Making Outreach a Priority by Natalie Trout

When I moved to Fort Wayne in 2008, I was excited to find an apartment downtown.  I thought downtown living would be fun.  My apartment had a great view of the city, and I was only a few blocks away from The Rescue Mission.  I was pumped about volunteering there and how convenient it would be since I was so close.

Years went by and I never once volunteered!  I even drove past The Rescue Mission most days. My intentions were good, but they were simply intentions. Once I moved to the other side of town, my good intentions disappeared completely.

In 2013 I moved to Uganda for a year where I was a high school English teacher for World Gospel
Mission. Sickness prevented me from returning a second year, so I made myself a promise that I
HAD to do some sort of outreach back in the US. I wasn't going to allow it to just be good intentions anymore, instead I made it a priority.

I began volunteering at The Rescue Mission in June 2014.  Serving breakfast a few times a week before work was rough, because it was early, but always worth it. I got to see a side of Fort Wayne I’d never seen before.  While my heart still beats for different nations I’ve visited, like Uganda and Nicaragua, my heart began to bleed for people right in my own community who are hungry and homeless.  I’ve been volunteering at The Rescue Mission weekly ever since.

God opened the door for me in February to become the Marketing Director!  Not only am I a volunteer, but now I am an employee, and I’ve learned so much more about the many opportunities for outreach at The Rescue Mission such as Charis House and Treasure House.

Charis House is The Rescue Mission’s women's and children’s ministry. In preparation for the Charis
House Gala in a few weeks, I have been getting to know one of our residents who will present her
testimony. She has blown my mind with her story. From a very broken past of abuse, drug
use, and other unimaginable things, God used Charis House to bring her to the Lord. She is now a
thriving 22-year-old who wants to be a minister.

There are all kinds of women like her at Charis House, women who will inspire you and move you.
Volunteer opportunities include serving meals, working with the kids or teens, working the front desk,
donating needed items and more.

Treasure House is the Rescue Mission’s thrift store and is really booming at its new location! This is the number one area where The Rescue Mission needs help. So many amazing donations come in, and it’s up to volunteers to sort through them, tag them, and get them on the sales floor in the right spot. It’s not working directly with the homeless, but it’s helping them in a huge way. The money that comes in to Treasure House funds programs for the homeless.

What’s really great about outreach with The Rescue Mission is that they are a Christ-centered nonprofit. Their vision is “to transform lives through the love of Jesus Christ.”

Do you have good intentions about volunteering or outreach?  Make those intentions a reality.
Talk to God and find out where your heart is leading you. Maybe it’s within the confines of the church.
Maybe it’s at The Rescue Mission or one of its ministries. Perhaps you should start a Bible study at your workplace. Outreach doesn’t look the same for everyone. Find where God wants you to serve, embrace it, and I guarantee it will bring joy to your life in a way you’ve never seen before!

I feel like many of us strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman, so I’ll leave you with this verse:
“She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.” Proverbs 31:20

For more information about volunteering at any of The Rescue Mission’s ministries, contact Volunteer
Coordinator Lorraine Williams at lorraine@therescuemission.net.