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Opportunity
KNOX
A Publication of Knox Area Rescue Ministries
• Restoring Lives in Jesus’ Name
MAY 2015
“It was like getting
a love letter!”
How Every Bed, Every Day
encouraged Janie to embrace hope
The restoration
of spring
Dear Friend,
Burt Rosen
President & CEO
Spring… a time of rebirth, restoration and new life.
I can’t help but think of what a perfect metaphor this
spring season is for God’s forgiveness. Just as winter
always gives way to spring, so God is always faithful to
forgive and allow a new start.
For many of the folks we meet at KARM, this
fresh start is exactly what they need. No matter their
struggle—job loss, depression, homelessness, addiction
or hopelessness—they all need to know there’s hope for
restoration.
In this issue of Opportunity Knox, you’ll meet Janie,
who found encouragement at KARM through Every Bed,
Every Day. You’ll also read about Steve, who found Jesus
after 60 years of pain and suffering.
Therefore, if anyone
is in Christ, he is a
new creation. The old
has passed away; behold,
the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
As we enjoy the beautiful springtime, I hope you’ll keep
in mind the hurting and homeless in the greater Knoxville
area. Your prayers and partnership enable us to provide
countless second chances, no matter the season.
May your springtime, as well, be blessed beyond
measure. Thank you for your love and prayers for those
less fortunate in Knoxville this season and beyond.
Sincerely,
Love
makes the difference
How Janie found a fresh start at KARM
F
or over 25 years, Janie struggled off and on with
drug and alcohol addiction—at one point even
remaining sober for 8 years. But she felt like
her life was purposeless. After completing a treatment
program in January of 2014, she was looking for a
faith-based program to help her continue making good
choices. That’s when she found KARM.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” she says. “Didn’t
know what I was going to do here. But everyone was
nice, the staff was very polite.”
Janie was immediately impressed by the order
she saw at KARM and the way the staff and
“I came to KARM and I found
love and I found Jesus. And
that made all the difference.”
volunteers managed to display unlimited love while still
demonstrating boundaries. Since she was working, she
loved the freedom to come in at 6 p.m.
Her favorite thing, though, was the encouragement
she found each night.
“When I would come home, I would go to my bed
and there would be this little piece of paper with a
prayer or a note on it. At first I thought it was from one
of the other guests. It made me feel so good, it was like
getting a love letter! It really made me feel loved.”
The notes Janie found on her bed came from
KARM’s Every Bed, Every Day (EBED), where volunteers
from the Knoxville area visit KARM each day to
pray for every bed in our facility and leave notes of
encouragement like Janie found.
Janie was accepted into the KARM women’s
recovery program at Serenity, but relapsed after her
first three weeks. “I didn’t know what to do, where to
go,” she says. “Once I got sober, I figured I would come
back here, just to see. When I walked up to the Serenity
front porch, a couple of ladies said, ‘welcome home.’”
That was the turning point for Janie. Since that day,
she has found a new relationship with Jesus Christ.
“That was the difference, that’s what was missing
before,” says Janie. “The other programs I joined, they
were secular, based on yourself. I came to KARM and
I found love and I found Jesus. And that made all the
difference.”
Without KARM, Janie doesn’t know where she
would be today. She believes that God used KARM to
intervene in her life and prevent her from eventually
committing suicide. What’s more, she says she has
finally found her purpose.
“My purpose is this: to give and receive Christ’s love.
There’s nothing else that matters.”
For more information about Every Bed, Every Day, visit www.karm.org/pray
PADDLES UP!
2015 KARM
Dragon Boat F
Join us June 20 at The Cove at Concord Park
P
addles are up and excitement is high as Knox Area Rescue
Ministries (KARM) celebrates the 13th Annual KARM Dragon
Boat Festival at the Cove at Concord Park.
