The Phoenix Rescue Mission has just launched a new fundraising program called the Everyday Buying Program – giving you the ability to transform your everyday, online purchasing into money to help the Mission feed, clothe and shelter the homeless year round.
It’sreally very simple: the Mission earns a percentage of the total purchase price of for every item you buy through the merchant links on our Everyday Buying Page.
For example, with just one simple click you can get the things you normally purchase online such as:
- Music downloads from iTunes or Amazon
- Paper or other office supplies from Office Depot
Big or small, every purchase helps – so make sure to visit our Everyday Buying Page every time you shop online.
Please click here to give it a try today, and remember
- No extra cost to you – even sale items or special deals generate donation dollars for the Mission’s Work of Rescue
- No extra time – it’s only 1 click
- No registration required or coupon codes to remember
Besure to add our page to your browser’s BOOKMARKS or FAVORITES, and start here every time you shop online. To help us even more, don’t forget to share with your friends through email, Facebook or Twitter! We hope you will share this link with 10 friends to get us started:
http://apps.ourewards.com/Causes/Index/F1CCN5VP
In this difficult economy, the Mission must find new ways to generate charitable donations. What those of us who work at the Mission love about this program is that it does not require our donors, supporters or champions to do anything other than click. They don’t give their personal information to any site or feel obligated in any way – they just start their shopping from our Oureward’s home page or “mall.”
Thanks you so much for trying this out. Let me know if you tried it and how it worked!
Want more info? www.ourewards.com/FAQs.htm
EASTER HOPE AND A MEAL AT PHOENIX RESCUE MISSION
Mission Plans to Serve 600 meals to the Homeless on Easter Sunday
Phoenix, AZ — The economy has hit the homeless and near-homeless in Phoenix hard. More people are coming to Phoenix Rescue Mission everyday, and more families are being impacted. At the same time, the Mission is facing a critical drop of financial resources as donors reduce their giving because of financial strain.
The Christian community celebrates resurrection and new life each Spring. Phoenix Rescue Mission on Easter Sunday hopes to lift hearts of the poor and homeless in the Valley of the Sun with a hearty meal and gift of love.
The Easter meal can be an opportunity for the homeless to seek renewal. And Phoenix Rescue Mission provides a chance for everyone to participate in the festivities. If trends continue, the Phoenix Rescue Mission will serve 600 homeless men, women and children this Sunday. Volunteers will be serving heaping helpings of ham, eggs, bacon, pastries, hash browns and fruit — not to mention a friendly smile.
“Meals can be the entry point for the homeless to find other services we offer that can help them get off the streets permanently,” said Jerry Sandvig, President and CEO, Phoenix Rescue Mission. “Many of our guests are newly homeless — they were not homeless a year ago, but job loss, foreclosures and other economic impacts have resulted in their seeking our services. We know many are looking from a program based on Christian values. In though times we want to provide our guests with a loving, home-like atmosphere.”
Founded in 1952, Phoenix Rescue Mission provides food, shelter, chapel and other services to the homeless and working poor people of metropolitan Phoenix. Hundreds of hot meals are served daily. Showers and clean clothing are offered to anyone in need. 150 beds provide shelter for men nightly. A 12-month, spiritually based, addiction recovery program is available for up to 30 men at one time.
In July, the Phoenix Rescue Mission will expand its addiction recovery services to women and women with children at our new Changing Lives Center for women and children. It was through daily meals that Mission staff noticed a dramatic increase in the numbers of women with children coming to eat in our dining hall and returning to the streets. The Mission is thrilled to dedicate the Center next month and begin accepting families in July.
“We serve meals every day,” said Jerry. “We couldn’t do all we do without the help of our gracious volunteers and generous donors. Financially it is a challenging time for us. We see do many who need help, and we want to give them our best.”
I’ll admit the weather these past few days has been more Seattle-like than we Phoenicians are used to, however; it makes it the perfect day to announce our annual water drive with Starbucks officially starts TODAY. For the next three weeks, local Starbucks will be collecting bottles and cases of water to benefit the Phoenix Rescue Mission’s heat relief program.
When temperatures climb into triple digits, the Phoenix Rescue Mission’s Hope Coach begins providing heat relief to the homeless. Traveling alleyways and under overpasses, the Hope Coach hands out bottled water, sunscreen, clothing, hats and meals to homeless men and women at-risk of dehydration. This early water drive and partnership with Starbucks allows us to collect bottled water to begin heat relief efforts on May 1, 2011.
