. Tom Gibson

Mr. Bart SchenkelMs. Corinne FeldmanMrs. Evett Vega

ChangedLives