Volume 10, Number 4

June 2007 THE BOWERY MISSION’S 1-800-BOWERY-1

www.bowery.org

RED DOOR
T r u e s t o r i e s f r o m t h e MISSIO N : L i v e s c h a n g e d e v e r y d a y s i n c e 1 8 7 9

YOU’RE A BUM!
JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER
W hen I was 5 years old, I remember
going to bed hungry — just having
drank water and sugar. Sometimes the “When they took him away
lights would go off,” recalls Brooklyn in handcuffs he gave me
native, Andres Negron, Jr.
Andres’ drug-addict father a look, like, ‘I’m sorry.’
disappeared often, leaving his family I was 6 years old.”
with nothing.
“The last time I saw my father, he
was running from the cops,” confesses 6 years old.”
Andres. “He hid in the closet. They Eventually, Andres’ aunt took
told him, ‘Freeze, don’t move!’ When custody of the children. His new uncle
they took him away in handcuffs, he was abusive. “I was just a skinny kid.
gave me a look, like, ‘I’m sorry.’ I was continued on page 4

Changed lives: $1.59!

pages 2-3 Andres had never experienced a parent’s love, care, advice or help. Your
compassion changed that.

Leaving the Light On
A word from Ed Morgan, President
Your gift to the future
Wyckoff Heights, Brooklyn, is
filled with families hoping to find the
American dream. The parents are poor,
struggling at minimum wage jobs. But
their kids have a chance — if they can
get an education.
However, there are big barriers.
If their
parents don’t
speak English Our greatest
they can’t hope is that if
help with we reach at-risk
homework.
children now, we
With poor
language skills, will never find
the children them lined up
can quickly get outside our door.
left behind at
school.
Thanks to you, there is hope
because of The Bowery Mission’s Kids
With A Promise Program.
Children get tutoring, meals,
recreation, crafts and help with their
homework. Many of these kids come to
us below grade average. Most improve
tremendously.
Why do we have children’s
programs? If you read this newsletter
often, you’ve discovered that many of
the men and women who end up in our
recovery program were set on that path
in childhood.
Our greatest hope is that if we reach
at-risk children now, we will never find
them lined up outside our door.
You are providing them a safe
environment with loving adults, and
hope for the future.
Thank you!
Changed lives — it all starts with a $1.59 meal!
Sweaty, irritable, drunk —
and in need of God’s love
D uring summer everyone tries
to escape the heat — even the
homeless. Many leave the Manhattan
shelters and head to Coney Island. It’s
cooler — and there are more tourists to
panhandle from. But street life is just
miserable there.
Each changed life is a
miracle worth celebrating.
“We see a 30% increase in people
coming for help in July and August.
That really puts a strain on our food and
pantry program,” says Buddy Mungo,
who heads the Coney Island Outreach. reunited with family and has a stable job.
Here’s how he explains the problem:
The combination of hot weather and
more people on the streets creates many
volatile situations. Drinking alcohol in
the heat leads to a lot more dehydration.
Homeless people used to be able to hang
out and sleep under the Boardwalk. But
that drove away tourism. The homeless
are banned from the beaches and crowd
into alleys. With the hang-out spots more
crowded with sweaty, irritable, intoxicated
The 30% increase in people needing help during the summer puts a strain on
our Coney Island Food and Pantry Program.
people, fights break out regularly.
Perhaps the toughest group to deal
with is those who are both mentally ill
and chemically addicted. Every day the
police have to pick up these men and
women just to keep them from harming
themselves or others.
Why do we do it? We believe in
compassionate care. But we also hope
our compassionate care will draw people
to seek long-term care and change at
one of our recovery, life-transformation
programs. Each changed life is a miracle
worth celebrating.
Martin is one of those whose lives
have been changed by the Coney
Island Outreach.
Before and after ... and ever after
D eleon Allen grew up in Harlem and,
like so many young men, got swept up
into the crack epidemic in the 1980s.
“I was in trouble for 15 years, in and
out of jail, chasing that drug,” he says.
When he first discovered crack cocaine,
he finally found a way to feel good. He
worked just enough to stay high and
stayed in shelters for the next six years.
But two years ago, he walked through
the doors of The Bowery Mission. He
graduated and moved on to the Mission’s
transitional program. Today he has a
commercial driver’s license and works
driving a transit access van for the
disabled and elderly. He has reconnected
with his family, has a stable job, attends
church and he’s saving up money to get
Thanks to you, and The Bowery Mission’s Transitional Program, Deleon has his own apartment and get back on
