---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: R.E.A.L. Life Community Services <rod@reallcs.org>
Date: Sat, Apr 15, 2017 at 2:02 PM
Subject: REAL April Enews
To: philandkelly@gmail.com

REAL April Enews

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HAPPY EASTER

SPRING BANQUET UPDATE

It was an amazing night of friendly fellowship, food, and an inspiring message by Chuck Holt, President/CEO of the Factory Ministries! Chuck shared a bit of his own story. He was kicked out of home at age 14 and adopted by his math teacher at school. What could have been a disaster, is what saved him from a life of drug abuse and crime. He owes it all to someone who took the time to care about him and walk beside him and guide him to a better life. Chuck challenged us to be the difference maker in someone's life. It's not just about meeting their needs, it's about becoming their friend.

Rod updated everyone about all that is happening with the organization; the purchase and cleanup of the Denver House, the formation of the Capital Campaign Committee, and our newest member to the team, our Director of Development, Christine Stoltzfus!

WELCOME CHRISTINE STOLTZFUS

Christine Stoltzfus is a graduate of Millersville University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors degree in Political Affairs and a minor in Sociology.

After college, Christine worked for State Senator Mike Brubaker as a Constituent Relations Representative in his District Office and then worked for the Ephrata Community Health Foundation at WellSpan Ephrata Hospital as a Development Associate, assisting with fundraising efforts for projects at the hospital.

Christine and her husband Jeremy live in Denver with their two children, Luke and Lucy, and their two dogs, Rosie and Utley. In her spare time, Christine enjoys reading, and spending time with family and friends. She is excited to be a part of REAL Life Community Services as their Director of Development to help with their fundraising efforts and assist those in need in her local community and school district.

Watch our new video about the Denver House!

DENVER HOUSE PROJECT UPDATE

Well, we did it! After five long months of pain-staking work, the Denver House is completely gutted and ready for construction! It took over 250 volunteers giving almost 2,000 hours of their time to remove 26 dumpsters full (780 yards) of debris! We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all those who helped make this happen. We know many of you have given up numerous Saturday mornings, working it dirt and dust to help. We couldn't have done it without you!

Now, what's next? We are in the midst of developing our Capital Campaign Steering Committee and are in the process of finding the right general contractor to help partner with us for this project. Recently, we hired Christine Stoltzfus as our Director of Development to help see this campaign through. We have a long way to go, but know that God has brought us this far and there is a high level of excitement and passion in our community to see something great come out of this property.

One organization can't do it all. That is why we have partnered with some of the best organizations in the County to help us; Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership "LHOP" has been there since the beginning giving us advice and the predevelopment loan we needed; Welsh Mountain Health Centers has also been there since the beginning with a plan to provide medical, dental, and counseling services (being the anchor business to our commercial development).

Please join us in prayer as we move in to the next phase of this project, "The Transformation (Capital) Campaign!" If you have any interest in learning more, don't hesitate to contact our Executive Director, Rod Redcay! (rod@reallcs.org)

ROD'S RAMBLINGS

REAL Life Community Services has quickly become an organization bigger than I ever dreamed! We are truly making a difference in our community, one life at a time! As I look to understand the issue with poverty, I'm learning to see life through a slightly different lens. I used to always think those in poverty just needed to work harder, be more positive, find a better job, stop wasting their money on smoking and drinking. However, I'm understanding that the problem is far more complex than that. Those of different socio-economic backgrounds think, talk, act, handle money, etc. differently. The positive effects are great when learning to understand another's race. I believe the same is true for economic backgrounds. Seek to understand those who live differently (richer or poorer) before rushing to judgement.

THE HUB

By: Chris Hibbert

Just

recently, I attended a training for Mental Health First Aid. Most of us have learned a small degree of first aid through health classes at school, but how many of us have heard about mental health first aid? Probably not too many. Why do we need mental health first aid training? Mental disorders like anxiety, depression, substance abuse, bipolar, eating, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses affect everyday interactions and can be just as debilitating as physical illnesses. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health, almost half (46.4%) of all adults in the United States will experience a mental illness during their lifetimes. Every year, 1 in 5 people are affected by such illnesses. Therefore, it is highly likely that an individual will develop a mental health problem, or have close contact with someone who has. You probably know such a person yourself! So how can we help them? We can attend Mental Health First Aid trainings (www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org) to learn about responding to someone who may be in crisis. We can learn about mental health issues to break the myths and stigmas attached to them. We can make sure we are familiar with the services offered in our communities and the numbers we can call if there is an emergency (suicide prevention at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or Lancaster County Crisis Intervention at 717-394-2631 for a mental health emergency). By learning mental health issues, we become better equipped for caring for hurting loved ones, friends, and community members who are all around us.