News 14 Interviews Rev. Marciano Regarding Our "Pantry Pounding"

Charlotte Rescue Mission is hosting an old fashioned "Pantry Pounding" to store up food supplies for the upcoming Fall & Winter months. News 14 recently interviewed Tony Marciano on the subject. See the video here.

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.

Hope for the Hungry 2008

Our theme this holiday season is "Hope for the Hungry, Hope for the Holidays". You may have seen it in one of our letters or on our web page. Here are some of the items we need and some of the ways you can help us provide "hope for the hungry" in 2008.

(Click for larger image)

We Need Turkey & Ham For Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving day, our doors will open to hundreds of homeless and destitute men and women who have nowhere else to celebrate this holiday. They won't stand in line to receive a bowl of soup though - they'll be seated by a volunteer maitre d' at a table covered with white linen and folded napkins. They'll be served by volunteers who'll bring them a warm plate of food, a cold drink and a home made dessert. Maybe for the first time in their life, they'll feel like a VIP guest.

Here's where we need your help... Our low meal cost of just $1.92 is made possible by volunteers and donated food. We plan to cook 120 turkeys and 80 hams for Thanksgiving day alone! Please consider donating a full turkey or ham for our Thanksgiving dinner anytime between now and November 21st. These can be dropped off at our main location at 907 West First St.

Dove's Nest Needs Coats

Dove's Nest is in need of ladies coats in good condition. Currently they could use a petite size and several larger sizes (around 16).

Of course, it's a bit early to start talking about Christmas but our newly re-opened Dove's Nest Continuing Care Division (CCD) could use Christmas decorations.

Some other things that the women at Dove's Nest are in need of are: slippers, PJ's, gift cards, lotions, picture frames etc... See our full needs list for more details.

We Need Locks!

When our clients enter the program, they are given a small locker to store what little personal belongings they have. We ask potential clients to bring their own lock on admission date but as you can imagine, not many have their own locks! Thus, we either buy most of them or have them donated. We could really use donations of locks to save on overhead costs so if you have some laying around (in good working order) we would really appreciate them and so would our clients!

Desserts Needed for Easter

Charlotte Rescue Mission is providing an Easter Community Dinner on Sunday, March 23, 2008. We are in need of homemade desserts to serve our homeless neighbors in the area. Anyone wanting to share a family treasured dessert can drop them off at the Charlotte Rescue Mission information desk up until Easter Sunday at 10am.

The address is 907 W. 1st street Charlotte, NC 28233, diagonally opposite the Panthers practice field off of Cedar. To reach us by phone please call 704-334-4635

“We make coming to the Rescue Mission on Easter Sunday as special as going to your grandmother’s house” says Rev. Tony Marciano, Executive Director of the Charlotte Rescue Mission.

It all begins with a hot breakfast from 6:00 – 7:30am. A continental breakfast will be served from 8:00 to 11:00 am, followed by our traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings, including our delicious homemade desserts, served between 11:30 and 2:30pm. There will be movies shown during the day. Cell phone will be available for guests to use.

“In addition, our dinner guests will be treated like royalty” says Marciano. “Volunteers will be dressed in white shirts, black pants or skirts to resemble fine dining wait staff. Our guests will be served with heaping portions of food on china, while using silverware and Oneida glass ware, all on a table cloth. There will also be a cloth napkin, folded in a fan, coming from the glass. It resembles a wedding reception.”

The 6am hot breakfast will consist of scrambled eggs, grits, sausage patties, biscuits, orange juice and coffee. Volunteers from Journey Church are preparing and providing the meal.

This Easter, the Charlotte Rescue Mission has been supplied with the use of free cell phones from Sprint cellular phone service. These cell phones are used by the guests to call home to family and friends.

“I’ve heard guests call home and say, “Mom, I’m ok. I’m at the Charlotte Rescue Mission”” says Marciano.

The midday meal will consist of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, yam, dressing, cranberry sauce and dessert. 112 turkeys are being prepared for the meal. The Easter meal is open to the public. In addition to the homeless, the Mission opens its doors to anyone who wants to celebrate Easter in a family setting.

Charlotte Rescue mission provides a free 90-day Christian residential program for men and women who are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and are predominately homeless.

Times:
Hot breakfast 6:00 am to 7:30am.
Continental breakfast 8:00 am to 11: am
Easter Dinner 11:30 to 2:30
Movies 6:00 am to 3:00 pm
Cell phones 9:00am to 3:00pm

Where: 907 W 1st Street Charlotte, NC 28233
Diagonally opposite the Panther Practice Fields

Dove's Nest Continuing Care Division

In 2001, we had to discontinue Dove's Nest aftercare program due to lack of funding. Now thanks to generous donors across the Charlotte region and the partnership of St. John's Baptist Church, we are set to re-open! This will give women the opportunity to continue developing life skills after they complete the Dove's Nest program. It can be most readily pictured as a "stepping-stone" back into society.

