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SEPTEMBER, 2012

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 Life Skills Classes

2 Kalamazoo Dream Ride

Fundraiser Recap

3 Bed & Breakfast

Opportunity

3 Community Garden

4 Whats Going On?

4 Simple Ways to Support

4 From Our Director

Acts 20:35

“In all things I have shown

you that by working hard

in this way we must help

the weak and remember

the words of the Lord Jesus,

how he himself said,

‘It is more blessed to give

than to receive.’ ”

KALDREAM.ORG

Creating the winds for changeIn mid-July, the Dream Center launched an educational curriculum designed to address

“the root causes of why people are held captive in the grips of poverty” and began to

offer solutions to bring about change. The curriculum, entitled “Life Skills”, consists

of 6 to 8 weekly sessions designed to empower those we serve, to change their approach

to the challenging issues they are facing and begin to break the vicious cycle they find

themselves in. These Christ-centered classes, first of all, focused on a life-giving

relationship with God while giving tools to parti-

cipants to bring about success in their daily

lives. We also offered a coach to each participant

who interacted with them over the weeks to

help encourage them to move positively forward

in the subjects presented.

The first class offered in our series was entitled

“Financial Responsibility.” It dealt with the

following: Examining Your Current Financial Reality; Talent Management; Budgeting;

Spending Habits; etc. Fourteen people enrolled and eight coaches and instructors

were enlisted to conduct and guide the training process.

As of the first week in September, the first participants completed the Financial

Responsibility class and are beaming with confidence, ready to take the next steps

of growth. Many of the coaches also found the experience personally rewarding

and have decided to continue their relationships with the students to maximize

progress and accountability with financial issues.

The students received an additional

blessing at the completion of the

class. Each person was presented

with a voucher for a refurbished

computer, compliments of an

organization that links arms with

the Dream Center.

The Life Skills leadership

team is very excited about

future classes we will

add to the curriculum in this

developing ministry, such as

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Rik Stone presents achievement award to Life Skills Class participant

A dream of a rideWhen you combine fun, challenge, great food,

friends and purpose, it’s a journey worth taking.

That’s why this year’s Kalamazoo Dream Ride

became such a great experience for so many

in the Kalamazoo area.

The Dream Ride was our first fundraising event of the

year and it was designed to give cyclists an opportunity

to ride for a worthy cause, one that could make a differ-

ence for the needy and homeless families being served

through the Dream

Center. Over 70

riders came to this

event to display

their passion for

riding as they took

on one of the well

planned and

beautiful 20, 40,

or 60 mile routes.

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FUNDRAISER: KALAMAZOO DREAM RIDE

The ride was the

vision of Steve

Johnson, owner of

Johnson Cycle Works. Since opening his shop on Gull

Road, on the city’s east side, he has longed to make an

impact for the impoverished through his business and

the sport of cycling. With the help of over 25 volunteers,

participation from several businesses and of course

the riders, over $12,000 was raised for the ongoing

work for the needy.

Equally exciting is the expressed intent of many riders

who are looking forward to next year’s ride. What a great

compliment to those who helped make this event a reality!

Our sincere thanks to all who made this a fantastic,

first year experience.

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Job Skills and Job Searching; Cooking on a Restricted

Budget; Successful Single Moms; and eventually a

Job Retraining Program for the unemployed, the under-

employed and displaced workers seeking employment.

The Dream Center crew is excited and optimistic regarding

the potential for change in the lives we are impacting.

As a faith community, let us pray for genuine biblical stew-

ardship and corresponding lifestyles that honor God and

provide additional resources for Kingdom distribution.

Life Skills Class awards dinner at the Dream Center

COMMUNITY GARDEN

Growing with graceWith the increasing need for food in

struggling households, we discovered

additional helping hands to meet this

critical need. This year Kalamazoo First

Assembly of God Church decided to make

a difference and planted a community

garden specifically designed to meet these

needs. With a long history of reaching

out to the poor and hurting, the church

launched this project with a desire to feed

the hungry and bring hope to hearts that

are struggling in Kalamazoo. The church

donates its produce to the Dream Center

and other agencies

that provide

for hungry

individuals

and families.

