Tacoma Rescue Mission Youth Program

Can we build it? Yes we can!

2010-09-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

Can we build it? Yes we can!

On August 14th, 2010 ten teens and four adults embarked on an unforgettable trip to the Black
Feet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana where their eyes were opened to another world. The trip was full of laughter, tears, laughter, sweat, laughter, adventure, and more laughter. Over the week the teens performed tasks which were fun, such as working power tools to build the mudroom for Pastor Joel and his family, to the "boring" task of picking up rocks which took a little more motivation. In the four days spent in Montana, the teens accomplished so much. They built a mudroom from the ground up, using the tools at hand to dig holes for posts with hammers. The processes of seeing a building constructed from start to finish was incredible to witness, especially with the knowledge that their hands made it possible. Painting the outside of a two car garage created a few paint wars full of smiles. At times the teens had more paint on themselves then the garage. The grueling task of picking up rocks and leveling out the grounds was not everyone's favorite job but with the right attitude and encouragement from one another, the task got complete.

I can not speak for the other nine teens, but for me this mission trip was without a doubt a life changing event and will not be my last mission trip. I learned so much about myself as a person that I can only grow from making me a stronger. I will never forget the joy and happiness on the faces of Pastor Joel and Richard, the mission trip director, on our last day in Browning. This week was without a doubt an unforgettable experience.

Combatting Summer Learning Loss: SLAM 2010

2010-08-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

I recently saw a time magazine article about summer learning loss for children in low income groups: it was startling, but not surprising. What we've seen, felt, and heard for years at the Rescue Mission is becoming common knowledge. According to the article, "By ninth grade summer learning loss could be blamed for roughly two-thirds of the achievement gap separating income groups."

Basically what that means is kids at the Rescue Mission and from the lower income bracket have few opportunities to learn during the summer. If you ask Tacoma parents about free summer programs for youth you will get a lot of blank stares. Why? There really aren't any. This is where SLAM comes in. SLAM stands for Students Living A Mission. It is a free program for Rescue Mission youth, other shelter youth, and community youth living on the hilltop. One mission that the kids are living is bridging the summer gap between their more priveleged peers. SLAM this year was a huge success and I believe it prepared kids to enter the next year of school with confidence, tools, and even fun to tackle their dreams for the future. This program wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the generous donors, passionate volunteers, and incredibly well organized staff who unanimously want to see ALL kids thrive!

S.L.A.M. 2010 Week 1

2010-07-09T16:37:00.001-07:00

A week of Students Living A Mission, the hottest week of the year, 50 kids K-5th grade, gifted, passionate leaders, and activities to nurture kids souls & restore their hearts makes for one amazing week! SLAM is teaching kids that they are loved by others and by God. Each t shirt the kids wear says, "This Summer I'm living a mission, What about you?"

I hope the kids never forget their summer of SLAM!
I hope you enjoy their faces! Their smiles, hearts, & souls are worth more than anything I can think of!
Thank you to all the incredible volunteers, staff, donors, & readers of this blog for caring about the next generation of leaders!

A Slammin' Summer!

2010-07-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Tacoma Rescue Mission youth are having a lot of fun in the sun with our summer program, S.L.A.M., which stands for Students Living A Mission. We started the program this past Monday with a very encouraging and motivating performance by Or1ginAL, and we have been going strong for the past two days. Tomorrow, I am very excited to take the kids rock climbing at Edgeworks, challenging them and pushing them to realize how capable they really are with the bodies God gave them.

In my group with the Kindergarten and 1st graders, we have been focusing on the story of creation. We learned, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" from Genesis. We have talked about how God created everything, and He said it was good. Most importantly, He loves his creation, and so we are lovely, and we are all created special and unique. Also, God's creation is a testament to how powerful He is; from nothing He created everything. That is amazing!

I'm excited to see how the rest of the month goes with S.L.A.M. It has only been two days, but I feel like we have already been able to do so much! We have had fun, we have been challenged, and we have already learned so much from each other.

Our volunteers deserve a big shout-out, too. Thank you so much to all those who have donated hours of their time to help out at S.L.A.M. We would not work without your generous help! THANKS!

Let Time Stand Still

2010-06-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel yourself growing older? Probably not. It's such a gradual process that, even though your mom asks on your birthday, "How does it feel to finally be (insert age here)," you might think, "Well, I feel exactly the same way I did yesterday."

Most kids think they can't grow up fast enough. When you're five, you can't wait to turn six. When you're 15, you can't wait to turn 16. Kids ache for freedom and responsibility. And it just doesn't seem to happen as quickly as they want it to.

But some kids actually do grow up much too fast. They transform from children to parents at a pace that almost seems instantaneous, having to take care of a handful of younger siblings or take care of themselves, having to deal with stresses like having a home, having enough food, or having adequate clothes. Responsibility is thrown at them instead of handed to them. They have it, whether they like it or not. Whether they chose it or not. I can imagine at this point, a child would ache to be taken care of rather than being the one taking care of others. They might wish to be dependent rather than independent. Slwoing down the clock might not seem so bad anymore.

What would we do if all the children in the world became tiny adults? From whom would we remember to have an insatiable curiosity for the world around us? From whom would we remember to have so much joy that we can't sit still? From whom would we remember to dance and not care who's watching, to sing and not care who's listening? From whom would we be reminded what it's like to have child-like faith?

How do we help to give a child back their childhood?

I feel like what we do at the Tyler Square Youth Program pumps kids full of opportunities to just be who they are: a kid. We do more than that, though, we give kids the opportunity to spend time with their families and to play the role of a kid within the family dynamic. We have Teen Late Nights, Family Nights, Story times, Skate Days, etc. Sometimes it seems like just a lot meaningless fun. But it's not. These are opportunities for families to enjoy each other, to forget about the stresses of life, to build relationships and memories with one another, to learn how to spend quality time together as a family without sitting in front of a television screen. They get out and enjoy the world around them. Together.

Birthdays

2010-06-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

The First Tuesdays of the month at the Family Shelter are full of laughter, surprises, and unique activities. Tuesday nights are family night where families are able to have time tasked with creating memories and doing something fun together. The first Tuesday of each month, however, is set aside to celebrate all the youth birthdays of the previous month and all families are always invited to come and participate. For Previous celebrations there have been puppies and puppy chow, kids making their own unique Italian cream sodas, personalized cupcakes, games, and always a story. This month's celebration was yet again another success. The children, along with their parents, were all able to make their own chocolate covered bananas with nuts, sprinkles, and coconut. Without the help of our some of our great volunteers, Kathie and Katherine, the celebration for the kids would not be what it is. Katie always comes prepared with her family with fun activities and goodies for the kids and Katherine pours love into the kids and brings her favorite books to share with all. It is truly a special night for the kids whose birthday is being celebrated. There are usually about 25 clients, staff, and volunteers to celebrate with and sing happy birthday. The kids love all the attention they get as they blow out their candles and open presents; the attention they so much deserve. Thank you to all the volunteers and financial supporters!
I bet one of your best memories when you were little was at one of your birthday parties being surrounded by people who care about you. If your family had no means to give you a party you would be without that memory. If you want to help out for the next youth birthday celebration in July for the Family Shelter to continue making great memories for the kids with your creative ideas and servant heart shoot me an email or call me. Brian 970-231-8827/beggers84@gmail.com.

2010-06-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer that God is working in amazing ways through the Tacoma Rescue Mission to transform people's lives. After having personally witnessed changes both big and small, I know people are living better quality lives due at least partially to the work and outreach of the Tacoma Rescue Mission. But TRM is not some faceless organization. It is made up of people and places that ensure good things continue to happen to restore and heal our city. This includes the staff, the facilities, the donors, and volunteers.

