Tag Archives: ministry opportunities

Goodbye, Sue! Enjoy Your Well-Deserved Retirement!

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At the end of October we said farewell and see ya real soon to one of our staff members who was more like family than just a co-worker.

Sue Hosler retired this fall from The Hope Center. She started working with us in December of 2008. During her years as our Administrative Assistant, Sue talked with or came in contact with basically anyone and everyone who had anything to do with The Hope Center. She was the voice you heard when you called and the smile you saw when you dropped by.

We will definitely miss Sue for many reasons, but one major thing we could always count on Sue to do was to keep everything chugging away each day. Maintaining the office and all the various ministries can get pretty hectic and overwhelming, but Sue was able to always keep everything together and organized. During the busy holiday season Sue kept up with all the demands of the job including a phone that wouldn’t stop ringing and handling all the various donations of food and gifts from generous people during the season.

During Camp Wild Sue was always able to make sure parents’ needs were taken care of while various issues were sorted out. Every Monday of a new camp week was an adventure of sorts for Sue as she helped make sure all the concerns of parents were addressed and always kept up with questions about vans and pick up times.

For our Rock the Run 5K Sue made sure we had everything we needed and the event was efficient and fantastic. And the day of the event Sue was there helping to organize the food area for all of our participants and volunteers.

And those are just a few of the ways Sue really had a massive impact on the ministry at The Hope Center. But even beyond the paycheck Sue and her husband, Mark, pastor at Germantown Church of God, lived up to God’s calling by volunteering at various events at The Hope Center and hosting the men who are residents in our 13-month life recovery program, Foundations, each summer for a picnic just for them.

In addition to her job duties, Sue volunteered her time and services for our Party-in-the-Park events, Rock the Run 5K, Thanksgiving Day, Wildside Youth events, Christmas Day celebrations with our residents and community guests, and baking desserts for various activities and events at The Hope Center.

“I came to The Hope Center looking for a job – something to help pay the mortgage of a house we had left in another state and that we thought we had sold. Our tenant/buyers moved out leaving us with the house and the payments.

“What I found was a wonderful community of people who are sharing the Good News of the Gospel while trying to help some of the neediest people in our community. I considered it a joy to work with the Shanks, all my coworkers and faithful volunteers as we provided food, clothing, Godly counsel, shelter to men and activities to children. In everything that happens at The Hope Center the Gospel is presented – every day.

“I have been humbled many times those who I wished to bless by helping them turn around and blessed me.

“While I will no longer be answering the phone or greeting those who walk through the door every day, I will still be involved at The Hope Center. I will still volunteer at Wildside parties for the children. I will still show up at 6:30 AM on race day to volunteer. I will come with my church family to volunteer for evening chapel and the meal once a month. My husband and I will continue to support The Hope Center with our gifts and our prayers. Please consider joining us – pray, give, volunteer.”

Sue has been an incredible staff person, volunteer, and supporter of this ministry and we are so sad to say goodbye. She didn’t just come to do a job. She came to make a difference. And she did just that. Thank you, Sue, for your years of service at The Hope Center and for all the things you did and all the ways you helped reach thousands of people for Christ. We are so blessed to have been able to have you serve with us and we will certainly miss you each day!

 

It’s Not About Me

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Sometimes it’s hard to venture out of your comfort zone. No matter where or no matter how, as humans we always have difficulty pushing ourselves to be challenged. And as Americans we enjoy the safety of our comfortable life. God has greatly blessed this nation and we are reaping the benefits of hard work and perseverance.

But with the blessings comes the responsibility. As Christians, we are called to do more. We are told to step out of the comfort zone. We follow the example of Christ, who left the perfection of Heaven to come to the filth of earth.

But it’s not always easy stepping out. And if we aren’t pushed, it almost never happens. But what if we all stepped out together? What if the Church followed the lead of Jesus and went where it’s uncomfortable?

Lifehouse Church East is asking their people to do just that. But they aren’t just asking the people filling the seats to go. They sent 7 interns from the church into the community to witness and experience what can happen when you step out of your comfort zone and serve the Lord. And that’s when you realize that it’s not about me.

Seven interns were sent into the community from Lifehouse Church East to serve the Lord in places that they’ve never been before. The Hope Center at Hagerstown Rescue Mission was fortunate enough to have 3 of these wonderful interns serve in our kitchen.

