Our co-founder, Richard Bahr, was interviewed by Bill Arnold on KTIS 900 AM radio today, reviewing his new book, Those People – The True Character of the Homeless.
You can get the book on Amazon through this link.
To hear the radio interview, click here.
To learn more about Richard, his work, writing and ministry, go to his webpage at www.richardbahr.com
When we met Brittany, she was many months clean and sober, recently obtained housing, hoped to regain custody of her daughter and was looking for work. Since, she’s added to her family a new son!
Obtaining affordable daycare remains a barrier to getting a full time job (she wants one!) but her spirits are good. She’s grateful for assistance that Thresholds and other agencies have provided to help her get life back on track.
We’re a big fan of Brittney’s as we are with all people for which we “step in the gap”. Sometimes that small, little thing to us means the world to another.
We have a generous donor that will match the first $3,000 donated in December! If you’re moved to support this effort financially, click on this link to donate.
Thank you for all of your support in 2017!
We first met John while he was living in a homeless shelter with an uncompleted college education. He was the feature of an earlier story when we stepped in to help him get re-enrolled in college. He graduated this past spring with a bachelor’s degree in computer science…but ran into some issues with his citizenship so was unemployable.
We referred him to the Dignity Center to connect with an attorney. John is now days away from receiving the paperwork needed to apply for jobs…and the Dignity Center is covering rent for a couple of months to get John out of shelter and into some stable housing.
We stepped back in to help him get a few of the things he needs for his new place. One of our most reliable team members was on the case to gather donations but found the response wasn’t up the need (perhaps the reason was first week of school starting?). She told her kids what she was working on and the children decided to pool some of their own money to help with the cause. Unbelievable!
It is truly remarkable when need intersects generosity. We’re SO blessed to have faithful volunteers that are willing to “take the yoke” of another and provide them with needed rest from the anxiety and struggle that the world sometimes provides.
We’re excited to continue to follow John into his next chapter….stay tuned!
Thank you for your support of our work. Many of you provide funding for this ministry and most of you think about us and even pray for our efforts. That’s no small thing…and we’re grateful for all of this.
Your year end donations are tax deductible and we have a donor willing to match the first $3,000 given. Click on this link for our donation page. Thank you for being part of loving those in our community who, for a variety of reasons, are struggling right now. Your support may not seem like much to you but it can mean the world to them.
This ministry completed its first full year of operation in December 2014:
Served 33 named clients, 23 with specific financial support
– Rental assistance (rent, security deposits and application fees) – Food / Gift Cards – Clothing (basic needs and interview clothing) – Basic household items – Bus passes – Utility payments – Storage locker fees – Gas cards – Two vehicles including doing repairs and full safety check
Also provided to hundreds of others in need were:
– Backpacks, socks, hats, gloves, jackets, shoes, clothing, personal care kits cases of soap, shampoo, McDonald’s gift cards and faith-based reading materials
In the eight weeks since January 1, 2015:
– Fielded five (5) referrals for housing needs (rent assistance, security deposit and application fees), provided one (1) lead on an apartment, researched utility grants for two (2) clients, covered storage fees for one (1) client, provided transportation for grocery shopping for one (1) client, job interviews for two (2) clients and job training for one (1) client.
We contribute to this ministry and serve with our time because we were first served and loved by Christ. During this Easter season, we contemplate the love He showed by His sacrifice on the cross and all the events leading up to this. He did all this while being both man and God. Feeling the pain, anguish, feelings of separation from God and his friends and yet did this for you and me. He loved us that much. So we serve and give because He did first.
See our website for more information at www.threshold2newlife.org and to donate go to http://threshold2newlife.org/donate.html
We serve in His love,
The Threshold to New Life Team
SECRETARY/TREASURER & ADVOCATE
Carla co-founded Threshold to New Life with her husband, Richard, in 2013. Carla handles the day-to-day operations for the organization dealing with partner organizations and working directly with clients.
She has spent a career in providing administrative support for executives at a number of prominent Twin City companies, which developed her organizational skills as well as the heart of a servant.
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PRESIDENT & CHAPLAIN
Having led and grown a leading capital equipment manufacturer with installations in 27 countries serving 17 of the top 20 pharmaceutical firms in the world, Bahr became determined to dedicate more of his time, talent and treasure to helping “the least of these."
He has a B.A. from Augsburg University in Business and has served on the boards of and has actively worked with several charitable organizations throughout his career. As a licensed minister, he volunteers as a chaplain at various homeless shelters along with providing leadership for 2.4 Ministries of Grace Fellowship, serving a daily breakfast to the homeless. He is also a published author. His most recent book, Those People, shares stories about his homeless friends. More about Bahr can be found on his website at www.richardbahr.com.
