“Why don’t you just get a job, you slobs?”

These words stung as they rang out from a passerby outside our Bethel Mission facility. The tormentor might as well have added, “You’re lazy . . . you just don’t want to work . . . you’ll always be a drain on society.”

But our staff—and hurting guests like Robert who are struggling to find dignity and hope—know those assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. You see, it isn’t that Robert didn’t want to find a job ... that he didn’t dream of being able to support himself. At Hope Ministries, he’s been working hard at both those things.

But the deck was stacked against Robert before he even filled out a job application. He had a criminal record—so most companies wouldn’t give him a second glance. “Employers were looking at me as a convict with a number,” Robert recalls. “They had no interest in me.”

It was Robert’s despair over not finding work that brought him to Hope Ministries in the first place. Robert was a recovering alcoholic whose addiction had cost him his family and his home, and had given him time to reflect on all he’d lost . . . in jail. Then he was released. After weeks of sobriety and searching for a job with no success, Robert became frustrated. He knew he was headed for a relapse and came to our Bethel Mission emergency shelter. “Please, I need help before something happens,” Robert pleaded to the man at the front desk.

Robert transitioned to our Journey of Hope long-term recovery program where we gave him the support he needed to maintain his sobriety. Through our STAR curriculum, he took part in life-skills classes, performed work assignments throughout the ministry, accepted God’s love and forgiveness and continued his quest for employment—sending out nearly two-dozen applications and resumes every day!

Finally, after nine long months, the call came. Robert was offered a position at a local auto maintenance shop by a man who was once an addict, himself. Now the man walks with the Lord and understands the importance of passing on to Robert the second chance he was given.

The homeless, like Robert face a number of roadblocks in their journey to gainful employment – drug abuse and chronic depression, for example. Many simply don’t have the skills today’s employers are looking for.

Others didn’t have good role models growing up and don’t understand what it means to be responsible, dependable or accountable.

If you don’t have a permanent address, a phone or a car, how will a potential employer contact you? How will you get to an interview? If you’re living outside, how will you bathe, brush your teeth and keep your clothes clean so you can be presentable? If you’ve been sleeping on the ground, in the cold or rain, or in fear for your life, how can you be at your best as you compete with hundreds of applicants who’ve at least had a shower and a good night’s sleep?

That’s why Hope Ministries does everything possible to eliminate discouraging obstacles and give our homeless residents every opportunity for success:

• Safe shelter—and an address where they can be contacted for employment
• Appropriate clothing for interviews, along with instruction in personal hygiene
• Job-skills training, resume writing and interview coaching
• Necessary credentials for employment
• Transportation to training and interviews
• Addiction recovery and relapse prevention classes
• Christ-centered counseling and character-building programs
• Spiritual encouragement and moral support

Without the support he found at Hope Ministries, Robert may have given in to his addiction, and his chances of finding work would have been even more remote. In four years, this is Robert’s first experience with a real job—working full-time, being responsible and showing up with no exception. “I’m here every day before the boss!” he says with pride.

I’m so grateful that, despite these tough economic times, faithful friends continue to recognize the needs of those less fortunate here in central Iowa and respond with heartfelt gifts and prayers. You allow us to provide a stable, Christ-centered foundation from which homeless and disheartened souls like Robert can overcome personal stumbling blocks, find gainful employment and discover God’s purpose for their lives.