For more information on our programs, events, ways to volunteer and give, please visit www.gcrms.org

445 S. San Joaquin Street ° Stockton, CA 95203 ° 209.466.2138 ° 209.320-2322 fax ° www.gcrms.org

To minister to the needs of the homeless of Stockton and San Joaquin County including individuals suffering from

addictions, without regard to race, gender, nationality or origin.

Catch

The Vision of the Gospel Center Rescue Mission

Newsletter

Our Mission:

March/April 2013

Meet Mission Guest Page 1 Mai Britton

73rd Anniversary Page 2

Meet Rebecca Goldsmith

Chapel Schedule Page 3

Join Our E-Blast List

A Note From Our CEO

(& GCRM Financial Update)

Tributes Page 4

Tax-Return Donations

Vehicle Donations

GCRM S.H.A.R.E.S. Card

Thank You And

Please Remember...

Inside this issue:

Celebrates

73 Years

On April 9

New Life Addiction Programs & Hope Housing

31 Men, 19 Women, 4 Kids

Life Skills Program 6 Women, 5 Kids

Emergency Lodging Program 80 Men, 11 Women, 8 Kids

Meals (For All Programs) 291 Meals

Clothing Room 106 Pieces

Representative Payee Program

495 Clients

Respite Care 1 Man, 1 Woman & Child

Gleason House Medical Clinic 10-13 Patients

Feb. Daily Program Stats:

Meet Mission Guest Mai Britton

Mai says, “If I was not in the program, I would probably

be in some nasty hotel, gaining more weight, becoming

more depressed - coping by eating more food.”

What was your family like? My single mother took pride in keeping our fridge full and me more than fed. I am an emotional eater. If I am happy or sad, I celebrate or isolate by eat-ing food. As I got older, I began to come home on the weekends, eat huge meals, fall asleep, wake up and repeat the cycle. I used to not be able to hold down a job because of how I have abused my body.

How did you feel about your life before you came to the Mission? I was very depressed, lost and suicidal. I was renting a room at the place I moved to when I left the Mission in 2009. I used to take the bus and pass the Mission everyday. When I knew I was going to be homeless again, I started to look at the building more as I passed by on the bus. I kept thinking, “I can do this again. I have to. I will do what it takes to get the help I need.”

How do you feel about your life now after being at the Mission? I feel that my life is progressing. I can see through the obstacles and face the new ones that arise. I don’t just watch life progress and unfold in front of me. Now, I try and be a part of the progress. I have been able to start to need people and to trust them. I am able to talk about my depression and to be honest with myself. I am willing now to take risks to make a change in my life. I have learned patience, faith, gratitude, and accountability. I am currently pursuing a teaching credential and hope to teach Special Ed.

What are you most thankful for? I am most thankful for the ladies in the program - I get to see them recover; for the children and their raw emotions; for the little things that staff and volunteers do; and lastly for the board members and donors - every decision and donation helps to provide for our basic needs while we heal and grow spiritually.

Donate online now at www.gcrms.org/donations.htm

he Gospel Center Rescue Mission celebrates it’s 73rd Anniversary on April 9, 2013. We will be commemorating our 73rd Anniversary in June 2013 with an exciting line-up of events that will be elaborated on in next month’s newsletter. This month, we want to introduce you to Rebecca Goldsmith, whose musical talent will be an integral part of our 73rd Anniversary Celebration Events in June.

Rebecca was born and raised in Stockton CA. As a child she sang and made up songs while sitting at the family piano. She began to write songs at the age of 17 using a guitar. Her style is influenced by an eclectic mix of Jazz, Folk, Hip-hop, Gospel and traditional Hymn music.

While living in Charleston, SC. in the summer of 2005, Rebecca spent time playing and singing her original songs on the streets of downtown Charleston. What started as a way of making spare change to live off of became an avenue through which she was invited to play her first solo set at a gallery opening. In the Fall of the same year Rebecca moved to San Francisco, where she once again spent much time playing guitar and singing on street corners. Through this she forged relationships with other street performers (some who were homeless) and began to play regularly at local open mics and gatherings. The open mics appearances led to invitations to play solo shows as a featured performer. The following year she was a guest on UC San Francisco’s College Radio station. The experience of playing on street corners has affected the way Rebecca relates to those who panhandle or are homeless to this very day.

