Author: Richard Bahr

Disabled man is now scooting!

30 April 2017
Richard Bahr
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Categories: Disabled, Threshold to New Life

Glenn Jaime 2017-04-30

Jaime is homeless and is a shelter resident. He is on disability and is unable to walk due to complications following surgery. He was unable to get around in his manual wheel chair and his powered scooter had a bad battery. We were approached and asked if we would provide funds for a new battery and charger for his scooter. When we put the word out to our little network, a generous donor stepped up to donate a powered scooter previously owned by her father that she was just in the process of selling.

We love it when God’s timing is perfect. Sure, things don’t always work out the way we want. But He is always faithful, and in this case, he matched a donor and a donee in perfect harmony.

Valentine’s Day Dinner

15 February 2017
Richard Bahr
1 Comment
Categories: Giving, Meals, Threshold to New Life

project-68-2017-02-14

We had the privilege to serve dinner under a bridge, which happened to be Valentine’s Day, with our team. We made a great goulash, apple sauce, chips, and of course pink sugar cookies! We completed the evening with a bible study at Cafe Royale on Hennepin Ave in Minneapolis.

The windy was brisk. Even though the actual air temperature wasn’t THAT cold, it sure felt cold.

As I was shivering, my heart ached known that the people enjoying our meal are primarily folks that stay outside 365 days per year. Whether by choice or having been put out of shelter, these people camp outside and do their best to stay out of the elements. Unbelievable.

We really love what the Project 6:8 team does. They organize this dinner EVERY Tuesday nite, 52 weeks per year. The founders, Adam and Kristi Betker call this their “family”. So much so that when they married a couple of years ago, they invited and were blessed by the attendance of many of the same people who enjoy their meals each week.

Being the hands and feet of Jesus…and experiencing the heart of Jesus. I think that it’s the kind of love that is easily overlooked, even on a day that celebrates the feeling. Certainly the most memorable Valentine’s Day dinner of my life.

 

Hats, hats, hats!

22 January 2017
Richard Bahr
1 Comment
Categories: Donations, Threshold to New Life

 

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We had someone come forward to make a connection between us and his father, whose desire is to remain anonymous. His dad is 94 years old and knits hats to “keep busy” producing nearly one, new stocking hat per day…wow! We stopped in today, had a nice visit and he gave us about 40 stocking hats to distribute to the homeless that we encounter in our ministry. These are the thickest, nicest hats I think I’ve even seen.

We continue to live in amazement at how God brings people forward to support the cause that tugs at our hearts…loving those who are loved so much by Jesus yet are often cast out of society.

Donation from Tartan Marketing

29 December 2016
Richard Bahr
3 Comments
Categories: Donations, Threshold to New Life

tartan-donation-2016-12

We LOVE the work that Tartan Marketing does, a local B2B marketing firm located in Maple Grove, MN. Simple – Smart – Scrappy.

Each year Margie and Jim select an organization to support, then send a gift to every client and make a financial donation on their behalf.

This year we were blessed to be their choice. The gift sent to each client were the socks pictured above – in honor of the 20,000+ pairs of socks we’ve given out.

Thank you to the folks at Tartan for their generosity!

 

Thank you for a great 2016!

19 December 2016
Richard Bahr
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Categories: Threshold to New Life, Updates

eoy-2016

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.

Support from Jr. & Sr. Highers

15 December 2016
Richard Bahr
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Categories: Giving, Threshold to New Life

grace-jr-and-sr-high-giving-tree-2016-12 We love, love, love to get students engaged in serving and giving. It’s a great habit to be in and one that bolsters our faith.

The youth pastors at Grace Fellowship, Josh Olson and Jacob Hedden, decided to put on a competition between their groups of students for funds raised for T2NL. Examples of common needs that we have along with the monetary amount to fulfill each were printed on cards and placed on Christmas trees for students to select to fill.

We’re not sure which group will win the contest but we know the real winners will be those living on little margin and the homeless in the Twin Cities that our ministry aims to support.

Thanks, Josh and Jake, for the creative way to engage your students and your support of our work!

Under Lock and Key

27 November 2016
Richard Bahr
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Categories: Housing, Threshold to New Life

derby-haywood-2016-12a

One great feeling after having been homeless for nearly four years, is to receive the key for the lock on the door of the apartment you’re moving into. Those strong feelings of celebration were felt by our friend, Derby, as he just recently as he moved into his efficiency apartment in Minneapolis.

And to top it off, we put the word out to our supporters that Derby needed some basic things to supply his new home and we were startled by the tremendous support! Within three days, almost everything on the request list was filled!

Derby told us the day after we delivered the gifts that he was “overwhelmed by the way God showed His love through us and all the support I have received”.

Isn’t that the way God would love to have us feel all the time…overwhelmed by His love? It seems the distractions in this world tend to mute that feeling, and it’s great when we experience it…isn’t it?

 

Backpacks, more backpacks

15 November 2016
Richard Bahr
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Categories: Giving, Threshold to New Life

grace-mops-backpack-donation-2016-12a

T2NL was honored by the Grace Fellowship M.O.P.S. program, providing 70 backpacks each packed with personal care kits and other survival items most needed by those in a living situation without a permanent residence.

Our co-founder, Richard Bahr (pictured), met with both groups prior to packing and was given the opportunity to tell more about the mission of T2NL as well as how serving and faith are connected. “Serving cultivates the heart and prepares it for God to work in us, much like worship music prepares us for the message the pastor delivers. Serving others is a form of worship”, said Bahr during his message.

We pray for each mom participating that her heart will be cultivated and softened to hear God’s voice of love and encouragement. We also pray for those receiving these backpacks that they will feel God’s love through the love and sacrifice made by these ladies just for them.

 

 

 

Time to Pack

13 November 2016
Richard Bahr
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Categories: Give-a-ways, Thanksgiving, Threshold to New Life

personal-care-kit-packing-2016-11b

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” including packing! (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Our team came together for one evening to create an assembly line and put together 150 personal care kits that will be given out at the Salvation Army Harbor Light facility in Minneapolis on Thanksgiving morning.

We’re grateful this ministry has so many friends and supporters. When we have a need, it seems someone is willing to step up to the task!

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 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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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 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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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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