1. shopping
2. gifts

Eat.
Shop.
Give.
There’s a day for
giving thanks and a
day for getting bargains.
Giving Tuesday, December
2, is the day for giving back!
In the midst of our busiest
season of the year, we’re
scrambling to provide over
17,330 meals and nearly 9,000
nights of shelter for countless
men, women and children.
Your Giving Tuesday gift
will go a long way toward
providing the food and care
our community’s hungry,
homeless people need most.
Thank you for being part
of our Mission family!
Get connected
Become a fan
Facebook.com/FaithMissionofElkhart
Visit us online:
theFaithMission.org
Turkeys
Hams
Instant stuffing mix
Canned yams
Cream of Mushroom
soup
Milk
Dinner rolls
A Newsletter from
Cool Whip
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Potatoes
Foam cups & napkins
Disposable salt &
pepper shakers
Don’t miss…
$16.11 to feed and care for 9 people
$26.85 to feed and care for 15 people
$51.91 to feed and care for 29 people
$_______ to help as much as possible
❍
of three exciting
events: a 1-mile
walk, a 5K run or
walk (3.1 miles)
or a 10K run (6.2
miles), or line the
sidewalks to cheer
on others.
Entry fee is
13-up $15, 4-12 $7, 3 and under free,
Stampede Shirts are just $15.
For information, visit our website
www.theFaithMission.org or call
(574) 293-3406.
Check enclosed
❍
❍
❍
Bill my credit card
❍
CREDIT CARD #
EXP. DATE
❍
CIV/SEC #
PHONE #
Donate online at www.theFaithMission.org,
or call (574) 293-3406.
_________________________________________________________________
NAME
_________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS
_________________________________________________________________
Faith Mission of Elkhart
P.O. Box 1728
Elkhart, IN 46516-1728
2
The Perfect Gift
for being part
2 Thanks
3 “A Better Life!”
of the Mission family!
“A lifetime of choices
led me here...”
Move your feet so others can eat!
here’s still time to make the Turkey
Stampede part of your family’s
Thanksgiving tradition.
Bring your family and friends
and join hundreds of your neighbors
who will be “stampeding” through
downtown Elkhart to have fun and
raise money to feed and care for the
men, women and children served by
Faith Mission.
This years’ 6th Annual Stampede
starts at 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving
morning at the Elkhart Youth &
Community Center. Take part in one
C
onrad had managed to save “a substantial amount
of money” working with mentally disturbed
individuals at a local agency. So when he lost his
job and was searching for another, he had money to live
on.
But finding a new job took longer than Conrad
anticipated; Eventually, his savings ran out and he ended
up homeless.
He had heard others talk about Faith Mission and its
programs, and he was especially intrigued by our Goals
Track Program, which helps men and women
gain the skills they need to break the cycle of
homelessness. It also allows them to work outside the
Mission to save money for after they leave the Mission.
Conrad found a temporary job through the Mission
before he’d been here 24 hours, making enough to put
gas in his car and pay a few bills.
When he wasn’t working, Conrad was helping out
here at the Mission, working in the laundry room, the
kitchen and at the front desk. A more permanent job
came around working in a local bakery. “I continue to
apply at other places,” Conrad says. “But I get nothing
but rejection letters. I’m 50, and I don’t know if that has
anything to do with it.”
In the meantime, he has a roof over his head, meals and
guidance that will help him avoid homelessness again.
“Both my parents were doctors, but they died when I
was young. I had a significant amount of money and the
assets to live comfortably, but I made poor choices.”
Conrad is grateful to the Mission for the
opportunity it has given him and others to “make
changes in their lives,” he says. “If the Mission wasn’t
here, I probably would not have had any place to go.”
CITY / STATE/ ZIP
_________________________________________________________________
E-MAIL
801 Benham Avenue, Elkhart, IN 46516
HOL14
Please return this completed form with your donation. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. You will receive a receipt.
Holiday 2014 Newsletter
41102 FMEL
Newsletter - 17x11
PMS 3262 & Black
O F E L K H A R T, I N C .
