Summer 2005 Crossroads Mission Newsletter

8/8/2019 Summer 2005 Crossroads Mission Newsletter

1/6

By Myra E. Garlit, M.Ed., LISAC

Executive Director

The face coul d be

anyone. It could be

someone close to you. It

could be a spouse, a son, adaughter, a grandchild, or a

niece or nephew. It could be

someone you dont know.

The faces are here at the

Mission. Loss of jobs ,

divorce, separation,

domestic violence, drugs, alcohol,

gambling and mental i llness all can be

contributing factors to those faces at the

Mission.

The stat istics are startling. Women

and chi ldren at homeless sh elters are the

fastest g rowing population. Homelessness

and substance dependence are siblings tomisery and ho pelessness. I do not know

one family , one indi vidual, who is not

touched in some way b y alcoholism or

drug addiction.

We see these faces everyday. Most

important ly, we see tho se faces co me

alive with a spiritual foundation, hope for

a better tomorrow, and d eterminati on to

make the changes they need to make for a

better quality of life. Through prayer,

faith building, counseling, education,

vocational and occupational skill building,

and hard work lives are set back on track.

We are happy to be celebratinggradu ation in this issue. Graduations for

achieving a GED, completi ng one of the

programs, being reunited with family

members, restoration o f relatio nships, and

obtaining a home and job are the success

we see everyday among those many faces.

Help u s, help those faces see the hope

for to morrow and the possibility of

gradu ating to a better quality of li fe! The purpose of Crossroads Mission is to help disabled, disadvantaged and disenfranchised individuals and fachieve a better quality of life. We are a 501(c)3, Private Nonprofit Organization serving the homeless, needy and poor of County without regard to race, color, national origin, religious background, age, sex or handicap. (Alternati ve formareasonable accommodations available upon request .) We depend on the contributions of concerned i ndividuals and organizAll contributions are tax-deductible. We are a member in good standing of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. We pwith the State of Arizona, DES, Yuma Community Food Bank & FEMA. We do not solici t in front of stores or door to door. Preport any impostors to us immediately.News for Our Partners is a quarterly publicat ion for the friends and supporters of Crossroads Mission. We welcome comabout the content of the newsletter. If there are issues you want to hear about, please let us know.

Whos Face is it?

RESCUE

C r o s s r o a ds M i s s io n

is a member of the Association ofGospel Rescue Missions. www.agrm.org

News for Our PartnerNews for Our PartnerSummer 05 Crossroads Mission Vol. 8, Issue 2New Director: MakingCrossroads Your MissionC

rossroads Mission has had 8 ExecutiveDirectors in 46 years. Now the 9th

director for the first time is a woman,

and she comes to the position ful l o f energy,excitement and valuable experience. Myra E.

Garlit, M.Ed., LISAC, is that woman.On April 25, 2005, Myra was appointed by

the Board o f Directors as the new Executive

Director after Charlie Allen, the p rior Director,resigned for medical reasons.

Myra has been a part of the Mission since

1999, when she started as a v olunteer counselor.She worked exclusively with the A dult

Probation Office Drug Court outpatient

participants. She had been working for theYuma County Juvenile Court Center for

nearly 15 years when the Treatment

Directors position became vacantand she made the big decision to

switch careers. It was a big

decision because if I stayed atJuvenile Court, I would have just a

few years to retirement . If I moved,

I would add years to my reti rementage. I knew i f I didnt do it then, Id

never t ake the opportunity, she says.

Since then, Myra hasconcentrated in the improvement of

the Recovery Program by

adding evidence-basedservices, as w ell as

improving the quality ofthe organizationsoverall operations.

The change of

working withadults i nstead

of youth h ad

a big impact

on Myra. Working here has opened my eyesheart to the needs of the homeless and addicte

had worked with the addicted at my former job

but I did not have a clear understanding of thecycle o f addiction and the extent of the diseas

did not realize what a major ro le mental healthplays in homelessness. I was l ike so many

otherswhy cant they just get a job? I didn

know that the majority of them suffer fro m sotype of mental il lness. I didnt see addiction

as a disease.