Do you wish to put your hand in some of the good things that are happening in the city of Tacoma? If so, you might want to consider being a volunteer during the month of July for our kids' summer program called SLAM (which stands for Students Living A Mission). The program starts July 5th and runs Monday through Friday, 12 to 4 PM until July 30th at the People's Community Center on MLK. We will be working with kids who are K-5 who are both from the Tacoma Rescue Mission and from the surrounding Hilltop community. We have a lot of fun going on field trips, doing fun games and activities, having guest speakers, doing service projects for the community, and doing a lot of learning and growing in the midst of it all (for kids AND the leaders).

If you enjoy working with kids and could see yourself volunteering anywhere from once a week to once a day, then please let us know. We can use all the help we can get!

If interested, e-mail Kim Maki at makisolomon@aol.com and she can connect you with a time and an age group that would best suit you.

Thank you!

When Elephants Dance

2010-05-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

In preparation for a Mexico Mission Trip Meeting this past week, I came across this story:

"'Would you like to know what it is like to do mission with Americans? Let me tell you a story,' said David Coulibaly, a ministry leader in Mali, West Africa.

Elephant and Mouse were best friends. One day Elephant said, 'Mouse, let's have a party!'
Animals gathered from far and near. They ate, and drank, and sang, and danced. And nobody celebrated more exuberantly than the Elephant.
After it was over, Elephant exclaimed, 'Mouse, did you ever go to a better party? What a blast!'
But Mouse didn't answer.
'Where are you?' Elephant called. Then he shrank back in horror. There at his feet lay the Mouse, his body ground into the dirt -- smashed by the exuberance of his friend, the Elephant.

'Sometimes that is what it is like to do mission with you Americans,' the African storyteller concluded. 'It is like dancing with an Elephant.'"

From the Mobilizer Vol. 10, Fall 2000

In preparing for our trip, we try to understand that though we have good intentions and want to help a homeless family in Mexico, good intentions aren't necessarily enough to produce good outcomes. With cultural awareness and humility, we want to approach this new and different place as respectful outsiders.

In our bi-monthly meetings, we discuss topics like these to best prepare ourselves for what or who we will encounter and HOW we will encounter them. We understand we represent much more than just ourselves; we represent our friends and family, the Tacoma Rescue Mission, the U.S., God. We want to be good representatives, and we genuinely want to leave a mark on the community we visit that is good and lasting rather than imposing and damaging. We don't want to find ourselves caught up in the music, dancing like elephants.

A successful outcome: Braden

2010-05-12T10:00:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a quick story about a teen I know that I want you to know. I can't give you his real name, but his story I will give you. Let's say his name is Braden. Braden is 18 year old now. Before the Tacoma Rescue Mission he had gone to numerous different schools and had struggled in most all of them since day 1. Reading and writing did not come easy to him. At home his mom had been addicted to drugs, men, and consequently chaos. His father was more of an idea than a physical presence. The idea of his father was locked up in prison most of Braden's life. The violence and chaos in Braden's story were one of the few consistent pieces. On one occasion when Braden was living in a rundown apartment building the violence peaked. On a balmy California summer's night after Braden had fallen asleep, he heard a loud scuffle downstairs, followed by gunshots. He slowly peered over the stairs to see the man his mom was with dead on the floor.
Things have changed a lot since then.

Since coming to TRM, graduating, and living on their own things are different. His mom has a great job, no longer uses drugs, and is a stable presence in his life. He has gotten his GED, is working hard to become an electrician, and feels hope for his future! In mentoring and teaching him, I have been given more than I could imagine and received incredible amounts from him!

If you feel led to mentor another youth like Braden or get involved, call us and we'll put you in touch with one of our amazing kids that could change your life!
~James Leet
(253) 627-4308

Battle of the Bands

2010-05-05T12:13:00.001-07:00

Last Friday we held our mission trip fundraiser Battle of the Bands downtown at Urban Grace and if you weren’t there you missed some great local talent. With the Tacoma Rescue Mission’s own OriginAl rapping and hosting the event, there wasn’t a beat skipped all night. With music ranging from the SOZO Soljaz rapping and dancing on stage to a Taylor Swift karaoke song, all participants were well prepared and competed hard for the cash prize.
Urban Grace proved to be a great site as there was plenty of room for each performer to dance and interact with the crowd. We started early in the day preparing and decorating the space to make it a fun environment alongside the music with some Nintendo Wii, N64, good old fashion four-square, ping-pong, and cards. One of the best parts of the night was the bake sale that was going on during the Battle which sold many goods baked by the Rescue Mission’s own volunteers. I couldn’t help myself and ended up buying seven muffins, two rice crispy treats, a soda, and oh can’t forget the peanut butter chocolate crisp. I was full on music and on baked goods!
Shortly after the bands performed, the crowd was encouraged to participate in a dance off judged by the crowd’s reaction. One of The SOZO Soljaz ended up winning and then on top of that then entire SOZO crew was announced as the winners of the Battle of the Bands and the cash prize. Congratulations to them and thanks to all the bands that came out and performed. Everyone in attendance was so blessed by their presence and talent.

Memo to the disintegrated: Integrate

2010-04-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

Memo

To: disintegrating people

From: disintegrating person

CC:

Date: April 23rd, 2010

Re:

Typically this weekly blog reflects the happenings of the Tacoma Rescue Mission youth program, but I wanted to change it up this week and address a goal we have with each youth we work with based on our own shortcomings as a staff.

The goal can be summed up in one word: integration. Integrating not only ourselves (mind, heart, & actions) but also our communities & especially our relationships is vital to our lives.

My need for integration is being revealed in reflecting through my recent trip to India, trying to catch up with everyone, and a great question from a good friend that was asked of me regarding integration. I am sad to say that I am fairly dis-integrated. If this were taken literally, I am not intact or solid, but instead deteriorating. This doesn't sound so good and I have a sneaking suspicion I'm not alone either. So, if I'm not alone how do we bring our relationships together so that we will see our church friends at our workplace, our neighbors in our homes, or our work friends outside of work???
I won't pretend to solve on a blog one of the biggest problems facing the middle class.

However, I will tell ya some things we're doing. It is both deeply internal and deeply external. Inside & outside. First, take care of your whole self: mind, spirit, and body. This means thinking critically, being connected to your emotions, and taking care of your body. Second, we are trying to connect kids to their community. Connecting them with other kids from their schools, their churches, and past schools. When kids are taken out of the shelter and into activities and adventures with other kids they already know integration begins to happen naturally!

Lastly, as we attempt to integrate at any level we can be left feeling pretty hopeless and incapable. In our pursuit of integration, I am feeling hopeful and capable in the ability of God through Jesus Christ to bring my circles of friends closer together and becoming more integrated with His help! Whether we realize it or not, when we forgive, when we serve, or when we love: those choices affect every person we know bringing unity and integration to our community!
~James Leet

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2010-04-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, families from the Tacoma Rescue Mission enjoyed the home opener of the Tacoma Rainiers baseball team. Tacoma’s Youth For Christ provided the tickets, we provided the transportation, and the Rainiers provided the entertainment, fun, and fireworks. Despite the loss for the Rainiers, it was a gain for family memories. It was supposed to rain the entire day but fortunately it held off for the game. However, the wind was freezing but we brought plenty of blankets to shield us. The game had plenty of great hits and catches but the best catch came at the beginning of the game in the first inning. The mascot for the Rainiers, whose name I am forgetting but I’m pretty sure is a moose, was tossing some souvenir baseballs to the stands. One of the fathers we brought reached out and caught one, among many other fathers, for his four year old boy. Neither one of them stopped smiling the rest of the game and not even the fireworks at the end could distract them from reliving the catch over and over.

Here at the Mission, we are blessed by so many organizations that provide opportunities for the families to spend some quality time together and laugh. Whether its skate night once a month at Wheelz, Tuesday family nights, father/child events, or just the random outing to the park, without local organizations and volunteers many memories would be lost. Thank you to the community of Tacoma for caring about your neighbors and thank you to the Rainiers and Tacoma’s Youth For Christ for making last week memorable!

