What would you do if you heard someone screaming, “Help, I’m drowning!”? Depending on your training, I’m sure you would do whatever you could to rescue the person. What about throwing in a life preserver? It’s a great way to keep them afloat, but without a rope attached to it the person will drift endlessly. Over time, a person can drift into dangerous waters, and even though they have a life preserver, they could still lose their lives. The ideal action to save a drowning person is to throw them a life preserver with a rope, and then pull them to where you are located in a safe, secure and stable environment. This will be a place where they can recover from their drowning experience and determine their next steps. Each week we have a variety of people coming to Crossroads drowning in the circumstances of life, and we have the privilege of throwing them a life preserver to help them get to a better place. I’m grateful for our staff members and volunteers who genuinely care for the people who walk through our doors. Our neighbors in need might not remember everything we say, but they do remember how we made them feel. Loving our neighbors has been the most effective way we have found to transform our community.

In our world today, we often confuse the heart of compassion that requires a response with the feeling of sympathy that remains idle. Every day we hear about the needs of others, and we sympathize. Sympathy remains only sympathy until we do something about the need. And then, it becomes an act of compassion; an appropriate response to the call for help. Justin Dillon describes it best: “A call is someone sharing their needs. Sharing their oppression. A response is someone saying, I hear you, I get you, and here’s what I’m going to do”. I am extremely grateful for the countless community partners who are connected to Crossroads that are saying, “I hear you, I get you, and here’s what I’m going to do!”

When you partner with Crossroads Ministry, whether it be with your time, talent or treasure, you are giving to both measurable and immeasurable things. Your generous gift is providing food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, care for the sick, and hope for the weary. Together, we are committed to lovingly journeys with neighbors in need for as long as it takes to help them get to a better place, where they are able to reach their highest level of self-sufficiency. Your regular giving allows us to uphold our promise to the children, teenagers, young adults, seniors, and families we serve. Your willingness to help us financially ensures that Crossroads is sustainable for years to come. Your involvement as a volunteer allows for a personal touch as resources are delivered to meet a need. We can always do more together than a part, so hold on for dear life. Your dear life, and the dear life of others. You can find more ways to partner with us by visiting our website at: www.CrossroadsEP.org