The Allentown Rescue Mission is restarting its Make-and-Serve Program. It is now a Make-and-Drop. Before COVID19, the Make-and-Serve Program allowed volunteers to bring a home-cooked meal to the Allentown Rescue Mission and serve it to the shelter guests. The Make-and-Drop variation will still enable volunteers to provide a meal, but without the serving component.

It is simple to do: prepare a meal at home and drop it off at the Allentown Rescue Mission using our curbside drop-off. Providing a Make-and-Drop meal allows you to donate your time to a worthwhile cause while also filling the stomachs of our hungry and homeless men. Sign up to Make-and-Drop a meal by visiting https://www.allentownrescuemission.org/make-a-meal.

Your Donations at Work

The J. Toolan family is the most recent participant in our "Adopt a room" campaign. Jim Toolan knew of the Allentown Rescue Mission. "I was always aware of it. It was always something I passed by." When Jim and his family moved to New Jersey, they began donating to the Trenton Rescue Shelter for men. After their retirement and return to Allentown in 2004, they wanted to turn their support to a local shelter. The Toolan family has given back to the Allentown Rescue Mission by making monetary, food, and clothing donations.

Their most recent gift was adopting a room in memory of their son, Jimmy Toolan, who passed away in an auto accident at 16 years of age. The Toolans say that this is the right way for his memory to live on. The Toolans chose to adopt a room because they know of the excellent work the Allentown Rescue Mission does. "The Allentown Rescue Mission is a helping hand to a man who is down and out, with no questions asked," say the Toolans. "We believe we all have a responsibility to support charitable organizations, and I know the Allentown Rescue Mission would benefit from my family helping."

We want to thank the J. Toolan family for their gracious donation. To adopt a room of your own, visit https://www.allentownrescuemission.org/sponsor-a-room.

What We Need Most

Summer brings sun and fun, but it also brings more needs for the Allentown Rescue Mission. This summer, consider donating some of our needed items to help our Men stay hydrated, safe, and healthy, as they work outside on the Clean Team and strive to improve their overall health. Some of the items we need include:

To see a complete list of items, visit our website or visit our Amazon Wish List.

Lives Changed

Ashley grew up selling drugs, hustling, and fighting over territory on the streets of New York. As an adult, Ashley cleaned up his act, but still lived a life of selfishness.

In the summer of 2019, Ashley's life drastically changed. He lost his job and broke up with the woman with whom he was living. He was 43 and homeless. To compound Ashley's heartache, he was no longer able to see his 2-year-old son. Without money and homeless, Ashley came to the Allentown Rescue Mission and enrolled in the Allentown Rescue Mission's Transformation Program. Through the power of Jesus Christ, Ashley's life began to change. Through the Transformation Program, Ashley now has peace of mind and heart that he never experienced before. Ashley says that he feels like he now has a purpose in his life, and his Mission is to help others, not just himself.

Since his graduation from the Transformation Program, Ashley has been employed on the Clean Team. As of March 2020, Ashley's Clean Team assignment has shifted to Program Associate in the Emergency Shelter. He works directly with men coming off the street. Once being in their shoes, Ashley has a unique insight and love for the men he is serving. Ashley is making a difference and is helping rescue, restore, and rehabilitate lives.

Read more stories like this on our Changed Lives blog.

News and Events

There is now a chance for your money to go further than ever, through the #HalfMyDAF matching-grant challenge.

Right now, non-profits like ours stand ready to perform much more impactful work for the community. Meanwhile, over $120 billion sits unused in Donor Advised Funds and community foundations across the country. The #HalfMyDAF challenge aims to put these charitable dollars to work right now, when and where it is needed most.

When you commit to granting half of the funds in your DAF before September 30th, it gives the Allentown Rescue Mission the chance to be one of the 100 non-profits selected to receive a matching grant of up to $10,000. When you donate through their website, you can then nominate the Allentown Rescue Mission for the matching gift. The more people who give to, and nominate our organization, the better our chances.

We'd love for you to consider a donation to the Allentown Rescue Mission.

You can learn more about the #HalfMyDAF challenge at www.halfmydaf.com, and you can make your donations on our website at www.allentownrescuemission.org.

Thank you for your support.

Employee Spotlight

Last month we introduced Sarah. She told us about her job and how the Allentown Rescue Mission helped her husband, David. This month, we would like to shine a spotlight on David and tell you more about his story.

David has been working at the Allentown Rescue Mission for almost nine and a half years. However, his first experience with the Mission was 14 years ago when he was a client in the Transformation Program. David says, "I view the work here as a calling first. Since I was in the program, I had a desire in my heart to serve the homeless and share the Gospel with them."

David's job at the Allentown Rescue Mission is to teach, counsel, life coach, and mentor the men in the program. "I am on the front lines," says David. "I love being able to be a positive part of their lives and witness the changes that take place."

David's advice for people when they see a homeless person is to pray for them. "Pray for them and direct them to the Allentown Rescue Mission. People can change. Homeless does not mean hopeless. I know that personally."

To learn more about what we do, visit www.allentownrescuemission.org.