Paddlers competing in the KARM Dragon Boat Festival commit
to raise pledges in order to support the many life-saving programs
that KARM offers the homeless in our community. Register your
team online, have each team member register a page, and start
fundraising! Then on June 20, join hundreds of other paddlers
competing out on the water.
Event Day Details
• The festival will be held on Saturday, June 20 at The Cove at
Concord Park (The Cove address: 11808 S. Northshore Drive,
Knoxville, TN).
• Parking/shuttling is available at the Farragut Town Hall and the
old Kroger site in Farragut on Kingston Pike starting at 7:30 a.m.,
and also at all baseball fields around The Cove.
• Festivities will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m., starting with an
opening prayer, the national anthem and the annual eye dotting
ceremony.
• The first race begins at 8:45 a.m.
• All support of the race is welcome. Donations for this event can
be made at www.karm.org/dragonboats/
• Many volunteers are needed. Visit www.karm.org/volunteers or
e-mail [email protected] to learn more about how you can
volunteer at this year’s event.
• This event is free to the public. It includes a children’s play area,
food vendors, and fun activities throughout the day for everyone
to enjoy.
Needs List
Festival
THANK YOU
TO ALL OUR
EVENT SPONSORS!
Y
ou can make a powerful difference in the life of a hurting
person! Please contact us at (865) 673-6540 or [email protected]
to arrange drop off of KARM Needs List items. The items
listed here are our most immediate needs. For a complete list, visit
karm.org/needs.
• Bottled water
• Feminine Hygiene Products
• Travel Size Lotion
• Whole Bean or Ground Coffee
• Cough Drops
• Men’s and Women’s Underwear—
all sizes
• Headache Pain Relievers—
Aspirin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen
(non-narcotic)
• Socks—all sizes, men’s,
women’s & children’s
• Diapers—all sizes, especially
size 4–5
• Cold and Cough Medicines
(alcohol free)
Every Bed, Every Day
W
ant to get involved in Every
Bed, Every Day at KARM?
It can change a life like
Janie’s. Visit www.karm.org/prayer to
get more information or participate.
Once involved, you’ll be able to visit
KARM each day between 10 a.m. –
3 p.m. and pray for each bed in our
dorms. You may also write a note of
encouragement or a Bible verse to leave on the beds.
Not close enough to visit KARM? Contact [email protected]
or www.karm.org/prayer and we’ll designate a group of beds for
you to pray for where you are.
This group of women prayed and left notes which Janie received. They
eventually met her at Serenity while serving meals there, and made the
connection with her!
God has
another plan
Steve’s unlikely second chance
J
ust two years ago, Steve
checked out of a hotel after
running out of money. For the
three nights that followed, he pressed
a gun to his head, willing himself to
pull the trigger. Desperate, alone and
broke, he called his daughter from the
barn where he was hiding in the
10 degree weather. Soon the police
showed up and took Steve to a local
hospital, and he was transferred to
KARM a few weeks later.
Fast forward to now, and Steve
is a different man. His eyes are filled
with peace, and he smiles as he talks
about the grace of God. And he has
generous partners like you to thank.
“It’s a miracle I’m here,” he says.
“Obviously, God had another plan. I
didn’t pull that trigger, and it wasn’t
the first time I tried to end my life.
I had tried to overdose and cut my
wrists, and both times the doctors
told me I shouldn’t be alive.”
Steve didn’t understand
why his attempts to end his
life kept failing until he came
to KARM. Then, in October, he
was sitting in chapel praying
about all the things he needed…
a job, new housing.
“They were playing a song in
chapel that said ‘all I need is You,’ and
it dawned on me. Jesus is all I need.
I don’t need that other stuff. I’ll get it
when He wants me to get it.”
After his time at KARM, Steve is
amazed at the man he has become.
After 60 years of denying God, three
marriages, mental health issues and a
life spent trying to do everything on
his own, Steve is living in a vibrant,
growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
“God is very patient,” says Steve.
