Volume 11, Number 1

February 2008 THE BOWERY MISSION’S 1-800-BOWERY-1

www.bowery.org

RED DOOR
T r u e s torie s f rom t h e M I SS I O N : L i v e s c h an g e d e v er y d a y s in c e 1 8 7 9

“MOM’S DEAD.
NOW I’M
Laughing all the time
p. 2
IN CHARGE.”
17-year-old takes over responsibility for raising his two sisters
One morning, 17-year-old Anthony old sisters in the waiting room and snuck
hugged his mom and left for school. Later into her room. He looked at his mom and
that day, he got a phone call. said, “Mom, is everything going to be
“Come to the hospital right now, your okay?” She opened her eyes, looked at
mother is dying,” the voice at the other end
of the line told him.
Anthony was stunned. At the hospital
the doctor told him and his two young
sisters that
“Mom, is their mom had
been such an
everything going extensive crack
PART 1: to be okay?” user she had
“I never thought I’d be She opened her worn out her
homeless” p. 3 body. The kids
eyes, looked at had no idea
him, then died. their mom even
Anthony’s life has been so spiritually
took drugs. transformed and uplifted that he wants to
When Anthony was a child, his dad spend his life helping other people.
disappeared and Anthony took over the
role of man of the house. His mom always him, then took her last breath.
told them, “Don’t drink; don’t do drugs.” Instantly, the reality of what had just
She had been dating a guy the kids didn’t happened hit him. “Mom’s dead. Now
like for quite a while. Anthony suspects I am in charge.” Anthony knew if he
the boyfriend got his mom on drugs. told the authorities or went to Social
Offer new life: At the hospital, the staff told the kids Services, they would take his sisters
Easter Meal Ticket $1.59 they were too young to go in to see their away. He was determined not to let
p. 4 mom. Anthony left his 11- and 14-year-
(continued on p. 4)

This Easter, send a special gift to help young men like Anthony experience the resurrection power of God in their lives.

Leaving the Light On
A word from Ed Morgan, President
What does Easter mean
to the homeless?
Easter is all about the power of
God’s love over sin and death. But
for the people who come through
our doors, it represents the power
of God’s love and forgiveness over
everything else. Everything that led
to their homelessness.
One pastor I know likes to say,
“Everything sad will come untrue.”
Easter
represents that Your continued
power — the
generous gifts
power of God
make the
to eventually
make all practical part of
our work possible.
things right.
Yes, the Thank you!
practical
help is essential. Warm beds, hot
food, clean clothes, counseling, job
training and more. Your continued
generous gifts make the practical
part of our work possible. Thank
you! It’s this compassionate care
that draws people in and earns us the
right to speak to them about spiritual
transformation. That’s when the
real transformation can begin. It’s a
matter of the heart!
New life. Second chances.
Forgiveness. Redemption. Joy.
Purpose. Whether you are a
homeless person or a bank president,
we can all tap into the power of
Easter to turn our lives around.
God bless you this Easter season.
New Life
Easter happens here every day of the year!
Daniel says he has absolutely no desire for
drugs anymore since coming to the Mission.
“Once I was blind, but now I see”
You don’t have to understand God’s transforming grace to experience it
After Damon’s parents divorced when he
was 11, his life got worse and worse. Damon
bounced between houses, adults and family
conflicts. He hated it when his dad would beat
his mom, but he hated it more when his dad
would take out his anger on him. That’s when
he’d run to the railway tracks to hide.
Damon always blamed
himself for the conflict
“Maybe around him. He felt like
because I’m the black sheep of the
family, even though he did
praying.”
his best to get along with
everyone.
When he reached his early 20s, he gave up
and began to act out. He started doing drugs
and went wild. Sitting in a jail cell, he vowed
to change his life — but he couldn’t. He
In Their Own Words:
Real Stories from The Bowery Mission
No addiction problem,
never homeless,
Now he’s laughing all the time always self-sufficient,
Margaret was stunned
to find herself in a
Evidence of the Easter miracle is apparent in Daniel’s life
shelter. We interviewed
her on her first day at
The street life had been calling to Daniel why anyone needed God. That is, until he
The Bowery Mission.
for years. He started taking drugs at age was lying in a hospital bed with a heart
11. Gangs, violence and prison — that was infection and heard the doctors using words
Daniel’s life. like “dying.”
Eventually, he realized his life was “When I heard those words, I broke down
Part 1 of 3:
spinning out of control. He had tried to and said, ‘Okay, God, whatever You want,
get off drugs — but he was too weak. He I’ll do.’” “I never thought
wished he could control his temper — but
he kept failing. He regrets assaulting those
He says what happened next at The
Bowery Mission is really hard to believe.
I’d be homeless”
by Margaret
two police officers — but he just couldn’t He says he experienced the power of God’s
control himself. grace. After 29 years
I’ve supported myself since age 16. My
Okay, maybe his life was messed up, of drug use, he has
“Okay, God, family situation was very bad when I was a
he admitted to himself. But heroin, crack, absolutely no desire
child, so I left as soon as I could. I worked and
cocaine and marijuana were just too important for drugs anymore. whatever You
put myself through high school and have been
to him. His temper is under want, I’ll do.”
self-sufficient ever since.
Every time he came to The Bowery control. And he
I’ve worked taking care of the elderly, as a
Mission for food or a shower, a man named laughs all the time.
cashier, and for the last 10 years I was a nanny.
George would encourage him to come into the “I laugh because I’m so happy,” he says.
When that job ended, I had money in the bank
program. Daniel couldn’t really understand “I just can’t believe how God changed my life!”
and was sure I’d find work soon. I couldn’t
believe how much competition there was for
work. It seemed like I was competing with
30 other people for
every job!
It seemed like
Little by little,
my money was I was competing
would work for a while, make money, seem to
disappearing. with 30 other
be on the right path, but it never lasted. His
I thought I had plenty,
relationships with women were volatile. He people for
but it’s amazing how
had a child and wanted to be a good father, but every job!
fast it disappears.
had no idea what being a good father meant.
When I got evicted,
Until recently, he’d never seen any kind of
I put all my things in
healthy family relationship.
storage. Moved into a motel. Still couldn’t
After seven tries in rehab trying to
find work. I never in my life thought I’d be
straighten himself out, he was referred to The
homeless.
Bowery Mission.
Then the day came. It happened to me!
Damon says he’s found a relationship with
Me, who had taken care of myself for 30 years.
God here, even though he admits he doesn’t
The only thing Damon knows for sure is that his Me, who never needed anything from anyone.
really understand much about the Bible or
life is changing. Me, with all my street smarts. I had to face
all the spiritual components of The Bowery
sleeping in my car or going to a shelter!
programs. All he knows for sure is that his because I’m praying,” he says.
How does it feel to be in that situation? I’ll
life is changing. For the first time, he can see We’re praying, too. If you think about it,
tell you …
hope and a new way of living. maybe this Easter you can say a prayer for
“Once I was blind, but now I see — maybe Damon, too. Thank you. Part 2: What is it like to be on the streets?
 loss, he gave up. When he got evicted, his