IN
Turkey Stampede
T
Faith Mission
H O L I D AY 2 0 1 4
The pantry is still pretty bare and Thanksgiving is almost here. Donations
of food and supplies can be dropped off at the Mission at 801 N. Benham Ave.,
Elkhart. Call Kerry at (574) 293-3406, ext. 112 or visit theFaithMission.org for
more information. THANK YOU!
Here’s my holiday gift to help
the Mission family:
❍
❍
❍
❍
Fai
Action
Help fill the holiday pantry!
Holiday 2014 Newsletter
41102 FMEL
Newsletter - 17x11
PMS 3262 & Black
(574) 293-3406
www.theFaithMission.org
A Message from
Ross Swihart
This Christmas – Adopt A Guest!
J
Thank you for
giving the
perfect gift.
There is one Christmas gift
that is always the right size.
It never wears out and
never goes out of style. It
is a gift that becomes more
precious the more it is shared.
That gift is God’s love – a
gift that’s offered every day
here at Faith Mission.
Along with food, clothing
and shelter, you make it
possible for those in need to
know that God cares for them
and has a plan for their lives,
just as it says in Jeremiah
29:11, “‘For I know the plans
I have for you,’ declares the
LORD, ‘plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.’”
I want to thank you for
your gifts – your time,
your prayers and your
donations – that make
it possible for people
in need to receive this
perfect gift.
With warm wishes for a
healthy and prosperous New
Year,
Ross Swihart
Executive Director
2
Holiday 2014 Newsletter
41102 FMEL
Newsletter - 17x11
PMS 3262 & Black
ust having meals and shelter is a
tremendous blessing for the men,
women and children here at the Mission.
But we’d like to do more, and make this
Christmas a very special one for those
who call Faith Mission “home.”
You can help us lift their spirits
and spread the joy of the holiday by
adopting a guest and providing a few
small gifts.
Here’s how:
Fill a Christmas gift bag with the
items listed below and drop the bag
off at the Mission. We need 120 men’s
bags and 32 women’s bags.
This is a great project for your family,
school, coworkers or church group.
For more information, call Mike
Perez at (574) 293-3406, ext. 105 or visit
our website, theFaithMission.org.
M en ’s
Gift
Ba g
t
Stocking ha
s
Pair of glove
s
k
Pair of soc
razor
Disposable
am
Shaving cre
Deodorant
Bath towel
andy
Christmas c
ook
Devotional b
t
couragemen
A card of en
Body lotion
Stocking hat
Pair of gloves
Pair of socks
Disposable razor
Shaving cream
Deodorant
Bath towel
Christmas candy
Devotional book
A card of encour
agement
Body lotion
“I’m not going to
fall apart!”
I
magine losing the two people you
are closest to in your life. For Arthur,
that was his mother and his brother.
When his mother died, there was
hardly enough money to finish the
burial.
Struggling financially, Arthur and
his brother turned to the Mission when
they became homeless. “My brother
left the Mission after a while,” Arthur
remembers. “He met somebody and
his life got a little better. Then, he
died.”
Wo m e n ’s
Gift
Ba g
He’s sitting alone at a big table...
His face is tired
and careworn. His
eyes are downcast. It’s
Thanksgiving, and he’s
alone.
Now, watch his
face as you approach
the table. You wish him a “Happy
Thanksgiving” and put a heaping plate
of turkey with piles of mashed potatoes
and dressing smothered in gravy down
in front of him.
“We’re so glad you could join us
today,” you say. “It’s great to have you
here for Thanksgiving.” He looks up,
and smiles...perhaps for the first time in
weeks. Then, so quietly you can hardly
hear, he says, “Thank you.”
As a member of our Mission
family, you bring smiles to the faces of
hundreds of people. You make those
who are homeless feel welcome. You fill
those who are hungry with more than
food.
Each time a meal is served,
each time a homeless person
sleeps in a warm bed, each time
prayers are said in chapel, it’s
because you’re part of a family
that cares for those who are lost,
hurt and alone. We bless you and
thank you for all you do!
Counselors here at the Mission
helped Arthur deal with the loss of his
brother. But it was going to take more
than counseling to get him back on his
feet.
