Heart and Happenings at Lazarus House

At Our Door E-News

Spring 2020

Heart and

Happenings ...

Guest Spotlight

"You saved my life," said Lazarus House Guest, Jon Harkin, when he returned recently to repay his debt...

Jon's Story ...

We suggested ... and YOU took it to a whole new level !

The response we have received from many Porch-Pick-Up neighborhood/community food drives has been truly overwhelming. We also have TEN completed or scheduled POP YOUR TRUNK Food drives organized by faith organizations, schools and corporations ...

The need continues to rise, and our supporters continue to give generously. Just beautiful!

We know the Amazon Driver on a first name basis ! Do you know why?

Because YOU are truly AMAZING and we have experienced an Awesome Amazon Avalanche!

We asked YOU, our Social Media Partnership Community, if you would #ClickToCare .... and THIS happened - the increasing need our 1500+ weekly Guests are experiencing is being met with nutritious food, needed supplies, diapers, personal care items and LOVE.

THANK YOU !

Celebrating the arrival of a new Shelter Guest!

Name: Allen

Size: 9lbs., 20 inches

Date: May 6, 2020

Noelys (mom) and Baby Allen are healthy and doing well!

Welcome to the Lazarus House Family

A Word from Jeff

With so much going on and

changes occurring everyday, we are launching the NEW

At Our Door E-News!

Click to see a short video by

Jeff Hassel on ... Waiting!

Lazarus House Ministries celebrates an agreement with the City of Lawrence to use our Ishah House facility as COVID-19 recovery center! We have offered the building rent-free, and the City will staff and run the program. In the weeks since COVID-19 first invaded our land, our medical partners advised us that the City of Lawrence will require facilities where patients with COVID-19 can go to recover after discharge from the hospital and remain for the duration of their isolation period. The creation of this recovery center will free hospital beds for patients in critical need.

In 1981 ,Mother Teresa challenged Brother Tom Pettite (founder of Lazarus House Ministries) to “make a difference in his community,” and since then, her challenge has guided this Ministry. In the last two weeks, we’ve seen an increase in the number of fresh faces coming to our Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, and in partnership with you, we are prepared and well-suited to care for them. These services are foundational to Lazarus House. Responding to a medical crisis however is not in our wheelhouse, but what we DID have was a former convent, renovated, with ten individual rooms, ready for use. This March, we offered Ishah House to Mayor Dan Rivera for use by the City to help care for our neighbors in a time of national emergency. Thinking outside the box and creating a partnership like this is one of the ways Lazarus House lives out its mission: To love God and neighbor, it is what Lazarus House does!

In the months ahead , Lazarus House will focus our energies and expertise on food access and shelter for the vulnerable and hurting in Lawrence. I wish to thank each one of our friends and supporters for your generosity during the crisis. We expect a dramatic increase in the number of people who will come to our Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry as the economic downturn takes its toll. Please continue to pray for our Guests and support as you are able.

May God Bless You,

Jeff

Reverend Jeff Hassel

Executive Director

AMAZON SMILE

is an easy way to support us while you do your online shopping !

... and when you #ClickToCare on our Urgent Needs Wish List - you are doubly supporting Lazarus House Ministries and the people we serve - materially poor and homeless individuals and families in the Merrimack Valley.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE CONTEST RAFFLE

You could win a

Coronavirus Essentials Pack!

Submit Completed

Puzzle by June 29,

Prize Drawing July 2.

HAVE FUN & GOOD LUCK!

Watch as the Masters 2021 Winner dons the coveted GREEN JACKET

2021 MASTERS

RAFFLE TICKETS

Only 200 Available

Great Father's Day Gift Idea

Wear THEIR Heart

on Your Sleeve

Lazarus House Sweatshirts

available for order

until June 30!

$50, $100, $250

YOU CHOOSE

Kelley's Korner

"My experience of being on the receiving end of who you are"

There are no coincidences in life so I realize that it is with purpose that I have been asked to share my experience of being on the receiving end of your generosity.

