11-24-2024 Charitable Giving Guide - Flipbook - Page 4
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The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, November 24, 2024
Helping Up Mission:
Giving hope to those in need
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find you the answer you need and
get back to you quickly,” says Sarah,
who adds that the comprehensive
services that HUM provides are
critical to the success of residents.
arah Bates has always been
drawn to service – whether it’s
volunteering in the Children’s and
Women’s Ministries at Chapelgate
Presbyterian Church or donating to
worthy causes.
“I have been so blessed, and I feel
like to whom much is given, much
will be required. I love tennis and
I love lunch with my friends, but
that’s not enough; I need to feel like
I am making a difference,” she says.
In order to do so, both she and her
husband, Pete, are actively involved
at Helping Up Mission (HUM),
which includes a Spiritual Recovery
Program for those impacted by
homelessness and addiction.
Initially introduced to HUM through
their church, the couple began
taking their kids to HUM to serve
meals now and then. When they
heard that HUM was building a
Center for Women & Children, Sarah
says that their dedication to HUM
intensified, due in part to witnessing
Pete’s family member struggle with
homelessness in California.
“People feel overwhelmed when
they look at homeless statistics,
but when you go to HUM and you
see the faces of the people who
are being helped one at a time,
you realize, ‘I don’t have to cure
homelessness. I can show up and
serve a meal to this woman who is
standing in front of me and make a
difference in that one person’s life.’ I
Recognizing that there are myriad
worthy nonprofit organizations to
donate to, Sarah singles out HUM’s
importance.
have so much respect for the people
who have made the hard decision
that they want something better.”
Sarah is a member of HUM’s
Circle of Hope, a group of donors
who perform a leadership role in
spreading the word of HUM’s work,
and says she is inspired to see how
residents at HUM are transformed
and changing their lives.
“You’re asking people dealing with
addiction to give something up that
has been all that they think about.
When you’re taking something like
that away, you have to offer them
something else, and Helping Up
Mission has a plan – they offer them
Jesus to fill that hole in their lives,”
Sarah says.
Her husband, Pete, agrees. “I want to
help all the people I see homeless on
the streets because of their
addictions. HUM’s system of taking
away the addiction but filling that
hole with the Gospel makes sense.”
Sarah is amazed by the support
system residents provide each other.
“You see moms with strollers in the
Center for Women & Children, and
they are surrounded by so many
women who want to support and
love them. A child’s sense of safety
is established in their first couple of
years of life, and if they spend that
year at the Mission instead of on the
street, they will have a monumentally
better life.”
She also credits the staff at HUM
who work tirelessly to help residents
improve their lives. “They wear so
many hats, and I have never heard
somebody say, ‘That’s not in my
job description.’ Instead, they will
TODAY, YOU CAN DO
MEET BASIC NEEDS.
Restore hope. Rebuild lives.
Learn more at
HelpingUpMission.org/MoreThan
“Giving to HUM is giving hope to
Baltimore. Whether it’s the homeless
population or those dealing with
addiction, you’re offering someone
a future and helping make Baltimore
safer for everyone. You are not only
fulfilling a need in the city, but also
you get the spiritual fulfillment of
giving someone a second chance.
When you give to HUM, you are
assured that your donation goes
directly to serving the people you
intend for it to serve,” Sarah says.
Since 1885, Helping Up Mission
has impacted the lives of those
experiencing homelessness,
poverty, and addiction in Baltimore
by providing individual care
that addresses their physical,
psychological, social, and spiritual
needs. Its 24-hour Hotline for Help
Now, 410-929-6999, is available for
people who need help. For more
information, visit
HelpingUpMission.org.
—Provided by
Helping Up Mission
