Newsletter March 2004

Dear friends,

We have so much to be grateful for at the Open Door and Next Door. 

Homeless young people were able to take refuge in our homes for over 3,800 nights of shelter in 2003.  We were able to provide them food for three meals a day — over 11,000 meals.  The average guest stayed 47 days last year, long enough for us to get to know them and for them to make good progress.       

The job market was tough in 2003 but almost two-thirds of our guests (64%) were employed when they left our shelters.   

Guests with drug and alcohol problems (4 of 10 guests) made agreements with us for sobriety and maintaining recovery.  We held them accountable to these agreements.   We give thanks for the many, many months of sobriety and recovery our guests enjoyed during 2003.   

Guests completed intense programs to reunite with their children, got their GEDs, and saved enough to buy cars and rent their own apartments.  

We give thanks for new Next Door staff member Lauren Charlton.  Welcome Lauren!  And for Veronique, Next Door Director.  We have enclosed an article from the Kalamazoo Gazette about Veronique’s life story.  

We are grateful Vineyard Outreach Ministry was able to purchase its own building last fall.  We are now able to offer three rooms for rent at the original Open Door, 418 Ranney, to low-income workers who cannot afford market rate rent and who need more support and assistance than most rental situations provide.

We are grateful for all these blessings. 

                        - Rick Stravers

Our Sympathy

We mourn the passing of Terry Dowdy’s dad, Terrence Howard Dowdy.  Terry’s dad died unexpectedly in January.  There was a wonderful “homegoing” celebration for Terry’s dad at the Christian Life Center. Terry is a staff member at the Open Door.

Greeting Card Project

Card artist Joy Tigchelaar of Vancouver has created prototypes for 4 note cards for the Open Door & Next Door, one for each season. The cards are made of cut paper glued into designs.  We need help planning for volunteers to make cards based on the prototypes.  You can see the prototype of the Summer card on our website by clicking here..   We hope to offer the cards for sale.   Please contact us at 343-6064 if you might be interested in helping with this project.

Open Door & Next Door Will Be Included

in “Donor Choice” Materials

for 2004 United Way Campaign

The Open Door & Next Door Shelters has been determined eligible to be a Participant Agency for the 2004 Greater Kalamazoo United Way campaign.  As a Participant Agency, we will be listed in the campaign materials within organizations which have chosen to conduct an expanded Donor Choice campaign and we are eligible to receive donor contributions made through the GKUW designation process.  The Open Door & Next Door Shelters received $4,768 through the most recent Greater Kalamazoo United Way campaign. 

Join CROP Walk to Support

Open Door / Next Door &

Hunger Relief Efforts Worldwide

The Kick-off meeting for the Kalamazoo CROP Walk is Monday, March 29, 7 pm, at 1st Presbyterian Church downtown.  State Rep. Sandy Lipsey and Loaves & Fishes Director Anne Lipsey will speak.  We hope your church will send a representative!  CROP Walk 2004 in Kalamazoo will be May 16, the Sunday after Mother’s Day.   It’s a great opportunity to join others to show support for hungry & homeless people.   

“Nickel & Dimed” - Book Describes 

Challenges Faced by Our Guests 

This year’s Reading Together book by Barbara Ehrenreich portrays the painful, almost impossible circumstances of low-paid workers.  Hard work,  meager pay, out-of-reach housing, disrespect, mistrust, no medical insurance —  author Barbara Ehrenreich found she couldn’t “get by” on what she earned in the low-wage world.  We encourage our supporters to read this book to understand more about the extremely difficult challenges our guests face.      

We Welcome New Members to Board of Directors

Five new members joined our Board of Directors in February:  David Armstrong, Pastor of Bethel Reformed Church and engineer at Fabri-Kal; Rosalie Bohn, member of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Portage; Leona Burns, Bible Study leader at the Next Door and member of Open Door Church of God in Christ; Eugene McKnight who works at the new Felpausch in the meat department and is a member of Open Door COGIC; and Cheree Thomas, member of First United Baptist Church and manager of the Domestic Assault Shelter at the YWCA.  Jari Foster Pulford has been elected President and David Armstrong has been elected as new Board Secretary.  Thanks to all new and continuing members for serving as stewards of this ministry!

We are grateful for four years of faithful service from our retiring members:  President Nick Lam, Purchasing Director for the City of  Kalamazoo and member of Lakeland Reformed Church; Secretary Jane Givens, parish nurse and member of First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo, and William Spaid, Canon, Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan.  Thank you Nick, Jane, and Bill for your faithful service. 

Folk Concert Puts Spotlight on

Open Door & Next Door Shelters

Folk artists Joel Mabus, Kitty Donohoe, and Matt Watroba offered a very enjoyable concert on Saturday evening, January 31, at Chenery Auditorium.  A special focus of the concert was support for the Open Door and Next Door.  Thanks to Lauren and Maria from the Next Door and Mike from the Open Door for serving as concert volunteers.   Hearty thanks to concert promoter Kathleen Stockman for including us in this lovely winter event!

Shelter Needs

NEXT DOOR NEEDS

Please call 349-2119 if you can help with these needs: spiral notebooks, nail clippers, Recovery Bibles, flashlights with batteries, hand mirrors, humidifiers, twin-size comforters, 2 medium to large bulletin boards, tampons and sanitary napkins.

OPEN DOOR NEEDS

Please call 345-1431if you can help with these needs:  roof TV antenna, Recovery Bibles, 2’x 3’ bulletin board, basic medicines (not expired).     

“Thank you donors!” for keeping us going in 2003

Thank you for making it possible for us to pay all the bills for this ministry last year!  Contributions came to 1% more than our costs for the year.  We are very grateful to all who helped make this possible.  We have worked hard to hold down our spending.  This year’s budget is slightly less than last year. 

Don’t forget to claim your Michigan tax credit

for gifts to homeless shelters 

If you are a Michigan taxpayer, the Michigan homeless shelter tax credit will reduce the cost of your donations to the Open Door and Next Door by half (up to a maximum gift of $200 for individuals and $400 for couples).  Gifts to our Endowment Fund at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation also qualify for a 50% credit (the Community Foundation tax credit).   Couples who give $400 to our operating fund and $400 to our endowment fund for a total gift of $800 can cut $400 from their state income taxes.  Individuals who give $200 to each fund (for a total gift of $400) can cut their state taxes by $200. Businesses are also eligible for the homeless shelter and community foundation tax credits.  For more info, call us at 343-6064.