Hope Haven Gospel Mission is a 501--3 Non-Profit Christian Ministry which is fundamental in make-up but open to all. It is governed by a Board of Directors who are faithful members of area Local Churches. Our shelter is available on a 24 hour basis to anyone in need of a meal and a place to stay over night, without discrimination. However, they must be alcohol and substance free at the time of intake. There are no religious requirements for food, shelter or counseling.

Why Are We Doing This?

Hope Haven Gospel Mission has outgrown its present facility. We are in need of a new shelter to be able to meet the needs of the growing homeless community. We needed a fund raising idea which would involve the entire on-line community. We decided on a pixel purchase site because we saw a great potential here. We aren't after your money to become rich, buy a new car, send our kids to college or for any of the other reasons you'll find on other pixel purchase sites. We need a new shelter to provide a roof over the heads of the homeless and a bed to sleep in at night. Here in Maine the winter nights get down into the -20s and having to turn away a man, woman or family because we are full is heartbreaking. You can help to end this with your purchase and at the same time gain valuable advertising for your business or home site.

Dear Friend,

We’ve come to you for help.

Hope Haven’s facilities for the homeless haven’t grown over the past 23 of years, but the need for our services has more than doubled. In fact, just last year alone we had to turn away over one hundred and seventy seven people (60 men, 41 women, 76 children, 31 of these comprised families). Why? For the reason that we only have twenty-four beds to accommodate the men, women and children in the Lewiston, Maine area requiring temporary assistance, even though we know there are few other local options for a safe, warm place to sleep.

In order stop turning away people with nowhere else to go because of our lack of space, we need to increase the amount of people we can temporarily house and feed by building a new shelter. This will require an excess of 3.5 million dollars by our current estimates - a sum as you well can imagine is well beyond Hope Haven’s charitable means.

It hurts us when we have to turn away a needy person or family throughout our bitterly cold Maine winters (which, can get to the minus 20’s), so we’ve created a pixel-purchase program to raise the necessary capital. However, unlike other pixel-purchase web sites, we aren’t after your money to further our own personal goals. Rather, we want to make sure that everyone who needs a warm, sheltered place to sleep and a meal in their stomach to have access to it, should they need it – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without discrimination.

For those of you not familiar with a pixel-purchase program, the concept is simple: every square of 100 pixels (each square is 10 x 10 pixels) represents a brick in our new facility. When you visit our website at http://www.bricks4hope.com/, you can purchase any series of bricks at a time that are still available, and advertise your organization as well with your generous show of support.

However, if you like the idea of our fund raising efforts to keep our community’s citizens off the streets, but feel that you or your organization isn’t able to make a contribution that will make a difference - Think again! Each square only costs $25 (which is 100 pixels at $0.25 each), and all donations are fully tax deductible.

We’ve truly appreciated the community’s kind support in the past, and are hoping that you’ll have the time to fill out the quick online form at http://www.bricks4home.com/ (by simply clicking on any brick) to ease the financial burden of providing of shelter, meals and hope for those who have nowhere else to turn.

Hope Haven and the men, women and children we help all thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Pastor Paul E. McLaughlin
Executive Director

P.S. Remember, hundreds of people are being told they cannot access emergency housing every year. Let’s work together to stop this frustrating cycle today. Please visit our website now at http://www.bricks4hope.com/.

“Is There Not A Cause?”

I ask you this question, Dear Friend, is there not a cause worth laboring for? Is there not a cause worth sacrificing for? Is there not a cause worth investing into, that peoples lives can benefit from? Is there not a cause that is greater than self, worth the cost of making a difference; when there is so much going on otherwise that leaves one in a valley of uncertainty and despair? I believe that there is a cause worth all that is necessary to turn the tides of hopelessness and sorrow into a structured plan of hope.

These are the statistics compiled for this year to date: Meals served = 13,440. Families sheltered = 20. Turn away total = 93(Men = 18; Women = 33; Children = 42; Families = 21). People sheltered = 174.

At our 4th of July annual holiday meal we served 160 meals. 32 meals out of that total were delivered. A number of people that attended were retired as well as disabled American veterans that helped us to celebrate this national and historical holiday. This is our 3rd year of providing this blessed time of reflection and celebration.