“It took 60 years of Him sitting there
waiting for me to get it before I finally
gave up and said I would try it His
way. Now it’s a totally different world
for me.”
“They were playing
a song in chapel
that said ‘all I
need is You.’
and it dawned
on me. Jesus
is all I need
need.”
KARM BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
DAN HURST
Chairman
Strata-G
SALLY FISHER
Vice Chairman
Morgan, Stanley, LLC
DALE KEASLING
Secretary
Home Federal Bank
DR. WILLIAM BURKHART
Summit Medical Group
NEAL CALDWELL
Dalen Products
RICK COX
Rick Cox Construction
CATHY GONZALEZ
O’Connor Senior Center
DR. JOE JOHNSON
University of Tennessee
DR. LEE MARTIN
Clarity Resources, LLC
DENNIS McCLANE
Woolf, McClane, Bright, Allen &
Carpenter, PLLC
WAYMAN McLAUGHLIN Jr.
G2 Engineering & Management, Inc.
TIM McLEMORE
Gentry, Tipton & McLemore, P.C.
W. FRANK SMITH, III
Washing Equipment of Tennessee
BOBBY STOGNER
The Peoples Bank
DOUG YOAKLEY
CPA, Financial Consultant
BURT ROSEN
President & CEO
Knox Area Rescue Ministries
P.O. Box 3310
Knoxville, TN 37927-3310
(865) 673-6540
www.karm.org
A GIFT TO RESTORE HOPE
Yes, I want to partner with Knox Area Rescue
Ministries to share practical help and Christ’s
love with homeless and hungry neighbors this
spring. I’ve enclosed a gift of:
[]$xxx
[]$xxx
[]$xxx
[]$_____
Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Sample
123 Any Street
Knoxville, TN 12345
P.O. Box 3310
Knoxville, TN 37927-3310
(865) 673-6540
www.karm.org
Instructions:
Please make your check payable
to KARM and return this form
with your gift.
See back to use your credit card.
KAR1505N
Your gift is tax-deductible
as allowable by law. Thank you!
Please communicate updates/news
via my email address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[MOTIVE CODE] [DONOR CODE]
A GIFT TO RESTORE HOPE
Yes, I want to partner with Knox Area Rescue
Ministries to share practical help and Christ’s
love with homeless and hungry neighbors this
spring. I’ve enclosed a gift of:
[]$xxx
[]$xxx
[]$xxx
[]$_____
Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Sample
123 Any Street
Knoxville, TN 12345
P.O. Box 3310
Knoxville, TN 37927-3310
(865) 673-6540
www.karm.org
Instructions:
Please make your check payable
to KARM and return this form
with your gift.
See back to use your credit card.
KAR1505N
Your gift is tax-deductible
as allowable by law. Thank you!
Please communicate updates/news
via my email address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[MOTIVE CODE] [DONOR CODE]
A GIFT TO RESTORE HOPE
Yes, I want to partner with Knox Area Rescue
Ministries to share practical help and Christ’s
love with homeless and hungry neighbors this
spring. I’ve enclosed a gift of:
[]$xxx
[]$xxx
[]$xxx
[]$_____
Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Sample
123 Any Street
Knoxville, TN 12345
KAR1505N
Please communicate updates/news
via my email address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
P.O. Box 3310
Knoxville, TN 37927-3310
(865) 673-6540
www.karm.org
Instructions:
Please make your check payable
to KARM and return this form
with your gift.
See back to use your credit card.
Your gift is tax-deductible
as allowable by law. Thank you!
[MOTIVE CODE] [DONOR CODE]
Please charge my gift to rush help to the
hungry and homeless now!
Please charge my:
The amount of $____________________________
Card Number:_____________________________________________________________________
Expiration Date: ___________________________________________________________________
Name as it appears on card: ______________________________________________________
Signature: _________________________________________________________________________
Email: _____________________________________________________________________________
KNOX AREA RESCUE MINISTRIES
P.O. Box 3310 • Knoxville, TN 37927-3310
(865) 673-6540 • www.karm.org
Please charge my gift to rush help to the
hungry and homeless now!
