Winter 2004 Crossroads Mission Newsletter

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Winter 04 Crossroads Mission Vol. 7, Issue 4

News for ur PartneNews for ur Partne

During 2004 wehave been

celebrating ourprivilege to servethe Yumacommunity for so

long. But, lastOctober wasespeciallymeaningful to us atCrossroads Missionwhen we officially

celebrated our 45th Anniversary duringour 3rd Annual Harvest Festival.

Im privileged to be a part ofCrossroads Mission during this time.A time of growth and new chapters.From a simple soup kitchen in 1959, tonow a multi service social service

agency that continues to grow andmove forth despite many challenges.Yuma is a dynamic city that is

growing explosively. While this isgood for our local economy and theoverall quality of life for us residents, italso means that our homeless, needyand addiction-challenged population isalso growing. Crossroads Mission isproud to be here to lend a hand. Weare privileged to serve and to have eachone of you, our donors, as partners inthe business of rescuing lives.

Not much can be said that hasnt

been said before. To be a part of acommunity for 45 years is somethinghistoric and momentous. The Yumacommunity has faithfully supported us,and God willing we hope to be here tosupport the needs of this samecommunity for many, many more yearsto come.

Happy birthday Crossroads Mission! The purpose of Crossroads Mission is to help disabled, disadvantaged and disenfranchised individuals and faachieve a better quality of life. We are a 501(c)3, Private Nonprofit Organization serving the homeless, needy and poor of County without regard to race, color, national origin, religious background, age, sex or handicap. (Alternative formareasonable accommodations available upon request.) We depend on the contributions of concerned individuals and organizaAll contributions are tax-deductible. We are a member in good standing of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. We pwith the State of Arizona, DES, Yuma Community Food Bank & FEMA. We do not solicit in front of stores or door to door. Preport any impostors to us immediately.News for Our Partners is a quarterly publication for the friends and supporters of Crossroads Mission. We welcome comabout the content of the newsletter. If there are issues you want to hear about, please let us know.

CHARLES D.ALLEN, M.Ed.

Executive Director

Privilegedto Serve!

RESCUE

Crossroads Mission

is a member of the Association ofGospel Rescue Missions. www.agrm.org

Bill Anderson Does It AgainO

f all the fundraisers held for Crossroads Missionthis one is surely the most extreme!

We knew it would be so when we heard that W.J.Bill Anderson, a 78 year old master cyclist and longtime Yuma resident, was

planning anotherbike rideand that he had chosenCrossroads as the beneficiary.Bill had already bicycledacross the vertical distance ofthe country when he rode from theCanada border to the Mexican border,

but this time he wanted to conquer thehorizontal distance across the entireUnited States with his Ocean to Oceanride - and conquer he did.

On October 21st Bill was standingin the Atlantic Ocean, at JacksonvilleBeach, Florida after pedaling morethan 2,000 miles and crossing thestates of California, Arizona, NewMexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi,Alabama and Florida in 26 days. Thatday, Bill demonstrated the length hewas willing and able to go to bring

attention to healthy living andCrossroads Mission.This trip was not just about

covering the distance and raisingfunds, it was also a message ofcompassion, of striving throughhardships and of caring for those lessfortunate. Bills journey got nationalattention andrecognition: from local,state and national newscoverage by CBS, NBCand FOX networks;numerous newspaper and radio interviews; and evengovernment acclamation by the Department of Health and

Human Services Administration on Aging, who wasinstrumental in bringing additional awareness toCrossroads Mission!

Bills efforts have put Crossroads and Yuma on themap and has opened doors of collaboration betweenother missions, organizations and agencies throughout thecountry. His ride has not only brought us new friends

and supporters and relationships thatmoney cant buy, but he has raised funon top of it all!

Once again Bill, Crossroads Missiosays: THANK YOU!!!

Pictures of Bill and his road crew: 1-Bill in thAtlantic Ocean. 2-Bill fixing a flat. 3-Rick Ploand Bill before a day of riding in the rain. 4-BPeyree, Bill, Marla & Randy Barnby. 5-At an

interview. 6- Rick, Beryl Anderson (Bills wifeBill & Bobby Howard during interview.

