Caring For All Great and Small
The companionship of a pet has a special place in difficult times. Unfortunately, when someone becomes homeless, they often must choose between their pet or a place to stay. We get to minister to many folks who become homeless and have nowhere or no one to turn to in order to help take care of their pets. There is no emergency shelter available that will allow people to have their pets or emotional support animals unless it is a licensed service animal.

Due to this issue, Strong Life has fostered or rehomed 7 pets over the past year. These animal friends deserve love and care as well. When someone in the homeless community tells us that they can no longer take care of their pet, we desire to show compassion in this difficult situation. The best thing we can do is help their pet find a good home. 

A small dog was brought to us in March by a homeless couple who said a random stranger in a car pulled up to them at a gas station and asked them to take this lame dog they didn’t want anymore. Their response was we can’t even take care of ourselves how can we take care of a dog? But, it was too late as the person was already pulling away.

This couple made a homemade splint for the dog who had an injured leg and brought him to us. We took in the dog and kept him safe at the carport of our Men’s Program and began to call animal rescue shelters. There were no vacancies at a no-kill shelter so the guys at the Strong Life Men’s Program stepped up and said they would foster and care for him until we found him a permanent home. They did just that! They walked, fed, and played with this dog they named Lucky as he began to heal.

The Trust in the Journey
Staying on the journey with folks as they transition out of homelessness is something we desire to do at Strong Life. A glimpse of this is provided through the story of our friend Randy. Randy came into homelessness 2 years ago. He was living out of his car until he got sick and had to go to the hospital. It was during this time his car got towed and upon his exit from the hospital he could not afford the impound fees to retrieve his car. He was a long-haul truck driver unable to go back to work due to medical issues and the Covid-19 pandemic. 
 
Last year, Randy continued to go through difficulties as he had lost his transportation and was staying at the Salvation Army. He was looking for work and the next step forward.  We helped him apply for a trucking job. He got back on the road and successfully worked for several months until the company he worked for went out of business. Randy stayed in hotels until his money ran out then went back into the homeless community. 
 
After several months of camping in the woods and participating in Strong Life Rescue Mission’s Day Program, we developed a trusting relationship with Randy. We saw the integrity of his character and offered Randy a job with Strong Life during our busy winter season. We provided a place for him to stay in the Strong Life Men’s Program. He has been working his part time job faithfully for nearly 4 months and was praying through the next step when a wonderful blessing came his way. There was an incredible opportunity through the provision of a vehicle being donated to restore what Randy had lost and help get him to the next step. 

The Joy in the Blessing
Pastor Mark Myers of Marketplace Church in Hickory, NC had the faith and vision to hold a community revival this past month. Pastor Mark said he wanted to give away a car to show God’s love and provision for someone. He asked if we knew anyone who had experienced homelessness who they could bless. We recognized that Randy would be a perfect fit. Pastor Mark and his church paid for and saw to it the car had new tires, brakes, battery, and inspection to make sure it was in tip top shape to represent the love and provision of God. 
 
 Randy received his new to him car on Easter morning with tears of gratitude and a smile that couldn’t be wiped away. He was told in this moment by Pastor Mark that this was an outward sign of God’s love for him “a blessing to help him on his journey”. Randy, who has been drug and alcohol free on his journey through homelessness, accredits his strength and persistence to his faith in Jesus Christ. He also recognizes the goodness of God in this gift and looks forward to seeing where his wheels will take him along his journey to serve Jesus.  
 
 If you want learn more, please visit our website www.stronglifenc.org or email us at [email protected] for more information.

"According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation."
​1 Corinthians 3:10

Paving the Way
We have been excited to see how God has been moving and opening opportunities for us to grow as a ministry and the ability to help others. We have been battling the mud and potholes in our parking area for over a year. This past month, we had the opportunity to pour half of our parking lot with asphalt! This has provided us with a clean parking area and a much cleaner facility as folks do not have to walk through the mud before they come inside.

Construction Brings Transformation
Last year, we moved from our location on Lenoir-Rhyne Boulevard to our current location on Fairgrove Church Road. One of the benefits of this move was our Rescue Mission doubled in useable space to serve the homeless in our community. However, our upgraded facility has already been maxed out with the number of folks that have needs to be met. Several days have been standing room only with people eating in our storage area as we have no more room to keep people out of the cold and wind. We demolished a condemned, old shed on the property to make room for the metal building that was purchased to expand our facilities and storage! The plans are under review, and we are ready to start on the foundation as soon as they are approved. As you may know, this is an expensive process as we are required to have architectural drawings and plans, cement for the foundation, and heavy equipment rental.