New Life

2010-04-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

This week, our theme at the Afterschool Program surrounded EGGS. We used eggs for art activities, science experiments (or EGGsperiments), games, races, riddles, and more. Eggs were significant this week because they represent the spring season and the Easter holiday since eggs symbolize new life.

With the spring season, we see new life with the sprouting of plants and flowers (an image soon to be seen at Tyler Square after all of the hard work put into our community garden). With the Easter holiday, we see new life in commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even though Jesus' resurrection was a historical event that happened in the past, this event of rebirth can still have power in our lives today, similar to how we can be affected by the beauty and power of nature's rebirth via plants, images of which are easy to notice in our day-to-day lives during the season of spring.

It's important to feel reverence for the beauty and power of Jesus' resurrection too. This event shows us the power God has over death. Only God has power over death and only God can give the gift of life. At Tyler Square, this is so important to remember because the whole point of the Family Life Program is to help people transform and to start new lives. But if God is the only one with the power to defeat death and grant new life, then this act of transformation cannot happen apart from God. We need him. Desperately.

Below I have included pictures of an egg activity we did this week. Some of you probably have done this activity before--it's an egg toss. The whole point is to throw an egg back and forth between partners without breaking the egg. The kids and the volunteers had a lot of fun with this.

Even though we had a lot of fun, this game is challenging. Eggs are fragile, so, obviously, it's not easy to throw this fragile item around while not breaking it. Similarly, the lives of these kids are fragile. They've been thrown around by life's circumstances, and they desperately need the cushion of God's loving hands and the power of His healing to bring the pieces of their life back together, to build a new life.

I pray that the After-school Program acts as a medium that transmits God's love, creating an environment where the kids are nurtured and are able to transform from past hurts into new and exciting beginnings. Thanks to all of the support we receive from volunteers, from donors, and from the local community in general. We can't do it alone!

Reigniting the soul: Spring Break @ TRM

2010-04-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

If you're not around kids or don't have kids it's easy to forget about something as wonderful and relaxing to our soul as spring break. Although our spring break mission trip to Mexico has been moved to August, we still took every opportunity to keep our kids active & involved. Most kids at the mission weren't relaxing though, we kept them busy either with backpacking, an art camp, or making Easter crafts in an effort to reignite their soul. This spring break it was especially clear how much we rely on other organizations, churches, and individuals to re-create the path laid out for our kids. The teens backpacking went with Peak7 into the wild of the Olympics for 4 nights, more than 20 miles, and adventure that they will be telling their grandkids about. To reignite the adventurous souls of our teens we sometimes take them away from all the distractions, so that they begin to see who God is and who they really are.

Reigniting the soul often involves art, music, and dance and 10 of our elementary kids participated in an art camp all week at Urban Grace church to explore these. The kids were able to have time and space to explore art and had a lot of fun doing it! They learned break dancing, graffiti art, music, fashion design, and many other forms of urban art that speaks to them and who they are as artists.

Thank you Peak 7, Urban Grace, and our volunteers during spring break that helped our kids to reignite their souls with adventure, art, and Recreation!
More pics to come of our kids roughing it in the Olympics...

Good Morning Star

2010-03-29T20:06:00.001-07:00

Last week the Tacoma Rescue Mission was blessed with an energetic group from Morning Star Church in Salem Oregon. Morning Star’s youth program sends high school kids out on mission trips every year during their spring break. The high school freshman came to Tacoma to serve, deepen their faith, and try to understand what it means to live a life of service. Morning Star has done this the past three years with their freshman group and this year was a group of around forty that came to the City of Destiny. This group of forty couldn’t have been any more willing to serve. Their hearts we so kind, flexible, and Christ-like.
Among other service projects throughout Tacoma they participated in, the freshman, which also consisted of some junior leaders, helped the Tacoma Rescue Mission by serving lunch all week at both New Life Square and the Family Shelter, working in the Need-A-Break donation center, sharing a VBS with the after school programs at both Tyler Square and the Family Shelter, putting on a family night, and ending with a bar-b-que at Tyler Square and loving on all of the youth. One of the favorites was definitely the VBS worship songs with the guitar which none of us could get out of our heads. The youth were clapping their hands and singing along, begging to hear another song.
Thank you Morning Star for sharing your spring break with all of us involved in the youth program. You could have played video games all break or gone somewhere relaxing in the sun with friends. But you chose to raise $300 each over the past couple of months to pay your way to come and serve during your spring break. You slept on cots, showered sparingly at the local gym club, and even missed a couple of meals in all of your service. Thank you so much and may you be blessed from your experience. You truly blessed us all with your hearts of service!!!

Reptile Man!

2010-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Tyler Square hosted the Reptile Man! He came to the office with all of his wild animals in tow, and he presented us with an exciting, informative, and interactive show. The kids and parents alike watched in awe as he brought out lizards, snakes, alligators, and turtles that were only five or ten feet away. And the Reptile Man has trained these animals to handle the human touch, so everyone who wanted to was able to hold a snake, pet a turtle, or tickle an alligator. Isn't God's creation amazing? We don't necessarily need to be faced with snakes and alligators in order to realize it, though. God's beauty and creativity is all around us.

We're so grateful at Tyler Square for all of the fun events and opportunities we have that let us learn, laugh, and grow in fellowship. There is so much joy and laughter here, and I think both joy and laughter are wonderful aids in helping people transform their lives.

We have another opportunity later this week on Thursday night: a church group will be throwing a Family Night event at Tyler Square with root beer floats and the movie UP. It is a great opportunity for families to spend quality time together.

Thank you to all who give their time and effort to bring laughter and smiles into the lives of people at Tyler Square!

Tool Time

2010-02-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

Our mission trip to Mexico is approaching fast! We have four weeks until our team will be building a home for a family in Mexico. We’ve come along way since our first staff meeting where the mission trip was dreamed into reality. Over the past five months we’ve been preparing our team to enter another culture, lovingly holding the students and staff to the expectations to go on the trip, and faithfully raising funds. So many people have helped us along the road leading up to Mexico and now we’re in the stages of gearing up for the trip, literally. One of the unique aspects, and I think one of the coolest, about this trip is unlike most houses here in the US, the house we build in Mexico will be done without power tools. We’ll be mixing our own cement, our best friends will be our hammers, and I saw on our list we need a sand sifter (that should be fun). Given this, we have to bring our own tools to Mexico. If you know of anyone or you yourself would like to help, we are starting to collect the tools necessary to build the house. Attached in the following link is our building manual and on page 26 is the tool inventory list. If you have a tool on that list and are able to part ways with it for a week it will be put to good use with the Tacoma Rescue Mission Youth program in Mexico. Thank you so much for your help and please continue to pray for everyone involved in the mission trip. http://mumbles.amorhq.net/build/single.pdf

Growth!

2010-02-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

During the last couple of days, I have been helping some of our 5th grade students with their big Science Fair Projects at the Afterschool Program at Tyler Square. It's been a lot of fun, and I love seeing the kids' creativity. With one student in particular, we were experimenting with flowers to see how their growth would be affected by different liquids that we used on them over the span of a week. The different liquids we used were water, milk, and vinegar. Below is a picture of the new, spry, and still-healthy flowers on the first day that we got them.

Then we watered one flower with water, one flower with milk, and the last flower with vinegar.

The vinegar smelled so bad! We plugged our noses...

By Day 2, we could already see a change! You can see in the picture below that the flower on the far left already began to wilt within 24 hours of our first watering session. Can you guess which liquid we used on that flower?

If you said vinegar, you are correct! Vinegar is acidic, and in this case the vinegar was so acidic that it made the environment of the soil nonconducive for this flower's growth, and so it began to die. This flower not only began to die, but it smelled and looked bad too. The other two flowers that were given water and milk, however, look healthy and beautiful. They were in conditions that helped them grow, and it showed.

This experiment made me think about what we "feed" ourselves as people. Even further, it made me think about what the Youth Program feeds the youth. If we don't feed and nourish ourselves mentally, spiritually, or even literally with the right "food," then our bodies and our states of mind show the effects.