1

2 3 4

5

6

Visit www.crossroadsmission.org for pictures and day to day summaries of Bills rid


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AT THE FAMILY SHELTER:

Each year the YumaCommunity

Foundation presents fourprestigious awards tomembers of thecommunity. This year,Crossroads Mission wasproud to have our RecoveryTreatment Director, Myra Garlitnominated for the OutstandingLeader Award. Myras positive impactin our community through the influenceof the Recovery Program was noted inher nomination. We, of course, agree!Also, Alex Montoya, a long time andfaithful Crossroads volunteer wasnominated for the OutstandingVolunteer Award.Congratulations! Crossroads Mission is

proud to be represented by both of you!

At The Heart of Yuma Award:

Open 24 hours a day,7 days a week

WECANHELP!

Do you, or someon

you know, have an

addiction problem

We offer a comprehensive drug and alcohorecovery program that includes safe, monitodetoxification and individual counseling. C

783-9362, ext. 22 for more information, or vianytime, 944 S. Arizona Ave.

The Recovery Progra

Page 2 Winter 2004 Crossroads Missio

And The Nominees Are...

Left:Myr

awhilesh

e

receives

theHeart

of

YumaNo

mination

Award.B

ottom:Myr

a

&Alex

enjoying

their

awards

.

TOUGHTimes

Rene Sonoqui is a Case Manager at theFamily Shelter. Over the years she has

seen almost everything. But, this summershe experienced something that she had

never lived through before: denying servicesto women and families because the shelterwas full. Weve had to turn people awayand put them on a waiting list, says Rene.

There are 12 beds available for womenin the Recovery Program; 14 beds for singlewomen, single women with children, andfamilies; and there are approximately 20floor mats that are spread throughout thebuilding for any overflow of people. Before,this was enough to meet the demands of theshelter, but now it is not. Reneacknowledges this when she says, We have

outgrown this building - big time!For the people who are turned away

Rene and her staff still offer free CaseManagement and referrals. We doeverything we can for them. We call otheragencies and churches and we try to find aplace for them to stay. Its tough!Sometimes they just wait on the streets, intheir cars, by the river, says Rene.

There are many reasons why familiescome to the Family Shelter. It is usually alast resort for many of them. There arewomen who come escaping from domestic

violence: husbands or boyfriends abusingthem and or their children; there are thosewho end up with nothing after livingthrough the devastating effects of an illnessor drug abuse; and many who lost their jobsand with it everything they had.

Such was the case of the Smith family(not their real name). The father had threeheart attacks and they lost everything. Themother has a mental illness disability thatlimits her employability drastically. They

came to Crossroads looking for a waget their five children, all between thages of 7 and 13, out of their temporhome: a crude campsite by the river.

The good news is that there areusually more jobs available in the wimonths. This helps people at the sheget back on their feet faster. For nowall we and Rene can do is our best. Trest is up to God. We trust that one dthings will be better!

Left: A look insione of the roomBelow: Rene &Little Joe. He hbeen living at thshelter since behe was born.


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Crossroads Mission Winter 2004 Page

Barbara, a single mother of 3 says,Ive had a hard life, when

asked to share a little about herself.At the age of 21 she got divorced andstarted using drugs. It wasnt untilFebruary of 2003 that she put a stop toher addiction after getting arrested andserving jail time.After getting out of jail Barbara wasdetermined to make positive changes in

her life and the first thing she wasgoing to do was to obtain her GeneralEducation Diploma.Thats when she came to theCrossroads Education Center in searchof a more promising life. After beingevaluated, Barbara was put on apersonal learning plan and was soonmaking progress. Id come twice a

week for about a year and worked hard!says Barbara. I finally got my G.E.D. onAugust 17, 2004. I was so proud of myselfand thankful to Crossroads Mission for all

their help!

Now, Barbara is opening doors to abetter life because of her G.E.D. After justthree months of employment at a local fastfood restaurant, Barbaras skills werenoticed and she was promoted to SwingManager. Her education achievement,however, gave her the confidence sheneeded to ask for a pay increase. She wasvery pleased when she learned that she didget it in the amount of $1.00 more per hour.

Barbara has only been with thecompany for 7 months and already shesreceived another raise. Since her G.E.D.she has increased her hourly pay by $1.50!

Barbara has been clean and sober foralmost two years now and she is sure thather G.E.D. will continue to help her inopening bigger doors in her future.

I feel very good about myself. I knowI can do anything I set my mind to and nowI want a store for myself. I want to be aGeneral Manager!

