George Floyd was my friend

Goerge Floyd

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:

  • A big man (physically, you could not miss that)
  • A giver. Floyd had a huge heart and held the world with a loose grip
  • A fighter. He was plagued with the same struggles that many of us are, and he pushed against those desires, sometimes losing the battle, but never stopped fighting the war.
  • Tender-hearted. He found it easy to come to tears. He was never embarrassed to share from his heart.
  • A man after God’s own heart. Floyd identified with David (of the Bible) who was first given this moniker. David was both a sinner and a saint. Floyd desired so much to become the latter.
  • A friend. He would light up when he would see me. I know that he looked so forward to our conversations. I know he would call me his friend.

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

Hygiene Kits Assembled Safely in C-19 Environment

Hygiene Kit Packing 2020-04

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

 

Packing Hygiene Kits in a Socially Distant Way for the Homeless

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.

Lunches 2020-04

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:

  • Take delivery of whatever outcome of your packing event(s)
  • Pick up whatever you pack (somewhat determinate on your location – I’m in the NW Suburbs)
  • You can join me in serving breakfast one morning (we practice social distancing and proper hygiene, so it is about as safe as grocery shopping – as one of our volunteers put it)

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

 

 

 

So very heart warming!

Zorn Thank You.jpg

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.

Serving Those in Need

Our co-founder, Richard Bahr, is interviewed by Bill Arnold on Faith Radio on November 19, 2019.

Bill is a great interviewer, always asks great questions and tolerates a little friendly banter 🙂

Length is 25:22

Grateful Partners

Thank you 2019-11

We have SOOO many great partners, organizations that work tirelessly to house the homeless and encourage those who are struggling. Threshold is just one (and a small one) of many in our area that does this good and needed work.

Above, we share a thank you we received from one of our many partners. This work is hard and can be discouraging. Messages like this one help to encourage us to persevere and continue to be faithful to our mission.

“being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy” – Colossians 1:11

Good stuff going on in our community

One of our co-founders, Richard Bahr, recently was asked to speak and be on the panel for Anoka County, as they wanted to host a discussion on how can best help and support refuges and immigrants that struggle with homelessness. There were about 70 county workers, from various disciplines, attending either the morning or afternoon session.

Then, he spoke at “Box City”, the annual event hosted at Blaine High School. Over 100 high school students and volunteers slept in large, corrugated boxes overnight while feasting on PB&J sandwiches. Then, up and off to school the next day – without a shower. This is a wonderful immersion experience for these youth, and he was blessed to speak to them to kick off the event for a second year in a row.

And yes, he’s wearing the same shirt in both pictures. All this took place on the same day!

These events happened because of and through the effort of caring people that aim to make a difference in our community. We’re honored to have been included to help and support these fine efforts.

This REALLY socks!

Bombas socks 2019-07.jpg

How generous is this?

These boxes are filled with 250 high quality #bombas socks. Such a great company. For everyone sold, they donate a pair. Our organization has received and distributed nearly 2,000 #bombas socks to date…with more now to give.

We’re are eternally grateful for our many, fine and giving partners.

Check them out…buy some socks at Bombas.com

 

“Called to Serve”

How to link the two greatest commandments into one simple and loving action?

Our co-founder, Richard Bahr, delivered this message to a local Twin City church on June 16, 2019. Length is 24 minutes.

Carla Bahr

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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Richard Bahr

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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Sheila Daniels

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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Danell Gibbins

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 VisionCommon 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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Denise Morrisette

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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John Morrisette

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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Rob Van Beusekom

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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Nancy Van Beusekom

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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Sherri Larson

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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Dave Larson

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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