Now, as the Executive Director Myra hasmade i t her mission to make Crossroads Missieverybodys mission.

She says, I have set many goals asExecutive Director but I want the

community to know what a good j

we do . I want the communi ty toknow that the Crossroads Missi

more than a soup kitchen. I wa

the Crossroads Mission tobecome a household name

where people know what

valuable resources are offereI bel ieve that Crossroads ha

been hiding its light under

bushel basket and its tifor the communit

see what we ha

offer in t he waservices and n

just to thehomeless. want the

commun

to know

Its yo

mission


2/6

Open 24 hours a day,7 days a week

Do you, or someone you knowhave an addiction problem?

WECANHELP!

We o ffer a comprehensive d rug and

alcohol recovery program that includesafe, monitored detoxification and

individual counseling. Call 783-9362

Ext. 22 for more information, o r visit uanytime, 944 S. Arizona Ave.

The Recovery Program

Page 2 Summer 2005 Crossroads Mission

WECANHELP!

At

41 years of age, Yvonneis entering into unknown

territory: this 7 months isthe longest that shes been sober sinceshe was a teenager. She is getting toknow the new sober and sane Yvonne.

Born and raised in Yuma, shebecame involved with gangs at a very

young age. They (the gang) woulddrink beer and smoke pot at amembers house where the parentswould let the kids drink and smoke.

Thats how I got started. I hadmy first blackout of drinking at age 11.It progressed as I got older. It never

stopped. The first thing I snorted, I

snorted when I was 14 - besidesmarijuana and alcohol, says Yvonne.

I did manage to graduate HighSchool and I even got a full ridescholarship to U.S. InternationalUniversity in San Diego, California. Iwent a year but when I came home onsummer break I ended up getting deeperinto all the partying.

At age 26 she got married andlater had a son. But, Yvonnesaddiction grew so much a part of herlife that she lost her husband, her son,

her house, her relationships with her family, and evenher dogs. Thats when she decided she needed help

and came to Crossroads Mission. By the time I camehere I had lost everything - even my own life. I wasscared. My mind was out there: not functioning. Icouldnt rationalize reality from paranoia. I went tojail and that gave me a wake up call. recalls Yvonne.

I decided to come on my own because I neededhelp with drugs and alcohol. I came in like a zombie.I was taking so many medications I couldnt evenremember my own name sometimes. I never thoughtId regain my sanity and that my life could take a turn because Id failed so many times before. Everybodyelse had given up on me and I had too.

I never realized that there was in small Yuma a

rehab that could help me. I couldnt afford to go

anywhere else. They took me in with open arms andtaught me the tools that I need to stay sober andsurvive, she says. I learned through the programthat God loves me and that He has hope for me.

Yvonne is currently employed and lives intransitional housing for women and her relationshipsare slowly getting restored. Her long term plans aresomething that shes still working on, but they includeher own housing with a place for her son.

Today, I have hope that I can stay sober. Ihave my friends here at the Mission and God. Hewalked me through the darkest hours and He is stillwith me!

I never thought Id

regain my sanity and

that my life could take

a turn because Id

failed so many times...-Yvonne

Yvonne:RegainingHer Sanity

A success story...

Saturday, August 20, 200Cocopah RV & Golf Resort

SHOTGUN START at 7 AMIncludes Lunch Re freshments Availabl

4-Man Scramble$1,000 1st Place Team Prize

Contests for:Hole-In-One, Longest Drive

& Closest to Pin

Cost is $50.00 per Individual or $200.00per Te am (Non Refundable)

Registration is limited onl y to 36 teams Registration Deadline is August 13, 200

Teams must have a minimum handicaptotal of 60

Indi viduals will be assigned to a team pto the event

REGISTRATION FORMS AVAILABLE ACocopah RV & Golf Resort Purcell Tire

Western Warehouse Red Pon y Feed Supply & Crossroads Mission

For more information call M ildred at(928) 726-0491 ext. 18

Proceeds to benefit:CROSSROADS MISSION

GOLFSCRABLE2nd Annu


3/6

You Can HelCrossroads &Get a Tax

Credit in 05D

id you know that you can rece

a state tax credit of up to $200when you donate to a non-profitorganization such as Crossroads

Mission?Thats right! Thanks to A.R.S.

