Moving Ahead

"Tell my people to go forward."  (Exodus 14:15)

Tony finds work, reconnects with family
Tony Therasse has seen some dark times in the past year.  Living on the streets, staying at the Salvation Army, and couch-surfing marked a challenging time in his life.

More recently, Tony has been seeing some positive movement.   He landed a steady job driving for Yellow Cab twelve hours a day, five days a week.  He also became a part of Strong Life’s Men’s Program, living in the on-campus transitional house since it opened in April.  These are bright spots shining in Tony’s life currently.  
 
He has continued to face challenges, however.  Because he relied on public transportation to travel to and from work, his twelve-hour shifts made it difficult at times to get enough sleep.  Further, it limited the time he could spend with his three sons, ages 9, 12, and 13.
 
Pastor John Hays, Strong Life’s Executive Director, wanted to help.  “Tony has been a model resident, closely following all the rules and guidelines,” Pastor John said.  “We wanted to assist him with the next step toward independence.  The thing that he really needed was a car.”
 
As it happened, one of Strong Life’s ministry supporters had a functioning used car that they no longer needed and was willing to sell it for a discounted price.  So last week, Tony found his life taking another positive move when he became the owner of a new-to-him 2002 Chevy Malibu. 
 
“I’m so grateful,” Tony said.  “Not only for the car, but for everything the ministry has done.  Without Strong Life, I would still be out there on the streets. But now, my life is going in a whole different direction.  Best of all, I’m getting to spend some quality time with my kids.”
 
Tony is just one of the lives being dramatically impacted by what God is doing through Strong Life Ministries.  Your prayers and support are powerfully advancing the Lord’s Kingdom in Catawba County.

Opportunities to Serve
If you are looking for an opportunity to fulfill Christ’s call to serve Him through ministering to the “least of these” (Matthew 25:40), please consider the opportunities currently available at Strong Life Ministries:

• Workday:  On Saturday June 12, starting at 10 am, there will be a work day on the Strong Life campus.  Activities include pressure washing, painting and staining our fence, sorting and organizing donations, and building a flower bed.
  
  
• Volunteer openings:
  • Front Desk Attendant: We are currently seeking individuals to serve at the ministry’s Front Desk position.  Responsibilities:  Greet visitors, check in clients, oversee distribution of coffee, snacks, and lunch, etc.  Volunteers need to be able to commit one three-hour shift (9am – 12 noon or 12 noon – 3 pm) at least once a week on an ongoing basis.  This is a great opportunity to get to know the people that Strong Life serves and to be an encouraging presence in their lives.
    
    
  • Donation Organizer:  We are looking for an individual to organize clothing and other donations given to Strong Life Ministries.  This volunteer needs to be able to commit one to two hours per week as best fits their schedule.
    
    

For more information on these volunteer opportunities, please call 828-994-4321 or email [email protected].  Also, If you'd like to support the work of Strong Life with a tax-deductible financial contribution, please visit us the Donate page on our website.
 
Thank you so much for your prayers and continued support.  You are the means that the Holy Spirit uses  to fuel the work that Strong Life is doing within Catawba County's homeless community!
 
Blessings,
Pastor John Hays
Executive Director