One of the true joys of my job is getting the opportunity to take folks on site tours of our ministry partners to see the great work they are doing at the grassroots level. Your gift helps us keep those partnerships and relationships going month after month, all year long.

One of those special guests came to town recently. His name is Bobby Polito and I first met him in Washington DC at the beginning of the Bush Administration. Bobby was asked to be the first Director of the Faith Based Office at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Bobby designed and launched the Compassion Capitol Fund which delivered hundreds of millions of dollars directly to faith-based programs.

I was in DC as one of the first grant reviewers. It was a great new approach as the Federal government moved in a significant direction to level the playing field for faith-based organizations to get access to federal funds without all the strings attached that kept our partners from getting Federal grants in the past.

Over these past 10 years, I have been active as a grant reviewer and chairman of review panels. So to get to spend the day with Bobby showing him around Denver was an honor. He was amazed at the great work these ministries are doing with very limited resources.

One ministry we visited gave out food and clothing to 44 families that morning.  They employ five full time staff, one Americorp volunteer, several part-time staff and hundreds of volunteers. They serve hundreds of families every month and hundreds of children and youth in their after school and summer programs. They do this and much, much more on an annual budget of just $200,000. We visited another one of our partners whose budget is $96,000. We toured a ministry that provides transitional housing from 9-18 months for homeless families in an old converted hotel. Churches adopt one of the former hotel rooms and fix it up to be a place of hope and healing.
 
At the end of the day, Bobby was really impressed by what he saw and experienced. He was really surprised by how well our Denver ministries work together and support one another. Pray for all of us as we explore more ways to work together and see what God can do when the body of Christ comes together and stays united.

If you happen to come through Denver or Colorado, I'd love to take you on an urban tour. Better yet, sign up your church or group for a CityConnexx short-term mission trip and stay and serve in a community near you and develop a long-term relationship with the ministry staff and those they serve.

For Him and them,

Dean Cowles
YouthPartnersNET & CityConnexx
Founder

LIVE COMPASSION!

Your Donations at Work (1):

Pine Ridge Ministries joined our network in January 2010.  Their primary focus is with the six Native communities near Wagner, SD.  This grant will go toward their All Tribes Fellowship Youth Program which provides after-school and summer programs for 20-45 children/youth two days per week.  The staff, children and youth together determined they would like the facility to be open three days per week and have more games and activities available to them.
This grant was funded through our Native American/Rich Mullins Fund.

Prayer Request:

Ezra’s mom committed suicide when she was small and her father is in prison.  She has been raised by her grandmother and very involved in the Pine Ridge programs.  Her grandmother was recently diagnosed with cancer.  Ezra is very concerned as she has no one except her grandmother.  The staff at Pine Ridge has told her grandmother that they will make sure she is cared for.  Please pray for Ezra and her grandmother.

Your Donations at Work (2):

Rehoboth Christian School was founded in 1903 as a ministry to the Native American peoples of the Four Corners region. They serve children living in America’s 3rd poorest county, nearly 50% of the students come from low-income and poverty-level income families. A Rehoboth education helps students develop confidence, competence, and compassion. Rehoboth is committed to building students up not only intellectually, but also spiritually and emotionally, helping them grow into mature Christians who approach the world with a healthy perspective and the skills necessary for living in it.

YPN is honored to provide another grant from our Native American/Rich Mullins Fund to Rehoboth Christian School for their Tuition Assistance Program which serves the students with the greatest financial needs. This year, 72% of the students need financial assistance due to the economy and soaring unemployment.  Their family members contribute the remainder of tuition costs, often at great sacrifice.  This grant was funded through our Native American/Rich Mullins Fund.

Prayer Request:

The day after his 18th birthday, Jacob was acting strange and was taken to the hospital and released.  A month ago, while waiting for the bus, he stumbled down the road.  He had a stroke each time caused by irregular shaped vertebrae.  He is still in the hospital in Phoenix recovering and working on physical therapy.  They are waiting for him to become stable before performing surgery on his spine.  Please pray for Jacob, his surgeons and his family that are unable to be with him.  During this time of worry and doubt and with no insurance, please pray that they will experience God’s peace and they will be surrounded in love.