IMMEDIATE
“Mom’s dead. Now I’m ...” girlfriend suggested moving to New York
continued from p. 1 to make a new start.

NEEDS
They started their NewYork adventure
them fall into the foster care system. in a family shelter. The next day they
Between his jobs at the grocery store were referred to The Bowery Mission for
and the gas station, Anthony could barely some clothes. While they were waiting in
afford the small apartment he and his two the Mission chapel, Pastor Reggie came Cold weather gear
younger sisters moved into. He walked up to Anthony and said, “Son, you need Coats, sweaters,
to be in this program.” boots, hats, gloves
Between his jobs at the grocery Those words kept ringing in

store and the gas station,

Anthony’s ears, even as Anthony and his
girlfriend returned to the small shelter.
Interview clothes
Suits, ties, dress shoes,
Anthony could barely afford the When he woke up the next morning,
dress shirts
small apartment he and his two she was gone — and so was the rest of
younger sisters moved into.
his money.
Without a cent, he had no way to get Tutors
to The Bowery Mission. Then he looked For the Career Center
them to school every morning and made in his wallet and found two one-dollar Register online at
sure they stayed indoors when he had to bills folded in a seam. Just enough for a www.bowery.org
work nights. subway ticket!
or call 1-800-BOWERY-1.
As the years went by, his stress and Four and a half months later, Anthony
anger mounted. He was angry at his mom
for dying. His responsibilities weighed on
feels like he’s a new person. For the first
time in his life, he is surrounded by adults Thank You!
him. He went from one bad relationship who care for him. He is slowly healing
to another trying to find some comfort. and letting go of his anger. And he has
By the time his sisters graduated from been spiritually transformed. His life has
high school, they no longer wanted to be been so uplifted he is considering making
around him. They moved out. his life’s work helping other people.
Bouncing between states of angry “Easter means love, compassion and 227 Bowery, New York, NY 10002
1-800-BOWERY-1
outbursts and a depressed, hopeless daze, showing integrity for one another,” he Ed Morgan, President
Anthony wandered from job to job, says. “Easter, like my life, is proof that
girlfriend to girlfriend. With his last job God is awesome!”
To donate online
visit our website: www.bowery.org

The Bowery Mission is a member of the Christian Herald Association.

Ed, I’ve heard the chance for a q $15.90 to feed 10 hungry people.
new life often begins with one meal. q $31.80 to feed 20 hungry people.
Use my gift to provide nutritious q $79.50 to feed 50 hungry people.
meals and God’s hope to hungry q $_______ to feed and care for
New Yorkers. I’ve enclosed:
hungry people.
Name_____________________________________________________ Thank you! Please mail your tax-deductible check
with this meal ticket to: The Bowery Mission,
Address __________________________________________________ Murray Hill Station, P.O. Box 2000, New York, NY
10156-1999. Questions? Call us at 1-800-BOWERY-1.
www.bowery.org
City ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
State _____________________________ ZIP ___________________

E-mail _____________________________________ o Home o Office