We did it!

Just saying thank you doesn’t seem to say enough for how we all feel about the outpouring of support over the past two months.

In November, we announced that we had two challenge grants to match end-of-the-year giving. One, a $50,000 donation, was from an anonymous donor. Then, AdventHealth added on $10,000.

Not only did we meet the challenge grant, but we exceeded it by more than 50 percent.

That certainly gave hope for many in our community, as we needed the extra funding.

You might have seen on several news stations that we expanded temporarily for a couple of days around New Year's Eve to help bring people in out of the cold. We helped more than two dozen people - including two families - start their journey home.

Each time we do that, we have more expenses to handle the additional people

Of course, it brought a Merry Christmas to all of our guests, like Edwin. You'll see him in the news clips, but just this week, Edwin moved to his own place, a room in Sanford.

Edwin came to us in September wanting to improve his life. While at the shelter., Edwin was able to apply for Social Security benefits and was approved for SNAP and Medicaid. He picked up a part-time job and started saving income.

Once approved for his Social Security benefits, he had enough money to start

searching for a room to rent.

“I am forever grateful and appreciative," Edwin told our case management team. "I am not sure where I would be right now.”

Edwin is the reason you give and the reason we come to work every day, helping those in our community find a fresh start.

Thank you for all you do to help Rescue Outreach Mission. If you would like to make a donation to Rescue Outreach Mission, please visit our donation page.