Our mission statement within the Youth Program is to "Foster a safe environment that empowers all kids to grow academically, socially, and spiritually through the love of Jesus Christ." Essentially, we hope that what we "feed" the kids at the Youth Program helps them to grow and transform. We hope that what we do here helps the kids to lead healthy, productive lives that bear fruit. With the help of good volunteers and a caring staff, I think we do a good job. But really, we can't do any job at all without the help of the all-good and all-loving Father, whose hands must be in all we do if we want to succeed.

If you feel called to support the growth of the kids here in the Youth Program, one of the first things you could do for us is pray! If you have time that you can pour into these kids, you can also volunteer during the Afterschool Program or become a mentor. Let us know if you are interested in helping! It is an opportunity for you to grow and transform alongside these kids...I know that I as a staff member have definitely grown and learned a lot. The Tacoma Rescue Mission is a good environment for everyone involved to grow and transform.

Bootstraps & Bullet dodging

2010-02-16T12:06:00.001-08:00

Have you ever thought about why you are where you are in life?
Did you really pull yourself up by your bootstraps?
Do you really believe that you earned everything you have?
C'mon.
You might immediately in your mind agree with me, but does your lifestyle and actions follow suit with your mind?
Whether you feel good about where you're at in life or not, you did not get there by yourself, there were many people actively involved.

If you're anything like me, I'm guessing someone influential in your life helped you to dodge some serious bullets.
If you're anything like me, I'm guessing there was someone or a combination of someones who poured into you.
If you're anything like me, these influential people or mentors are one of the main reasons I do the work I do.
If you're anything like me it was a coach, a teacher, a grandma, a pastor, or a mentor.

Think back on where your life would be without a single stable mentor, teacher, coach, aunt/uncle, or grandparent...We at the Tacoma Rescue Mission work with many kids without these, and if you feel led to be an influence in a kid's life by being a mentor, please listen to that pull on your heart and let us know!
Sincerely,
~James
(253) 627-4308
jamesl@trm.org

Silent Auction Success!

2010-02-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the Mexico Mission Trip Silent Auction! It was very successful, and we owe a lot of our success to the generous volunteers and attendees who were there. I think everyone had a lot of fun getting into bidding wars, and I think many people walked away with at least one thing that they wanted. I know the Mexico Mission Trip Team definitely walked away with a prize--we are now $2,000 closer to Mexico! God has blessed this trip in amazing and miraculous ways. I'm so excited to see what He has planned for us.

This is the before picture, when the chips and the salsa were still pristine and untouched.

First raffle! The winner got a dozen cupcakes from downtown Tacoma's Hello Cupcake! YUM! Delicious goodness!

We had some beautiful performances by guest vocalists and guitarists. They blew me away!

I really enjoyed James' motivational talk about "weight." He wasn't talking about the weight we carry on our thighs and around our midsection, but about the weight that we carry on our shoulders. He focused particularly on the weight our teenagers who are going to Mexico carry on their shoulders everyday. The teenagers motivate him, he said, because they have had to carry so much weight their entire lives, and they have had to figure out ways to cope with carrying all of that pressure and weight.

Everyone's putting down their competing bids with only a couple of minutes left!

Two sharply-dressed members of the Mexico Mission Trip Team! Don't they look ready to serve?

Everyone's enjoying their delicious food (enchilada casserole) made by the awesome New Life Square Kitchen, and the food was made even better because it was served by the lovely New Life Program Ladies.

Thank you all for your support! We will continue to keep you updated on our trip.

2010-02-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hello from the TRM Youth Program!

We had an exciting week last week, and this next week will only continue to bring more bustle and excitement! We have had a lot going on!

Last week, we took a group of younger kids to Pump It Up, a huge building filled with inflatable bounce houses--it is the perfect place for kids to run around, use all of that pent-up energy, and get some exercise all while have a lot of fun! We also got to make crafts. We painted pots, and the kids did a beautiful job. They were such artists, and they were so focused too--especially after getting so tired out with bouncing around for an hour and a half.

Last week we also had our monthly Teen Late Night, and we did another (upon much request) Fear Factor theme, except this time we really stepped it up a notch. With the help of some great volunteers, we were able to do teammwork challenges, physical challenges, and food challenges. The kids really stepped up to the plate! They ate raw eggs, unknown mixtures of things, and they all really worked together and had good attitudes. It was a blast! Unfortunately, those few who attempted the gallon challenge (drinking a gallon of milk in an hour) found themselves visiting the bathroom probably more often than they had wanted.

Now, this Friday, we have another really exciting event that is much more open to the public, so we hope you are able to come! It is a Silent Auction being held at Trinity Church by the Tacoma Mall, and it is at 5:30 pm. Tickets cost $20, and it includes entrance, dinner, and the night's musical entertainment (singing and acoustic guitar). All of the proceeds from this event will go directly to our teen's mission trip down to Mexico, the purpose of which is to glorify God by building a house for a homeless family in the area of Tijuana. We hope you can come! If you want more information, you can call Krista Dunham at 435-757-1673.

There are always exciting things happening around the Youth Department here...we hope you can be a part of them!

Soma Sacred Spaces!

2010-01-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Tyler Sq. garden is just waiting to grow yummy, fresh, local produce this spring/summer after receiving a face lift with raking, weeding, and much love today! A missional community from Soma Communities came and rejuvenated the garden at Tyler Square and reorganized our cluttered storage space as well! They did an amazing job serving!!!

Teens at TRM going to Mexico!

2010-01-20T15:13:00.001-08:00

Dear TRM Youth Supporter,
This upcoming spring break while other kids are playing video games, getting in trouble at parties, or doing nothing, the teens at the Tacoma Rescue Mission will be building a home. We as a team are going down to Mexico to build a home with wood, hammers, and nails. No power tools here. Just hard, hot, sweaty work. It is clear that the teens and their families have been given incredible opportunities by TRM. Like any gift the purpose is not to hoard, bury, or keep for themselves: WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING! So, with that mentality we are going down to Mexico to give back. We are grateful to work with an organization that has provided new homes for thousands of families already. Check them out and see for yourself: www.amor.org/Page.aspx?pid=413
But, we can't get their alone! We are having an auction on February 5th, 2010 which will help us get there. let me know if you need an invitation or more info. (James Leet, email: jamesl@trm.org or call 627-4308)
Lastly, If you have ever "talked" to God before, would you consider asking Him to be with us as we go?
Thank you,
~James

Young Chefs

2010-01-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are over our young chefs program is in full swing again. Every Friday, the youth from Tyler Square and the Family Shelter gather together at the Family Shelter kitchen to mash, cut, dice, fry, beat, measure, and of course eat a meal that they prepared. Before the New Year, our rhyme and reason to young chefs was to experience food from the past. We had Indian fry bread, Settler’s food, and tried to use food that was in season as many had to in the past because it was the only food available. One of the favorites from last year was an apple cobbler. We had some great volunteers from the University of Washington Tacoma to help us out and the mascot even decided chip in, although the mascot definitely ate more than its share. This semester we’ve changed courses and will be trying foods from different cultures. We decided that this will open up some more opportunities to explore the endless possibilities of food. This past Friday we made coco rice and egg rolls. The kids did everything from cooking the beef to rolling the egg rolls to loading the dish washer. Some of the older kids were great for taking on the difficult role of frying the egg rolls. It was a messy job as the kitchen was already really hot on top of the steaming peanut oil. Many of the kids also took advantage of the crosswords and computer games available in-between jobs. It was a great team effort to pull all the components together for the meal. Time wasn’t really on our side as we started out, but as usual, we still had a little time to enjoy the fruits of our labor before everyone had to go. I had four egg rolls myself and way too much rice. In fact, we made so much food that we were able to share it for dinner with everyone from the Family Shelter.