The drive runs from February 28 to March 22, 2011. Donating is as easy as ordering a Venti-half-caf-tripple-shot-mocha-latte. Just bring a case of bottled water, any brand or size will do, into a participating Starbucks (the list of stores is below) or simply purchase a bottle of Ethos water and place it in the basket by the register.
The last day of the drive will culminate into the annual Walk for Water on World Water Day. Starbucks will host the event at Arcadia Park on March 22, 2011 benefiting Hope for Kids and Phoenix Rescue Mission. This is a great event and Phoenix Rescue Mission will be out there collecting cases of water. I will be posting more information on the Walk soon.
The following locations are participating in the water drive:
| Litchfield & McDowell, Phoenix |
| Bell & Grand, Surprise |
| Indian School & 107 Ave, Phoenix |
| 99th Avenue & Camelback, Phoenix |
| 99th Ave. & Bell, Sun City |
| Bell & Brookside, Surprise |
| Grand & Reems, Surprise |
| Dysart & McDowell, Good Year |
| Dysart & Camelback, Phoenix |
| 59th & Thunderbird, Phoenix |
| 31st & Peoria, Phoenix |
| 75th Avenue & Thurderbird, Phoenix |
| Mc Dowell & 99th, Avondale |
| 59th & Union Hills, Glendale |
| 43rd Avenue & Thunderbird, Glendale |
| 115th Ave. & Buckeye, Avondale |
| 75th Ave. & McDowell, Phoenix |
| 67th Ave. & Peoria, Glendale |
| 91st. Avenue & Thomas, Glendale |
| 99th Ave & Lower Buckeye, Avondale |
| Scottsdale Town Center |
| Tatum & Shea, Scottsdale |
| Scottsdale & Indian Bend, Scottsdale |
| Paradise Valley Mall, Phoenix |
| Hilton Village |
| Tatum & Loop 101, Phoenix |
| Scottsdale & Ashler Hills Dr., Scottsdale |
| 48th & Carefree Hwy, N., Phoenix |
| Frank Lloyd Wright & Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale |
| Tatum & Rose Garden, Phoenix |
| 71st St. & Shea, Scottsdale |
| Hayden & Thompson Peak, Scottsdale |
| 40th Street & Greenway, Phoenix |
| Scottsdale & Pinnacle Peak, Scottsdale |
| Tatum & Thunderbird, Phoenix |
| Loop 101 & Beardsley, Phoenix |
| Tatum & Bell, Phoenix |
| 92nd & Shea, Scottsdale |
| 7th & Thunderbird, Phoenix |
| 39th & Pinnacle Peak, Phoenix |
| Pima & Pinnacle Peak, Scottsdale |
| 3rd Street & Bell Rd, Phoenix |
| 32nd Street & Bell Rd, Phoenix |
| 7th Street & Bell, Phoenix |
| Dobson & Chandler |
| Alma School & Elliot Rd |
| Chandler & Price Road, |
| Queen Creek & Alma School |
| McClintock & Ray, Chandler |
| Chandler & Kyrene, Chandler |
| Dobson & Warner, Chandler |
| 46th & Chandler |
| Arizona Ave & Loop 202, |
| Florence & Peart, Casa |
| Chandler Heights & Gilbert |
| Ray Road & Loop 101, Chandler |
| University & Hardy, Tempe |
| Mill & 5th Avenue, Tempe |
| Guadalupe & McClintock, Tempe |
| Arizona Mills |
| Rural & Baseline – Tempe |
| 54th St. & Ray Rd., Chandler |
| Priest & Washington, Tempe |
| Elliot & Priest, Tempe |
| 24th St & Baseline, Phoenix |
| Scottsdale & McKellips, Scottsdale |
| McClintock & Southern, Tempe |
| Rural & Loop 202, TempeIf you have any question, please contact Nicole Pena at npena@phoenixrescuemission.org. |
Update on Bicycle Fixing program at the Phoenix Rescue Mission
Update from the Wrenchmen Bicycle Ministry
After listening to a quick spot on the radio in late April 2010 about a Christian-based organization in Sacramento, CA, Cycles 4 Hope, that performs basic bike maintenance for their local homeless, I prayed. I then researched, e-mailed the organization, discussed with my wife, Sabine, and continued to pray.