He had several health issues that
needed to be addressed immediately,
so we connected him with Heart City
Health Center. With the Mission
providing a place for recuperation
and help to make sure he got to his
appointments, Arthur has had one
surgery and gotten much-needed
dental work done.
“They brought me back
together, physically and
mentally!”
Arthur’s spiritual life also needed
some propping up. He was born into
a Christian family, but had moved
away from the Lord. Chapel and the
spiritual foundation of our programs
helped him “get back on the right track
and settle my mind.”
Today, if he runs into a problem,
Arthur knows where to turn. “I can go
to one of the counselors and they give
me a hand and talk through things,” he
says. “I used to drink a little when I was
upset, but they helped me settle my life
down and figure things out.”
Once Arthur’s health issues are
resolved, he should be able to find
work. But until that time, thanks
to your support, he’s not on the
streets. He has a roof over his head,
“wonderful food” and the help he
needs to live on his own once again.
“Tidings of
comfort and joy!”
Holiday meals: 17,330
Shelter from the cold:
9,000 nights
Another Christmas song
says, “...there’s no place like
home for the holidays.” For
the next six weeks, the Mission
will be home and family to
hundreds of men, women and
children. Your holiday gift will
provide the food and shelter
that can make eyes sparkle
and hearts feel light!
IRS Rules for
Year-End Gifts
Many of our friends make
gifts to the Mission before the
year ends. In fact, some wait
until the last minute on Dec.
31, but then worry if their
gifts will be received in time.
So here’s what the IRS says:
“Contributions are deductible
in the year
made.” So
donations
charged to a
credit card
before the
end of 2014 count for 2014.
This is true even if the credit
card bill isn’t paid until 2015.
Also, checks count for 2014
as long as they are mailed in
2014.
So, make your year-end
gift just before the stroke of
midnight on Dec. 31. Or,
avoid the rush and donate
now using the enclosed
envelope, or by making a safe,
secure gift online at
www.theFaithMission.org.
3
Holiday 2014 Newsletter
41102 FMEL
Newsletter - 17x11
PMS 3262 & Black
A Message from
Ross Swihart
This Christmas – Adopt A Guest!
J
Thank you for
giving the
perfect gift.
There is one Christmas gift
that is always the right size.
It never wears out and
never goes out of style. It
is a gift that becomes more
precious the more it is shared.
That gift is God’s love – a
gift that’s offered every day
here at Faith Mission.
Along with food, clothing
and shelter, you make it
possible for those in need to
know that God cares for them
and has a plan for their lives,
just as it says in Jeremiah
29:11, “‘For I know the plans
I have for you,’ declares the
LORD, ‘plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.’”
I want to thank you for
your gifts – your time,
your prayers and your
donations – that make
it possible for people
in need to receive this
perfect gift.
With warm wishes for a
healthy and prosperous New
Year,
Ross Swihart
Executive Director
2
Holiday 2014 Newsletter
41102 FMEL
Newsletter - 17x11
PMS 3262 & Black
ust having meals and shelter is a
tremendous blessing for the men,
women and children here at the Mission.
But we’d like to do more, and make this
Christmas a very special one for those
who call Faith Mission “home.”
You can help us lift their spirits
and spread the joy of the holiday by
adopting a guest and providing a few
small gifts.
Here’s how:
Fill a Christmas gift bag with the
items listed below and drop the bag
off at the Mission. We need 120 men’s
bags and 32 women’s bags.
This is a great project for your family,
school, coworkers or church group.
For more information, call Mike
Perez at (574) 293-3406, ext. 105 or visit
our website, theFaithMission.org.
M en ’s
Gift
Ba g
t
Stocking ha
s
Pair of glove
s
k
Pair of soc
razor
Disposable
am
Shaving cre
Deodorant
Bath towel
andy
Christmas c
ook
Devotional b
t
couragemen
A card of en
Body lotion
Stocking hat
Pair of gloves
Pair of socks
Disposable razor
Shaving cream
Deodorant
Bath towel
Christmas candy
Devotional book
A card of encour
agement
Body lotion
“I’m not going to
fall apart!”