We ask you pray for financial provision to upfit this building with insulation, electricity, and plumbing once it is built. If you feel led to give to this project, please visit our website www.stronglifenc.org or email us at [email protected] for more information.

A Prayer Birthed in Love
The winter season has brought a rapid increase in the number of our friends needing help. The turn of the year has shown a sudden and desperate move in the homeless community for shelter and assistance. There is a disturbing shift in our area that has put many elderly and disabled individuals on the streets looking for emergency and permanent housing. This is mainly due to an extreme lack of low income and affordable housing. The solution to this will not be quickly resolved.

In a time of extreme and growing need, we have made a conscious decision that, at Strong Life Ministries, we must grow in our love for others. We know that as the need grows our love must grow as well. Love that will show people hope in a hopeless situation. Love that will grant us patience as we help others who are struggling to wait. Love that will show peace and healing to the frustrated and broken hearted.

We are fueling this through prayer. The staff members pray together and sharing burdens with one another. We have a prayer bowl to take prayer request from those in need. Prayer has shown us a greater strength and resilience to love others well in situations that cannot be resolved quickly.

A Prayer Birthed in Love
The winter season has brought a rapid increase in the number of our friends needing help. The turn of the year has shown a sudden and desperate move in the homeless community for shelter and assistance. There is a disturbing shift in our area that has put many elderly and disabled individuals on the streets looking for emergency and permanent housing. This is mainly due to an extreme lack of low income and affordable housing. The solution to this will not be quickly resolved.

In a time of extreme and growing need, we have made a conscious decision that, at Strong Life Ministries, we must grow in our love for others. We know that as the need grows our love must grow as well. Love that will show people hope in a hopeless situation. Love that will grant us patience as we help others who are struggling to wait. Love that will show peace and healing to the frustrated and broken hearted.

We are fueling this through prayer. The staff members pray together and sharing burdens with one another. We have a prayer bowl to take prayer request from those in need. Prayer has shown us a greater strength and resilience to love others well in situations that cannot be resolved quickly.

A Warm Place
With the winter storm blowing through, we were left with a beautiful landscape of snow for families to enjoy and have fun. Unfortunately, the snow doesn’t always create a pleasant situation for the homeless community. It presents some serious and even life-threatening issues for those staying outside. Some examples are below freezing temperatures, threat of falling branches, and tents that cave in due to the snow. It is during these times that Strong Life Ministries is available to those in the homeless community, especially campers and those outside, to provide a warm place. We received several phone calls in response to winter storm Izzy and were able to help several who were dropped off at our facility. Our friends were overjoyed to come out of the freezing weather to a hot cup of coffee, some food, a hot shower, and blessings by the warmth of God’s love.

What A Year
On January 11th , we celebrated our one-year anniversary at our new location! The past year has been full of challenges and blessings. We have grown together on our journey with our homeless friends and matured greatly as a ministry under God’s direction.

During the past year, we were blessed with several new volunteers and staff to helped with construction projects, sorting donations, daily operations of the Rescue Mission, and mentoring individuals in the Men’s Program. Our team was strengthened by the addition of Daniel Cotton as the assistant director of Strong Life Rescue Mission. All this growth has helped us meet more of the needs of those struggling within our community. We were able to see many clients find a home, get a job, obtain transportation, go to rehab, and be reunited with family.

The Strong Life Men’s Program got off to a great start under Director Daniel Harkins. We had our first graduate in December. Jacob completed all 3 phases of the program, found stable employment and better transportation, was reconciled to his wife and children, and became stronger in his relationship and calling with Jesus.

Looking forward to the year ahead, we are excited about the construction of a new multipurpose building. This building will offer adequate storage for our donations and future office space to bring on more team members, partners, and case workers to help those in need. It will aid in our mission to help the homeless find their way home.

If you are interested in being part of Strong Life Ministries in the coming year, contact us at [email protected] or call 828-944-4321.

We'll Pick You Up
The homeless community struggles to find reliable transportation. Strong Life Ministries hopes to be a part of the solution. Our high top 15 passenger van has made a tremendous difference in the homeless community as it shuttles individuals to and from the Salvation Army multiple times a day. This offers our clients the opportunity for some routine and stability as they join our program during the day and return to the shelter overnight.

Strong Life Ministries is blessed to have our own bus stop off the Greenway bus route. We provide bus passes to clients that need to get to work, interviews, medical appointments, and other essential appointments. We provide gas vouchers for individuals who need a little help when the tank is empty and they don’t know what else to do. When staff is available, we use our minivan to transport clients to appointments, resources, and opportunities that are not on the bus route.