I grew up poor with my mother and two older sisters. As a child, I personally witnessed my mom’s faith in Christ as we always had our daily needs met in one way or another. We laughed together and we cried together. I once heard someone say that a person’s greatest hurt can become their greatest ministry – all to glorify Christ!
I was called to serve the poor – that is where God put my heart.
In August 2010, James Visser, Chuck Hendrickson Jr, and myself combined resources (bike tools, parts, experience) and drove to a local homeless shelter, Phoenix Rescue Mission, to help fix the bikes of the homeless.
I was not in my “comfort zone” and did not know what to expect.
Shawn Holliday, founder of Cycles 4 Hope, warned me about fixing the grip-shifters on bikes – he said that they were tricky. I prayed to God that this first time out to serve He would guide us the easy fixes to let me ease into this new ministry. We set up our tools and checked in some bikes. The first bike that we checked in: grip shifters! “Ok, I’ve got a sense of humor, too – let’s get to work.”
I fumbled with that thing for about five or ten minutes until I realized that the owner of the bike was sitting there silently watching me struggle. I was frustrated and annoyed until I realized that, yes, we came with all sorts of bike tools, and all sorts of bike parts, and my fellow Wrenchmen, but we did not come for the bikes – we came to build relationships with these men – we came to be used by the Holy Spirit – to do God’s work, not ours. I started chatting with this gentleman, Russell, and the Spirit did eventually lead the conversation to Christ. It was amazing!
We now outreach at the Mission on the third Saturday of each month from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. We hold bike collection days the Sunday just before the outreach and we try to fix up as many donations as we can in time to give them away that Saturday. From August through December of 2010, we gave away 7 completed bikes and repaired 67 bikes at the Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Some of these guys are pretty rough around the edges but when you hand them back their bike after being repaired and you ask them to take it for a test spin to see if everything is alright, their faces light up and you can see hope in their eyes.
Our hopes for 2011 are to get more people to come serve with us at least once this year. Even if they don’t know how to change a bike tube, we will teach it all to them at the Mission. It’s a “Basic Bike Maintenance – On-the-Job Training – Demonstration of God’s Love!”
Stephen Patterson,
Passage’s chief Wrenchman
| Register now at www.sleeplessarizona.org!
February 26 – 27, 2011
Grand Canyon University, Phoenix (Northwest Soccer Field)
3300 W. Camelback Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85017
Saturday: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Sleeper Registration and food packing events 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. – Stage Show featuring live music by Abandon (@Abandonrock); Wavorly (@Wavorly); Mesa band White As Wool; and local singer/song writer Brian Weaver.
10 p.m. to Midnight – Movie about homelessness
Sunday: 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. – wake up and departure In Arizona homelessness continues to climb, with 14,677 people reported homeless, according to a 2009 Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness survey. The statistic highlights the growing problem of homelessness in the state, which is up by more than 1,500 people in the last year alone. The current economic climate requires the Phoenix Rescue Mission to serve more people with fewer resources. But you can help change that by participating in the first annual Sleepless Arizona camp out. Please help end homelessness in Arizona and Join us for a night that will leave you Sleepless! Phoenix Rescue Mission’s first annual Sleepless Arizona is your chance to be part of the solution. |
Our Prayer for you in the New Year
As we embark upon a new year filled with opportunity at Phoenix Rescue Mission I wanted to share with you our prayer for you this New Year—
May God keep you each year through
And give you all the faith it takes
To make your dreams come true…
May His love and wisdom always help
To guide you on your way
To bless this special day
Thank you for your support of the homeless, hurting and hopeless throughout our community. Your prayers and support help open the door to God’s love!
Peace and joy,
Jerry D. Sandvig
President and CEO
Phoenix Rescue Mission
Rescue Mission’s Goal – 55,000 hot meals in January
Some things never change.
It’s a new year. But there’s nothing new about hunger. It hurts. And it drives people to our doors for a meal.
In January alone, Phoenix Rescue Mission will provide at least 55,000 hot, nutritious meals. We need your help today!
After the busy holiday season, we’re scrambling to replenish our pantry. With every $1.92 you donate, we can provide a hearty meal for someone in the Phoenix area who would otherwise have nothing to eat…again.
We really need your help now to make a difference. For people who are hungry and homeless, it’s about the meal—which is often the first step to a new life.
Thanks for your generous response today. May God continue to bless you!
Peace and Joy,
Jerry Sandvig,
President and CEO,
Phoenix Rescue Mission