2010-01-11T15:46:00.000-08:00

It has been fun getting back into the groove of the Afterschool Program here at Tyler Square after the long holiday break! We are back to meeting during our scheduled times, 4:00 to 6:00 Monday through Friday. This past Friday from 4:00 to 6:00, we had our weekly Young Chefs event held at the Family Shelter on 15th and Tacoma Ave. We had so many kids attend, and we had a lot of chaotic and messy fun making some Asian foods. We made eggrolls and chocolate rice, the recipes of which we were able to get from one of the mothers of some of the children who are in our program. She is a GREAT cook, and the recipes she offered us were Guamanian, inspired by her own ethnic background. The kids had a blast cooking all of the food, and I think they feel good to be trusted with cutting and cooking and mixing--but there is always good supervision. :) A lot of the kids wanted to wear aprons and chefs jackets, and they got excited even to just pour ingredients into a bowl or to wait for water to boil. They really do enjoy learning these life lessons that empower them to know how to lead healthy lives. The knowledge they receive and these helpful know-how skills build their confidence and shows them just how capable they really are! And we were lucky to have some of the kids who belong to the mother who donated the recipes. They knew from firsthand experience how to cook these foods, and so they knew so much more than I did because I had never cooked these types of foods before. It reminded me about how much of my role as a leader is to be a learner. I often can get caught up in being the teacher, but I was thankful to be reminded about how much I can learn, especially from children. They have so much to offer, and my relationships with the children work as a two-way street: we both learn and grow from one another and we both have those things that we can teach. I hope our volunteers feel the same way. They give us such a great gift in offering their time and their dedication, but I think (I hope) they get something out of it too. I think volunteering with the children here can teach you a lot. The children get much out of it, but the volunteers do too. We all have a lot to learn from one another!

Snowshoeing, frozen toes, & Icy roads

2009-12-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

A multitude of TRM teens embarked on a snowshoe trip that proved too difficult last week when attempting to reach a cabin near Mt. Rainier.

The original plan was to drive up to the trailhead, snowshoe roughly 4 miles to the cabin, relax, spend the nite, and hike back to the trailhead the next day and return safely to Tacoma. This original plan quickly changed when the impassable icy road proved unsafe. So, we decided to play it safe. This tacked on an extra 3 miles of hiking before even getting to the trailhead! So after a chilly 3 miles, we did what any group would do, we took a vote. I'll be honest, up to this point the hiking was slow, people's toes were frozen, and pants soaked through. The duffle bags, sleds, and sleeping bags were a disheveled mess dragging behind many of the youth. The result of the vote was to eventually turn around and go back to the van. Back to warm up and head home to the safe refuge of Tacoma. Although the plans changed, the kids took it in stride and maintained a positive attitude throughout it all!

A Servant's Heart

2009-12-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

This past Monday, the Tacoma Rescue Mission held a graduation at Life Center Church for those who have completed the New Life Program and Family Life Program. It was a very exciting and inspiring event that not only allowed us to celebrate the accomplishments of those who have worked hard to transform their lives through these programs, but it also allowed us and the youth the opportunity to lend a helping hand and serve others. The teen leadership group, which typically meets every Monday night from 6 to 8 pm, attended the graduation this past week as servants. They dressed their best, and they represented the Tacoma Rescue Mission very well by holding open doors, greeting people as they walked in, and serving food during the reception that proceeded after the ceremony. And it wasn't easy! It was a challenge for the youth to serve the food--the line was long, with the end nowhere in sight, and the youth were hungry. It was tough for me too. It was my dinnertime, but I had to wait alongside the kids to eat only after everyone else, about 300 other people, ate first. I was impressed with them, though. They handed out food and filled everyone else's plates before serving themselves. They did an awesome job!
I hope that, through experiences like these, the teens are challenged and are given an opportunity to grow. Hopefully, from this sort of perspective, the youth can have a deeper appreciation for all of the help we get everyday at Tyler Square from our generous volunteers. It's not so easy to give your time away so freely, and we at the Youth Department are so blessed with a constant influx of volunteers.
Ultimately, I pray that we use Monday nights to coordinate a group of teens who come to understand leadership as a means of getting along with people instead of understanding leadership as how much power one has over other people, as Mohandas Gandhi once said. So it is our goal here to define leadership as an act of serving rather than dictating. And through this, the teens can be encouraged to go out and give back to their community in a positive way, in a way that is similar to how our volunteers give to us.

SuperClub at Tyler Square!

2009-12-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

The moment Superclub catapulted into our community with carnival games, pizza, and tons of kids it has taken off here at Tyler Square. We are grateful to have the partnership with the Superclub family that comes every week and contributes life to our thriving community! Check out these videos of our kids having fun at SuperClub:

UPCOMING VOLUNTEER EVENTS...

2009-11-30T15:02:00.001-08:00

Hi to all past, current, & present volunteers!
We work with kids that are hurting, have been homeless, and need help...
We could not serve the kids we serve without the help of faithful volunteers like you!
"without sacrifice, love is not complete", so I want to thank every volunteer who sacrifices greatly to love our kids!
We have 2 upcoming volunteer events that you should know about.
They are:
1) Tyler Square and New Life Square Graduation. Monday December 7th @ 7pm at Life Center Church. Come see families, men, & women whose lives have been transformed!
2) Volunteer Training/Orientation. Tuesday December 15th @6pm at Family Shelter (609 S 15th, Tacoma, WA 98405. A chance for volunteers to come, learn, and tell their story about volunteering!

Mission Trip Silent Auction!

2009-11-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

As you've read below, the Tacoma Rescue Mission Youth are going on a mission trip to build a house in Mexico over spring break. We're all very excited about the trip and have been working hard to put our team together. We had our first training for the trip last Thursday and received our information binders filled with packing lists, documentation materials, requirements, safety tips, parent info, a few Spanish lessons, and much more. The students had many questions as the anticipation of the trip keeps growing. We learned that we will be staying in tents, are not allowed to use powertools to construct the house, and will have to survive the week without cells phones. There will continue to be many more trainings as our trip approaches. At the next meeting, each student will be presenting their research of a Mexican holiday to help us learn about the culture.

One event we will be discussing in the upcoming meetings is our silent auction on Feburary 5th. All of the proceeds from the silent auction will go towards the mission trip. Not only are the youth staff and students going on the trip working hard, but many volunteers are putting in a lot of time into planning this event. The silent auction will also have a live auction, raffles, live music provided by Urban Orchestra, and dinner! Check out the Facebook event for the auction on the Tacoma Rescue Mission Youth Program profile's wall posts. It's going to be tons of fun and we want to invite you to partner with us to make this event a success and helping to send us on our mission trip.

Currently, we are seeking donations for the event. If you have any items to donate or would like to help out with the auction please do! We need your ideas, talents, and heart. Maybe you could put together a theme basket for the event. A rainy day basket filled with movies, hot chocolate, and banana bread would be a fun basket for sure. Or what about a best friend basket with golf passes, a resturant gift certificate, and tickets to a ball game. Putting a theme basket together can be fun and use your creativity. Furthermore, we want you to attend the event. Tickets are $20 which include dinner for the event starting at 5:30 on Friday Feburary 5th. Please contact Kyle at kyles@trm.org for more information.

Literacy rocks!

2009-11-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

This past Monday, the Tyler Square Afterschool Program had a Literacy Program Kick-Off party with the generous help of a group of Pi Beta Phi women from the University of Puget Sound. This Literacy Program that is being led by this group of young women is called Champions Are Readers (CAR), and it is a month-long program that strives to get kids reading at least 15 minutes every night. Hopefully, those 15 minutes can be spent with a parent or sibling--the program is geared towards involving the whole family, not just one child. In the end, we hope the children participating learn to enjoy the activity of reading, we hope they become more competent readers, and we hope parents and children learn how to spend time together in the act of reading.

Thankfully, our kick-off party was a huge success. With the help of the Pi Beta Phi girls, the children ate pizza and received new books to read for their minimum 15-minute reading goal each night. The children also received free workbooks that provided fun activities to go along with their reading, a race track that simulates their reading patterns (and through which the children can keep track of how much they are reading), and guidance for the children's parents in terms of how the parents can be involved with their youngsters' nightly reading.

