May 2003

leader brief What Does It Mean to 'Act Justly'? Arloa Sutter "What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8 What does it mean to "act justly"? With 688 million people living impoverished lives in slums and squatter villages throughout the world, what should our response be? Mother Teresa owned only one sari and kept giving her shoes away to people whom she felt needed them more than her. We may not all be called to do exactly that, yet we do need to hold one another accountable in regards to materialism. We should challenge each other to live in a way that models Christ's compassion and justice for the poor. The Community of Friends in Renewal, a monastic community based in New York, offers ten suggestions to encourage simplicity in their book, A Way Of Living : Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status. Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you. Develop a habit of giving things away. Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. Learn to enjoy things without owning them. Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation. Look with a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes. Obey Jesus' instructions about plain honest speech. Reject anything that breeds the oppression of others. Shun anything that distracts you from seeking first the kingdom of God. Author Viv Grigg writes that "we must call people from all levels of society to live simply so that others can simply live." While ministering with Breakthrough I have met many wonderful people who are living sacrificial lives in order to live out God's call to "act justly." God is at work daily in our lives to conform us to the image of His Son who modeled simplicity and compassion for the poor. partner with us Food Drive 2003 Food service workers at the North Side Center prepare a nutritious meal for homeless men. Enter to win prizes, now through June 30! By helping us meet our goal of $25,000, you will make a difference in the lives of many men, women, and children. Breakthrough's food service program is a vital part of our ministry. With your help, we provide people with nourishment as they work toward rebuilding their lives. There are three ways to help: Give a financial gift. Donate food. Participate in the annual Hunger Walk. Contribute to be entered in the prize drawing! Southwest Airlines tickets Baseball tickets - Cubs vs Cardinals, July 5 Gift certificates to Chicago-area family entertainment centers For more information or to give a financial gift online, visit us at www.breakthroughministries.com. mark your calendar FREE Volunteer Workshops Visit our website to find out more! Wonderful Ways to Make a Feast! Wednesday, May 14, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm An Inside Look at the Realities of Homelessness Wednesday, May 21, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Tips for Being an Effective Manna Ministry Team Leader Wednesday, June 18, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Preparing and Leading Effective Devotionals Wednesday, June 25, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm RSVP now at www.breakthroughministries.com. Breakthrough Annual Benefit, Friday, October 10, 2003 Don't miss guest speaker Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel. Singer/songwriter Ashley Cleveland will perform. Look for additional details and RSVP information. If you'd like to host a table of ten, contact Nancy Hall at nhall@breakthroughministries.com or 773.989.4382 x290. ministry update the latest news from Breakthrough Cleanstreet Teams up with Little Village Chamber of Commerce Cleanstreet worker, Richard Weddell, now has his own apartment and continues to learn valuable job skills. Lon Hider, coordinator of the Cleanstreet Employment Program, recently won a street cleaning contract with Little Village Chamber of Commerce. Located on the west side of Chicago, Little Village is the largest Mexican community in the Midwest. This is the 33rd employment contract that Lon has secured for Breakthrough's Cleanstreet Program. He has worked hard to build relationships with key decision-makers in chambers of commerce across the city. Because of his leadership, Lon has added 20 new contracts over the past year. He has also expanded Cleanstreet's services to include window washing, landscaping, and leaf and snow removal. After establishing the partnership with Little Village Chamber, Lon reflected that he needed to add a second passenger van. The extra vehicle would allow his 12-man crew to fulfill their contracts across the city. Go to our "Thank You" section to hear what happened! >> What Is Cleanstreet? Breakthrough believes it is better to empower people by engaging them in productive activity rather than allow them to be passive recipients of service. At the same time, many homeless persons and ex-offenders find it extremely difficult to re-enter the workforce. Cleanstreet, which began in 1993, provides jobs for these people. The program provides street cleaning for neighborhood business organizations. Click here to find out more about Cleanstreet. volunteer spotlight Kathy Reynolds is a Property & Casualty Underwriter for Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. She lives in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood and attends Park Community Church. "Despite my usual worrying, my co-workers and I arrived at Joshua on time and with plenty of volunteers and groceries to make and serve a healthy meal. Things seemed to be going well until it was nearly time to serve the meal and our oven-baked potatoes were still hard as bricks! "While we crammed potatoes into the microwave and hoped for the best, the staff graciously rearranged the evening's schedule, holding devotions before the meal. Eventually, we had enough potatoes cooked to serve dinner, which the homeless women enjoyed. In the end I was reminded that God is in control and everything happens for a reason!" How did you become involved with Breakthrough? George W. Bush's call for "Compassionate Conservatism" inspired me, so after moving to Chicago in 2001, I looked for faith-based social programs. I heard about Breakthrough several times through various churches I visited my first summer in the city. I remember reading an article on Breakthrough's website about outreach to women in prostitution and wanting to get involved somehow. Most recently, I've volunteered with my co-workers. As part of Chubb's Philanthropy Committee, I recommended that we add Breakthrough to our list of recipients. Currently, we serve meals at the Joshua Center every third Wednesday of the month. How has your life been touched through volunteering? Since August, at least half of our 400-person office has gotten involved. Some participate through fundraisers around the office—bake sales, jeans day, or penny wars. Others help plan, cook, and serve meals at Joshua. There's a lot of opportunity for transformation through interactions between those of us from Chubb, the guests, and the staff. At the recent Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, Arloa shared that volunteers are often transformed themselves when they serve, and I've felt that firsthand. It's not just the homeless guests who are affected. What is your volunteer role? I'm the link between Breakthrough and Chubb, by helping coordinate our on-going monthly visits to serve the women at Joshua. I'm thankful for the others on the sub-committee who plan great menus, find deals on groceries, or write emails to get others excited about serving. It's definitely a team effort thank you Recently, staff member Lon Hider wondered how Cleanstreet might find another passenger van. He had just secured a new street cleaning contract on Chicago's west side, and his crew needed another vehicle to fulfill their growing list of contracts. That same day, someone knocked on Breakthrough's door offering to donate a van! Phil and Nancy Bujnowski, owners of the Mustard Seed Christian Bookstore, inquired if we could make use of their Dodge van. The timing of this gift was a blessing to Lon, the Cleanstreet crew, and Breakthrough. Thank you, Phil and Nancy! The Mustard Seed Christian Bookstore is at 1143 West Sheridan Road, across from Loyola University in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.

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