June 2013 Newsletter

Download a PDF to read the full newsletter. Or read our featured article below.

---

Bridging the Gap

When the housing market went bust, Jerry lost his job. He had worked for more than five years for a local manufactured home sales company. He did the installation work, building foundations and leveling homes. When the stock market dropped in 2008 and companies were laying off employees or going out of business, sales of manufactured homes plummeted. There was no demand for Jerry to install new homes. He lived on unemployment benefits as long as it lasted and continued to make mortgage payments on his own home.

At 57-years-old at the time, Jerry had a barrier to employment. Its just a natural phenomenon, younger workers have an easier time finding blue-collar jobs. It was not for a lack of work ethic or trying that kept him out of the workforce. He did day labor, but alas, it was not enough to keep his home.

He couch surfed for quite a while, first with a sister, then with a daughter. But, they had their own families. Then Jerry stayed with his son, who had also lost his job because of the recession, in a small camp trailer with no heat and little food. Jerry said, “Instead of doing nothing, I decided to donate my time and come to the Mission.” He volunteered working in the kitchen. He did day labor from the Mission and continued to go to the Employment Department. Jerry was not counted among the unemployed anymore, but among the homeless.

After four years of first unemployment, then couch surfing, then living at the Mission, he gave up the search for employment. At 61-years-old, he had to face the reality that it just was not going to happen. So, he refocused on spending a year in the Mission’s New Life Program, then collecting Social Security early at 62, a retirement benefit that he had worked hard for and had certainly earned. And Jerry is not alone, many older workers have had to find a means to bridge the gap between recession lay offs and retirement. The government reports significant increases in Social Security early retirement, as well as, disability claims.

Jerry was rescued. He had hope and a workable transition plan. He had a purpose that he could apply his life experience to helping younger men find their way. His program position was that of a supervisor, checking men in at curfew and keeping watch over them through the night. He went to program classes of Bible studies, behavior group and life skills. As he was growing personally, he was encouraging others. He said, “It gave me the understanding that all of us need each other truly. I learned to be less critical and judgmental.”

Jerry was uncounted as unemployed by man, but not forgotten by the Lord, who counted him among His own, even able to count the very hairs of his head (Matthew 10:30). The Mission is the Lord’s provision to the poor for food, clothing, shelter and the Bread of Life, the Word of God. Jerry had accepted the Lord years before arriving here, but was not really living his life as unto the Lord. He had been living as unto himself, dealing only with his own needs and concerns. But, he awakened here to a deeper commitment to the Lord, His Kingdom and people. As his relationship with the Lord grew, his involvement in others expanded, even as a ministry.

When Jerry received his retirement benefit, he bought a trailer. He is a home owner again, although on a smaller scale. He is renting a space locally to be near his parents, children and grandchildren. He is switching churches from one close to the Mission to one in which he made a connection with one of our much appreciated chapel volunteers. The gap was bridged between unemployment and retirement, between uninvolvement and relationship with the Lord, church, community, family.