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Bringing Hope on NYE

1/13/2022

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By Nick Galezewski
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and cloth you?’…The King will reply, ‘Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" Matthew 25:37-40

For many of us, New Year’s Eve serves not only as a renewed reminder of the Hope that Jesus gave us, but hope that this next year will be better than the last – a better self, developing better relationships and becoming a better follower of Christ…in short, it renews our hope to thrive. But for many of us, the hope to thrive is a luxury superseded by the hope to simply survive.  
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This New Year’s Eve, as most of Milwaukee’s Soup Kitchens were closed for the day, BASICS Minister to Milwaukee and Executive Director of Genesis Lighthouse, Frank Woods, with the help of dozens of volunteers, once again served the City of Milwaukee’s homeless population during its annual New Year’s Eve Outreach #NYEO. ​


​In addition to providing dozens of meals to Milwaukee’s most vulnerable and marginalized, Genesis Lighthouse was able to hand out warm coats, gloves, hats, scarfs, thermal underwear, socks and clothes to those in need.  
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​Three distinct stations, each playing its own role came together for this event. The Kitchen volunteers led by Sherry Quakkelaar prepared the meals. Jane Gobeli oversaw volunteers at the Distribution Trailer who greeted neighbors with not only a meal but a hot cup of coffee. 
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​Finally, a Heated Tent provided a space to warm up, housed hundreds of clothing items for those that needed them, and had a prayer team available to anyone wanting prayer.  Said one minister, 
“this is like the Church body…each individual station has its own mission and each is critical for the success of this outreach...we first must meet a person’s physical needs before we can share with them the message of Hope that only Jesus provides.”   ​
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Volunteers Serving in Unity
Of the dozens of people assisted that day, 3 stood out:
Carla, an elderly woman, who the night before slept outside without warm clothes, was blessed with a coat and shelter for the night at Joy House, a Christian Homeless Shelter. As she was leaving, she could be heard thanking God for his provisions.   

Bea, a homeless atheist was also blessed with a warm meal and clothing. Despite prayer and gospel sharing she refused the help of a faith-based homeless shelter instead choosing to remain with friends. ​


​Finally, William, after receiving a pair of leather shoes, an overcoat and gloves – with tears in his eyes, and exclaiming “Thank you LORD!” wanted to give back…and give back he did! He gave all that he had to offer with his gift of vocal worship.
Listen to William's Song here!
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Nick G. and Frank Woods


​Said Frank who shared two Gospel messages – one tailored to the non-believer and the other to those laboring in the field:
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“These stories are the ‘why’ behind doing this. If someone is a believer or not, they are children of God and we need to help and be a blessing where we can…our job is to share the message of Hope and we let the Holy Spirit do the rest.”  

​If you would like more information on how you can get involved with BASICS or Genesis Lighthouse, please visit: 
www.basicsinmke.org or genesisinmke.org ​
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