Our organization has not really attempted to raise funds in the past. Our funding has been through “attraction rather than promotion”, mostly people that know us and want to support and join in with what we do.
Our board felt led to urge us out of our comfort zone to create an event to attract those not yet known to us, to test our message and attempt to gain further support – to add both “friends” and “funds” to our organization.
The outcome was overwhelming.
We had about 80 people in the room, of about 60 were people that had no direct connection to us. We presented what we do and how we’re different. We had two great testimonies by people and partners we’ve helped. It was so affirming and uplifting to those of us that work in the organization as well as for our board members in attendance.
We shattered our goal for friend and fundraising. Now, we get to the necessary task of putting these gifts to work in our community through the families we serve.
We are grateful to a generous God and his role in bringing others to us in loving support.
The COVID pandemic has changed many things for most of us. For our organization, we’ve had less demand to assist with the traditional housing as there has been (thankfully) a wave of government support for those in great need. So even though our donations will be down from last year, we have some excess funds that we intend to put to work in the community.
At our board of directors meeting in September, we discussed the idea of stepping up the amount of collaboration we do with sober houses. We have been involved with them to a degree, but we haven’t been super intentional about it. The board agreed. So, we have some work to do.
Frequently, as a patient exits chemical dependency treatment, he/she is urged to enter a sober living situation, to put a bit more distance between themselves and their past. This offers a safe and supportive environment to help one get off to a good start in the transition back to “normal” life.
The challenge is while having been in treatment for many weeks (or longer) most have little or no means to pay even a modest deposit for rent. That’s where we step in. We typically will provide a no strings attached grant to the client, while he/she must raise some of the funds themselves and we put our money in last, to complete the agreement.
The picture above is one of a handful of clients expressing gratitude for our good work. Our good work is a reflection of the good God that we serve, give all the credit and all the glory for what we have been provided to share.
Yes, we’re “PACK” again!
Our small group as part of our series entitled, “What’s a Galatian?” got socially distanced, but physically together, to assembly 150+ hygiene kits that are being distributed among our homeless friends in Minneapolis.
Each kit included:
Such a blessing to have friends that share our heart for loving on others. We’ll distribute these from now through the holidays until they’re gone.
If you have an interest in a project like this, just reach out to us and we’ll help guide you through what needs to be done and we can help with distribution if needed.
There is little that is more devastating in the lives of individuals and families than addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. We know how God loves to meet us in those broken places, and the brokenness left by addiction is significant.
That’s why lately we’ve been working with more sober homes. Those living on modest means and/or presently homeless and needing a small financial lift have been eligible for some of the new funds our government has recently made available. Our organization has continued to look for opportunities to “step in the gap” for those in need, and this continues to be a real need.
This woman will be successfully exiting her treatment program and in part due to our assistance, will be moving into a sober living situation. This is a critical steps early in sobriety; to get some “clean time” and establish new, healthy patterns of living. A sober house can provide a buffer between in-patient treatment and “real life”.
Thanks to all who support our efforts. We are “all in” for this woman, praying for her safe and healthy transition. We have little doubt that she will indeed “pay it forward”, as she suggests.
We met while I was making my rounds as a volunteer Chaplain, and the Salvation Army Harbor Lights is a regular stop on my route. Floyd (I knew him as Floyd) was in a situation attempting to extract an inebriated guest from the building. He was new, and it did not go well – for Floyd. After he moved the gentleman out of the building, Floyd and I spent time together, one to one, discussing the event, sharing our histories, crying and praying together.
Our friendship was born.
Although his employment at Harbor Lights ended, I would see him there, hanging around, visiting with the staff and guests, often with a kind word, an encouragement, or a funny story to share. He seemed to love to be among “the least of these” (as Jesus said). His escape from his hometown was to provide a geographic cure for his struggles, and the time he spent at Harbor Lights was salve on his wounded heart.
We did not spend as much time together as I now wish we had. Our encounters, except for a few, would be brief – maybe 10 or 15 minutes. On a few occasions, as I shared above, we went deep. In the time we shared, I would describe Floyd as:
The Floyd I knew was a peace-lover. He detested violence. He cared for his family, in the best way he knew. He had a robust faith and wanted others to meet his God.
His legacy will live on, not through violence but through peace, justice and through real change in how we see and treat each other. This isn’t only a police issue but an issue that continues to cut deeply into the core of our society. Judging someone based on appearance, color of skin or any other superficial trait is simply unfair. It’s wrong. No matter the color of your skin.
Remember, we all bleed red.
—Richard Bahr, Co-Founder and Chaplain at Threshold to New Life
Here’s an idea of how to love your neighbor while continuing to stay safe.
If you or your group packs any hygiene kits, sandwiches or lunches, message us and we’ll figure out how to connect with you so we can distribute.
See how we did this here
There are things we can do to “love our neighbor” even during a pandemic! It is certainly good for the folks receiving our efforts (of course!) but its also good to get out of our own heads and think about someone else while creating a little “good news”.
You can do something like this, too. And at the bottom of this page, I’ll show you how to contact me and I’ll see to it your effort ends up being provided to someone in need.
Packing Hygiene Kits
We gathered a group of eight people (fewer than 10), maintained six feet of distance and set up two packing lines to assemble 100 hygiene kits for our homeless friends in the Twin Cities.
The kits included: shampoo, body wash, conditioner, lotion (all the aforementioned were “trial sized”), comb, washcloth, non perishable food item (like a granola bar), a razor, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush, a shower cap, socks, a list of open restrooms in Minneapolis and inspirational reading material.
We had A LOT items in these kits, but you can keep it simple – toothpaste and brush, shampoo, body wash, deodorant and maybe a pair of socks. All the items are trial sized versions and packed into a gallon-sized freezer locking style bag.
Sandwiches and Lunches
You can also make sandwiches and/or lunches. We prefer somewhat non-perishable (PB and J is best and popular!). One bread bag loaf makes 10 sandwiches (discard the two ends) and repack the finished sandwiches into the bags.
An additional measure is to make a simple lunch. One sandwich, bag of chips, non perishable bar (like granola) and a small water bottle.
Either of these options are appreciated and help those in need of a simple meal.
What to do now?
You can do and event like this with a few (emphasis “few”) friends or your immediate family. Its a great activity to get your school-aged children involved in. Yes, there’s a little cost. The sandwich option is probably the least expensive and the large hygiene kits the most.
For distribution, if you’re comfortable you can hand out yourself to those on many of street corners in the Twin Cities. But I realize that for many this is a unfamiliar setting.
I spend many mornings and a some evenings every week leading a ministry serving breakfast at a downtown Minneapolis shelter as well as doing shelter visits. I’ve been doing this for the past 13 years, and I have been given a heart for broken and struggling people.
I am happy to connect with you to:
You can reach me through my website at www.richardbahr.com or email me at FollowofJC@comcast.net
Blessings to you and yours as we endure this challenge together,
Richard Bahr
It is never expected, but so wonderful, to receive an acknowledgement from a client we helped.
This young lady is a student, who works and is putting herself through college. She is picking up more hours at her job while on winter break.
Not only is she industrious, she is also gratuitous in providing us with this little thank you card.
So kind and thoughtful. Unnecessary but appreciated.
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 Case Management Program Manager at the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center 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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