In 2009 Rebecca became a member of a hip-hop/funk group based in Stockton CA. The band performed regularly at local venues around northern California. As the band gained popularity, they played the most popular clubs throughout the Bay Area and the Los Angeles area. During this time Rebecca also playing solo shows locally.

In 2011, Rebecca became involved with homelessness in San Joaquin County when she accepted the invitation of Gospel Center Rescue Mission Events Coordinator/ Executive Producer Benjamin Saffold to be a part of our debut benefit CD compilation of original material dedicated to the homeless called “The New Live Project-Songs Of Brokenness & Healing”. Rebecca wrote on three songs “What A Seamless Job You Do”, “Insecurities” and “I Believe”, and performed on two of them. This first benefit CD raised over $10,000 for the homeless by year’s end. As a result of this collaboration, Rebecca began to volunteer and learn more about the programs offered to the homeless through Gospel Center Rescue Mission.

In 2012, the Gospel Center Rescue Mission invited Rebecca to collaborate on a 2nd benefit CD. This time, the collaboration would be in the form of her debut solo recording featuring all-original material written and co-produced by Rebecca. The CD entitled “Moving Forward”, is a music statement that reflects the experiences on her journey from Stockton, Charleston, San Francisco and back home again. The CD, created with the clients of the Gospel Center Rescue Mission in mind, was recorded, mixed and mastered at The Press Recording Studio in Stockton, CA. During the time of the recording, Rebecca also fulfilled her full-time Registered Nurse (RN) studies at San Joaquin Delta College and her role as songleader at REACH Worship Center, where she uses her musical gifts to participate in weekly song selection, and songwriting. This Stockton-based congregation is a financial partner of the Mission and conducts monthly chapel services for our Emergency Lodge Guests.

“Moving Forward” releases in conjunction with Gospel Center Rescue Mission’s 73rd anniversary series of events to raise much needed funds and awareness to help ‘rescue’ the homeless throughout San Joaquin County from homelessness, hunger and addiction. Rebecca is scheduled to preview material from “Moving Forward” in events leading up to the CD Release Concert. We would like to thank Rebecca Goldsmith for giving of her time and talent to our 2nd benefit CD and we look ‘forward’ to sharing it with everyone.

For updates, please sign-up your e-mail address when you visit www.gcrms.org. Again, we look “forward” to sharing with you our upcoming June 73rd Anniversary Celebration Events!

T

Page 3 Volunteer Opportunities online at www.gcrms.org/volunteers.htm

Join Our eNewsletter List E-mail:

At www.gcrms.org, you can connect with us by "liking" us on

Facebook, "following" us on Twitter, learn about clients stories

and our programs on You Tube or entering your e-mail address

to receive our regular eNewsletters!

April 2013 Volunteer Chapel Schedule

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 GCRM 2 Bethany

Temple 3 Amazing

Grace

Ministries

4 Zion Untd

Reformed

Ch/Ripon

5 Freewill

Baptist 6 Light-

house of

the Valley

7 W.C.

World

Outreach

8 Stockton

Baptist

Church

9 The

Seekers

10 Stockton

Covenant

Church

11 Promise

Land

Ministries

12 Horton

Ministries,

Inc

13 Polish

Christian

Society

14 REACH

Worship

Center

15 Bethany

Christian

Center

16 Mich

Heights

Baptist

17 Amazing

Grace

Ministries

18 Good

News Chris-

tian Ctr

19 Bansuk

Korean Pres

20 Harvest

Bible

21 Ambassa-

dors For

Christ

22 Great

Valley Bapt

23 Faith

Assembly

of God

24 Hilliard

Chapel

25 Calvary

Church

Ripon

26 Word of

Life Church 27 Polish

Christian

Society

28 His Raft 29 Pntcstl

Ch of Jesus

Christ

30Lakeview

Assembly

Thank you for your faithful service!...

If you are interested in leading a Chapel Service, please e-mail events@gcrms.org.

———–————— Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, etc. at www.gcrms.org ———–—————

www.gcrms.org

Forgiveness is Paramount

After food, clothing and shelter the next most important blessing to be received at the Rescue Mission is forgiveness.

Food, clothing and shelter nourish the physical, while forgiveness nourishes the person’s spiritual, psychological and social wellbeing. Without forgiveness life is rarely worth living.

