InAsMuch Ministry

SUNDAY UPDATE FROM MARY ANN!!

“Good Morning!

We will be closed on October 5th and 7th for training.

We have an individual who has been to IAM and is now one of our representative payee clients. He told us last week that he has never been treated with such "kindness" (his word) than from everyone he has met at IAM. He said coming in the building helps him feel calm and at peace. He is feeling the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Shirley, the Director of Just Neighbors, and I are still trying to work through our partnership to try to ease some of the evictions. We both are working on funding to be able to stop the evictions. According to the latest study on Indiana, in Fort Wayne, there is a $2.64 difference in hourly wages and the wage needed to rent an apartment. Additionally, as we are almost to the 4th quarter (can you believe it), many of the parishes are out of funding until January. Please pray that both Shirley and I receive the funding we have requested.

Our Circles fundraiser is October 3rd. Golf in the morning, but an event in the evening to hear about Circles; what we do; and to hear from individuals whose lives have been changed. Please share this with your networks. This fundraiser is how we keep Circles going. There is no other funding, and given the economy right now, people need this program more than ever.

Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to step into the housing space. We feel the Lord leading us, and He continues opening doors for us. The number one cause of homelessness in the United States (and Fort Wayne) is lack of affordable housing-that includes all the rules associated with government housing and the lengthy wait lists. If someone is housed, the goal is to keep them housed.

Thank you all again for coming so faithfully into this messy, often dark, often nonsensical, often discouraging space. We know the Lord is with us every single day-as difficult as it can be.

MA”

Mary Ann’s Sunday Update:

“This week our next intern begins! Her name is, and I am not sure how many hours she will be with us; Emily and I want her to also see Circles on Monday night.

We have now housed 208 people. The last one was an elderly woman who was living in her car in the parking lot of a Kroger. She ended up there not because she was schizophrenic or addicted; but because a series of very bad things happened to her and she didn't know where to go. Thank God she found us. She would have died in that car. She is now housed.

We are going to close on October 5 and 7 for training. We try to do this in September, but we are at the middle of the month, so we pushed it to the first week of October. Pastor Symps and Pastor Ryan will be joining us as well. We will have snacks, and review policies and how to and any updates to our system.

Circles starts tomorrow night, but if you see someone you think could benefit, please let me know.

We are still looking for simple recipes and we would love it if you could also share a favorite verse or poem or quote or note of encouragement that would be great. We want this to be a book of "community" for them.

Our golf outing is October 3rd so if you know anyone who golfs, please let me know. We will also have an event in the evening for anyone who does not golf.

Our next Forgotten Stones event is November 20th. This was all Brandi's genius idea-we are having a live art show. How fun is that? We have artists lined up to "create" while people watch; we will have a photo booth; a poet; and Brittney will be answering questions about housing. Oh and food. We will have more info as we move forward. Brandi kept describing what she could see to us; and then when she went to check out the venue-it was exactly the way she described it-a Big God Story!

On Friday, I spoke at the Inspire Conference. People I did not even know came up to me to thank us for what we do. Denita Washington, Adams Township Trustee, hugged me and said how proud of us she is. She said all of you stepped into the messiness of homelessness not because it was cool or the new thing or to get money or accolades-it was because you do it for Jesus. She said you quietly started helping them, and that is why you are successful. People came to hear me speak who attend churches who support us to tell me how excited they are to partner with us.”

Inasmuch is NOT selling merchandise on Facebook!! I just received a text that someone is selling t-shirts, mugs, hats with our logo on it. This is NOT us. Please do NOT purchase this. We are trying to find it and shut it down.

So, Brittney Farkas had a brilliant idea! For the people we have housed or even people who have been housed a long time, cooking may be a challenge. So Brittney said let's make a cookbook of recipes of 5 or less ingredients (salt and pepper don't count), and we can distribute.

So, if you have a recipe of 5 or fewer you are willing to share, send them to us; with your name (if you want); maybe an inspirational quote or verse or something encouraging, or even where you got the recipe. We will assemble and distribute.

You can email to [email protected] or [email protected]
Or drop if off at Inasmuch if that is easier.
Thank you!

So we get to know a lot of people, housed and unhoused who come to IAM. One, in particular, has become very much a part of our lives and of IAM. He loves to draw. Last week, Ellen Sauer brought Adrian Guenther to day shelter to hang out and paint. Our friend, A loves to draw, and is very talented! Adrian drew our A, and he captured him. It just blew us away. Today A looked at me and said I like being at IAM; I feel safe here. I stepped away to cry, and thought about our name that Pastor Yawberg chose all those years ago: Inasmuch as you have done for these; you have done for the King. We don't always get it right, but when we do, it is humbling. Enjoy this painting.

Well once again I have been remiss in calling out our phenomenal partnership with the Downtown Improvement District! Once again, we partnered on our Pick Yourself Up Program. Look at this amazing group of individuals: Willie, Anthony (Manager of the Clean and Safe Team for DID ; IAM is a HUGE fan), Jimmy and Danny! They have been picking up trash; removing stickers and cleaning drains since April 1, and have done an outstanding job keeping our city clean and safe! Along the way, we have seen them grow in confidence; making jokes with us; laughing with us; jumping in to do things with no fear of reprimand or scolding. This program is absolutely incredible and life changing and we are so proud and excited to be a tiny part of it. Great job guys!

Today, a whole lot of volunteers took time to help us load over 3000 bags of clothes to be recycled. We hand carry the bags into the trailer and then people throw them up and place them. The clothes then go to be recycled so they do not end up in a land fill. Evey time we do this, I say I am done; no more. It is a crazy amount of work, but we keep these clothes from just adding to land fills. Take a look!

From a circle leader, this is what you could have to look forward to too!