How can you help out? Dove's Nest Continuing Care Division is now registered at Target baby registry. Consider purchasing an item or two to help us get this project off the ground. Or if you'd like to volunteer or just want to learn more about Dove's Nest, call Andria at 704-334-4635 x214.

40% Increase in the Emergency Winter Shelter Meals

As the Charlotte Rescue Mission serves the majority of the Emergency Winter Shelter meals they’re foreseeing increasing numbers rise even higher through April 30, 2008 when the Shelter closes its doors for the season.

Executive Director of the Charlotte Rescue Mission, Reverend Tony Marciano says,

“We get lots of cakes and pastries from our supportive community, but now we need the following in order to feed the rising numbers of homeless neighbors in our area. We need meat, chicken, fresh fruits and vegetables, grocery store gift cards and financial donations to maintain the feeding programs”.

When planning the budget for 2008 there was no idea meals would take on a 40% increase. The Charlotte Rescue Mission,(CRM) is committed to serving homeless men a hot meal at the Emergency Winter Shelter. Last year, in the Fall of 2006, 6,605 meals were prepared by Charlotte Rescue Mission and served at the Emergency Winter Shelter. Since the EWS opened on October 1st of 2007, the meals served through December 31st were 12,963.

“Just comparing November and December 2006 versus the same months in 2007 saw an increase of 2,602 meals” says Marciano.

Within a normal year the Charlotte Rescue Mission, (CRM) will serve their 200,000 meals. Some of those meals are served to hungry, homeless men at the Emergency Winter Shelter.

“The Rescue Mission needs the community to help with donations so CRM can keep up with the rising numbers of homeless in Charlotte" says Marciano. “The Mission will be as grateful as they have been since 1938.”

Have a Shredder to Donate?

Does your office have a shredder that you no longer need? Once upon a time, we were given a nice commercial grade shredder by a very generous donor.

That shredder has since seen its day and is in need of a replacement. We have a fairly high number of documents that need to be shredded regularly so a normal office shredder will not suffice.

If anyone happens to have a high volume shredder available, we would be greatly appreciative. Please contact Tim at 704-334-4635 x245.

Deserts Needed for Christmas

It's that time again, we need deserts! That's right, every year at our Christmas dinner for the homeless we serve homemade deserts - pies, cookies, cakes...anything and everything. These pastries are provided by donors just like you. What a difference it can make to a homeless person... who knows where their last meal came from? If you can bake a pie or desert of any kind, please bring them by our main location at:

907 West First St
Charlotte, NC 28202

We will be passing out gift bags to all of our guests which will include toiletries and toys for the kids. Remember, we need these items by Christmas morning. God bless and have a wonderful Christmas!

Toys Needed for Christmas

Although we do not have program space for children, we do serve families (including children) during our holiday meals. For Christmas, we like to pass out toys as we usually have some to give to homeless and poverty stricken children who will come through our doors on December 25th. If you have a few toys you could spare, why not drop them by the mission to share the Christmas spirit with those less fortunate?

You may drop off toys (for all ages) at our main location:

907 West First St
Charlotte, NC 28202

We are close to Bank of America stadium. Merry Christmas!

Needed: Homemade Deserts for Thanksgiving

We need your sweets! That's right, every year at our Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless we serve homemade deserts - pies, cookies, cakes...anything and everything. These pastries are provided by donors just like you. What a difference it can make to a homeless person... who knows where their last meal came from? If you can bake a pie or desert of any kind, please bring them by our main location at:

907 West First St
Charlotte, NC 28202

Remember, we need them by Thursday morning. God bless and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Urgent Need: ACCU-CHEK Comfort Curve Test Strips

Our nurses have informed us that we have an immediate need for ACCU-CHEK Comfort Curve Test Strips. Due to our policy, we need this specific brand. For more information contact Andria Tindall at 704-334-4635 x214. Thanks in advance!

Urgent Need - Shaving Cream & Razors

Have you considered hosting a drive at your office or with your small group? We are currently running very low on men's shaving cream & razors. For more information, call Tim at 704-334-4635 x245 Donations can be dropped off at our main location.

We Need Your Old Ties!

Remember all those ties in your closet from years of Fathers' Day celebrations? Instead of letting them collect dust in your closet, why not donate them to Charlotte Rescue Mission? We are currently very low on ties for the men at Rebound. Our clients use ties and other formal wear for therapeutic job slots, interviews and church.

To donate, please drop them off at our main location:

907 West 1st St
Charlotte, NC 28202