I
magine losing the two people you
are closest to in your life. For Arthur,
that was his mother and his brother.
When his mother died, there was
hardly enough money to finish the
burial.
Struggling financially, Arthur and
his brother turned to the Mission when
they became homeless. “My brother
left the Mission after a while,” Arthur
remembers. “He met somebody and
his life got a little better. Then, he
died.”
Wo m e n ’s
Gift
Ba g
He’s sitting alone at a big table...
His face is tired
and careworn. His
eyes are downcast. It’s
Thanksgiving, and he’s
alone.
Now, watch his
face as you approach
the table. You wish him a “Happy
Thanksgiving” and put a heaping plate
of turkey with piles of mashed potatoes
and dressing smothered in gravy down
in front of him.
“We’re so glad you could join us
today,” you say. “It’s great to have you
here for Thanksgiving.” He looks up,
and smiles...perhaps for the first time in
weeks. Then, so quietly you can hardly
hear, he says, “Thank you.”
As a member of our Mission
family, you bring smiles to the faces of
hundreds of people. You make those
who are homeless feel welcome. You fill
those who are hungry with more than
food.
Each time a meal is served,
each time a homeless person
sleeps in a warm bed, each time
prayers are said in chapel, it’s
because you’re part of a family
that cares for those who are lost,
hurt and alone. We bless you and
thank you for all you do!
Counselors here at the Mission
helped Arthur deal with the loss of his
brother. But it was going to take more
than counseling to get him back on his
feet.
He had several health issues that
needed to be addressed immediately,
so we connected him with Heart City
Health Center. With the Mission
providing a place for recuperation
and help to make sure he got to his
appointments, Arthur has had one
surgery and gotten much-needed
dental work done.
“They brought me back
together, physically and
mentally!”
Arthur’s spiritual life also needed
some propping up. He was born into
a Christian family, but had moved
away from the Lord. Chapel and the
spiritual foundation of our programs
helped him “get back on the right track
and settle my mind.”
Today, if he runs into a problem,
Arthur knows where to turn. “I can go
to one of the counselors and they give
me a hand and talk through things,” he
says. “I used to drink a little when I was
upset, but they helped me settle my life
down and figure things out.”
Once Arthur’s health issues are
resolved, he should be able to find
work. But until that time, thanks
to your support, he’s not on the
streets. He has a roof over his head,
“wonderful food” and the help he
needs to live on his own once again.
“Tidings of
comfort and joy!”
Holiday meals: 17,330
Shelter from the cold:
9,000 nights
Another Christmas song
says, “...there’s no place like
home for the holidays.” For
the next six weeks, the Mission
will be home and family to
hundreds of men, women and
children. Your holiday gift will
provide the food and shelter
that can make eyes sparkle
and hearts feel light!
IRS Rules for
Year-End Gifts
Many of our friends make
gifts to the Mission before the
year ends. In fact, some wait
until the last minute on Dec.
31, but then worry if their
gifts will be received in time.
So here’s what the IRS says:
“Contributions are deductible
in the year
made.” So
donations
charged to a
credit card
before the
end of 2014 count for 2014.
This is true even if the credit
card bill isn’t paid until 2015.
Also, checks count for 2014
as long as they are mailed in
2014.
So, make your year-end
gift just before the stroke of
midnight on Dec. 31. Or,
avoid the rush and donate
now using the enclosed
envelope, or by making a safe,
secure gift online at
www.theFaithMission.org.
3
Holiday 2014 Newsletter
41102 FMEL
Newsletter - 17x11
PMS 3262 & Black
Eat.
Shop.
Give.
There’s a day for
giving thanks and a
day for getting bargains.
Giving Tuesday, December
2, is the day for giving back!
In the midst of our busiest
season of the year, we’re
scrambling to provide over
17,330 meals and nearly 9,000
nights of shelter for countless
men, women and children.
Your Giving Tuesday gift
will go a long way toward
providing the food and care
our community’s hungry,
homeless people need most.
Thank you for being part
of our Mission family!
