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Outreach
and ministry events
include programs
are aimed at "short-term" and/or "non-residential" solutions to many
of our clients needs.
It
includes special events aimed at reaching new homeless and needy
populations and outreaches to homeless families and children in the community.
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Operation
Warm Heart
Operation Warm Heart is an effort we
take on each year as an effort to help
those on the streets during cold nights...We have some homeless people
in our area
that for one reason or another refuse to utilize our services and
spend
their nights on the streets...During the winter...when the temperature
drops
in the 30's we take our truck around town to some of the areas in
which we
know these people stay...we usually have pastries, coffee, blankets
and
jackets to hand out in an effort to keep them from having difficulty
with
the weather.
To
volunteer, click here.
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Easter Egg Hunt
More
than 160
needy children participated in our free Easter picnic and egg hunt held at the Mission's
campus for women and families, Bethel Village on April 3, 2010. Volunteers helped hide
more than 8,600 eggs and organize a hunt and festivities. Kids collecting the most
eggs and special colored eggs received prizes.
 
Volunteer
for this event
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Annual Easter Banquet
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Each year volunteers help make Easter extra special for the
homeless of Bay County. Rather than providing meals cafeteria-style, Mission officials prefer to make
Christian holidays more exciting for clients and volunteers. The
Mission's volunteers decorate the Mission, and serve
plates one-on-one to the many needy people that join the Mission for these
special events.
More importantly, each year dozens of people
make professions of faith in
Jesus Christ during the chapel service before the meal!
Volunteer
for this event
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Family
Food Festival serves over 130 families again in 2010!!
Many needy children
depend on free and reduced breakfast and lunches at Bay District
schools, however when school's out, families often do without or
struggle to provide these meals during summer.
The Mission, along with
area partner agencies teamed up June 10 from 9 am to Noon to provide an information fair and
food giveaway at the Mission's campus. Families were able to browse services available to them at
agency booths. The Mission allowed them to shop for their food
themselves assisted by a personal shopper. The food was mainly
provided by the US Postal Food Drive.
This year 130 families received free food boxes
to help them get through the
summer. 45 volunteers came out to lend their hands. 31
agencies participated to provide their valuable information. We
gave out over 3,670 canned foods and non-perishables.
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Mission Clothes Needy Children for
School Through Klothes for Kids Program
Getting ready for school school should be exciting, but for some kids,
fancy jeans and expensive binders are just out of reach due to family financial problems.
Ordinarily, they don't have a chance to shop at the mall as other kids do.
Thanks to the support of dedicated volunteers and favorable response to
the annual clothing drive, we are able to clothe hundreds each year.
More
information, here
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Mission Hosts Interdenominational Revival Aimed at Needy and Homeless
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Join us this Spring in the courtyard for a time of
worship and fellowship at our Fall Revival.
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Above: Chris Godber shared
his musical talent with our guests at the last Revival.
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"Old
Rescue Missions have a heritage of outreach to their community thorough
street revivals. It’s a practice we do not want to let die here in
Panama City. It’s a
wonderful opportunity for outreach to the homeless and to our community.
It’s also a great way for Christians to exercise their faith
through joining the Mission in their quest to seek the least, the last and
the lost,” Executive Director Rev. Billy E Fox said.
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Praise God, He is breaking the
bondage of sin and setting captives free!
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Photos
by Carol Fox, who added:
"You
can't judge a person by what he
looks
like. Our clients can bless us if
we
slow down and just bring respect
between
us. I believe his well worn
Bible
in his hands is comforting to me.
I
look at him differently. He has a
mental
ill label but how does God
label
him?....I want to see our
clients
through His eyes...."
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One
out of Every Three Homeless Men We Serve Are US Veterans, According to
Recent Survey
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High Prices and job losses are leading some Panama City residents into homelessness, according to a survey conducted
in October 2008 by the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM). Hardest hit are single women with children, who made up 66 percent of the homeless counted in the survey, a jump from 55 percent in 2007. Locally, women with children accounted for 67 percent of the families served at Panama City Rescue Mission (up from 33 percent in 2007). Panama City Rescue Mission is a participant in the survey as a member of the AGRM.
"These are tough times, and people who often feel the pinch of the economy first are those in single parent homes," said Rev. Billy Fox, mission executive director. "Panama City Rescue Mission is here to catch people when they fall. We're thankful for the faithful donors in Bay County who make it possible for us to care for our neighbors in need."
The 20th annual snapshot survey of the Homeless, completed at 137 rescue mission across North America, recorded more women than ever before, 26 percent of those responding, as compared to 24 percent in 2007. In Panama City, that number actually fell from 31 percent in 2007 to 28 percent in 2008, still higher than the national average.
"What I find the most disturbing is the number of homeless veterans we counted this year compared to the national average. The national average showed 18 percent of the male homeless population as being veterans, while locally that number is 34 percent (up from 23 percent in 2007)." Rev. Fox continued, "Our community needs and we are considering more services for these men who gave so much to our country and our freedoms."
Overall, the mission has seen a dramatic increase I need in the community. Oftentimes, requests come from people who are on the verge of being homeless. Many come to the mission for meals or assistance with monthly bills.
"Fuel prices, food costs, increases in utilities and monthly rent, they can just add up," said Fox. "The Mission is serving more than 550 meals a day, when last year that number was just 350. We're finding clients who have been laid off from jobs and even day labor jobs are harder to find than a year ago. If the Mission can step in and help folks get through the month, we've just prevented them from becoming homeless."
The annual survey provides basic demographic data. This year, the largest increase has been in Native Americans at 4 percent (up from 0 percent in 2007), and Hispanics at 3 percent of the population (up from 1 percent in 2007).
Those 46 to 65 years of age made up the largest segment of the sample (40 percent), followed by people age 36 to 45 years (35 percent), 26 to 35 years (23 percent), and 18 to 25 years (2 percent).
Panama City Rescue Mission provides short-term emergency shelter, hot meals, food boxes, clothing and household items to those in financial need. It also houses men and women in a transitional housing program for working homeless and enrolls those suffering from addictions in a long-term recovery program, providing spiritual guidance and job training.
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