Clients need to experience the forgiveness of God, forgiving themselves and being forgiven. Forgiveness raises the terrible clouds of doom and lets the sunshine of love into an addict’s life. Cleansing occurs. Hope returns. Things seem possible again, that were long ago dismissed as impossible or not worth the effort.

Like every Christian I am personally grateful for forgiveness, especially spiritual forgiveness in my own life.

The Rescue Mission client’s first need for forgiveness is usually expressed in their need to seek forgiveness from a wronged relative or to be able to forgive themselves. In the process they discover forgiveness originates with God.

The greatest revelation is to learn that God in Christ has already forgiven them. All that remains is to accept it. The next revelation is realizing that if God can forgive me, and all of my past, perhaps I can forgive myself and forgive others. Perhaps those I have hurt can even forgive me.

So, you can see that forgiveness opens the floodgates. The dirtiness of a person’s past flows away; ultimately into the deepest part of the oceans, never to be resurrected again by God in Christ or by obedient fellow Christians, and often by significant others in the addict’s life.

The first cycle of change is complete. A new life is begun!

A Happy Easter to you and your loved ones!

~ William R. “Bill” Brown, CEO

Bill Brown, CEO

February 2013 Year-To-Date Income & Expenses

www.gcrms.org

Remember a loved one or honor their birthday,

anniversary, etc. by donating a

gift in their name to the

Gospel Center Rescue Mission.

Please call (209) 320-2311 if you

have questions.

Up-to-date information is always available online at www.gcrms.org Page 4

Please ask your family, office or small group to collect the following items for the homeless. Thank you!

April Foot Powder & Diapers May Feminine Hygiene & Shampoo June Toilet Tissue

Questions? Call 209.320.2311

Clients’ continued success in their recovery

Our financial needs

Safety, wisdom, & strength for staff, volunteers & Board Members

Go to www.gcrms.org and click the “Donate Now” Button

at the top of the homepage to donate using

Prayer Requests

Donate Online Now

Monthly Mission Needs

THANK YOU AND PLEASE REMEMBER...

Memorial Gifts

In Memory Of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Gift From

Huw Watkins R. & A.M. Watkins

Will Moret Celia Moret

Fred & Adeline Quilantang Ross Rowley

Lucy A Brown James T Brown

Rufus Helen M Davis

Ted Flowers Joan Flowers

Otho Rock Virginia Rock

Binie Den Dulk Stephen & Helen Landreth Ann & Hent Goorhuis

Anita & Alejo Moreno Henry Moreno

Fina Kooiman Lawrence & Anne Meade

Warren & Bobbie Coburn Thomas & Janet Beck

Cecila Hobin Victor C Wykoff, Jr

Donald Paauw, MD Mr & Mrs Marvin Den Dulk

73rd Anniversary Celebration Events

Have Moved From The Month Of April To June!

More information to come soon!

Got Questions?

Visit www.gcrms.org/events.htm, call 209.320.2311 or e-mail events@gcrms.org. Thanks!

Save These Dates

Cars, Trucks, Livestock, Property or Stock Donations

Are Also Tax-Deductible!

or

Honorarium Gifts

In Honor Of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Gift From

Tony & Effie Visser Tony & Julie Visser, Jr

Binie Den Dulk Ann & Hent Goorhuis

Leslie James Finch

DONATE YOUR TAX RETURN:

In light of the Mission’s need and

desire to expand our program staff

so that we can allow more homeless

men, women and children into our

long-term care programs,

please consider donating a portion of

your tax return as a tax-deductible

charitable donation to the Mission.

For Annual Giving Receipts,

please call (209) 320-2313. Thank you!

VEHICLE DONATIONS NEEDED:

Our truck that we use to pick up donations

is old and worn down.

New(er) Truck Specifications: Diesel truck, with a

14 - 16ft van with lift gate.

Also, the vehicles that we use for administrative purposes and to

transport clients need replacement.

Vehicles can be donated for a true market value tax-deduction.

If you are interested in donating a vehicle, please contact Mike Viss at (209) 320-2309.

"You can raise funds for us with every purchase at any Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Food Maxx & Lucky with every swipe of your specially- branded Save Mart/Gospel Center

Rescue Mission S.H.A.R.E.S. Card.

A percentage of your grocery purchase will be donated by Save Mart to us. To have one or more cards mailed to you at no charge, please call (209) 320-2329 and provide your name, mailing address and the number of cards that you would like.”

Introducing GCRM S.H.A.R.E.S. Cards