Building Hope

Volunteers from Northwoods Community Church, Woodland Baptist Church, and South Side Mission tear the roof off a house on Tonti Circle in Peoria last week. The group then put a new one on for a low-income homeowner as part of South Side Mission's Hope Builders.

Hope Builders, a South Side Mission program that gives free large repairs for low-income homeowners in the 61605 zip code, will do over 30 projects this year.

Last week was the program's major one week push in which Hope Builders volunteers completed 20 projects, including new roofs, siding, painting, and remodeling. All at no cost to the homeowner.

More than 75 volunteers from area churches converged to complete the jobs. LS Building Supply in East Peoria donated all of the materials--a more than $50,000 in-kind donation.

Why do we do this? Because when you put a new roof on someone's house that cannot afford it, it becomes very easy to tell them about Jesus!

Here's what the Peoria Journal Star had to say about the program...

Here's what WMBD-TV 31 had to say about the program...

Ministry By the Numbers - July 2009

Beautiful and not often seen Lake Helen at the back end of South Side Mission's Camp Kearney, accessible by kayak.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM JULY 2009

Decisions to follow Christ for the month
557

Average number of homeless women & children housed nightly
46

Families served with free clothing, furniture, appliances & housewares
596

Attendance in our Sunday School, weekly
51

Attendance at our RiverWest Bible Study
29

Elderly Services home, hospital or nursing home visits
46

Formerly homeless women moving out successfully
1

Food baskets given away at our RiverWest Satellite Office
35

Average attendance at the Lighthouse Diner
22

Food baskets given away through our Garden Street Benevolence Center
701

Food baskets given away at our Harrison Homes Satellite Office
51

Attendance at our Harrison Homes Bible Study
21

Attendance in our Chapel services, Laramie Street, weekly
44

Attendance in our Chapel services, Garden Street, weekly
324

Number of churches involved with our Adoptablock program
15

Attendance at our B’Nai B’Rith Bible Study
6

Pastoral care visits & counsels (non-elderly)
33

Kids enrolled at Camp Kearney
152

Attendance at our South Side Manor Bible Study
10

Hot meals to the poor
9,970

FINANCIALS FROM JULY 2009

Monthly revenue vs. budgeted
$241,739/$183,851

Monthly expenses vs. budgeted
$323,809/$315,952

Positive or Negative on the Month
-$82,069

Yearly revenue vs. budgeted
$1,402,356/$1,471,957

Yearly expenses vs. budgeted
$1,660,015/$1,738,193

Positive or Negative on the Year
- $257,659

Over or under budget on the year
$8,577 better than expected

We have several new records at the Benevolence Center. The poor economy is sending people to us in droves. We have a new record for food baskets given away at Benevolence Center with 701. We have a new record for families helped with clothing/furniture with 596 and a total number of people helped in one month at the BC with 1,297. Staggering.

The Board of Directors, Executive Committee, voted to approve Mission Mart Morton, to be housed in the Field Shopping Center, beginning in October 2009.

As part of our major push for more discipleship opportunities this year, we have added another Bible study for the community. This one in the B’Nai B’Rith senior citizen apartments. We have another in the South Side Manor senior citizen apartments, one at Harrison Homes and one at RiverWest.

Bickford House, one of the nicest retirement homes out there, now employs LaAngela Poynter, who has assumed the Head Chef position there. She, in turn, hired Daurice Figgers and Lena Mogged. All three are alums of the Culinary Arts Training School of South Side Mission. Also, Anthony Jones, an alum of CATS who was featured in our latest SSM newsletter has hired on with Embassy Suites. Praise God!

One evening at our Sterling Ave. Mission Mart, a customer literally yelled at two of our part time gals, with such force and intimidation that our staffers had to call the police. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit took command of the situation and it defused itself. Later that week, God touched this customer’s heart, and she came back and asked for forgiveness. Excellent!

“Otis” is one of Leanne Sommer’s favorite customers at the Knoxville Ave. store. Otis usually has a smell about him and very little money. But we serve him anyway. Leanne just happens to have a half price sale-every time he is there. He is too proud to take things free. Awesome!

“Marilyn” had become addicted to crack and she wanted to be set free. So she did something radical and walked up to a police officer and handed her drugs to him. She told him she wanted to be free from the chains that bound her. The police officer did not arrest her, but instead decided to help her. He helped her find us at the Benevolence Center. Marilyn talked with us at the BC, and gave her heart to Christ. At the time of this writing, she is fourteen days clean and is in the process of getting her children back.

Thanks for all you do to help those we serve. Drop me a line anytime to tell me what you think of this report. If you’d ever like a VIP tour of our ministry, let me know. Thanks!

In Christ,

Phil Newton, Executive Director