For the month of June we sheltered a total of 7 families. We sheltered 26 men, 12 women, 11 children, along with 2 adolescents.

We are very thankful that we did not have to turn away more than what we had for the month of June. We are not happy for those people that we had to turn away, but we a thankful for the 51 people that we could provide shelter and services for.

In our men’s dorm, “Transient Shelter” we have been able to add one bunk-bed, per Code Enforcement’s permission. In our “Family Shelter” we have been able to add three bunk-beds. This increases our capacity from 24 to 30. This helps us to not have to turn away 6 people that would have otherwise have had to been refused shelter.

This is only a temporary solution to assist us with our future goal, in our Capital Campaign, in building together for tomorrow’s hope. By doing this expansion we will be able to basically triple our capacity and services.

Again Dear Friend, is there not a cause worth laboring for? Is there not a cause worth sacrificing for? Is there not a cause worth investing into, that peoples lives can benefit from? Is there not a cause that is greater than self, worth the cost of making a difference; when there is so much going on otherwise that leaves one in a valley of uncertainty and despair? I believe that there is a cause worth all that is necessary to turn the tides of hopelessness and sorrow into a structured plan of hope.

It begins with each of us, and will only survive if we keep the vision of hope alive through action and compassion!

We need your help prayerfully and financially. Dear Friend, will you please help us again at this time by sending Hope Haven a generous monetary gift that would continue to enable the work that we do. Your faithfulness to stand behind us in our cause is very important. The life today that we touch together, God has made possible. How we spend these moments together through love and compassion determine the blessings that will follow. You are in our thoughts and prayers!

Affectionately - Pastor Paul
 

“Broken But Not Alone”

I watched a movie on television just recently. The movie was about a teenager that befriended a homeless man. He was an elderly man with his own story! Years before he had became the person that he was later on in life, he was a carpenter, was married and had a 13 year old son. I hadn’t watched the movie from the very beginning; but it captivated my attention and I couldn’t break free of it’s message.

 

DEAR FRIEND,

Apparently what had taken place before his life on the streets the elderly man had lost his son in a car accident. The accident was not his fault someone else had caused it; taking the life of his only son. The man was so devastated, as anyone would be, and had a breakdown. It wasn’t until after this tragedy took place in his life, that he personally felt responsible, that he had lost his wife as well. He began a life of chronic alcohol abuse to try and cope with a series of events that took away all of his hope and joy.

At the end of the movie the elderly man died from freezing to death in an alley. His home and all that he cared about was in a cardboard box. The night that he froze to death he had given up a comfortable and warm hotel room to a mother of three who had just recently given birth to another son, on the streets.

Tears filled my eyes and I wept. The teenage boy he had befriended and cared about was not in time to help his friend. On a cold winter night, with blizzard like conditions, the young lad tried to bring his friend a sleeping bag, only to find him not in the hotel for the homeless, but all alone where he felt accepted in the alley, with his cardboard box.

This elderly man had received from this boy a very special gift. The gift of friendship. As well, the boy received the same gift. The elderly man was able to help the boy complete a written project for school. He received an A+ for it! Through this new friendship it helped the elderly man stay sober for several weeks, but after losing a temp job because of his health and age he had a relapse and started to drink again. The boy found him drunk and unconscious, and tried to help him. Another man that had been through Viet Nam, who was a medic, gave the boy some tough love, trying to get him to leave and forget about his friend. But he didn’t, in fact he was relentless to bring out the best in his friend even when other were against him doing so. Family, friends and the law. And now here he was crying over his broken and frozen friend that nobody other than him seemed to be concerned about.

It broke my heart and the pain caused me to tremble! It’s a blessing to know that even though that people suffer in times of brokenness, they don’t have to be alone. As long as somebody cares we are never alone, and Jesus cares. We might be “broken but not alone.” God has a way of putting those broken pieces back together in our lives.

It might have been just a movie, but the message was real. This same kind of elderly man has many names, stories and faces. I hope and pray that there were a lot of people watching that same movie that I was watching that night. Yes that movie brought tears to my eyes and I cried, not just because of the movie but, because of the many such people whose lives we touch here at Hope Haven Gospel Mission. You don’t have to go to far to see this kind of existence. People live in abandoned houses, Good Will box drops, cars, under bridges and cardboard boxes.

A young man by the name of Trevor Sprague was found burnt to death underneath a bridge not to long ago. He had stayed with us at the Mission back in December of 2005. He was alive and well back then. When I checked him in he was proud to tell me that he was a born again Christian. He stayed with us for a couple of weeks: thanked us for helping him and moved on. I don’t know who or why someone would destroy Trevor’s life that way by burning him to death; but there are evil people in this world that will one day give an account of their lives before Almighty God. Christians will as well have to give an account for their lives and what they did and didn’t do for Christ.

My heart hurts so much when I learn and hear about things like this with Trevor. When I see movies that send a message like this one does, it moves me with compassion and blesses my heart, knowing that we are helping to make a small contribution for the cause of compassion and hope for the less fortunate.
Each person has a story and just because they might look a certain way, forming an opinion in our minds does not do the truth justice. The young mother with her 2 little children that we were able to help last month was very thankful for what services we had to offer her and her little ones. Each night they would come in around 7:30PM. One child in her arms and the other one walking carefully by her side. Thank God that they didn’t have to sleep under a bridge.

Another single mother with her young boy would come in. Every night that I was on the desk, or I saw them down having supper I would make it a point and take the time to say hello. Just to let them know that we really care about them and what they are going through. Thank God that they did not have to dig for scraps out of a trash can, or sleep in an alley sheltered by a cardboard box.

Thank God that none of these had to sleep in an abandoned building or a Good Will drop box. Prayerfully they will not wind up like the elderly man in the movie or Trevor, who was found burnt to death under a bridge.

With your continued support and prayers, Dear Friend, and God’s blessing our doors will stay open for those that need the services that we offer. A new and larger building would help to minimize any such possibilities from materializing. We will continue to do what God has placed us here to do. Our successes are not our successes, they are God’s and your successes. Without God’s blessing and your support there would be no Hope Haven. There would be nothing of importance going on here at 209 Lincoln Street, Lewiston, Maine, accept what perhaps ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX NEWS and the etc. would have to say. Peoples lives are important and what you and I do individually and collectively is important, both here and in eternity.

We need your help financially at this time, Dear Friend? Will you please help at this time by sending Hope Haven a financial gift that would clearly demonstrate how passionate you are behind the work that we do. The life today that we touch together, God has made possible. How we spend these moments together through love and compassion determine the blessings that will follow.

Affectionately - Pastor Paul

“Weary But Not Forgotten”

Since our last official newsletter was sent out: God continues to bless us. As we continue to bless and minister to those that He brings to Hope Haven we are blessed. Who receives the greatest reward? To God be the glory for every person that receives what we have to offer in His name.

We are so blessed, as we continue to see the fruits of our labors. They are not in vain. I might add, you too are blessed to know that your faithful support and prayers make these blessings possible in the lives of each man, woman and child, each young, middle aged and elderly person whose life we touch. Never take for granted how love in any amount, genuine love, can empower another. It’s miraculous..it’s amazing.

DEAR FRIEND,

Just recently a young woman by the name of Tina came infor an interview. She only has about one year left of college. I was delighted to find out that this young woman had stayed with us at Hope Haven a couple of years ago. Back in 1992 she was with us as well, and it was then she accepted Christ as her personal Lord and Saviour. At the time that she came she was having some problems in her life. You would never know it as of the other day. She expressed her appreciation for all we had done for her, at a time in her life that her smile was not on the surface. Tina is putting together a web-site called “Homelessness In Maine” listing various valuable resources that exist within our State. What a blessing it is to have someone come back, like Tina and share with you how much of a help you were to them in their hour of need.

Fortunately for another family that had stayed with us things are much better now than when they came to us over a month ago. DHHS was in their lives at the beginning of their stay. An angry family member turned them in for reasons that were not true. It is my understanding that because they did not do what this family member wanted them to do, and taking their child with them, the attitude was: if I can’t have my way then I am going to do my best to make their lives as unpleasant as possible. Apparently this family member had done this same thing before with other members of her family. Thank God that when DHHS came into investigate this family, the charges were dismissed.

They have just recently moved into their own apartment and are doing very well. Prior to them moving out they had a couple of problems with housing and inspections, but now they have a new place to live and a new beginning since they now have their own apartment.

