Eric Bauer, Executive Director of Portland Rescue Mission
You’re probably already making plans for Thanksgiving. Family, friends, great memories and fun-filled events.
At Portland Rescue Mission, we’re in the middle of big plans, too. We want to make this Thanksgiving season extra special for thousands of hurting people right here in our community. Otherwise, Thanksgiving will be thank-less –- even bitter –- for many people facing homelessness who’ve lost hope.
Greg knows what it’s like to be hungry and alone when everything in life has been stripped away. Losing his job as a commercial truck driver was tough. With no income, he quickly ended up homeless. A hot meal and safe place to stay at Portland Rescue Mission brought Greg such relief.
“Having meals provided is a lift off your shoulders, so you can focus on getting a job or housing or whatever needs you have.”
For Kelly, meals at the Mission helped remove the painful stigma of being homeless. She felt welcome and accepted as a normal person.
“Before I came to the Mission, I wasn’t having regular meals every day. And the first night that I came here, we had a delicious meal with meat, asparagus and things I hadn’t had for so long. It makes me get kinda choked up. I felt like I was a human being again that someone was willing to give me a such a good meal. It was really heartfelt.”
There are thousands of people in our community just like Greg and Kelly – people who struggle in despair. Without help from caring friends like you, they won’t celebrate any holiday at all –- only the vicious daily cycle of hunger pains, nights of fitful sleep, no warm dry clothes, and no place of refuge without feeling public scorn. Thanksgiving simply deepens the emptiness, while we celebrate fullness. But you can help.
You and I have the privilege of bringing God’s love to searching people this Thanksgiving — without judgment, without hesitation. But I need to ask you to act now with a gift — because now Thanksgiving is just weeks away.
(VIDEO: Watch your gift in action)
It costs us $1.60 to serve a wonderful Thanksgiving meal at the Mission, thanks to generous food donations, volunteer staffing and lower overhead costs.
Like Greg and Kelly, the men, women and children who come to us for a Thanksgiving meal didn’t set out to be homeless, hungry, alone. But now they are in a place of despair and brokenness. We know that’s when God’s work in a life can have the most impact!
Will you help to express God’s love and acceptance to everyone who shares a Thanksgiving meal with us? The holiday meal you provide through your gift today will ease the suffering of the moment and offer hope for the future. This simple act of love can set in motion a whole new start in life for that hurting person.
This is more than a great Portland Rescue Mission tradition. It’s life-saving. Life-transforming. And you can help!
May you experience the great joy of blessing others who are in great need. It will add a new dimension to true “thanksgiving” this season.
God’s blessings,
Eric Bauer
Executive Director
P.S. – With your help, we’ll serve more than 25,000 hope-giving meals this Thanksgiving season. Every meal you help provide shares God’s love and lets a hurting person know you care. Thanks.