The following day at the Afterschool Program, I was encouraged to see some workbooks out with race tracks that recorded 30 and 45 minutes of reading for the prior night. The kids were excited about reading!

With a program like this, I can see that the kids are enabled to achieve success. The kids aren't just given a set of expectations (Hey you! Become literate!). Instead, the kids are given a ladder to climb on and multiple sets of hands that are reaching out to help during the journey towards achievement. In the end, the children aren't just literate, but they hopefully have learned to love the act of reading and are capable of using reading to enrich the rest of their life. The kids can't achieve this on their own; with the right type of resources and support, though, they will be able to climb to the very top.

Do you believe that they can make it to the top? There are a lot of things in their lives pushing them down and holding them back, putting a heavy weight on their shoulders even before they take their first step. They can't do it alone. Can you help?

Our kids are champions, and we believe they deserve all the support that they can get!

Youth 2009 Mission trip

2009-11-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

The Tacoma rescue mission staff believes that every teenager is capable of success, because we believe this we have partnered up with Amor ministers to lead are youth on a mission trip to

Mexico

to build a house. Our main purpose in leading this trip is to build up are youth and to help transform them into Godly leaders who understand the value of being a servant. We also feel privileged to be able to share God’s love with a Mexican family. Please feel free to check out more about Amor at amor.org. There are many ways that you can partner with us the first is through prayer. We need prayer that God Gives the leaders wisdom to lead this trip who he wants it. Also we need prayer for each student that will be going with us. You can also partner with use through helping out with our bake sale by baking some goodies or helping with our auction by adding some new auction items. We are very exited to see how God is going to work through this trip and are excited to partner up with Amor and with all of you.

Finding family during the holidays

2009-11-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

Every time we attempt to engage the parents in a curiosity for their kids lives, great things happen. Our parents are incredible and they are working towards finding family at Tyler Square. The holidays are a great excuse to do this and Halloween 2009 at Tyler Square was no exception,
We had the following fun:
~Hay Rides
~Cake Walk
~Faith walk(kids leading their blindfolded parents through an obstacle course)
~bean bag toss
~disgustingly gross objects
~chili cook off
~crafts
We believe having family events is crucial in restoring every family back to health. Think back on a family memory from your youth...got one yet? If you do, I'm guessing it was at a party, holiday, gathering, or reunion of some kind. Now think if you never had that opportunity to find family or any opportunity? If you want to participate in the finding of family this year with us, there are many opportunities to do so...send us an email at either kristad@trm.org or briane@trm.org...they will help get involved!

Father/Son Football Game

2009-10-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had our first Father/Son event of the school year for the Tacoma Rescue Mission and given all of the great Washington state footballs teams, we had to see a game. The University of Puget Sound Loggers were playing the Whitworth Pirates here in Tacoma on Saturday which turned out to be a perfect host for our tailgate and football entertainment.
Saturday morning came with roaring thunder and unpredictable showers, which had me second guessing our plans, but the weather proved to just be teasing us as the rain let up just in time for us to fire up the grill for our tailgate. All the necessaries, burgers, hot dogs, and hot chocolate, were abundant as we all watched the two football teams, both trying their best to look intimidating, make their way to the field for the start of the game. Our tailgate was cut a little short because we didn’t want to miss the rest of the first quarter as the game started a little early. And believe it or not, the rain began to come down again as soon as we started packing up our equipment.
As all of us made our way into the stadium we found some front row seats still available! Although it was fall break for the home team the atmosphere was still exciting with loud cheers on the big plays. The score was close up until halftime but the Pirates proved to be too much for the Loggers in the second half. Despite the final score, the fellowship and conversations we had during the game was memorable.
Making our way out of the stadium there were a couple players that were able to chat with us after the game and the question everyone wanted to know was, “Have you ever been knocked out?” We all sized them up and concluded they could’ve used our help out on the gridiron. It was great for them to take the time to chat with all of us!
We wrapped up our adventure with some beverages and snacks at the student union as we waited for our ride. It was nice to warm up a bit inside exchanging stories after being outside so long in the weird, unavoidable fall weather. The Father/Son football game was a great time and thanks to everyone who participated!

Reaching New Heights Continued...

2009-10-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

At the end of the last post, I left you "hanging" a little bit, an image that is all too appropriate when re-living the experience of repelling with the Tacoma Rescue Mission youth off of an 180-foot bridge. You might be wondering: did we all make it?
Some of the students were jumping at the chance to repel off of this bridge, even when they had never had any experience with repelling before. I was so impressed--some of these youth, more than ten years younger than me, were less scared than I was. In fact, they were excited! They anxiously waited their turn, and then crawled over the fence with a smile as they started to repel their way to the ground below.
At the same time, some students paced back and forth with nerves: bravery didn't come to all of us so easily. One elementary-aged girl named Amy, the youngest and smallest of the group, shook her head decisively. "No, I am NOT doing that!" she said. She would peak through the holes in the chain link fence, rethinking her decision, but again concluding, "Nope!" Eventually, as time passed, all the other students in the first group had repelled except for Amy. It was now her turn, if she was willing to take it. And at this point, she had seen all the other kids go down and make it to the bottom with grins plastered on their faces the entire time. She took a deep breath. "Okay," she said. "I'll do it."
Amy got strapped into her harness and connected to the ropes. With some help, she climbed over the fence. Then she took a look down. "Nevermind!" she said. "I changed my mind! I want to go back!" And so Amy was helped back over the fence onto the bridge. The experience was scary, and I didn't blame her. I still doubted whether I was going to go down or not too.
But a thought came to mind: maybe Amy and I could do it together. I wasn't sure if it was possible, but I asked Amy, "If we can repel together, would you be willing to go down?" She shook her head yes with no hesitation. I was excited that she trusted me enough to go down with me, and I was excited that she wouldn't miss out on an such an unforgettable experience. The peak 7 volunteers confirmed that they would be able to harness Amy and I together so that we could repel at the same time. We both smiled. Amy and I were going to conquer our fear of heights together. I breathed a silent sigh of relief: Amy thought I was helping her, but she didn't know how much she was helping me.
We started to harness up together, and my heart was racing, but my mind remained calm--all I thought about was Amy. I focused completely on her, and I was able to throw my bag of hesitations and fears and reservations over the bridge, far away. If were on my own, I would have been freaking out, at least on the inside. But Amy trusted me. She depended on me to get to the bottom safely. And so I wanted to make her feel as comfortable and as safe as possible. She probably would rethink her decision to go down with me if I had let my nerves take over. So I played it cool: I didn't want her to think there was any reason to worry.
We finally climbed over the fence and stood there for a second. Then, in the most unnerving moment of that experience, we had to let go and trust that the harness and the rope were going to hold us. Both of us. Amy asked me to put my arm around her before we let go. "Sure," I said. I couldn't believe how much she was willing to trust me. "Are you ready, Amy?" I asked. She nodded her head up and down. "Yeah." And then we did it. We were both hanging by the rope from the bridge, 180 feet up in the air, my arm around her tiny body. We were both elated. "Amy, you did it! Way to go, girl! Isn't this amazing?" She giggled, "Yeah! I can't believe this!"
Amy and I slowly made our way down, and she couldn't stop looking towards the ground. Instead of feeling frightened, she felt exhilarated. I, on the other hand, still felt a little anxious. With my arm around Amy, my ability to hold the rope and control the speed at which we were repelling was difficult. The muscles in my forearm ached with the extra weight. Every once in a while I felt like I might let go. But I wasn't going to let go--I couldn't lose her trust. Even though the Peak 7 volunteer up above on the bridge was there to grab the safety rope in case I lost control, I felt responsible for keeping her fear at bay. I didn't want to scare her. So I pushed through the pain, doubting myself from time to time whether I really could do it or not. Eventually, I just gave it up to God, and He gave me the strength to make it down. We made it down just fine. When we got to the ground, Amy laughed and smiled uncontrollably. "I want to do it again!" she said the instant her feet touched the ground. What an amazing girl--I was so proud of her!
"It was so nice just having you there with me. I felt so comfortable knowing you were next to me," she said as we hiked back up to the bridge were we started. "I feel the same way," I said, nodding my head up and down, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Reaching new heights with the TRM Youth

2009-10-09T13:25:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, October 3rd, a group of youth from the Tacoma Rescue Mission chose to participate in a climbing trip hosted by volunteers from Peak 7, a non-profit adventure company, in the beautifully scenic town of North Bend, WA. The sun was out, and the day was beautiful, but we never would have guessed how chilly it was really going to be. Some of us shivered a bit. Some of us stood near one another, consolidating what bodily warmth we could muster. Maybe some of us complained. Fortunately, our group was determined to try something new; we were determined to climb. We put on our gear, strapping on a safety harness, helmet, and climbing shoes, and then we took the twenty-minute hike up to our climbing destination. We soon realized, though, that we would have the opportunity to not only rock climb that day but also repel. Sounds easy--repelling means you go down from a rock or structure, and going down the rock should be easier than climbing up the rock, right?