It broke my heart and the pain caused me to tremble! It’s a blessing to know that even though that people suffer in times of brokenness, they don’t have to be alone. As long as somebody cares we are never alone, and Jesus cares. We might be “broken but not alone.” God has a way of putting those broken pieces back together in our lives.

 It might have been just a movie, but the message was real. This same kind of elderly man has many names, stories and faces. I hope and pray that there were a lot of people watching that same movie that I was watching that night. Yes that movie brought tears to my eyes and I cried, not just because of the movie but, because of the many such people whose lives we touch here at Hope Haven Gospel Mission. You don’t have to go to far to see this kind of existence. People live in abandoned houses, Good Will box drops, cars, under bridges and cardboard boxes.

A young man by the name of Trevor Sprague was found burnt to death underneath a bridge not to long ago. He had stayed with us at the Mission back in December of 2005. He was alive and well back then. When I checked him in he was proud to tell me that he was a born again Christian. He stayed with us for a couple of weeks: thanked us for helping him and moved on. I don’t know who or why someone would destroy Trevor’s life that way by burning him to death; but there are evil people in this world that will one day give an account of their lives before Almighty God. Christians will as well have to give an account for their lives and what they did and didn’t do for Christ.

My heart hurts some much when I learn and hear about things like this with Trevor. When I see movies that send a message like this one does, it moves me with compassion and blesses my heart, knowing that we are helping to make a small contribution for the cause of compassion and hope for the less fortunate. Each person has a story and just because they might look a certain way, forming an opinion in our minds does not do the truth justice. The young mother with her 2 little children that we were able to help last month was very thankful for what services we had to offer her and her little ones. Each night they would come in around 7:30PM. One child in her arms and the other one walking carefully by her side. Thank God that they didn’t have to sleep under a bridge.

Another single mother with her young boy would come in. Every night that I was on the desk, or I saw them down having supper I would make it a point and take the time to say hello. Just to let them know that we really care about them and what they are going through. Thank God that they did not have to dig for scraps out of a trash can, or sleep in an alley sheltered by a cardboard box.

Thank God that none of these had to sleep in an abandoned building or a Good Will drop box. Prayerfully they will not wind up like the elderly man in the movie or Trevor, who was found burnt to death under a bridge.

With your continued support and prayers, Dear Friend, and God’s blessing our doors will stay open for those that need the services that we offer. A new and larger building would help to minimize any such possibilities from materializing. We will continue to do what God has placed us here to do. Our successes are not our successes they are God’s and your successes. Without God’s blessing and your support there would be no Hope Haven. There would be nothing of importance going on here at 209 Lincoln Street, Lewiston, Maine, accept what perhaps ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX NEWS and the etc. would have to say. Peoples lives are important and what you and I do individually and collectively is important, both here and in eternity.

We need your help financially at this time, Dear Friend? Will you please help at this time by sending Hope Haven a financial gift that would clearly demonstrate how passionate you are behind the work that we do. The life today that we touch together, God has made possible. How we spend these moments together through love and compassion determine the blessings that will follow.

Affectionately - Pastor Paul

“Failure Does Not Have To Be Permanent”

DEAR FRIEND,
I was speaking with a man that joins us in “God’s Kitchen” on what seems a regular basis. He is an elderly gentleman, and like many of our regular guests that come in for a hearty nutritious meal; he said something to me that I thought was worth mentioning to you. “Pastor you know if it wasn’t for Hope Haven Gospel Mission’s soup-kitchen that I come to every day, I wouldn’t be able to make it. As it is I get a small monthly check! The amount that I get helps me get by from day to day. I live out of my car and each day it just gets a little harder to get by. For example to get an apartment, for me, I would have to come up with the 1 st months’ rent, the last months’ rent and a security deposit equivalent to another months’ rent. It’s just ridiculous and I’m not getting any younger. For me it is impossible as an elderly person on a fixed income. I just wanted you to know that I truly appreciate what Hope Haven Gospel Mission is doing for people like me, that seem invisible to some people at times. For me you are like an extended family looking out for my well being.”