Section 43-1088, a tax credit designeto help the working poor, you candonate up to $200 during the year an

receive this amount back from Arizoas a tax refund when you itemize yo

deductions. You do need to have pato Arizona at least the amount youdonate.

Its not to early to plan ahead foryour 2005 income tax return. You cgive small amounts throughout the

year. Why not start now? You canstart this July with a $40 contributio

Crossroads. Then, continue your $4gifts from August through NovembeThat will add up to $200 and youll

have the month of December left! Tmoney will come back to you througthe tax credit and it will go a very lo

way at Crossroads Mission!For more information contact Bi

Esmeier, Director of Development at(928) 783-9362, Ext. 19.

Crossroads Mission Summer 2005 Page

Ramon came to CrossroadsMission because he had to.After failing a drug test while

on intensive probation, he was placedin the Drug Court program. But,Ramons ways had not changed and hewas arrested the same week he wasaccepted into the program. I figuredthat the first U.A. (drug test) in DrugCourt Id get a chance, says Ramon.

That is when he was mandated to cometo the Drug & Alcohol RecoveryProgram at Crossroads Mission.

At the beginning, the first 2weeks I would tell them that I didntneed the Mission because I could stayclean on my ownI was wrong,

confused. I really did need theMission, recalls Ramon. I started tolearn. I surrendered. I knew that if Ileft I would go to Mexico or I would beput in prison. I knew that it would bemore suffering for my family.

Ramon worked hard to battle theaddiction that had consumed half of hislife. At the age of 14 his family movedfrom San Luis to Yuma and he beganto experiment with methamphetamine.As he puts it, he was trying to fit in.

That experimenting turned into a

constant drug and alcohol use that lasted over 15years. Ramon is now 31 years old and he has beensober for over a year.

At the Mission I learned to value and forgivemyself for my mistakes, my actionsto see life in adifferent color. I gained trust, he says. One of mygoals is to never, ever again touch that filth thatdestroyed so many years of my life and caused me somuch suffering. I want to live a happy and productive life and I want to get closer to God.

Ramon rekindled his relationship with God while atCrossroads Mission. He even started going to a localChristian church and was baptized for the secondtime as a symbol of his recommitment to God.

Now Ramon is self employed and owns acolorful food stand just west of Avenue C on 8thStreet. It is called Chagarro Chimichurris and he

sells lots of delicious Mexican food and traditionalMexican flavored drinks like horchata, mango, coco,and hibiscus waters.

Things are different for Ramon and he says thathe owes much of the change to Crossroads. Manypeople think that the Mission is a very low place and

its really not like that. If someone has a problemwith drugs, and theres many people who do inYuma, the Mission can help you change your life.You find a lot of peace in that place. Sometimes Iwish I could go back and take a two week vacation inthere and forget about everything and concentrate on

being better. Its a great place to be.

I learned to valueand forgive myself for

my mistakes, my

actionsto see life in

a different color.-Ramon

Ramon:Forgiven& Valued

A success story...

1100 S. Maple Ave., YumaM-F 8:00-4:00, Sat. 8:00-12:00

(928) 783-9362, Ext. 31

GEDThe Crossroads

Career & AcademicCenter offers avariety o f adult

education courses anservices, all free of

charge!

PREPARATIONCOURSES AND MORE


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Page 4 Summer 2005 Crossroads Mission

A spec ia l Thank

Y ou goes ou t t o

AVILAS

BARBER &BEAUTY S HOP

and GORYS

BARBER &BEAUTY S HOP f o r t he i r sup po r t

i n accep t i ng ou r re fer ra ls and

p r ovid ing f r eeha i r cu t s .

