The Past Year

This has been an amazing year.  This year we’ve been able to provide shelter for some of the coldest days out of the year.  And we’ve been part of a network of churches to shelter the outcast from elements of weather and society that would attack them outside.  Through a generous grant, we’ve been able to help folks get birth certificates and IDs.  We’ve been able to give the word of God with faithfulness.  We’ve been able to provide thousands of showers, thousands of sets of clothes and thousands of meals.  We’ve been able to provide opportunities for service both for those on the street and for other church folks who might not have an opportunity to connect with people on the street.  We’ve provided the opportunity for street folks and the mentally ill to be artists, to give of their talents and of their meager possessions. We’ve prayed and provided counseling for hundreds of people who otherwise might not be prayed for.  And we’ve been able to share love for those who both gratefully acknowledge their need and to those who spit in our face and throw our food back at us. 

In other words, we’ve been a church.  A unique church that ministers to a unique people, but still, a church.   This is what we are called to, why we exist as an organization.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this exciting year.  Thank you to everyone who will support us this year and love those people whom we love.   Please help us to help others.

How can your group be involved?

Help Stop Starvation Sunday:  

East County needs another meal on Sundays, or a place to host a meal.  Covenant Connection is no longer able to serve at Zarephath Kitchen, and they were the only meal on Sundays two times a month.  Covenant Connection is looking for another facility to serve, or if there can be another group that serves at 

Zarephath. 503-888-4453

Grow, Grow, Grow: 

Anawim has begun a community garden in its Gresham location.  If anyone would like to participate in gardening, building a greenhouse,  or general upkeep, please call Pastor Jeff  503-593-5379.

Keep a 25 Year Old Program Afloat: 

Anawim has had to reduce their meals at Sunnyside Methodist on Fridays due to a lack of volunteers.  If your group is willing to volunteer to cook, serve and clean up after a meal (food provided)  in SE Portland,  please let us know. 503-888-4453

Worship and Service Opportunity:  

If your church would like to share your worship and serve a meal to our homeless and mentally ill members, we have opportunities available on Tuesday nights.  503-593-5379

And please remember the needs list!

Transportation Volunteers:  

We need a list of people who would be willing to transport people to and from doctor appointments and social services appointments.

Bethany Rau, with Helping Hands

Helping Hands volunteers, sorting donations

Events

Prayer meeting for the poor in East County: 

Just before the KEY networking meeting, on April 25th, at 6:30pm held at 1st Baptist Church, 224 West Powell Boulevard, Gresham, OR 97030.

East County Homeless Community Meeting: 

Wednesday April 6 at 3pm.  The local homeless will gather to discuss what we would like to see happen this year. (19626 NE Glisan)

Anawim’s Second Annual Fundraiser: 

This will happen on Saturday, May 14th, at Sanctuary (formerly Peace Mennonite Church) at 19626 NE Glisan.  There will be lots to do and fun to be had, both in our location and on the internet, for those who aren’t local!

 

Prayer Requests

* Dion, Patty and Tim and Sam who are all seeking housing right now.

* Aubry and Richelle who are trying to figure out how to get their GED.

* The many Anawim who are looking for work, both full time and temporary.

* Our finances—We have taken on a lot more ministry and responsibility, but we need the finances to keep renting the buildings and providing food and opportunities.

* Our relationship with the cities of Gresham and Portland, that we might work together for the good of all the citizens of these communities: the homeless and the business; the mentally ill and the working class.

* The many churches who are working with us.  Pray that God would bless them as they do their own ministry with the homeless and mentally ill and support ours.  

"Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; 

   the LORD delivers them in times of trouble." ~Psalm 41:1

Links

* What is the homeless problem?   

http://guide2homelessness.blogspot.com/2006/06/changing-your-life.html

* Giving the right to living 

http://pastoralblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/right-to-living.html

* Do you have the right kind of people in your church?  

http://www.nowheretolayhishead.org/riffraffinthechurch.html

* Four ways to help the homeless 

http://christianity.about.com/od/faithinaction/qt/homeless.htm

Anawim Current Needs

This month for our needs list, we will be listing the things that Anawim always needs, all the time.  The last couple time has been needs of individuals, but this time we want to ask you to support our ongoing ministry with the items we need to provide the showers, laundry service, facilities and hope that we give every day here.

* coffee

* toilet paper

* oatmeal

* canned food

( if you don’t eat it, our guys probably won’t either)

* ground meat

* rice

* lentils

* split peas

* polish sausage

* spaghetti  sauce

* pasta

* Sugar

* Bibles (hard cover)

* shampoo

* socks

* men’s  clothing (pants 30x38)

* T-shirts

* garbage bags

* dish soap

* bleach

* colored copy paper (preferably pastel)

* laundry soap

Help For the Needy

Most people don’t know that we live in a third world country.

I don’t mean that ALL of the United States is the third world. But there is a third world section of our nation. We have people who live in slums, in desperate poverty, without adequate shelter or food. There are people who starve in our country, people who freeze to death, and people who live in tents. And on occasion people who live this way need help to live. Sometimes people need food to live to next week. Sometimes people need shelter so they don’t freeze to death. It would be better if they had the means to take care of this themselves, but sometimes relief work has to happen to save lives.

Right now, Anawim is providing a lot of food to those who otherwise might not have it. And we are providing clothes, sleeping bags and tents, to those who have no other means to get it. We really would like to provide a means for people to help themselves, and in time we will. But in the meantime, sometimes lives must be saved.

I was concerned the other night when there was freezing rain. We had two sixteen year old girls in our facility and the city was talking about shutting us down. The last thing I wanted to do was to send those two girls out in the freezing rain to fend for themselves. They didn’t shut us down that night and we were able to help them.

But there were other nights we weren’t able to help. We had freezing temperatures and we weren’t able to open overnight because we didn’t have enough volunteers to help. We had people with not enough clothes because we didn’t have enough people to sort what we already had. We also had volunteers losing sleep (literally) because we didn’t have enough volunteers to share the load equally.

I guess what I’m saying is that we could use some help. Live, in person help.

Below is a list of areas we could use some volunteer work. If you could help in any of these areas, if you are local and think you can do this, please do. 
Lives are at stake.  Please, this is serious.
by Steve Kimes

"There is no greater love than the one who lays down his life for his friends."

                                                                              ~John 15:13