Households Served 21,278
Clients Served 80,361
Pounds of Food Distributed 1,025,833
Value of Food Distributed $1,969,599
Food Distribution - 2023
Financial and Other Assistance in 2023
The total in actual dollars spent on direct client services plus value of food, goods and services translates into approximately $7.18 worth of goods and services provided to the neighborhood for every $1.00 donated. We believe that these statistics speak for themselves as to how people and lives were impacted by the help that was provided to and through this ministry. Many in this neighborhood would have been hungry, homeless and jobless without this help.
Food Distribution Statistics
The chart below displays Jericho Road Ministries amount of food distributed over the last 13 years.
Favorable Interview
Examples of Crisis Aid Given
ESCAPING ABUSE
Anita (not her real name) came to JRM with nothing but the clothes she was wearing. She was fleeing from a terrible physical abuse situation. In order to successfully accomplish her "get-away" without being caught and further abused, she had to abandon everything she owned. Her request was for help to get shelter/refuge with relatives. JRM provided long distance phone access for her to call her family for the purpose of getting permission to stay with them. Their answer was "yes".
The only bus service was able to quickly track down, reserve, and purchase for her, would get her to North Dakota about 1:30 AM. Because of that "middle of the night" arrival time, she also used another phone call to arrange for a friend to pick her up. Anita's arrival time made it impractical and perhaps dangerous to just hang around there until morning. JRM staff then provided "finger food" and meal type snacks to be sure she would not be hungry along the way. A time of prayer was also a value to her, as well as a comfort and encouragement.
Anita was able to go FROM a hopeless situation of physical abuse and danger TO safety and a fresh start, because folks like you, care and share through JRM. Anita THANKS YOU and so do we.
HOMELESS FOR TWO YEARS
Judy (not her real name) was living in one of the "tent villages" this winter, along with her children, ages 2, 5, and 7. When it got unbearably cold at night, she would take the childeren from the tent to her van and run the engine to keep everyone warm until it got warm enough outside to go back to the tent. Because of the Covid virus, she has felt compelled this year, to stay away from any of the shelters that may have been available. She has been homeless for most of 2 years after her landlord swore that she failed to pay her rent and evicted her. She vows that she had indeed, paid the rent in full, BUT, SHE PAID IN CASH AND LOST THE RECEIPT. She gets some child support from her ex-husband but, with the cost of day to day living, she has not been able to save enough money to cover damage deposit and 1st and last month's rent. Judy has applied for welfare aid and been turned down because she has reavched the 5 year limit on how long you can get family assistance.
She finally found a place for rent. But, she has all of her furniture and household goods in a rental storage place, and she is far enough behind on the rent payments that her stuff will all be auctioned off before she can move into her apartment. JRM verified her information and provided a check to the storage place for her storage rent. Some food that did not require cooking was provided, and then, a time of prayer, which she was also grateful for, and she was on her way.
Another family out of a tent and into an apartment, along with her household goods, because folks like you care and share.
Seeking A Paying Job
Fritz (not his real name) came to JRM seeking food and financial aid. A single parent, raising his 10 years old daughter, he normally did very well financially. Fritz had an outstanding job and owned (making mortgage payments on) a duplex that he has had for 18 years. Having had reliable tenants, he had not missed or made late mortgage payments during the entire 18 years UNTIL. . . months ago when his renters moved out AND due to Covid 19 he had been laid off from his job in late February.
With the duplex located near Lake Street, where much of the riots, looting and burning was done, he has not been able to find new tenants. Graciously, his mortgage holder is not threatening to foreclose, instead, adding recently missed payments to the end of the mortgage contract. The problem is his water (and trash pickup) bill. He has received written notice of immanent water shut off because his account was in arrears. Since it is a duplex, his is not eligible for county emergency assistance AND as a duplex owner he is responsible for the trash and water bill for the unoccupied dwelling as well as his own. Of the $600.00 owed, JRM (Jeff) was able to negotiate "shut off averted" by assisting with $160.00 payment (current billing). In the meantime, Fritz has intensified his search for a tenant and is seeking ANY paying job he can get in order to stem the loss until he is called back to his regular job which pays well. Fritz also appreciated a time of prayer together.
Because of support gifts like yours, JRM was able to assist this desperate father and his daughter so they have food to eat and uninterrupted water service in their home.
Car Repairs Needed
Janet (not her real name), came to JRM asking for money for car repair costs. She had barely survived a bitter divorce when her husband left her for another woman AND dragged Janet through a resulting bankruptcy. She is 59 years old, homeless, has no children and is living out of her car. She had worked for a large, reputable company for 7 years while married, but lost her job, stressed out over the divorce. Her pension and an annuity are both tied up because of the divorce and bankruptcy, so she is penniless except for what she can earn by driving for a car ride company. She tries to earn enough from driving fees so she can rent a motel room every few days, just to get some decent rest and a shower.