Top: Jo se & AngieCarrillo, Maria &Jesu s Avila. Bottom:Jesu s Carrill o &

Jesu s Avil a

An average family of 4 takes approximately 124 showers a month.

Thats 1 shower each for 31 days. At Crossroads Mission theamount of showering that goes on is amazing!

Just in the Mens Shelter our transient guests took514 showers in the month of February, 635 in

March, and 870 in April. Thats 2,019showers in the last three months!

But thats not all, we also let our guestsborrow our towels and we give them

shampoo, soap, razors, toothbrushes,toothpaste, lotion, combs, and

deodorant. We even give them a completechange of clothes i f they need it. Everything from

underwear, socks, and shirt, to shoes, belt and hat! In themonth of February we gave out 300 razors, 280 in March, and

310 in April. Thats 890 razors in three months.Though these figures are unimaginable for an average

household, they dont tell the whole story of the many thingsthat go on at Crossroads Mission since they only represent our

male guests. To get a complete picture we would have toinclude all the participants of residential programs such as

the Recovery and Renewed Life Programs and all the guestsand residents of the Family Shelter and Serenity House.

Thats why we want to thank you, our donors, formaking all the details happen. The next time you take a

shower think of Crossroads Mission and pray for ourmany needs.

Showers, razors & lots more...

Top: A man gets a towel, shampoo in a small cup, an

a bar of soap before taking a shower.

You can help!Consider donating items from our shelters Wish List

Toiletries f or men & women: Shampoo, conditioner Body soap Toothpaste Toothbrushes

Combs Skin lotion Deodorant Razors Feminine hygiene i tems

Cleaning & Laundry: Laundry soap Fabric softener Bleach All purpose cleaner

General Supplies: Towels Twin size bedding Toilet paper Paper towels

A special Thank You to

For their support and inclusion in

their talent search event.

CONGRATULATIONSto the Winner of The Next Big

Star contest!


5/6

Crossroads Mission Summer 2005 Page 5

KITCHEN FEB 05 MAR 05 APR 05

Meals 8,678 7,721 8,158

FAM. S helte r FEB 05 MAR 05 APR 05

Bed Nights 720 872 951

Individuals 48 55 51

Children 22 24 29

MENS Shelter FEB 05 MAR 05 APR 05

Bed Nights 1,845 854 568


RECOVERY FEB 05 MAR 05 APR 05


Graduates 5 7 5

EDUCATION FEB 05 MAR 05 APR 05

Students 67 92 85Hours Studied 792.5 818.75 880.75

GEDs

Serenity House FEB 05 MAR 05 APR 05

Bed Nights 251 275 259

Individuals 10 9 10

7 GEDs in the last 3 months.

Giving FEB 05 MAR 05 APR 05

Clothes 1,713 2,438 2,288

Furniture20 19 20

Memorial & Honorable Gifts

In Memory Of The Kind Gift Of

In Memory Of The Kind Gift OfBetty Hardy Charles & Sharon CraigEthel Colby Karen E. CampbellGeneva Thiel Charles & Sharon CraigHarold Sullivan Charles & Sharon CraigIda Warner Mr. & Mrs. Stephen ShadleIda Warner Charles & Sharon Craig

Ida Warner Mr. & Mrs. Clifford HamiltonIda Warner Richard & Cyndee PaveyIda Warner Robert & Frances FigueroaJoseph Schroeder Charles & Sharon CraigLawrence "Whitey" Bryce Deser t Lakes Hom eo wne rs Assoc.Lawrence "Whitey" Bryce Larry & Shirley NelsonLawrence "Whitey" Bryce Paul & Ruth MooreMaurice Sexton Julia KeithNather Vander Wagen Deser t Lakes Hom eo wne rs Assoc .Ralph Sherman MaryRobert Brink Charles & Sharon CraigRuth Ferro Charles & Sharon CraigVeronica Peyree Dale M. Levine-Lunt

CORRECTION

In Memory Of The Kind Gift OfCushing Lord Howard & Lillian FurrowEarnest Gorman Howard & Lillian Furrow

In Honor Of The Kind Gift Of

Alpha Delta Kappa Elizabeth MoodyAunt Ardalls Birthday James & Linda Burkhardt

Every effort is done to assure that all the names in thisMemorial & Honorable Gifts section are correct. W e apologize

for any errors that may have occurred.