Another Day Out of the Cold
Strong Life Ministries was blessed by the volunteers who brought much cheer to struggling hearts this season by decorating the facility. There has been a renewed hope and loving anticipation that has spread across our whole ministry during this Christmas season. Our hearts have been moved by the generosity of those who have supplied clothing, food, and other essential items for those in need.

Along with the encouragement, cheer, and essential items, it is important to have a space for our homeless friends to get out of the cold and stay warm. With this in mind, Strong Life Rescue Mission has extended its hours to be open Monday through Saturday during these cold months. Adding Saturdays to our normal operating hours can be wearing on our staff and accrues additional costs to heat the building an extra day and make more trips in the van. However, we all agree that meeting this great need in the homeless community is worth the sacrifice. We are thankful for the churches that provide hot meals every Saturday during this season.

We appreciate any support you can supply this time of year. We ask for prayers for our staff and clients as the cold months bring their unique set of challenges. Pray for strength for the staff as we share the hope and joy of Christ. Pray that clients can stay warm and encouraged. If you would like to be a part of our vision to help the homeless find their way home, contact us or visit our website stronglifenc.org.

A Growing Strength
We are thankful for many exciting things that have happened this year as we have transitioned to a new location and experienced so much growth and support. In honor of the Thanksgiving Holiday, we wanted to share about two people God has put in our path. The first is our Associate Director Daniel Cotton. As soon as we met with Daniel, we knew he was the perfect fit for Strong Life Ministries. Daniel has a heart to serve and a call to minister. He is certainly an encouragement and blessing to our ministry. 
 
As reveled in the story below, we have the privilege of being an accessible resource to people in their time of need. We serve those who come to us by connecting them to the appropriate next step or resource. Often, these are physical resources such as housing, staffing agencies, medical care, and more. But sometimes, we get the privilege of pointing those we help to the next step spiritually.

A Beautiful Redemption
The second person we are thankful for is Kristen. She came to Strong Life Rescue Mission in late October seeking help with transportation. She shared her recent desire to seek God and how she wanted to get connected to a church. Daniel invited her to visit his church and she came the following Sunday. There Kristen met Daniel’s grandparents (pictured above), who took her out to eat after the service. They shared with Kristen about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and Kristen prayed to receive Christ!
 
Kristen is now connected with a Bible study at her church and is mentored by Daniel’s grandparents. She is growing stronger in life and her relationship with God. We are so thankful for how God has worked in Kristen’s life! It was evident that God had already put a spiritual hunger in her heart, and we here at Strong Life Ministries got to play a small part in God’s redemptive plan for her life. Please join us in thanking God for His kindness and mercy to Kristen! This challenges us with two questions. Who has God placed in your path so you can have a small role in His larger plan for them? Secondly, what and who are you thankful for this day? 

We at Strong Life Ministries would like to ask you to remember us this holiday season, whether in prayer or conversation, as you continue to advocate for us in the community. Please see our website www.stronglifenc.org  or give us a call at 828-994-4321 for more information. 

Getting Organized
​At Strong Life we have been blessed with some wonderful volunteers who have helped us tremendously as we have transitioned to our new location this past year. We are incredibly grateful for all those who have given their time and effort to help us better serve the homeless community. This past month, there were several groups that exemplified a heart to serve and put in some hard work to enrich Strong Life. These groups greatly helped us to become stronger and more organized. This allows us to more effectively serve those in need.
 
Here are a few examples of the work groups have done at Strong Life: A Bible study group came and built two small sheds to give us much needed space for winter storage. A corporate team of volunteers came and sorted hundreds of pounds of clothing and blankets. They also built a winter coat rack that can hold over 50 coats! A youth group came and helped reorganize and stock our food pantry. An Eagle scout helped direct a beautification project that added three flower beds to our landscaping.

Ready to Work 
The hard work of these volunteers frees us up to focus on guiding our clients into the work force. Edward came to us destitute after being unable to find work and pay the fees at a rehab home in the area. He was newly homeless and needed direction. 

We spent time counseling Edward and laid out a path towards employment. We pointed him to a nearby staffing agency and recommended certain companies that would be a good fit for him. We took him to his interview and after he was hired, we gave Edward a ride to orientation. We also connected him to the HOPE project for sustainable transportation to his job. At the end of the process, we had the great privilege of buying Edward a new pair of work boots. We are happy to say that Edward has been working for a week now! He is grateful for the opportunity. Please join us in thanking the Lord for his work in Edward’s life.
 
