continued on page 2

SEPTEMBER, 2011

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1 You’re invited to B.I.D.

1 Love in Action

2 Need for Food Donations

2 Simple Ways to Support

2 Volunteer Opportunities

3 Thank You Volunteers!

3 Never Too Old to Volunteer

3 You Can Be a Blessing

4 Whats Going On?

4 From Our Director

Acts 20:35

“In all things I have shown

you that by working hard

in this way we must help

the weak and remember

the words of the Lord Jesus,

how he himself said,

‘It is more blessed to give

than to receive.’ ”

KALDREAM.ORG

The Dream Center invites you to B.I.D. (BUILD INSPIRATION & DREAMS)

Changing the world, one fun-filled

evening at a time sounds like a

good deal, right? At the Kalama-

zoo Dream Center’s upcoming big

auction event, you can help build

inspiration and dreams while

entertaining yourself and your

family. Savor the taste of an authentic Mexican meal. Excite your emotions in an intense

bidding war for passes to Disney World, signed footballs by Greg Jennings, a Great Lakes

fishing trip, bicycles, a hand held leaf blower, and so much more. Leave your children in

capable hands while you shop. They can bounce in the bounce room, play carnival games,

win fun prizes on the prize wheel or in the drawing. You can also enjoy the sounds

of a live jazz band while you enjoy your meal and the silent auction.

The Kalamazoo Dream Center has prayerfully planned this

event for months, and we invite you to come join the

fun and offer your support. Please plan to be at The Point

at Centerpoint Church at 2345 North Tenth Street on Friday,

September 16th from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. With all the great auction

items, you could purchase many of your Christmas gifts, get some-

thing special for yourself, and really bless the community in the process.

All proceeds will benefit the Kalamazoo Dream Center, a local non-profit whose mission

is to give hope and opportunity to the poor of Kalamazoo. Every dollar you spend

at this event will go right back into making your community a success.

1

Although you may not see the impact of a food pantry,

clothing closet, or counseling services, you can see the

results of the Dream Center’s summer beautification

project that happened this past June.

The Dream Center’s annual event focused this year on “loving your neighbor.” Although

many people go out of their way to find a place to serve, the Dream Center noticed that

there was need literally right next door. continued on page 2

LOVE IN ACTION

CAN YOU HELP?

S IMPLE WAYS TO SUPPORT

The need for food donations is great at this time

The Dream Center has been providing bags

of food to those in need in the Edison and

Vine neighborhoods for several years now.

But recently the source of over 80% of the

food donations is no longer available to the

Dream Center. The food need is greater

than ever, but the supply is lower than

ever. Can you help?

Please consider if your church or business

might be willing to do a food collection

in the near future. All types of food items

are needed, especially boxed meals,

cereal, peanut butter, pasta, rice, canned

vegetables, and canned meats. We also

have a freezer and refrigerator for perish-

able food, especially eggs or sandwich

meat. Please join us in praying that God

will miraculously supply for this need.

Maybe you can even be a part

of that miracle!

Love in Action continued

“This year we chose to work on this house because they’re our neighbors,

and we felt like if we didn’t impact our neighbors first, then the Dream Center

was really missing its objective,” explained Rik Stone, executive director.

Randy Canute, resident of the 100 year old home would have faced city

fines if he didn’t repaint his

house. The Dream Center

recognized that he didn’t have

the necessary funds, and serv-

ing our neighbor in this way

created a visible connection

to the Edison neighborhood.

More than 100 teen and adult

volunteers from Kalamazoo

Valley Family Church assisted in

the repainting of the house. On

top of that, the teens gave away

800 flats of flowers, picked up

trash throughout the neighbor-

hood, and gave out free bottles

of water. What a blessing to

the community!

The Dream Center has a bi-weekly Adopt-a-Block on

Saturday mornings which beautifies the Edison

neighborhood on a smaller scale – delivering groceries,

picking up trash, and offering prayer if needed. To volunteer, please call

269-382-4760 or e-mail us at kalamazoodreamcenter@gmail.com.

Luke 6:38“Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken

together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure

you use it will be measured back to you.”

Meijer RewardsSign up at www.meijer.com/rewards

Our new number is 131257.

Zoo Cycle and SportsWhen making a purchase, ask for 3% of your

purchase to be donated to the Kalamazoo Dream

Center through the Giving Program there.

Tax Deductible DonationsAll financial donations to the Dream Center

are tax-deductible.

Reception: This position involves greeting guests, signing them in on the

computer and directing them to the clothing closet and/or food pantry.

A pleasant persoinality, basic computer skills, and a love for God and his

people are the only requirements for this position.

Clothing Worker: Sorting and carrying clothes and assisting guests

as they “shop” are the main tasks included in this position.

Additional Volunteer Opportunities: fundraising, volunteer recruitment,

job-seeking class coordinator, mentors, instructors for job-seeking class,

pregnancy counselor, data entry assistant, and computer repair.

Please call us at 382.4760 for more information.

Looking forward to meeting you!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

2

Before

After

THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS!

You can be a blessing I thank God for the opportunity that I have had in the past year to volunteer at the Kalamazoo Dream Center. I have had

the privilege to serve as the volunteer coordinator and to meet some absolutely wonderful people. I also very much enjoy

the opportunity to hear the sincere appreciation of the people who receive services from the Dream Center. I would like to

encourage everyone with even a small amount of time to check out the variety of oppor-

tunities to bless this ministry and the community and to receive a tremendous blessing.

