2023: 100’s of New Faces Looking to Build New Foundations
Life Long Differences
This last year we have seen new faces and growth in every program. The last week of November reflected the 2023 25% growth as we served over 2,000 (500 families), 20 accessed resources at the Women’s Drop-in, 200 homeless meals and over and 75 at the community meal and Bible Study. Each week we also see families that have been in America for less than 10 days with little to nothing (and definitely not prepared for MN winter weather). “The people that feed you and pray for you,” is the Source brand. “I want to learn more about God,” is a phrase we hear in broken English often as a response to our hospitality and pastoral counseling.
2023: 25% Increase
Help Us Meet the Rising Numbers in the New Year
Source is effective and unique. We are reaching the at-risk and unreached while doing things no one else is doing. Source also goes beyond meeting physical needs and empowers life long change.
Our Recovery Resource and Spiritual Formation Programs provide the components that go from “Enabling with just physical needs today” to “Empowering foundations for lifelong change.”
Case Workers, Mentoring Groups, Women’s Drop-In, Teen Internships, Residential Supportive Housing, Homeless Meals, Homeless Youth Outreach, Latino Family Outreach, ESL, Healthy Cooking Class, Community Meals, Alpha, & Spiritual Formation programs.
Each new face is looking to make a break from the past and build a new foundation for the future. Please consider a Year End gift and/or a pledge for 2024.
Thank you for your prayers and support.
Source provides over $2.5 Million of food relief annually on a food shelf budget of one tenth (less than $250,000). We have been able to do that because of programs like the Rescue Truck that has provided over $60,000 of meat annually. Food shelves often are dominated by processed and non-perishables with long shelf lives. Providing positive calories, protein, and fresh produce are a challenge, but important in our commitment to serve the poor with dignity.
Please consider a year end gift to be help make up for this in 2024.
Want to give of your time this Christmas season? Contact us to help with a food distribution, Dec 20, 27 or January 3. (2-hour shifts starting at 11 AM through 7 PM)
Toys for Tots give-away is on Dec 22 & 23 Contact us for hours.
Latino Family Outreach – The Harvest is Plentiful
Latinos in the Twin Cities represent the poorest of the poor. They are in great need but also spiritually hungry. Our weekly Bible study and Sunday church plant seems to grow each week. At the end of November we saw 75 at weekly Bible Study.
Pastor Fernando taught about why we give thanks to God even in difficult circumstances. One person commented, “This evening is teaching me to be thankful for more things in my life.”
This fall Fernando and Mally planted a church, Vina La Fuente (Fountain or Source in Spanish), with a vision of mentoring leaders and providing a spiritual home to all those we meet who are searching for hope in Christ. “We see faces from the food shelf, homeless outreach and Women’s Drop-In come hungry to learn about faith in Christ.”
Women’s Drop-In Conduit for Recover Resources
We have seen over twenty women in a single day at the Women’s Drop-In. “Thank you so much for being here!” said a recent visitor. “I really appreciate a place to do a load of laundry once in a while.”
Most at-risk women are in survival mode, only thinking about how to survive the next 24-48 hours. They also have lots of walls up and do not immediately trust others, even those that want to help them.
Homeless Women and new immigrants come to shower and get a change of clothes. Case workers and staff in accessing physical needs, medical clinics, shelters & treatment centers.
The Drop-In is a conduit for practical physical needs, Recovery Resources and Spiritual Formation. As they feel safe individuals begin to open their hearts. Some have never heard anyone express to them that God loves them and there is a real opportunity for a better tomorrow. “We pray together and they are relieved as they feel they have a safe place to cry over the difficulties they have been facing,” said Source staff Mally.
Krissie, another of our case workers, has helped with immigration forms, phone calls and other needed resources for many women. “Meeting physical needs is good, but a place to hear their hearts helps them open up and return for the next steps.”
Homeless Outreach: Food, Prayers & Tears
Homelessness in Minneapolis is five to ten times higher than 2019. Fentanyl addicts have become epidemic since 2022. Women make up 10-15% of the homeless and they often experience abuse.
“I really want to get clean and stop drinking,”
“Pray for my addictions,”
Source fed hundreds of homeless in 2023, going the extra mile with positive calories (protein), breakfast burritos, and coffee. Providing a physical need leads to spiritually significant conversations, vulnerability, prayer and requests for help, including rides to treatment. They also lead to rides to our Women’s Drop-in to access resources, case workers and deeper conversations. Most of the homeless women we see are abused and possibly trafficked. These Recovery Resources for the homeless provide Opportunity and Hope for the dire conditions of the homeless. Minneapolis City officials and the Police have requested Source Staff to help “de-escalate” some potentially volatile situations especially when encampments are dispersed. They have a confidence in our staff and the homeless individuals trust us.
Christmas and the Poor
One of our family St. Nicholas Day traditions is reading the book: Saint Nicholas the Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegemeyer. I am reminded that 20 years ago as a young mom when we first read this book about pastor Nicholas and his heart for the poor. His display of God’s love to them convicted me that I needed to start seeing the poor and asking God to put His heart of compassion in me for others. This Christmas season I encourage you to bring your needs to Jesus; He wants to meet them! And to ask Him to give you His heart for the poor.
- Associate Director Jessica Wohler
200 arrive on foot each week
Shuttle Bus offers Rides & Prayer
New Walk-In Cooler = Dignity & Effectiveness
New cooler (3 times bigger) allows the food shelf to be more effective, provide healthy calories and bring dignity to the poor. We grew 25% in 2023, Over $2.5 Million in food relief, 17 tons weekly presents challenges. Quality food and caring prayer help communicate God’s love & forgiveness.
Mark your calendars for the annual Golf Event on May 16, 2024