The First

Kalamazoo Community Garden was the

vision of Mona Ruse, who brought the

concept to the church’s board. The board

affirmed this wonderful outreach oppor-

tunity. The plan quickly took shape and led

to cultivating and preparing approximately

a quarter acre of land at the church and

after countless hours of intense labor from

many volunteers, the ground has been

transformed into a beautiful array

of vegetables and fruit.

We are extremely grateful for the dedica-

tion and hard work of Mona and countless

garden servants who have made this

garden a “dream come true”. They have

taken their vision and passion and made

it possible for helping organizations, like

the Dream Center, to serve their clients

with life-giving food and furthermore,

help us to share Christ’s love in a tangible

way. As the Apostle Paul stated in I

Corinthians, “One plants, another waters,

but God gives the increase.” We know

this to be true with the Community Garden

and the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

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A “Bed & Breakfast” opportunityIt was a gorgeous June morning. The sun had just risen and the long,

continuous table was all set for the guests who would soon be arriving

for the well planned meal. It was not the site of the Last Supper but

those who would be coming were just as important. This was not an

Upper Room either, but rather a parking lot that was converted into

an outdoor dining room. Through the love and innate concern for the

underprivileged in our community, a local family decided to partner

with the Dream Center, in late June, to host a catered breakfast to those

we serve. Scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, orange juice and

coffee were served to numerous individuals who were invited from the

Center’s clientele list. It became a true atmosphere of opportunity

as our volunteers mingled and interacted with our guests.

It was a delight to relate to many challenged families and individuals

who had real needs. If one were standing nearby, you could have caught

glimpses of people sharing their stories with volunteers, people being

prayed for as concerns were presented and plates of food being placed

into people’s hands to meet practical need. Before the morning was

finished, three families who had expressed a need for beds were leaving

with brand new box springs, mattresses and frames for their families

to sleep on. One bed was carried down the street by volunteers to

a nearby home where a child had no bed. Such ministry arrangements

could not occur except by making ourselves available and then watching

God work. Although this was not the Last Supper, the outcome was

very significant.

Our clients not only receiveda catered breakfast but new beds

Volunteer Donate items

Financial Gift Other

______________________________________________

Name

______________________________________________

Address

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Phone

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Email

All donations are tax deductible

GET INVOLVED

< Please cut and mail to:

Kalamazoo Dream Center

1122 Portage St. Kalamazoo, MI 49001

269.382.4760 www.kaldream.org

kalamazoodreamcenter@gmail.com

Become a friend on

WHAT’S GOING ON? FROM THE DESK OF OUR DIRECTOR

God’s direction to forge aheadThere are times when opportunities

come to us, bringing unexpected

answers to our prayers. Many of

us look beyond or over the top of

these opportunities and almost

miss them because they only

entertain us briefly and then are gone. One “unusual” opportunity presented

itself to the Dream Center recently and if it were not for the grace and

favor of God, we may have missed it.

Several months ago, the Lord led us to check into a property not far

from our present location. Our interest was prompted as we sensed it

might be an ideal location to begin a thrift store, something we had

pondered and prayed about for several years, but the timing was not yet

in alignment. Our board of directors, however, believed that now was

the right time and in moving forward, we could bring to reality another

key to future financial sustainability.

The end result has been truly amazing! Pursuing this opportunity has

resulted in the owner gifting the building mentioned to the Dream Center.

With this donation, we are very ecstatic and very excited to move into

the next phase of beginning a thrift store. Soon we will be releasing more

information about this venture. Please pray that we will be given all the

grace we need to bring this wonderful blessing to fruition.

4

Rik Stone

Adopt-a-Block ScheduleSaturday, September 22 10 am

Saturday, October 6 10 am

Saturday, October 20 10 am

Saturday, November 3 10 am

Adopt-a-Block will begin at 10:00 am and we

will be out in the neighborhood by 10:30 am.

We will wrap up our time in the neighborhood

by 12:00 noon, at which time we will return

briefly back to the Dream Center.

S IMPLE WAYS TO SUPPORT

Meijer RewardsSign up at www.meijer.com/rewards

Our new number is 131257.

Tax Deductible DonationsAll financial donations to the Kalamazoo

Dream Center are tax-deductible.