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DIRECTOR
From Homeless to Faith – Following her experiences in dealing with both homelessness and chemical dependency, Sheila committed her life to Christ in 2004. As God began pulling the pieces of her life together, she began working for a non-profit homeless shelter in 2007, then earned her B.S. in Human Services in 2018. Following multiple promotions, she now is the Program Director at Hope Harbor at the Salvation Army in Minneapolis.
Sheila is originally from Chicago and has resided in the Twin Cities since the late ’90s. She is married and a soldier in The Salvation Army. Her empathy for those struggling with addiction, homelessness, and mental illness has oriented her vocation and volunteering to step in to help those in need.
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DIRECTOR
Danell is a hands-on executive with several decades of senior level experience in the wholesale industry. Born and raised in North Dakota, she has lived in the Twin Cities area for more than 30 years, and she and her husband call the northern suburbs home.
In addition to volunteering with Threshold to New Life, she supports a number of other organizations which reflect her heart for poverty, food and family insecurity, and homelessness: World Vision, Common Hope, and Unseen among them. She loves to cook, eat, and make others feel welcome. She translates this into preparing and serving food at Simpson Shelter, Minneapolis, alongside her friends from Grace Fellowship, Brooklyn Park, MN.
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DIRECTOR
A life-long Minnesotan, Denise is married to John and has two wonderful daughters and a son-in-law. She has spent her career as an elementary school teacher in a Title 1 school in a Twin City area school district.
Along with volunteering with Threshold to New Life, she has helped with several other homeless ministries. She sponsors children through World Vision and is currently a coach and mentor to the Girls on the Run organization, which promotes good self-esteem, positive role models, and moral education along with physical activity to girls in grades 3 – 5.
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DIRECTOR
Also a life-long Minnesotan, John is married to Denise and has two wonderful daughters and a son-in-law. He has been an Environmental Scientist and has been operating his own business for 22 years.
Along with volunteering with Threshold to New Life, John has learned the joys of serving by being a Big Brother since 2012 and is currently a tutor at Sharing and Caring Hands. He has worked with at-risk teens at Maple Grove High School in the STRIVE program. He has also coached youth gymnastics and soccer for many years.
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DIRECTOR
Rob was born and raised in the Minneapolis area and currently lives in the Northwest suburbs of Minneapolis with his wife, Nancy. He has a B.S. Degree in Finance from Saint Cloud State University and has spent the last 30 years of his career in corporate financial management and planning.
In addition to his role on the Board of Directors of Threshold to New Life, Rob is involved in several other non-profit organizations. He teaches financial literacy classes for several organizations, serves on the speakers’ bureau of Feed My Starving Children, and is a Compassion International and Campus Outreach sponsor. He is also involved in his church, Grace Fellowship in Brooklyn Park, where he serves as a church elder, men’s group leader, and small group leader.
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DIRECTOR
Nancy was born and raised in Wisconsin and has lived in the Twin Cities for over 35 years. She lives in the Northwest suburbs of Minneapolis with her husband, Rob. She has a B.S. Degree in Finance from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and has spent the past 30 years of her career in business systems support and project management within the Financial Services Industry, where she recently retired.
In addition to her role on the Board of Directors of Threshold to New Life, Nancy teaches financial literacy classes for several non-profit organizations, ran the church bookstore for 4 years at Grace Fellowship Church, and is a Compassion International and Campus Outreach sponsor.
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DIRECTOR AND ADVOCATE
Sherri was born and raised in WI before moving to MN thirty plus years ago. She met her husband Dave on a blind date and they have 2 adopted children. Now both retired since 2018, she and Dave enjoy their respective and joint hobbies, spending time at their cabin, doing road trips and visiting with their children.
After working in the corporate world supporting the divisional VP for many years, Sherri was looking for something that helped people, not a corporate bottom line. She has been a volunteer advocate with Threshold to New Life since 2019. She is also a Drop Off Site co-leader with her husband at Grace Fellowship Church for Operation Christmas Child, collecting shoebox gifts from the surrounding community for children around the world, spreading the good news of Jesus to the children and their families and friends. She has also sponsored several children over the years thru Compassion International.
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DIRECTOR
David was born and raised in northern Minnesota and has lived in the Twin Cities for over 35 years. He is married to Sherri and has two adopted children, a son and daughter. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Bemidji State University and had a variety of roles in the technology industry over the past 30 years.
After retiring in 2018, he now spends free time volunteering for various organizations and activities. He is a Drop off lead for Operation Christmas Child, providing leadership for shoebox collections at his Grace Fellowship site. In addition, he leads a small group at Grace Fellowship, as well as providing various staff support functions. During the summer months, he spends as much time as possible at his cabin in northern Minnesota.
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