his feet.
A helping hand in the nick of time
R ichard Yarrell has worked all his
life. His jobs in security didn’t
pay much, but he was fortunate to be
a computer. He earned a number of new
licenses and certificates and was soon
hired as an operations manager.
covered for the six months he lives at the
Mission, he can save up his money to
move into his own apartment. And he can
able to rent a room in a family home Because his room and board are see his son whenever he wants to.
at rock-bottom prices. His son was
welcome to visit there anytime. They
were part of the family.
Then a family crisis hit and the family
had no choice but to evict Richard. Even
working full time with overtime pay,
Richard couldn’t afford the most basic
room at market prices. He was stunned
to be suddenly homeless. He didn’t know
how to manage street life or the shelter
system. He had nowhere to visit with his
son. He was teetering on the edge.
But thanks to generous people like
you, The Bowery Mission was there for
him. He had no substance abuse problem,
so we got right to work improving his After he was evicted, Richard couldn’t afford the most basic room. Even working
work skills. He had never even touched full time with overtime pay.
You’re a bum! just like
your father
continued from page 1
He would grab me by the neck, slam me
into the wall,” says Andres. “Every time
he hit me, I’d say, ‘Lord, I promise, when I whatever You want me to do, I’m
grow up, I’m going to kill him.’”
Meanwhile his aunt constantly told
him, “You’re a bum! Just like
your father.”
“I remember telling her my dreams,
like I want to be an astronaut, or
musician,” says Andres. “When she
told me I was too stupid, I could feel my
dream crash on the floor and break.”
As Andres grew older, his self-
esteem grew smaller. Then one day when
his uncle raised his fist, Andres flashed
back to all those prayers of his childhood.
Andres kneed his uncle in the stomach,
grabbed his neck and started choking him. Andres has had kind people take care
His aunt and uncle kicked him out.
He was 17.
Andres took what jobs he could. In
good times, he could afford to rent a
bed in a furnace room. In bad times, he
bounced through the City’s shelters. He
saw people shooting up and smoking
crack, but stayed away from drugs because family. For the first time in his life, he
he didn’t want to become a beggar on the has hope. He sees a future.
street. No matter how hard he tried he
couldn’t make a living. He wondered,
“What did I do to deserve this? Why is
life so miserable?”
He often thought of killing himself.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS
Then one day someone handed him
a ticket for The Bowery Mission shelter.
Clothes: Suits, ties, dress shoes,
The moment Andres was accepted
dress shirts, blouses, skirts
into the program, he prayed, “Lord,
Bedding: Twin sheets, sleeping bags
leaving it in Your hands. I’m tired of
being told I’m a no one. I’m tired of Tutors: Can you teach math or
being a loser.” His prayers have been reading? Can you spare a few hours
answered. a week to help in our career centers?
You can make a big difference in the
lives of men and women struggling
to create a new life for themselves.
“I’m tired of being told I’m
Help is needed at several sites
a no one. I’m tired of being throughout the City.
a loser.”
To volunteer or donate, visit
our website www.bowery.org
This is the first time in his life or call 1-800-BOWERY-1.
of him, love him, give him advice and
help him. He is studying, passing
exams, making plans. It recently
occurred to him, “I haven’t turned into
my father. I’m not a drug addict.”
He is trying to let go of the negative
messages of his youth and forgive his 227 Bowery, New York, NY
10002
1-800-BOWERY-1
Ed Morgan, President
There is no doubt: Your gifts save
lives, change lives and give hope. The Bowery Mission is a member of the Christian Herald Association.
Bless you!

One meal can change a life!

Yes, Ed, I’ll care for the forgotten men, women and children on New York City streets.
Please give them food, clothes and the help they need with my enclosed gift of:
q $23.85 to provide 15 meals and other care. q $71.55 to provide 45 meals and other care.
q $47.70 to provide 30 meals and other care. q $_______ to help as many people as possible.

Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Thank you! Please mail your tax-deductible check
with this coupon to: The Bowery Mission, Murray
Address ___________________________________________________________________________ Hill Station, P.O. Box 2000, New York, NY, 10156-
1999. Questions? Call us at 1-800-BOWERY-1.

City ______________________________________________________________________________

State _______________________________________ ZIP __________________________________

E-mail _____________________________________________________ ❏ Home ❏ Office 0706NL