Building the Walls that Rebuild Lives
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So they said, "let us rise up and build." Then they set their hands to this good work. Nehemiah 2:18
Last year, City Union Mission celebrated 83 years of serving Kansas City’s poor and needy. Since Beulah Bulkley agreed to support her husband’s call to ministry and relocate her family to Kansas City’s northeast side to open a weekly mission and soup kitchen, our years of service have seen many moves; many buildings.
Only once in those 83 years, though, has City Union Mission turned to our friends in the community to help support the capital needs of the Mission. That effort which took place in 1997 and 1998, raised $4 million for needed repairs and expansion and to help build a new Women and Families Shelter.
Our needs now also support families. They support families through the men that are the fathers, grandfathers, husbands, brothers, sons, nephews and cousins.
Our capital project helps us address a critical and growing need for adequate, dignified emergency and long-term shelter for men. It also helps us continue to provide a meaningful camp experience to hundreds of disadvantaged children by making important repairs and improvements at our residential camp. And, it provides for necessary "infrastructure" improvements such as parking and critical upgrades to our family shelter.
Our campaign name - Building the Walls that Rebuild Lives - comes from the Old Testament Book of Nehemiah. In it, Nehemiah asks his employer, King Artaxerxes, to return to the land of his father and grandfathers to help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Despite doubt and opposition, family after family joined Nehemiah to rebuild portions of the walls and the gates that joined them. What doubters said could not be built from "burnt stones" and "rubble" soon was a wall "half high". When opponents tried to destroy the work, this only strengthened the resolve of Nehemiah and the workers. They divided and shared the work of building and standing guard. In only 52 days, the work was done.
Nehemiah teaches us an important lesson that valuable things can be rebuilt from materials once deemed no longer useful. It tells a tale of perseverance. Nehemiah and his followers worked day and night to rebuild the walls in only 52 days. It also offers a message of forgiveness. It relates how many times - despite their disobedience, their evil deeds, their disregard for God’s supreme command - the God of Israel forgave the Jews and welcomed them back to Him and shared with Him his abundance and manifold mercies.
At City Union Mission, we are called to forgive and persevere.
The men and women who come through our doors - possibly once deemed of little use in our society - can, with love, patience, guidance and perseverance, rebuild their lives and create something of value from the “rubble” that their lives once had been. You can help us help them to rebuild their lives by investing in our campaign to Build the Walls that Rebuild Lives.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to help City Union Mission help thousands of poor, hungry and homeless men, women and children each year.
Sincerely,
Rev. Daniel J. Doty
Executive Director
Click here to download our Capital Campaign brochure, 0.9MB PDF