What a humbling explanation and compliment. Please understand this if you would, it is not my place to judge this man’s heart, I can only evaluate what is obvious and shared. Some would say that he has chosen this path to travel. Perhaps they are right, but it is my responsibility before God to love my neighbors and exercise compassion with grace and gentleness. Lord willing, one day his circumstances will change and his living conditions will improve. Failure does not have to be permanent, but love should be. Even as God loves each one of us in spite of our short-comings, failures and sins. Some of us have been down for so long, that fear and lack of trust have impaired our abilities to rise to the place of change. It takes time for progress to run it’s course in a persons life. It takes the power of God to effectuate this transformation. It also takes people like us to share in this miraculous and noble cause.
God bless you as you give and pray for us, as we touch the lives of others together, and provide them with the opportunity for a place to fit in and belong, through compassion, hope and love.

Affectionately - Pastor Paul

Dear Friend,

Due to circumstances beyond our human control here at Hope Haven, we are faced with another challenge to our financial resources. There is a real danger that has the potential to impose great hardship on our services and ministry outreach. This year unless God intercedes on our behalf, and you and our other partners in hope can stretch themselves I believe that we are in for a storm of uncertain consequences.

Over the years Hope Haven Gospel Mission has received a number of grants to offset our financial resources to insure our ability to meet expenses and deadlines. Going into this year we are looking at a $24,000.00 shortfall, from that of last year, not to mention that we received $10,000.00 less in gifts and contributions in 2005. Many non-profits and service providers experienced this financial deficit! I cannot answer for their losses, but ours was something that we will have to adjust with, and prayerfully this year will improve.

As you may heard we will be getting 3,000 gallons of fuel oil, which is an answer to prayer, as well as an unexpected blessing. This helps us almost by $6,000.00, but there still is a need with a void.

One day it would be a great blessing to be at a place when we would not have to be dependent on grants that seem to dwindle year after year.

It was on a Wednesday right after the door was opened at 5:30PM. I just had a few minutes to sit down, turn the answering machine off, set in order certain paperwork and respond to a number of messages that had been left from 4:00PM until 5:30PM.

As I think about it, it was almost like a calm before the storm. One person right after another! A family of eight ( a husband and wife along with 6 young children, one being an infant) as well came in for shelter. Before I went upstairs to retire for the night I had checked in a total of twelve people. The number for that evening  was 27 people. Three beyond what our capacity is set at. It was either checking them in or turning them away into the cold night with no place else to go. God help us to do what we can in times of need and challenge for those who are in need.

Throughout the entire month of January, a night that has not gone by where we have not been full. Right after one or a few people leave, the Lord directs others in for help, shelter and care. For the month of February only God knows what will transpire at this point in the lives of those that we have not yet become familiar with.

There is always “a time and place to remember”, when you consider the choices and decisions that we all have to make: good or bad. I’m very thankful that no one had to be turned away. In my heart I was comforted by the Holy Spirit, in knowing that hope and housing had not been denied to those coming in and seeking shelter.

Last year’s statistics for Hope Haven gospel Mission are as follows: Meals served 23,814. People that were sheltered 263. People who had accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour 29. Total of people turned away 177(men = 60; women = 41; children = 76; families = 31).

What a blessing it will be indeed once our Capital campaign for expansion is completed. So far a gentleman has contributed $1,000.00 towards this project. He is also the first one so far, and prayerfully this will prime the pump for more to follow: by other caring and generous people.

It is my prayer, Dear Friend, once again as I have shared with you repeatedly, that if you can at this time find it in your heart to give generously it would be a great help and blessing. I hope and pray that you will not grow weary in well doing through your prayers and financial support. Please know this, I realize that for some any amount is a sacrifice and a testing of one’s faith; but I also know when you give the Bible says that your giving will be rewarded. We are trying to do the best that we can with what we have to minister to the needs of each man, woman, and child that comes our way. You know that we cannot do it alone. Without God’s help, and people like you the outcome would be too painful to bear. Together we have done well, but I believe that we can do a little better this year. We have to in order to balance our shortfall. Whatever the amount or the size of your financial gift, it will all be used in our ministry and services.

God bless you as you give and pray for us, as we continue to touch the lives of others together, and provide them with the opportunity for “a time and a place to remember”, through love, encouragement and hope.

Affectionately - Pastor Paul