Just when she thought things were beginning to work out, the car overheated. A reputable car repair shop quoted $500 to replace the water pump and related expenses. She had no savings, and her credit card was maxed out. Because of limited resources, JRM offered $200 toward the repairs as seed money.. ..and that worked! With the $200 "on the table", a friend loaned Janet the balance of $300 so her car is repaired, and she is back to earning her own way, rather than trying to get on welfare. JRM also provided $20 of gas in the tank to get her restarted in her car ride job, thus assuring her of renewed self- employment.
A time of prayer encouraged her and assured her of the Lord's caring and presence in the midst of her dire circumstances.
4 Additional Examples of Crisis Aid Given
STARTING WORK IMMEDIATELY
Recently, “Jerry” (not his real name) came to JRM asking for one last time of food assistance. He had been coming once per month for food help since May when he was laid off from his full-time job. His unemployment compensation check simply did not cover the cost of both rent and food. Jerry told us that the last time he came to JRM for food he had asked for prayer regarding finding a new job. The very next day he had gotten an interview and was HIRED ON THE SPOT TO START WORK IMMEDIATELY. Now he was returning to get enough food to last until his first pay check AND to thank JRM staff and volunteers for praying with him for the new job AND to Praise the Lord for answered prayer regarding the job. The impact of the faith and prayer environment of JRM has motivated Jerry to begin attending church again. “From crisis to Christ-centered hope and restoration,” that is our desire and intent for JRM. And, Jerry is an example.
This happens because you care and share, and again, we THANK YOU.
New Volunteer
Tony (not his real name) came to JRM for help with rent and food for his family. He was so grateful for the critically needed assistance he received that he began to do volunteer work at JRM. Over the years he increased his presence and volunteer help to the degree that he was putting in 4+ hours almost daily, assisting with arranging and stocking the food shelves, receiving and organizing donations that came, and generally helping in any way he could.
He and his family were living in a very crime ridden area of North Minneapolis. On more than one occasion he told us that stray bullets had found their way either through the walls or windows of their apartment, into the living area. We verified these incidents, so they were clearly not “made up”. Tony made numerous and driven efforts to both relocate to a safer area AND to find employment. But, he was turned down repeatedly because of a felony record from the dark days of his earlier way of living, before he became transformed and reformed as a result of his faith, his family, and the influence of Jericho Road. After many years of volunteer work at JRM, JRM staff found a “felon friendly” work place to which we referred him. He applied there and got a job! JRM lost a fabulous, valued volunteer, but Tony gained self sufficiency and a whole new level of self respect and satisfaction in life.
I wish you were my little girl
There is a story about a little girl in a small one room school in a very rural setting. There were no funds to bring in a hearing specialist or even a machine that tests for hearing. Consequently, the very creative teacher found a way to conduct her own test each year. She would call the students up to her desk, one by one. Then she would whisper something to them and ask them to repeat it to her. One year, the last student to be “tested” was a “small for her age” little girl with crooked teeth, a skewed smile (caused by her malformed lips) unkempt hair and frazzled clothes. When she got up close, the compassionate, caring teacher whispered, “I wish you were my little girl”. The child was so touched by this well heard, loving message that it transformed and affirmed her self-image all the way through to her adulthood.
My friend, God is whispering into your ears and mine,
saying to each of us, “I wish you were my child”. And God then opens the way for that to happen.
In John 1:12-13, the Bible says “But to all who received Him, who believed in His
name, He gave power to become children of God.
It is our
hope and dream for every person who comes to JRM for help, that they too can
become children of God.
A Need for Food
Steel Toed Work Boots
Ed (not his real name) had worked for a printing company for many years. As the volume of the printing business dwindled, little by little because of the economy, workers were laid off. Finally it was Ed’s turn. He got the dreaded pink slip!
An extensive search turned up NOTHING in the way of another job in his field. Out of desperation, he turned to a technical school for training on a new career path. He was accepted into classes only to discover that in order to continue training in his particular area of construction work, he was required to get steel toe work boots. Without those boots he would be forced to drop out of class. After conferring and verifying the need, Jericho Road Ministries assisted this man in his journey on the road back to training for a job that would make him a self- sufficient worker once again by purchase of the proper boots. Out of money, out of options, lack of proper protective boots – this man was on his way to homelessness and failure. Because of gifts like yours, he is back on track, poised to thrive and likely to be a blessing to others.
Highly Skilled Carpenter
A highly skilled, life long, self- employed carpenter came to JRM asking for food for himself and his family. Calvin (not his real name) had always prided himself on supporting himself and his family very well by taking on job after job. His reputation as a man who did outstanding work at a reasonable price put him in high demand as a carpenter.
Then Calvin got bladder cancer, of a nature and degree of seriousness that the disease and various aspects of the treatment and complications had put him out of work for over 6 months. With his bank account emptied and no food left in the house, he swallowed his pride and came to JRM for food help. In addition to the humiliation of needing to ask for food, Calvin was dealing with the grief of the death of his stepfather, with whom he had felt very close.
What a privilege it was for JRM staff and volunteers when Calvin asked for prayer regarding his circumstances. Caring, sharing and prayer, what a powerful combination