Message from John Moeller
Dear Friends,
I came to MUST nine years ago with a dream of changing lives to better reflect my reality. Ironically, in the process of serving, I have been changed. I have learned that my perception of who my neighbors in need are may be: a person who is in my Sunday school class or rides my daughter’s school bus. It may be someone standing in line in front of me at the grocery store. Some have master’s degrees. Some are skilled workers who have been faced with an illness or some other life changing event.
Here are some other life lessons I have learned about the many and diverse faces of poverty and homelessness:
- You can’t always spot someone in need by their appearance.
- Sometimes people end up in poverty or homelessness simply because there is no family to serve as a safety net.
- Sometimes life deals hard blows that change our economic status overnight.
- People depend so much on credit that in reality they may be just one paycheck away from homelessness.
- Sometimes poor choices lead to homelessness or poverty.
- Children are innocent victims of homelessness and poverty.
MUST has worked in the community since 1971 serving our neighbors in need. Annually, 29,000 people have come to MUST for help and hope.
In my lifetime, the needs of those living in poverty and homelessness have increased and show no signs of declining. Poor economic forecasts including rising oil rates, rising health insurance costs, lack of affordable housing, rampant foreclosures, corporate downsizing, and more single heads of households will bring more and more people to our doorstep. MUST is quite typically the first place a person turns to in times of trouble and in many cases it is their only hope. Together, we MUST be prepared to address the needs of our neighbors who are struggling with the basic necessities of life.
Join me in the Build, We MUST Campaign. Together, you and I can be the change that turns despair into hope.
Sincerely,
Rev. John R. Moeller
Executive Director