Statistics for the Last 3 Months

...of Worship

The Crossroads Singers Perform at

the Yuma National Day of Prayer

Under the direction of Sam

Knight, Ministry Coordinator,the Crossroads Singers gave

their first community performance atThe National Day of Prayer on May 5,

2005.The choir, which is made up of

participants of the Drug & AlcoholRecovery Program, is one of the many

ways in which Crossroads encouragesnew lifestyles. Many of the participants

have never been part of a worship team

before. Now, they enjoy music, singing and performing. M

importantly, they enjoy worshiping and praising God!The Singers have had previous performances at lo

churches, and of course, at the Mission.


6/6

Visit us at: www.crossroadsmission.org

Contact us tohelp orforhelp...

NON-PROFITORGU.S.POSTAGE

PAIDYuma,AZ

PermitNo.110

Thepurposeof

Crossroads

Missionisto

help

disadvantaged,

disabledand

disenfranchised

individualsand

familiesachieve

abetterquality

oflife.

Celebrating45YearsofService1959-2004

P.O.Box1161.Yuma,AZ85365-1161www.crossroadsmission.org.783-9362

Ministry OpportunitiesChapel and Devotion Speakers,Special Presentations, ChurchEvents & Worship Teams

Sam Knight

(928) 783-9362, Ext. 35

Public Relations

& Special EventsFundraising Events, GroupPresentations, Gifts of Goods,Food, Services and Vehicles.

Barbara Rochester

(928) 726-0491, Ext. 17

Special Projects& DevelopmentFinancial Stock & PropertyContributions, Planned Gifts &Charitable Trusts

Bill Esmeier(928) 783-9362, Ext. 19

Volunteer InvolvementIndividual, Church & CorporateVolunteer Groups, Service Clubs &Community Service

Janet Ward

(928) 726-0491, Ext. 10

Career & Academic Ctr.(928) 783-9362, Ext. 31

Family Shelter(928) 783-9362, Ext. 30

Mens Shelter(928) 783-9362, Ext. 13

Recovery Center(928) 783-9362, Ext. 22

Serenity House (928) 783-5642

Gene DalbeyChairman

Charles CraigVice Chairman

Sarah LydickSecretary

Ralph WilliamsTreasurer

Ema Lea ShoopPast Chairman

Board of Directors:

Lenora WerleyChairman

Anthony Young

Atilio Giangreco

Bill Buster

Bonnie Bean

Caryl Stanley

Cassandra Carranza

Chuck Dodd

Cindy Rosandi ch

Dale Sandahl

Devon Howard

Francisco Galindo

Frank Irr

Frank Orendain

Jayme Clark

Joanne Stover

Margene Johnson

Mel Swanson

Mike Friends

Mildred McNeal

Paul Bensel

Paul Heebink

Stewart Bradshaw

Advisory Council:

2ND CHANCEFind Quality Items at a

Great Price!2291 E. Palo Verde St

OPEN MONDAY - FRIDAY

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Visit Our Thrift Store:

2ND CHANCE

RolleSchool

PacificAve.

Video

Store

Palo Verde St.

NWalMart

Center

To schedule a free pick upof your donations CALL:

726-0491Ext. 20

Chris Hoppstetter

Dennis Krill

Doug Mellon

Joanne Jett

John Wiser

Rev. Rick Seltzer

Tom Anderson

Tom Mannan

Documents

Summer 2005 Crossroads Mission Newsletter