Barbara still comes to the Education

Center but its only to visit.

Quilt Specifics:

Queen Size: 86 W x 104 L

9 patches are machine pieced

Flowers are hand appliqud

Quilt is hand quilted

TICKETS: $1.00 each or

6 for $5.00Drawing: January 22, 2005at the Civic Center at 4 PM

All proceeds will be donated to

Crossroads Mission.

The Desert Lily Quilters, Inc. is proud to present

The 2005 Opportunity Quilt:Floral Fantasy

I feelvery goodaboutmyself.I knowI can doanythingI set my

mind to- Barbara T.

CROSSROADSEDUCATIONC

ENTER

Opening DoorsThrough a G.E.D. From WalkingDeadto a newTalking HeartBy ANGEL H.

Kitchen Supervisor

The life I knew

prior to

Crossroads was

filled with work

and alcohol. A

cycle of filling a void with all that I kn

at that time.

My mother expressed that she fe

her child was walking dead, and in an

odd sort of way I guess I was, at least

dead inside. At some point in the

Crossroads Recovery Program a mira

started in me that brought to me a

rebirth. My heart started talking to m

I didnt ask for my heart to talk to me

but it did. I guess you could call it a

God thing, thats the only way I can

explain it. The longer Im around

Crossroads Mission the more my hea

speaks and the more I find myself

following my heart.

At first this change was scary to

me. I was never one to express my

feelings: the life I was accustomed to

related feelings to weakness. I dont f

the loneliness now that I once tried to

with work and alcohol. Even in the

darkest of places I can feel Gods

warmth.

I cant explain why he is saving

of all people. Ive learned that He diefor my sins through studying the Bible

but at first I didnt understand why. I

studied the Bible before and it was

merely words, now it is making more

sense to me. I once lived a life of

emptiness. At Crossroads, my heart

opened, my emptiness filled, and my

loneliness has been lifted. The chang

makes sense when I listen to my heart

I find myself now employed at

Crossroads. This blessing has allowe

for my heart to sing even louder.For more information call Mildred at (928) 726-0491, ext. 18

Enter

ToWin

!

In His Own Words...


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Page 4 Winter 2004 Crossroads Missio

You Can Receive an Arizona Tax Credit of Up to $20

It wont be long before we start filing our 2004 taxes. Remember that A.R.S. Section 43-1088,designed to help the working poor, is still in place. This allows you to donate up to $200 to

Crossroads Mission and declare it as a tax credit on your state taxes and the usual deduction on your federaltaxes. This applies as long as youve given at least this amount in recent years to charitable, non-profitorganizations. If you itemize your deductions and youve paid Arizona withholding equal to the amount ofyour donation to us your state tax refund will include the figure you donated. So plan ahead by donating toCrossroads Mission!

In 2003, 38 people donated to us pursuant to A.R.S. Section 43-1088. Help us double that number by

taking advantage of this tax credit in 2004. Remember the deadline: December 31, 2004.BILL ESMEIEDirector of Develop

TAX CREDIT DONATION CARD

Participants Name: _______________________________________________________ Social Security # ____________________ Last Name First Name MI (For Tax Recor

Address: _______________________________________ City, State, Zip: ______________________ Phone # _______________

Participating donations will be used for covering general expenses of Crossroads Mission, a 501 C(3) organization. The maximum Arizona State tax credit is $200 peryear, which is determined on the base you established previously, in donating to charitable nonprofit organizations. These donations are pursuant to A.R.S. Section 43-1088. Donations must be postmarked or delivered to Crossroads Mission by December 31, 2004 to be claimed as a credit for this year.

Amount: ______________________ Check Number: ________________

MAIL TO: Crossroads MissioP.O. Box 1161, Yuma, AZ 85366-116

By JOHN H. -Mens Shelter FacilitySupervisor

Icame to Crossroads lost in life,

with a desire to get help and Ireceived more than that. I felt that

all I needed to do was learn how tolive without drinking. Looking back,

I can see that God was working onme long before I accepted Him.

It was only after reaching a bottomof not knowing where to turn, that I realized I truly neededsomeone. Crossroads was there for me. Many in the

Recovery Program were there when I needed them and theyhelped me up from that bottom. But, even then I was scared

to live without alcohol. I was carrying a weight ofprejudice, pride, and emptiness that completely blocked any

attempts to move forth. With the support offered to me fromCrossroads and the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous Ifound myself on a road with places to turn. A road of faithand a spiritual way of life that allowed me to feel whole.