Please charge my:
The amount of $____________________________
Card Number:_____________________________________________________________________
Expiration Date: ___________________________________________________________________
Name as it appears on card: ______________________________________________________
Signature: _________________________________________________________________________
Email: _____________________________________________________________________________
KNOX AREA RESCUE MINISTRIES
P.O. Box 3310 • Knoxville, TN 37927-3310
(865) 673-6540 • www.karm.org
Please charge my gift to rush help to the
hungry and homeless now!
Please charge my:
The amount of $____________________________
Card Number:_____________________________________________________________________
Expiration Date: ___________________________________________________________________
Name as it appears on card: ______________________________________________________
Signature: _________________________________________________________________________
Email: _____________________________________________________________________________
KNOX AREA RESCUE MINISTRIES
P.O. Box 3310 • Knoxville, TN 37927-3310
(865) 673-6540 • www.karm.org
Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) is a member
of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
(ECFA). Membership in the ECFA is your assurance
that an organization adheres to the highest standards
of stewardship and ethical financial practices. KARM
is one of only 38 Rescue Missions nationwide, out of
nearly 300, that are certified excellent members of the
Association of Gospel Rescue Missions.
KARM is supported by the gifts of friends and receives
no federal funding to shelter the homeless. In all our
communications, we strive to present the needs of
homeless and poverty-stricken people with accuracy
and integrity. Friends are invited to participate in KARM’s
work only as they feel led by God to do so. We believe
God will meet the needs of the poor through the gifts of
those who respond in this manner. All gifts-in-kind are
appreciated and will be used where needed most prior
to the expenditure of funds. KARM does not rent, sell or
otherwise share our donor information.
If gifts are received above a specific need, they will
be used for programs where the need is greatest.
No person is denied care based on race, creed, sex,
disability or national origin.
Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) is a member
of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
(ECFA). Membership in the ECFA is your assurance
that an organization adheres to the highest standards
of stewardship and ethical financial practices. KARM
is one of only 38 Rescue Missions nationwide, out of
nearly 300, that are certified excellent members of the
Association of Gospel Rescue Missions.
KARM is supported by the gifts of friends and receives
no federal funding to shelter the homeless. In all our
communications, we strive to present the needs of
homeless and poverty-stricken people with accuracy
and integrity. Friends are invited to participate in KARM’s
work only as they feel led by God to do so. We believe
God will meet the needs of the poor through the gifts of
those who respond in this manner. All gifts-in-kind are
appreciated and will be used where needed most prior
to the expenditure of funds. KARM does not rent, sell or
otherwise share our donor information.
If gifts are received above a specific need, they will
be used for programs where the need is greatest.
No person is denied care based on race, creed, sex,
disability or national origin.
Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) is a member
of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
(ECFA). Membership in the ECFA is your assurance
that an organization adheres to the highest standards
of stewardship and ethical financial practices. KARM
is one of only 38 Rescue Missions nationwide, out of
nearly 300, that are certified excellent members of the
Association of Gospel Rescue Missions.
KARM is supported by the gifts of friends and receives
no federal funding to shelter the homeless. In all our
communications, we strive to present the needs of
homeless and poverty-stricken people with accuracy
and integrity. Friends are invited to participate in KARM’s
work only as they feel led by God to do so. We believe
God will meet the needs of the poor through the gifts of
those who respond in this manner. All gifts-in-kind are
appreciated and will be used where needed most prior
to the expenditure of funds. KARM does not rent, sell or
otherwise share our donor information.
If gifts are received above a specific need, they will
be used for programs where the need is greatest.
No person is denied care based on race, creed, sex,
disability or national origin.
P.O. Box 3310
Knoxville, TN 37927-3310
www.karm.org
OpportunityKNOX
YOUR NEW
NEWSLETTER IS ENCLOSED!