Get connected
Become a fan
Facebook.com/FaithMissionofElkhart
Visit us online:
theFaithMission.org
Turkeys
Hams
Instant stuffing mix
Canned yams
Cream of Mushroom
soup
Milk
Dinner rolls
A Newsletter from
Cool Whip
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Potatoes
Foam cups & napkins
Disposable salt &
pepper shakers
Don’t miss…
$16.11 to feed and care for 9 people
$26.85 to feed and care for 15 people
$51.91 to feed and care for 29 people
$_______ to help as much as possible
❍
of three exciting
events: a 1-mile
walk, a 5K run or
walk (3.1 miles)
or a 10K run (6.2
miles), or line the
sidewalks to cheer
on others.
Entry fee is
13-up $15, 4-12 $7, 3 and under free,
Stampede Shirts are just $15.
For information, visit our website
www.theFaithMission.org or call
(574) 293-3406.
Check enclosed
❍
❍
❍
Bill my credit card
❍
CREDIT CARD #
EXP. DATE
❍
CIV/SEC #
PHONE #
Donate online at www.theFaithMission.org,
or call (574) 293-3406.
_________________________________________________________________
NAME
_________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS
_________________________________________________________________
Faith Mission of Elkhart
P.O. Box 1728
Elkhart, IN 46516-1728
2
The Perfect Gift
for being part
2 Thanks
3 “A Better Life!”
of the Mission family!
“A lifetime of choices
led me here...”
Move your feet so others can eat!
here’s still time to make the Turkey
Stampede part of your family’s
Thanksgiving tradition.
Bring your family and friends
and join hundreds of your neighbors
who will be “stampeding” through
downtown Elkhart to have fun and
raise money to feed and care for the
men, women and children served by
Faith Mission.
This years’ 6th Annual Stampede
starts at 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving
morning at the Elkhart Youth &
Community Center. Take part in one
C
onrad had managed to save “a substantial amount
of money” working with mentally disturbed
individuals at a local agency. So when he lost his
job and was searching for another, he had money to live
on.
But finding a new job took longer than Conrad
anticipated; Eventually, his savings ran out and he ended
up homeless.
He had heard others talk about Faith Mission and its
programs, and he was especially intrigued by our Goals
Track Program, which helps men and women
gain the skills they need to break the cycle of
homelessness. It also allows them to work outside the
Mission to save money for after they leave the Mission.
Conrad found a temporary job through the Mission
before he’d been here 24 hours, making enough to put
gas in his car and pay a few bills.
When he wasn’t working, Conrad was helping out
here at the Mission, working in the laundry room, the
kitchen and at the front desk. A more permanent job
came around working in a local bakery. “I continue to
apply at other places,” Conrad says. “But I get nothing
but rejection letters. I’m 50, and I don’t know if that has
anything to do with it.”
In the meantime, he has a roof over his head, meals and
guidance that will help him avoid homelessness again.
“Both my parents were doctors, but they died when I
was young. I had a significant amount of money and the
assets to live comfortably, but I made poor choices.”
Conrad is grateful to the Mission for the
opportunity it has given him and others to “make
changes in their lives,” he says. “If the Mission wasn’t
here, I probably would not have had any place to go.”
CITY / STATE/ ZIP
_________________________________________________________________
E-MAIL
801 Benham Avenue, Elkhart, IN 46516
HOL14
Please return this completed form with your donation. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law. You will receive a receipt.
Holiday 2014 Newsletter
41102 FMEL
Newsletter - 17x11
PMS 3262 & Black
O F E L K H A R T, I N C .
IN
Turkey Stampede
T
Faith Mission
H O L I D AY 2 0 1 4
The pantry is still pretty bare and Thanksgiving is almost here. Donations
of food and supplies can be dropped off at the Mission at 801 N. Benham Ave.,
Elkhart. Call Kerry at (574) 293-3406, ext. 112 or visit theFaithMission.org for
more information. THANK YOU!
Here’s my holiday gift to help
the Mission family:
❍
❍
❍
❍
Fai
Action
Help fill the holiday pantry!
Holiday 2014 Newsletter
41102 FMEL
Newsletter - 17x11
PMS 3262 & Black
(574) 293-3406
www.theFaithMission.org