These 3 interns helped our Food Services Manager, Aleta, in various ways in the kitchen. From helping to cook, to cleaning and serving, these interns were able to help feed hungry people in the community and interact with some of the residents in our Foundations program.

One of the interns, Sheliea, said, “I had the most amazing, humble,  inspiring experience volunteering at the Hope Center. I will be back and I would love to volunteer in the kitchen again.” Sheliea, Michael and Kassidy were able to serve lunch to the residents of The Hope Center as well as serving our afternoon meal to area guests in need of warm food. We’ve had a steady increase of people coming to our Soup Line this summer so it was nice for these interns to see the actual need in Hagerstown.

Even though these interns did something as simple as serving food & cleaning a kitchen, they followed Christ’s example by going somewhere that most people don’t go. They were able to talk and mingle with our lunchtime guests as well as work directly with guys in our residential program. Only Heaven now knows the full impact of their time at The Hope Center. Sheliea continued, “The guys that worked that day were so sweet to me. I  instantly fell in love with everyone of them there. My life has been forever changed from all my experiences this week. It’s truly wonderful how God knows the right time to open your eyes to the world.”

When you take the leap outside of your comfort zone to minister to others you realize that maybe you are the one that is being ministered to the most! The fear and trepidation that we each feel at the initial step outside of our comfort zone is immediately replaced by the overwhelming peace and joy of serving God and knowing that this is where His heart is.

When you step out to serve others, the Holy Spirit gives you such a feeling of happiness that no drug on earth could ever replicate.

We are thankful for the interns from Lifehouse Church East who came to serve in the kitchen at The Hope Center. We welcome them back anytime with open arms!

If you would like to experience the joy of serving Christ outside of your comfort zone then please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us! Call us at 301.739.1165 or email us at hagerstownrescue@verizon.net.

If you would like to see and hear more of the testimonies from these interns, please visit Lifehouse Church East. The series, “It’s Not About Me” will begin on September 16th. Check out www.lifehousechurch.org to find service times and locations.

Now Hiring – Food Services Manager

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We are currently looking for a new food services manager. If you or someone you know are looking for a job, and an excellent way of serving the Lord, then keep reading.

The position of Food Services Manager is a part-time position which is about 25-30 hours per week. Usually no weekend work is required.

Experience in food service management is required. Food Services Manager will be working hands-on with some of the men in our residential program so this person must have supervisory skills and be able to lead, direct and motivate the program men assigned to kitchen duty. Also, we are looking for someone who is a good cook, innovative, and able to teach and supervise others how to cook.

Since we are a faith-based organization we ask that each applicant agree with our Statement of Faith (our code of beliefs) and be able to provide their testimony of their faith in Jesus as well as adhere to Christian conduct.

This job is perfect for retired cooks, chefs or kitchen staff. It’s also perfect for anyone who loves cooking and really wants to make a difference for Christ in the daily lives of people. It’s a wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord by preparing meals for residents and daily guests. The Food Services Manager is able to build strong relationships with the residents who work in our kitchen. If you think that you would be perfect for this position, please read through the job purpose and responsibilities.

Purpose:  To oversee daily operations of kitchen including program residents and all volunteers assigned to kitchen duty.  The kitchen, dining area, freezers, refrigerators and food pantries are to be maintained in a Christ-honoring manner (clean and neatly organized) with diligence given to using all the food resources that God provides to the Mission without waste, spoilage or theft.

Responsibilities include but not limited to:

  • Set up weekly menus for all meals utilizing all available food resources
  • Supervise and maintain cleanliness of kitchen and dining area
  • Keep detailed record of all food donations
  • Insure all Health Department requirements are met on a daily basis
  • Insure all food items are sorted, properly stored and quickly used or frozen to prevent loss.

To apply, please use one of the methods listed below. If you are not interested but know of someone that you think would be great in this role, please pass this information along!

  • Email hagerstownrescue@verizon.net
  • Call 301.739.1165
  • Submit resume to The Hope Center/P.O. Box 685/Hagerstown, MD  21741
  • Fax resume to 301.739.1169
  • Drop resume off to Administrative Office M-F 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM