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Sample Excerpt: Magazine Feature Article for Homeless Shelter & Rescue Mission
You did not have a home
There were places You visited frequently
You took off Your shoes and scratched Your feet
'Cause you knew that the whole world belongs to the meek
But You did not have a home
Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
On the shoulders of a homeless man
You had the shoulders of a homeless man
No, You did not have a home
--Rich Mullins, The Jesus Record
Anyone with a car in Tucson has seen them. Pulling off I-10, coming to a stop light at Speedway and Swan, their cardboard signs, handfuls of newspapers and orange safety vests alert us immediately as to their status and likely intent. They're the many homeless and transients who stand there waiting for us to roll down our windows and offer a helping hand.
But, if you want to get under Roy Tolgren’s skin, tell him that they’re all the same, or that most of them are just "lazy bums” who simply don’t want to hold a real job. As the current Interim Executive Director and a 14-year board member of one of downtown Tucson’s oldest urban missions, Tolgren is defiant of such stereotypes.
"We have all these different stories of people and how these needs get met, but the thing is the diversity of those needs,” says Tolgren. "I like to tell people, it's like snowflakes, they're all different.”
He describes the intellect of his adult clients as ranging from 3rd grade educations to those with Masters degrees, from people who’ve never held a steady job because of mental or physical disabilities to certified public accountants.
"We have a guy who's been an alcoholic since infancy, because mom put alcohol in his bottle when he was a child to keep him from crying. We've got men who've been molested by stepdads that have a lot of anger, men that have learning disorders, who went to school and were dumped in the slow class.”
The Gospel Rescue Mission has largely ministered to people with emotional hurts and scars that are not self-inflicted, he says, but rather hurts that were inflicted by others. "There are also those who have inflicted their own scars--they've made bad choices, they've chosen to party, or chosen to get involved with drugs, and now they're paying the consequences, and they understand that,” remarks Tolgren. "But, doesn't God's grace and love extend to that and forgive that and want to minister to them? There really is no one representation of the clients, other than they're hurting people that, for whatever reason, are homeless.”
MORE TO THE MISSION
Tolgren says that the mission itself has had to fend off its own stereotypes, namely that, as goes the old saying, they’re just soup, soap and salvation: "The scope our ministry, with all the education and counseling programs, drug addictions counseling, discipleship and computer literacy--the scope of what we're doing to help the homeless is much more than just running a soup kitchen.”
For instance, the Mission has a four-phase live-in program where clients have the opportunity to be discipled, nurtured and educated on a long-term, deliberate basis. "We're actually helping those people get off those corners, holding those signs, and getting them the education they need, and the training they need, to go out and get a job and get integrated, drug and alcohol free,” Tolgren says. "People don't realize we're doing that. They think we're just a homeless shelter.”
Another program the Mission offers addresses how the Christian community can solve the dilemna of what to give people on the corners and medians seeking a handout. They have a huge supply of "free meal tickets,” which have the address of the Mission and the phone number of Bethany House (the woman’s shelter), so that they can find out how to get there.
"When you see someone on the corner, you hand them this little card, this little free ticket that says, join us for a free meal," Tolgren explains. "If you really have compassion, and say, ‘That person's hungry, how can I help them?’ You can give them one of these and know that they'll not only get food for their physical body, but by coming to the mission, they'll get food for their soul.”
Another little known program is their Family Services. One of the main functions of this program is providing food boxes to feed many low-income residents or those in temporary financial straits. They also hold a Spanish-speaking service every Friday evening, and have a youth program, which includes Saturday meals, discipleship and field trips.
CHRISTMAS
On the Friday before Christmas, the Mission will host their annual holiday dinner, including ham and all the trimmings. For the kids, they will have jumping castles, train rides, a hot dog lunch. "Then every child is going to get a couple of toys," says Tolgren. "We're going to end up giving out 600 to 800 toys on Friday. We're anticipating 600-800 adults and 300-400 children. It'll put some joy in the lives of people who don't have a lot right now in life.”
The scale of an event such as the Christmas meal certainly requires voluminous resources, and the Mission is not state-funded, and is open 365 days a year. Hence, their need of community support is great:
"This is the time when everybody thinks about it--makes a donation or brings some clothing,” bemoans Tolgren. "Then, the rest of the year, what do we do? But for Christmas, you could donate financially, you could donate toys, or any used or new clothing, and also donate canned goods that we can use for our food boxes.”
"We're so blessed as a society and country. I look at all the things I have, and all they are is possessions. You look at these people and all they own is on their back or in a knap sack.
"It's a very draining group of people to work with emotionally, spiritually and financially. But, it's making a difference in people's lives. You can see these people get through our program and go out and get a job, and be succesfully integrated back into society, then you know it was worth it. A soul has been saved and a life has been transformed through Christ.”
People often dismiss the homeless with the quip, "God helps those who help themselves.” But, the message of the Mission is perhaps that people aren’t often able to have faith in something like God until someone first has faith in them. Christ himself left his home to find the homeless and offer them a place of healing and rest. Perhaps more of us could look beyond the veil of prejudice and do likewise.
To make a material or financial donation, volunteer your time, or to pick up free meal tickets, contact the Mission at 520-622-3495, 326 West 28th, Tucson, Arizona, 85713. You can also help out by participating in our Hope for the Holidays Campaign as previewed on pages 22 and 23.
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