Now, I relish the sunsets and sunrises as gifts fromGod. He did not grant me material possessions, take away

my suffering, or spare me from disasters I had coming, butHe did give me a good life, the ability to cope and peace of

mind.

I have been blessed in countless ways and it all started

with that turn when I was at a Crossroads in my life.

In His Own Words...A New, Better Road

On October 29thwe celebrated

our 45th Anniversaryduring the 5th AnnualHarvest Festival!

Each year, ourHarvest Festival getsbigger and ourorganizer says werejust getting started!

Over 300 peoplejoined us in thecelebration. We had awonderful birthday feast aswell as games andentertainment for all thechildren.

Special thank you goes outto all the volunteers whohelped and to everyone whohelped make this possible:

Saddles of Joy-Free horseback rides for the children

M&M Balloon Jump-Free balloon jump for the entire night

Yuma Drug Court-Free photo booth and bails of hay

Wonder Bread-Free cupcakes for thecake walkRamon Soto-Free delicious Mexicanflavored drinks for all


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Crossroads Mission Winter 2004 Page

KITCHEN AUG 04 SEP 04 OCT 04

Meals 7,083 6,981 7,053

FAM. Shelter AUG 04 SEP 04 OCT 04

Bed Nights 839 838 794

Individuals 47 55 45

Children 23 28 26

MENS Shelter AUG 04 SEP 04 OCT 04



RECOVERY AUG 04 SEP 04 OCT 04

Individuals 9 25 25

Graduates 10 9 10

EDUCATION AUG 04 SEP 04 OCT 04

Students 70 73 72

Hours Studied 1,092.5 845.5 663.5

GEDs

Serenity House AUG 04 SEP 04 OCT 04



5 GEDs in the last 3 months. 14 students awaiting results or taking

Giving AUG 04 SEP 04 OCT 04

Clothes 1,215 1,073 2,128

Furniture 22 70 72

Our Wish List:Education Center

DVD Players for new audiovisual learning stations

$75 scholarships for lowincome students to pay forG.E.D.

Family Shelter Toys for children

Jackets, Winter-wear

Blankets, sheets & pillows

Toiletries

Diapers & Wipes

Laundry Soap

Kitchen

Hams for Christmas Dinner

Pies & Desserts forChristmas Dinner

Fresh Fruits & Produce

General Food Basics

Memorial & Honorable GiftsIn Memory Of The Kind Gift Of

Betty Hardy Charles & Sharon CraigBill Jett Charles & Sharon CraigCharlie Dine Charles & Sharon CraigClaire Mellon Charles & Sharon CraigClaire Mellon Jon & Jacqueline TylorCushing Lord Charles & Sharon CraigDon Casey Michael FriendsHerman Saulters James & Linda BurkhardtJoe Hicks Lorene "Bab" HicksLester Weimer Martha Weimer

In Honor Of The Kind Gift Of

Ruby & Ennis Rice's R. E. & Donna Caffee

14th Wedding Anniv.

Every e

is done

assure

all th

names

this

Memo

&

Honora

Gift

section

corre

We

apolog

for aerrors

may h

occurr

Mens Shelter

Socks

Underwear

Jackets

Towels

Shampoo

Razors

Serenity House

Twin Size Bedding

Pillows

Cleaning Supplies

Recycling Center

Furniture, clothing andmiscellaneous donations

Free Pick Up, call:

Yumas Christianradio station KCFYcollected donutsfor us on Sep. 10 .

We received about120 dozen! (yum!)Everyone enjoyedthem, especiallythe kids.Thank you!

g{t~ l4 KCFY 88.1 FM

g{t~ l4 St. Francis of Assisi

A special Thank You goes out to all our donors. In the last

months we have seen a greater demand for our services and wewant to tell you that were grateful for your support. Yourdonations have allowed us to make a difference in the lives ofmany. May God Bless You!

g{t~ l4 All Donors!

726-0491Ext. 20

On time for thewinter! St. FrancisCatholic donated

about 70 jackets,15 blankets, plusmisc. clothing.Mrs. GrahamsConfirmation Classdelivered the itemson Oct. 31. THX!

Documents

Winter 2004 Crossroads Mission Newsletter