URBAN MISSIONS UPDATE

stories - family - missionaries - events - opportunities

February 2012

2012
The DWB Campaign this year has been more successful than ever. In February 2012, an army of 1,400+ volunteers walked every block and subway platform in Manhattan to offer every single homeless man and woman they encounter a hot meal and shelter from the cold...But more importantly, the Don't Walk By campaign gives the homeless an invitation to get off the street and get a fresh start. This is accomplished through our partnership with residential rehabilitation organizations such as The Bowery Mission and Brooklyn Teen Challenge. Such organizations offer placement in a residential recovery program featuring a Christian discipleship curriculum composed of one-on-one counseling, career, and educational training.
1400 VOLUNTEERS 750 (est.)PEOPLE ENGAGED ON STREET 425 (est.)HOSTED AT BASE CHURCHES 177ASSESSED BY RESOURCE TEAM 100 TRANSPORTED TO BED/PROGRAM 3 BROUGHT TO HOSPITALS 9 PLACED IN DETOX 88 TREATED BY MEDICAL TEAM

My Leadership Assessment Team. My job is to assemble and manage 15 program resources to help place people brought in from the streets for a meal and help and assistance.This team is represented by Christian Rehab programs such as Teen Challenge, hospital detox, shelters, etc.

Assessment team members talk with people brought to our table after having a meal and being encouraged by hospitality volunteers to partake of the available resources. 177 people were assessed for various placement options over the four evenings.

A record number 24 medical volunteers, (nurses and doctors), assessed and treated 88 people this year. We were blessed to have an optometrist for two of the events and a program that honored all the prescriptions for free glasses.

I was able to help Jan (above), get into a safe sheltering situation called Radical Living in Brooklyn. She is 69 years old, homeless and just cant nd a place to live that she can afford. We hope to continue walking with her in a process that leads to more permanent housing. Picture your mom or grandma in this situation. She was also pretty hardened but I kept reminding her that God was looking out for her in her situation. Pray for her situation and her salvation. Every encounter with a human being is another seed planted!

Luke 14:23 GWT Go to the roads and paths! Urge the people to come to my house. I want it to be full!

Above (right): Intercessor Pastor Mark Perria and a volunteer prays for a man injured in a mugging. He was assessed by our medical team and we sent him to the ER. Above (right).

See Page 2 for More!!

GAINS... AND LOSSES

Joe Benanti, (center), was
honored at our banquet last year as he helped nish the Relief Base building project. He tiled almost the entire building himself. More importantly he was going on the bus, fellowshipping with all of us on the team, and had renewed his faith. He was diagnosed shortly after Christmas with terminal cancer. He passed two weeks ago and was honored this past Sunday at a memorial service given by his sister.

Bill with Rina Almonte

We Need Your Support !

If you believe in this vital Mission, please consider being a regular monthly supporter. We are sustained by people like you who believe in the work that God has us doing. $25, 50, 75, 100, 500 per month... it all adds up to help keep us here! Heres how to do it! We have recently streamlined our giving option so that all you need to do is go to RELIEFBUS.ORG, go to the GIVE tab, and ll out the form. At the top, please be sure to designate monthly or one time gift in :Donation Type, and then in the space provided, enter my name HOFFMAN as staff designated support. Complete the form and submit it... thats it. Thank you so much for your support and being a part of our team!

I met Rina last year at Dont Walk By 2011. The Lord spoke to me on the spot that Rina had a missionary calling on her life and that she should pursue an avenue to carry out that calling. She recently wrote her story for me- here are a few quotes. I met Bill at the DWB 2011 Outreach, and I had never heard of the Relief Bus. We instantly bonded and he encouraged me to check out the Relief Bus. I got so much more that I bargained for! After working in the bus one night in Newark, and going to the diner with the team afterwards, I knew I could not just stay the same. The work of Jesus and our purpose in life should never be just when we are able to t it in. I immediately began planning a regular outreach schedule on the Relief bus in addition to my already busy life. I am eternally thankful to Jesus for putting DWB, Bill, and the Relief Bus in my life. My involvement has changed my life DRAMATICALLY and touched every area of my life. The people I have met and bonded with help me to mature and grow more productive in the Kingdom work God has given me.

Family Update:

Contact information

Steph continues to recover from surgery, and despite a scare is doing very well. Rebekah is taking voice lessons in NY and classes at Community College, and Lauryn is planning her wedding probably for September. Please pray for our nances and our support. Our mechanic bills are exceeding $5000 yet unpaid. Our mechanic has blessed us by allowing us to pay when we can, but 3 older cars have needed lot of repairs over the past 2 years. My car has been in the shop the past 5 weeks for major repair. And we would like to replace Rebekahs inherited car from aunt Helen with something smaller.

The Relief Bus 295 Walnut St. Elizabeth, NJ 07201 800-736-2773 Cell 201-832-3843 www.reliefbus.org facebook.com/urbanmissionary bill@reliefbus.org