Thanksgiving at the Mission

Not everyone gets a chance to come down to the mission for a holiday so many of our supporters don't know what it's like. Last year, we broke a record for number of meals served in one day and we expect to break it again this year. Here is a video we made last year to share what it is like:

Dedication of the Pavilion

On November 11, 2008 we dedicated our new pavilion area at our main campus located in uptown Charlotte. This pavilion was made possible by the Carolina Panthers, Al & Judy Oldja, Jerry & Lynn Swisshelm, Concrete Supply Co and Shelco Inc. Below you can see a video of this dedication and a before and after photo.

Cold Weather Affecting Local Shelters

The Charlotte Observer posted this story today on the recent cold weather and its effect on local homeless shelters.

Officials opened the Emergency Winter Shelter near uptown in October – a month earlier than previous years – to help homeless men escape the cold.

One night earlier this week, the shelter served more than 300 meals – the largest number ever on a non-holiday.

The average number of meals served at the shelter has jumped to 225 a night from 165 two years ago, said Tony Marciano, executive director of the Charlotte Rescue Mission, which provides for the shelter.

If you include the meals at Rebound & Dove's Nest, the number we served was actually over 700 meals that day.

Volunteers At Dove's Nest

Erin shares her recent volunteer experience at Dove's Nest. Thanks Erin!

Never Too Young to Help

At the mission, we always have wonderful success stories to share about our clients but it seems like every year we have at least one or two heart warming stories from our supporters as well - especially around the holidays.

If you read our newsletter, you may remember the story of a young girl who sells lemonade each year and donates the proceeds to the mission. This year, we received the following flyer in the mail from an eight year old named Sylvia along with her very generous donation. Sylvia typed this flyer up herself and handed them out in her neighborhood to raise money for the mission. We thought we'd share it with you to show that it's never too early to get involved with helping others and every amount is appreciated. Thank you Sylvia!

Is It Too Early For Christmas Shopping?

If you're like most people these days - you probably responded with an emphatic "yes!" After all, we haven't even reached Thanksgiving yet and just barely finished with Halloween.

But I'm not talking about shopping for family, I'm talking about shopping for those who don't have a family. I'm thinking of those who probably don't have anyone shopping for them at all.

Our annual Christmas catalog is a great project for a small church group or office team to do just that. You can download and print this PDF and put together a drive with your small group to do some Christmas shopping for those less fortunate even if it seems quite early. While we are certainly in the middle of heavy preparations for Thanksgiving, we're already looking ahead to Christmas.

The Holidays are a critical fund raising period for us. In these next two months alone, we need to raise nearly 40% of our annual budget.

Thank You Note From a Mother

Let me share a “thank you” from a mother whose son was provided hope: “I have a son who recently became a resident there, and am so gratified to know that he is there. I would like to do something to help and this Amy Grant/Vince Gill concert seems to be an event that our family would love to attend. I worked in this field in various places, some of which are now closed. I am very thankful that there is still a place like Charlotte Rescue Mission to help folks with the life-robbing problem of addiction. God bless all of you there and many thanks for helping my son.”