But imagine this: you are standing on a bridge and you have to climb over a chain link fence, after which you are forced to face a 180-foot drop that ends with water, rocks, and a thick forest of trees. At this point, the only way you can make it from the fence to the bottom of the 180-foot drop is if you have trust. We had to trust our harness, the only thing connecting our bodies to the ropes from which we dangled. We had to trust the two ropes from which we repelled, the only things connecting our harness to the bridge. We had to trust ourselves; depending on how tightly we gripped the rope with our hand, we had control of how fast we repelled from the bridge. We had to trust David, a Peak 7 volunteer who was on top of the bridge, on the other end of the "backup" rope; he was there in case we lost control of our own rope and started falling too quickly. And we had to trust God, the one and only who possesses ultimate control over our lives. So it wasn't easy--kids looked over the fence at the 180-foot expanse between themselves and the ground and were quick to say,"No way! I can't do that!" Some said, "I'm too scared." It didn't take long for our bodies to get warmed by the adrenaline that pumped through our bodies once our adventure finally started. And even though we didn't all admit to experiencing fear and doubt, I'm sure we all shared feelings of insecurity regarding the unknown and the unexpected. Were we going to be okay? Could we overcome our fears, and could we all make it down? Wait to read the next post to find out...!

SLAM 2009 slideshow

2009-08-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

S.L.A.M. volunteer dinner cruise 2009

2009-08-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

We had a refreshing evening as most of the volunteers from SLAM got together to enjoy Tacoma's beauty and reflect on another summer of the Tacoma Rescue Mission's Youth Program. Each volunteer and staff well deserved a night of relaxation and uninterrupted conversation. It is amazing how a group of genuine, caring people have made a life changing difference in the lives of many children. We are grateful for their dedication and commitment!

Thank you Ashley and Erik for hosting us on your incredible boat.

Ashley and Erik...captain and co-captain of this boat!!

S.L.A.M.- Arnis

2009-08-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

S.L.A.M. truly got physical when the kids learned Arnis- Filipino Stick Fighting. For those who didn't know Arnis also known as Eskrima/Kali is a national sport in the Philippines ,and has a very long history of combat effectiveness.

Family Fun Center

2009-08-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

This year the students at Mission youth with a 3.0 G.P.A. and above had a chance to go to the Family Fun Center and enjoy all there hard work that they put in through out the year. It is safe to say they truly enjoyed themselves.

Staying Cool at the last week of S.L.A.M.

2009-07-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Students Living A Mission youth are finishing up their summer program this week. The week will finish strong with Wild Waves, Community BBQ, and a final celebration with friends and family. Come by the People's Center on Friday July 31st 11:30-2 to grab some BBQ grub. The teens will be hosting a BBQ to serve their community.Hanging out in front of the fan...best place to stay cool!

Rock climbing with a blind fold...aka FAITH!

Riding public transportation!

Using creative hands ...

Memorizing God's word

2009-07-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peak of the youth at S.L.A.M. learning and memorizing God's word!! Each day at S.L.A.M. the groups spend 20-30 min. learning about the Bible, today's application, and how much they are loved by God. Sorry about the side view : )

SLAM update

2009-07-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Week 1 at SLAM (Students Living A Mission)
Highlights:

Monday Science was filled with perseverance as the Middle/High School groups worked on wind mill models.

The 3rd-5th grade group actively learned more about reduce/reuse/recycling, as they made boxes and posters for the summer to remind the SLAM youth about their potential to not waste!

Here is the 1st-2nd grade group doing what they do best, HAVING FUN!!

Wednesday was a day of choice as each individual chose to participate in either acting, break dancing, singing, drum beats, and professional stick fighting.

Today we are going to Edgeworks for adventurous rock climbing!

Each summer I am reminded of the incredible volunteers that consistently provide safety, learning, and most of all love for these incredible youth. I am also reminded of the individual creativity that each child or adolescent reflects. We are grateful to God for the experiences and relationships all around us at SLAM.

End of School BBQ and Family Fun Center

2009-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer everyone!!!

Tyler Square and the Family Shelter kids are in the full swing of summer! We just recently had our end of school barbecue to celebrate the the hard work and success of every school child at the Mission. We had a huge barbecue with a live band, cotton candy machine, tons of food, and certificates for every kid who moved on to the next grade. It was great to see all the families come out, support, and celebrate the successes of their children. Also, as an added prize, we took each kid who attained at least a 3.0 GPA over the last trimester (since the last is always the hardest!) to the Family Fun Center in Tukwila. The kids had a great time, as you can tell in the following pictures.

Also, a reminder that our summer program, S.L.A.M. (Students Leading A Mission) will be beginning July 6th and going through the end of July. Please call or contact any of the youth supervisors for more information about this great program. And, lastly, thank you for your continued support of and interest in the Tacoma Rescue Mission's Youth Program!

Youth Scavenger Hunt

2009-05-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Tyler Square Scavenger Hunt!
The youth created their own scavenger hunt, treasure map, and secret location for a hidden treasure! Here's a couple videos of the kids looking for the treasure:

2009-05-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

Garden, Bubbles, & Lots of worms!!!

A few weeks ago we catapulted our community garden and young gardeners program with a bbq, bubbles, and well, um, a lot of worms. The kids planted potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and much more! They had a lot of fun and seeing kids working together with their parents was an inspiring sight!!!

If you need any veggies or just want to come and help, we are out at Tyler Square every Thursday from 5-6.

Camp

2009-02-25T10:53:00.000-08:00

Feb 13-16 we were able to take seven youth from tecoma rescue mission to Pleasant valley christian camp. We were able to get away from tacoma and have a weekend in the wilderness.At camp we were able to play in the snow and learn about God's love for us. We also got to play alot of dogdeball. The theme of camp was "fill me up" and we talked about what it meant to be filled up with God. The kids were able to have fun just hanging out with other kids just like them from all over the puget sound as the camp have over 100 kids come.

TRM Youth Visit "The Capitol"

2009-02-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

The teens of the family shelter and Tyler Square excitedly saw our states capitol in Olympia, Wa. They had inquiring minds as they roamed the historic halls, asking a million questions everywhere they went. After visiting the capitol, the kids met with our state auditor, Brian Sontagg and as you can see in the picture made themselves comfortable in his office. The kids also were invited to apply for a week long job as a page helping the state senators and legislators, one teen from the family shelter applied and got accepted. Not a bad gig for an 8th grader!

SLAM 2009 Volunteers Needed

2009-02-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

"What's SLAM?" you may be asking yourself, it is Students Living A Mission. This year it's happening from July 6th- July 31st. It is a summer program full of adventure, learning, and fun for the homeless and low income youth of the city. If you ever wondered, "What are they doing for homeless youth these days?" come and find out this summer and you can do more than just wonder! We urge you to look at your calendar, blackberry, or i-phone, and consider helping us this July! We need it!
call with questions,
James-(253) 627-4308 or
Kyle- (253) 272-1974

Teen Late Nite: City Scavenger Hunt!