You see, for the past two months I have been feeling a heavy weight as I try to process how our Guests will navigate the disproportionate burden they face in this health and economic crisis. Along with that, I worry about the significant impact this pandemic will have on our signature events, a critical fundraising source for Lazarus House.

But today I am going to pivot and share with you why I am also so blessed to be part of this incredible Mission… and it’s all because of YOU.

As Director of Development, I get a front row seat to witness the compassion and love our donors shower upon our Guests every single day - in financial donations, food drives, virtual volunteering, and the hundreds of Amazon boxes filled with love. Without a doubt, our supporters are part of the Lazarus House family - celebrating every success alongside us, and hurting with us when we run low on the resources our Guests need. You tell others about our work without our prompting—or even without us knowing. It's truly beautiful.

This pandemic has created such profound and overwhelming need for the services we provide. The new faces we see each week in our Food Pantry (Wednesday, we provided almost 1000 families with weekly groceries) and Soup Kitchen tell us the new struggle that exists in our community as job loss, illness and childcare struggles threaten the stability of once-stable families. When we ask you for financial help, you answer generously. When we share our concerns about our limited food supply, without hesitation, you answer with your hearts in action.

Together with you , I get to share the fulfillment, passion, enthusiasm and commitment to help those in need and bring light and hope into their lives.

Together with our Guests , I get to share the joy, gratitude and happiness that your generosity has made possible.

Feeling Blessed,

Kelley Granahan

Director of Development

LAZARUS HOUSE MINISTRIES'

EVENTS - 2020 and Beyond

Embracing New Ways to Connect

We all understand that COVID-19 has forced new protocols and ways of interacting into the fabric of our society, and we don't know for how long, but we already know from experience that it CANNOT quarantine your Compassion!

We are excited to announce a new partnership with AJ Williams Events. This new partnership will ensure continued excellence in experience and connection no matter how we choose to come together at our Signature Events during this extraordinary year, and in years to come.

We commit to "gather" for these events for the benefit of our cherished Guests!

If you would like to bring your passion for our Guests and ideas about how our 2020 events could look, we invite you to join one of our Event Planning Task Forces.

events@lazarushouse.org

DATE HAS CHANGED

now AUGUST 31, 2020

Andover Country Club

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020

Andover - the Park on Bartlet

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

Andover Country Club

We promise to keep you updated as we come to know the details of each of these events.

WHAT EXACTLY IS VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING ANYWAY?

VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING is a way for you to use your gifts, talents, creativity and passion for Lazarus House for the good of our Guests while we "Stay apart ... so we can come together". Actually, this way of serving Our Guests can continue long after we have COVID-19 in our rear view mirrors ...

There are as many ways to do this as there are people and ideas to make it happen. Here are just a few: Organize your own Porch Pick Up Food Drive in your neighborhood, spruce up gardens at our residential locations, lead a social media campaign to get the word out, Raffle Rallying, or create summer care packages for our youngest Guests. Partner with us to make your unique ideas of service to our Guests become a reality! We invite you to contact Marcy today.

Click for a short video message from our Coordinator of Volunteers, Marcy Furse. Email: Marcy@LazarusHouse.org

Click-to-Connect with our Coordinator of Volunteers, Marcy Furse

Marcy@LazarusHouse.org

PROJECT BETHLEHEM 2020

God's Got This!

We are already thinking about Project Bethlehem 2020 and are committed to creating a safe environment for you, our donors and volunteers and for the beautiful families we serve.

Please keep Lazarus House in your prayers as we navigate this time. Details about the format and logistics of Project Bethlehem will be shared with our community as we learn more.

Meanwhile, stay safe and healthy!

Monique Morimoto

ProjectBethlehem@LazarusHouse.org

WE APPRECIATE YOU

all the time,

but the ways in which you have "linked arms with us from a distance" during this pandemic have been nothing short of absolutely beautiful and truly miraculous.

THANK YOU