“Walk a mile in my shoes.”
Most homeless walk on average 10 miles a day to get their daily needs met. With the opening on the Center of Opportunity, Gospel Rescue Mission will be able to care for hundreds more homeless men, women and children, AND provide support services on campus to everyone in their care.
You’ve heard the expression, walk a mile in their shoes. When it comes to the homeless in Tucson, make that ten.
That’s the average distance the homeless in our city walk every day – to find their next meal in a restaurant dumpster, to find isolated shelter at night – and many more miles to go if they want to start the long process of getting off the street. We hear stories of frustration like this one all the
time:
“At one agency, I walked up to the woman at the front. She didn’t even look at me when she told me to grab a number. I waited for three hours when the lady behind the desk told everyone there were no more appointments that day. ‘If your number is above 127,’ she said, ‘please come to the front desk to schedule
an appointment.’ Turns out the next appointment was two weeks away. I wasted my whole day getting there and I had nothing to show for it.”
It’s true, there are services all across Tucson set up to help the homeless with things like getting an ID, offering them vocational help, signing them up for AHCCCS, providing food and shelter and more – but that’s just it – they are all over town.
For someone without money for transportation, that’s several days of walking, several more to return for follow-up appointments and check-ins, paperwork to bring for proof, court dates and paperwork to file with other agencies.
It’s no wonder most give up and return to the streets.
The good news is – it’s 2019: The Year of Opportunity. In a few short months, this sort of frustration will be a thing of the past – but only with your help.
That’s what the new Center of Opportunity is all about. By a beautiful miracle we will soon be moving in to the 150,000 square-foot facility designed to deliver essential services to the homeless and poor . . . with the capacity to serve 3,000 meals a day, provide shelter for more than 300, and offer critically important counseling to men in crisis.
This is our Opportunity to Serve More
“It’s so difficult to stay motivated to change when it’s so hard to get ahead.” No one should have to spend weeks crisscrossing our city to get real help. But with the support of friends like you, the services that thousands need to find a way off the streets for good will be within reach at the Center of Opportunity.
I need your help to capture this opportunity to serve even more in a way that will see more lives redeemed than ever before.
The Center of Opportunity provides one location where people can access all the resources they need to become self-sufficient: housing programs, job skills training, employment services — everything they need to take hold of a second chance . . . and move on in life!
Your gift of compassion today allows us to serve more homeless people and those on the brink of homelessness by providing crucial, life-giving services:
- Christ-centered shelter
- Behavioral health
- Recovery programs
- Veterans services
- Healthcare
- Government assistance
- Dental services
- Re-entry services for former inmates
- Workforce development
- Employment services
- And more!
Each of these services can be the key God uses to restore the life of that frustrated homeless man or woman. I have seen it happen, time and time again!
So you can see why I’m asking you to please be as generous as possible. Who knows how beautifully God will use the gift of compassion you give today?
And there’s one more reason to give generously: because the Arizona Tax Credit lets you donate essentially for FREE: You can give up to $400 if you file singly, or $800 filing jointly, and get a dollar-for-dollar credit — not a deduction. There’s still time – This offer still applies to your 2018 taxes if you send your gift before April 15th! (There’s more information the enclosed page.)
There’s someone in Tucson right now struggling to escape homelessness. You can help us serve more. For the sake of people in need, right here in Tucson, I hope to hear from you soon.
In His service,
Roy E. Tullgren III
Executive Director
P.S. Consider volunteering at the Center of Opportunity. Together we have the Opportunity to Serve More. You’ll be a blessing and you’ll be blessed! Use the enclosed card to respond. Thank you again!