Those who volunteer here at Strong Life are tilling the soil, and we pray for a fruitful harvest to come from their efforts. We are thankful that the Lord is faithful to bring that fruit from the work of our hands.
 
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us at [email protected] or 828-994-4321. We will be glad to place you on our volunteer list or talk with you about group volunteering options.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy" (Romans 15:13a)

​Helping the homeless find their way home
Sometimes we all need to hear someone did well. We want to see that a situation is improving and that people are heading in the right direction. At Strong Life Ministries, we get to experience good news every day. We hope these three stories encourage you. Please note, names have been changed to protect the identities of our friends.

Tony was young and scared when he arrived in Hickory, NC.  He was traveling with the carnival, had lost his identity, and ended up in the hospital. After he was released, we were able to be part of Tony's journey. We ordered him a birth certificate, helped him get much needed medication, and counseled him daily. We helped him find some odd jobs and guided him to a safe path. After a couple of months of counseling and investing in Tony, we were able to provide a bus ticket that reconnected him with his family and support system. Tony is excited for the fresh start and opportunity to be reunited with his parents.

​A New Beginning
Jerry came to us from a hotel and was completely hopeless. He had been banned from at least five hotels in the Hickory area due to drug use and his behavioral issues that seemed to follow. He had a broken heart that wanted to do the right thing, but it seemed everyone had given up on him. Jerry started camping in the woods and coming to see us daily. After spending a couple of months ministering to Jerry, we helped him transition to Hebron Colony Men’s Recovery Program in Boone. This program is dedicated to helping men overcome addiction. Jerry has found much success in the program and is about to graduate.

Ronald is a veteran. He was released from the hospital after recovering from an overdose that left him in a coma for months and restricted to a wheelchair. During counseling, Ronald sought out a fresh commitment to God. Within the next few weeks, he obtained his military ID and connected to case management. Ronald is now out of his wheelchair walking tall. He is 20 months sober, smiling, and looking for housing. Ronald's spiritual, physical, and emotional healing has been an encouragement to many.

Paul says in Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” It is a gift to be able to share hope with someone who has become hopeless. Take courage today to be the gift of hope for someone you bump into that may need it more than you realize.

We all need hope. Please know that Strong Life Ministries is here to show that hope to others. If you are interested in joining us on this mission, contact us by phone 828-994-4321 or email [email protected].

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger." (John 6:35)

A Hope for the Hungry
At Strong Life Rescue Mission, there is a small room of great importance. It’s called the snack room. To those in our community that suffer from food insecurity, it is a place they can trust to find something to eat. Needless to say, we strive to keep this room stocked with ready-to-eat snacks. 
 
Over the years, we have been blessed by businesses, churches, and individuals who understand the value of the snack room. Piedmont Vending has generously given food donations for nearly eight years. We are grateful that Pastor David Stikeleather takes the time to deliver these donations every week. Mt. View United Methodist Church has faithfully collected and delivered food for several years. With these partners, we have been able to provide a comfort and glimpse of hope to many in the form of a snack.
 
These donations also allow us to offer snack bags for folks that may not be able to make it to their next meal opportunity. They provide some quick groceries for someone living in their car or someone who just moved into a place of their own. We freely share with other organizations around Hickory that serve clients who can benefit from the snacks. It is out of this small snack room that we can speak of God's faithfulness as it has NEVER ran out.

Spiritual Food
At Strong Life Rescue Mission, one can often find a fridge stocked with sandwiches or a kitchen counter offering pastries from a local bakery. Around lunch, a wonderful aroma fills the house as a volunteer from The Corner Table stops by to deliver hot meals for everyone. We all know physical food is important. Let's not forget the true value of spiritual food as well. In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger". A vital part of the Rescue Mission is to have a morning and afternoon devotional. This provides hope, encouragement, and guidance for folks at some of the lowest points of their lives. It offers an opportunity to partake in spiritual food.
 
We look to Jesus and His Word to be spiritually filled and encourage all to go to Him daily. We hope to encourage you with these lessons from our humble snack room. If we are faithful to give, it will be replenished. And, as we all hunger physically, we have a spiritual hunger as well. If we do not fill this spiritual hunger in the correct way, we will try to partake of things that will leave us empty.
 
Please pray for Strong Life as we continue to feed those who have a physical and spiritual hunger in our community. For more information, please contact John Hays at 828-994-4321 or email us at [email protected].