We have had some wonderful volunteers during the summer, including teachers and

college students. Sadly many of these volunteers have had to leave for the fall, so we are

looking for people with a little time to take their places. Volunteers are most needed on

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-12 and 1-4. If you have been looking for

a place to serve, this opportunity may be where God is opening the door.

The Kalamazoo Dream Center thanks

our volunteers, staff, and sponsors! Our

plan for Kalamazoo is to achieve a healthy

community based on love from local busi-

nesses, families and community members,

churches, volunteers and sponsors. Our goal

is to watch Kalamazoo rise from the hard eco-

nomic crisis and job losses. How do we help?

Our humbling experience at the Dream Center

will help our clients feed their families, help

put clothes on their family’s back, provide

furniture for their home, for those who simply

need help getting back on their feet.

Our atmosphere here is inviting, providing

smiling faces of the volunteers, comfortable

seating, material to read, coffee and donated

Panera Bread baked goods

available daily for our clients.

We believe in treating the

poor and homeless just like

everyone else. We show them

respect, tender love and care.

The Dream Center is an oasis

for those who need a place to count on for

assistance. Kalamazoo is one big family,

and we believe that we are the glue that helps

hold our struggling Kalamazoo family together.

So thanks again to all of our supporters!

We appreciate you all.

DID YOU KNOW that for every dollar donated

to the Dream Center in a typical month,

over $10 in goods and services are given

to the community?

3

NEVER TOO OLD TO VOLUNTEER

“I have received a tremendous blessing from volunteering.” –Vicki –

The Dream Center would like to honor Mary Cassel, one of our longest serving

and most dedicated volunteers. Mary turned 80 this past summer, showing

that you are never too old to volunteer and make a difference in the lives of

people. Although the Dream Center benefits the poor, the volunteers receive

an equal blessing. As Prov-

erbs 11:24 says, “One gives

freely, yet grows all the richer;

another withholds what he

should give, and only suffers

want.”

Mary shared some of

her journey at the Dream

Center with us:

In 2003, my husband and

I moved to Kalamazoo from St.

Clair Shores to be near our daughter because of my husband’s health,

but sadly he died soon afterwards. Through Kalamazoo First Assembly Church,

I heard about the Dream Center and decided to volunteer. I needed to do

something positive for the Lord. I have been volunteering ever since.

I have met some great volunteers who have freely given their time and

energies. In fact, one of my best friends now was someone I first met when

she and I worked together at the Dream Center. I have the privilege of working

in the clothing room, helping clients find what they need and bagging their

items for them. I do things such as folding and hanging up clothes and placing

shoes and household goods on shelves and racks for display.

I am most inspired by those who are recent Christians, saved from a lost

life of drugs and sin, who now are looking for clothing for job interviews

to get their lives back on track.

One of my favorite things about working at the Dream Center is witnessing

a person find exactly what he or she needs at that time. I know it is the Lord,

their Provider, and we at the Dream Center have a part in it. continued on page 4

Mary Cassel is 80 years old yet still

volunteering.

Never Too Old continued

What I would like to see for the future of the Dream Center is what I would like

to see for the Church – that the people of God study the Word of God more

diligently. Perhaps the Dream Center could become more instrumental in

teaching the clients how to study God’s Word, and of course in the process

that they will learn the value in obeying His Word.

The Dream Center greatly appreciates volunteers like Mary who give of

themselves to serve those in need in the name of Christ. Whether you are

18 or 80 or somewhere in between, we have opportunities for you to serve

at the Dream Center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Please give

us a call at 382.4760 for more information on how you can make

a difference as Mary has.

Volunteer Donate

Financial Contribution Other

______________________________________________

Name

______________________________________________

Address

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Phone

______________________________________________

Email

All donations are tax deductible

GET INVOLVED

< Please cut and mail to:

Kalamazoo Dream Center

1122 Portage Road Kalamazoo, MI

269.382.4760 www.kaldream.org

kalamazoodreamcenter@gmail.com

Become a friend on

B.I.D.September 16

5:30 to 8:30 pm

Centerpoint Church

Adopt-a-BlockSaturday, September 17 10 am

Saturday, October 1 10 am

Saturday, October 15 10 am

Saturday, October 29 10 am

WHAT’S GOING ON?

FROM THE DESK OF OUR DIRECTOR

You and God, a majority

As we set our sights on giving to

the needy we must always remember

that the work is larger than us and

yet smaller when joined with God’s

help. There are countless times

when we’ve set out to accomplish

a task to help the poor through

out-reaches or services, and discovered we didn’t have all we needed.

We didn’t have the people to assist us, we didn’t have all the material we

needed, we didn’t have an answer to complete the process or we didn’t

have the energy. This is not bad news, only a reminder that we are able to

discover great resources in God’s unfailing ability to provide above and beyond

what we could ask or imagine according to Ephesians 3:20. As we partner

with our Heavenly Father we find that we, along with Him, are a majority and

there is nothing too big to accomplish between us. This doesn’t remove the

fact that we need people to come alongside us in this great work at the Dream

Center, especially those who believe in the mission of making a difference

among the poor. We invite you to join the efforts, and together we can be

a blessing to many. The Kingdom of God will never be the same.

4

Rik Stone

“ I am blessed every time I come to the Dream Center. The diversity of God’s people and the common love of Jesus is beautiful.” – Darlene

“ I volunteer at the Dream Center because I enjoy helping people. It’s what the Lord wants me to do. It gives me pleasure to see the smiles on their faces.” – Greg

“ I’ve known about the Dream Center for a long time. Something spiritual brought me here.” – Bonnie

“ I am here because I want to show the love of Christ. I see that it is the small things we do that make a big difference in people’s lives. Just be here and see what a difference you can make!” – Bill