2009-01-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night an epic battle of the sexes transpired in which the boys competed against the girls in a city wide scavenger hunt. Each team was given a lengthy list of places, poses, and outrageous acts to compltete. After dancing with strangers, singing to strangers, doing a human pyramid, and getting a penny smashed by a train the boys team was defeated convincingly by the ladies team. For the teens it was an opportunity to have fun, get out of the shelters, and to see parts of the city they normally wouldn't.

This picture shows the boys with a homeless man who they gave a a bag of food to.

This picture shows the kids touching a fountain in the Stadium district of Tacoma.

Mt. Rainier Snowshoeing

2009-01-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

To go where no urban teen has gone before, into the depths of the Mt.
Rainier national forest. With only snowshoes strapped on, some warm clothes, and a water we took teens out of the city and into the snow! Despite being a little cold, wet, and nervous they had tons of fun and began to realize that anything is possible!

NW Trek Adventures

2008-11-21T14:23:00.000-08:00

There were Elk, Deer, Goats, & Yaks roaming around everywhere you went. Bears, Beavers, Bees, and Bison also captivated our attention as we strolled through Northwest Trek with 20 Tacoma Rescue Mission youth. The kids were amazed at all they saw and no doubt it was one of the more memorable experiences of their lifetimes. Thank you to NW Trek for letting us come and experience "The Wild"

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

The Picha family farm let us come to their pumpkin patch, corn maze, and each kid got to pick out their own pumpkin to keep. We had a great time with other youth from the area on an unusually sunny day for October!!!

Afterschool at Tyler Square!

2008-10-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Here youth are constructing marshmallow houses with just toothpicks and marshmallows. This was a great analogy to life because the home with the most support and best cornerstone can hold the most amount of weight. The winner's house ended up holding 4 of our weights.

More young gardeners

2008-07-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

SLAM 2008 begins...

2008-07-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

Students Living A Mission has begun...here is a blurb of what the youth take part in!! We are excited for this years group! Stay tuned for upcoming stories :)

S.L.A.M. Student Living A Mission: Summer Program 2008

2008-06-05T16:15:00.001-07:00

Our Youth Summer Program will be starting up again July 7th for youth 1st-12th grade. There is a volunteer orientation/interest meeting June 17th 6:30pm at the People's Community Center (1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Tacoma, WA 98405). Please contact us jamesl@trm.org or katyl@trm.org for more information!

Garden update...

2008-06-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes, flowers, lettuce, pumpkins, and more have been planted in the youth garden. Once again, our gratitude goes out to everyone that made this project possible. The youth will continue to maintain the garden through out the summer under the supervision of Master Gardeners!

Young Gardeners visit Watson's Nursery

2008-05-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

Young Gardeners of the Tacoma Rescue Mission went on a field trip to Watson's to pick up supplies for our garden project. Thanks to Watson's Greenhouse and Nursery, we were able to pick up some tomatoes starts and various flowers that the youth individually chose!

TRM Young Gardeners

2008-05-05T14:04:00.001-07:00

We are excited for this years garden! We would not have been to do this without the partnerships of Master Gardeners, Gray Lumber, SoundGRO and Watson's Nursery. Thank you!! The Tacoma Rescue Mission Young Gardeners program aims for youth to explore and learn about basic horticulture, gardening, and community building. Stay tuned for updates on our garden!!

Youth Interviews on Homelessness

2008-04-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Watch and listen to two youth that have experienced being homeless. These two young ladies have been a part of the Tacoma Rescue Mission Youth Program for more than two years.

Our Faces Tell Stories

2008-02-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

The Tacoma Rescue Mission participated in the community quilting event at the Tacoma Art Museum. Americorp/Tyler Square staff, Sara Herbrand, beautifully put together this blanket to represent the faces and programs throughout the Mission. Thank you Sara and all the TRM staff that helped put together the blanket!!

Camp Jonah Winter Snow Camp!!!

2008-01-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Middle Schoolers of the Tacoma Rescue Mission journeyed to Trout Lake Washington to play in the snow, bond as a group, and learn about how God is the light. While at the camp the kids had a snow ball fight, sledded down a huge hill, and rode on snowmobiles. For many it was the most snow they had ever seen. The teens bonded with group games, a biblical scavenger hunt, and a fun filled party to end the great weekend. The theme of the weekend was Flame: how Jesus is like a flame providing comfort, light, purifying, and ridding the world of darkness. Overall, the weekend was success with fun, new friends, and many seeds planted in their hearts.

gooey goop action

2008-01-23T11:22:00.000-08:00

Here's some insight to what we do after school!!

Picha's Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-29T16:35:00.001-07:00

Thank you Picha's Farm for hosting us for the second year in a row. We are grateful that each child received a pumpkin and free admission through the corn maze. Here are some pictures from our experience. And by the way...most of the kids gave their pumpkins names!

VOLUNTEERS!!

2007-10-16T11:52:00.001-07:00

Love kids? Looking for a place to invest your time? Come volunteer with the Tacoma Rescue Mission Youth. We have two after school programs that could use some caring adults to help children with homework and fun! Both programs run Mon-Fri 4-6pm. Please contact James Leet Jamesl@trm.org or Katy Lafferty Katyl@trm.org if you are interested!

Youth Experience Portland

2007-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Whitney Foundation provided an experience for a group of underprivileged youth from Tacoma. Riding a train, looking around Portland's Saturday Market, touring a submarine at OMSI, walking through China Town were a few of the things that filled the day. We just want to say thank you for giving them this opportunity!

Youth Bird Houses for Sale

2007-09-18T14:21:00.001-07:00

Youth from the SLAM (Students Living a Mission) Summer Program are selling hand made bird houses that they made this summer. The bird houses are only $15 and %100 earnings goes to them! Please contact us if you are interested in buying one!

Volunteers of SLAM

2007-09-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Volunteers of this Summer's S.L.A.M. program take a night to relax and rest on the Amazing Grace Sailboat in Gig Harbor. We are grateful for the volunteers that poured out their hearts and time to the youth of S.L.A.M. Thanks again and see you next summer :)

Volunteer Opportunities for Youth

2007-09-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

After School Program
We are looking for volunteers that have exprience with children. There are two locations that host an after school program Monday-Friday from 4-6pm for youth 1st-12th grade. The two hours are dedicated to homework, reading, and fun. Please contact James Leet jamesl@trm.org (253) 627-4308 or Katy Lafferty (253) 627-5456 if you are interested.

Back to School 2007

2007-09-11T10:48:00.001-07:00

First Day of School for Tyler Square Youth! Good Luck in the 2007-08 school year. We are proud of you!!

S.L.A.M. Student Living A Mission: Summer Program

2007-06-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

Looking for a purpose this summer? Come join us in volunteering with underprivileged youth at the Tacoma Rescue Mission Summer Program. S.L.A.M. is an eight week faith-based summer program for youth 1st-12th grade in the city of Tacoma. The host site for this program is the People’s Community Center (1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Way). Our mission is to foster a safe environment that empowers all kids to understand their identity and who God has created them to be. The overall goal is to ensure immense growth and understanding of relational values with God, friends, family, and peers with a daily focus on learning through social, spiritual, and intellectual applications.
When: Mon.-Thursday 12-4:30 July 2nd-July 26th, August 6th- 29th
Who: Youth 1st-12th grade
Interested? Contact James Jamesl@trm.org (253)627-4308 or Katyl@trm.org (253)272-1974.

Youth participate in Community Service

2007-05-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Tacoma Rescue Mission Youth are beginning community service projects around the Tacoma neighborhoods. The first project was during Spring Break, where youth volunteered their time in the Madrona neighborhood area doing yard work. By volunteering, we believe that the youth are empowered to give back to their communities and make a difference!