Hope for Haiti – Alix’s Miracle

1,000 Gifts for 1,000 ChildrenHow to Change the World

PublisherPeacemakers Magazine is publishedquaterly by Peacemakers Ministries

Peacemakers Ministries Team

Pastors Rich & Robyn WilkersonFounders

Rev. Linda FreemanExecutive Director

Kathleen Hardcastle, M.A.EdDirector of Education Programs

Andrea Fletcher, MSWDirector of Social Work Programs

Klautrelle Long, CPAFinancial Director

Crystal AgnewGrant Contract Management

David McDermottDevelopment and Housing Director

Editor in ChiefGabrielle Beretta

Co-EditorVelma Roberts, MBA

Photo CreditsPeter Berthold

Kathleen HardcastleJaime Rivera

Gabrielle Beretta

Contributing WritersJennifer Sanders

DawnCheré Wilkerson

Graphic DesignKerri Keith-Spitaleri

For More InformationPeacemakers Magazine

Phone: 786-888-HOPE (4673)

Email: gberetta@peacemakers.comwww.peacemakers.com

www.trinitychurch.tvwww.therendezvous.tv

Visit us at:17801 NW 2nd Avenue

Miami Gardens, FL 33169

Mailing Address:PEACEMAKERSP.O. Box 680100

North Miami, FL 331682 PEACEMAKERS

Dear Partners,

Through the years it has been a blessing having

you as our partner. Your faithful support of prayers

and finances has helped this ministry do what

others considered impossible. We have taken the

Gospel message of hope throughout the world,

beginning in the urban cities of America. With your

help we have ministered to the young and “young

at heart” alike.

God has moved mightily and thousands of lives

have been changed. Individuals and families have

experienced the transforming power of God and

their lives have moved from a place of chaos to a

place of peace and purpose.

You have been a part of every challengeWe could not have done it without YOU and we

just want to say THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

God Bless YOU!

Rich & Robyn Wilkerson

CONTENTS

Partner’s Greeting ....................... 3

The History of Peacemakers ....... 4

Peacemakers and

Trinity Church Staff ..................... 5

Funders and Partners .................. 5

Services Provided ................. 6 & 7

Hope for Haiti ........................ 8 & 9

Missions Trip to Haiti .................. 10

South Florida Workforce

Job Development/

ACCESS Point ............................ 11

Disaster Preparedness .................. 12

Youth Job Fair ............................... 12

2008 Florida AmeriCorps andNational Service Conference .........12

1,000 Gifts for 1,000 Children ...... 12

Housing Fair at Trinity Church ..... 13

Remarks by The President

at the White House Faith-Based

and Community InitiativesLeadership Conference ............... 13

10 Ways YOU CanChange the World .............. 14 & 15

PEACEMAKERS 3

The History of

Peacemakers Peacemakers was born from the vision of foundersRich and Robyn Wilkerson. After working togetherfor twenty years in the many roles of churchministry, including youth evangelism and churchplanting, the Wilkersons felt their hearts pulledto the inner cities of America. They launchedPeacemakers and established nine ministriesin seven cities across the U.S., but still a desireto do more remained in their hearts.

When an invitation to pastor a church in theurban city of Miami, Florida arrived, Rich andRobyn realized this was the next step for theirvision. For years, the Wilkersons had desired tobuild a prototype of what they felt God wantedestablished in the inner cities of America and theyfelt Miami was the perfect location to launch theirvision. So in July of 1998, Rich and Robyn andtheir four sons moved to the great city of Miami,Florida. Hundreds of dedicated members of Trin-ity Church greeted the Wilkerson family as theirnew Pastors. Immediately the people of the churchrolled up their sleeves to work with Pastors Richand Robyn to establish a ministry dedicated to thepoor and disenfranchised people of the city … toheal those who are sick, neglected and abused …to empower those who have been forgotten andpushed to the outward fringes of life.

Shortly thereafter, Robyn saw a “Request forProposal” offered in the Miami Herald newspaperfor summer day camps for inner city children. Shewrote her first contract proposal and, against allodds, won! God’s hand has been upon thiseffort, and has enabled Peacemakers to continueto grow. Peacemakers now offers over a dozendifferent award winning programs which ministerto the spiritual, physical and emotionalneeds of hurting people in Miami.

President Bush recently recognized Peacemakerssaying, “The Peacemaker Family Center in Miami is asmall ministry of Trinity Church that helps low-incomeand unemployed families … this program is in adesperate part of Miami. And yet, in the midst ofdesperation is a little beacon, a light.” The visioncontinues, with dreams of one day openingPeacemakers Family Centers all over the UnitedStates. These centers will run along side powerful,multicultural inner city churches committed tochange. We’re so thankful for the growthPeacemakers has experienced since its inceptionand this organization remains committed toworld-wide impact in the future!

The Wilkersons have beenmarried for 36 years and have

four sons and a daughter-in-law –(clockwise from the left) Rich, Taylor,Jonfulton, Graham, Rich Jr.,

DawnCheré, and Robyn

Rich and Robyn – 1973

4 PEACEMAKERS

AndreaFletcher, MSWDirector of SocialWork Programs

Pastor RichWilkersonFounder of

Peacemakers andSenior Pastor ofTrinity Church

Pastor RobynWilkersonCo-Pastor of

Trinity Church

Rev. LindaFreeman, M.S.

ExecutiveDirector

PeacemakersFamily Center

KlautrelleLong, CPA

FinancialDirector

KathleenHardcastle,

M.A. Ed.Director ofEducation

ShermaineSacasa

JobDeveloper

DavidMcDermottDevelopmentand Housing

Director

Rev. JamesBoydStrong

FamiliesEducator

CrystalAgnew

Grant/ContractManagement

Associate

Peacemakers Funders and Partners

DavidFreemanTechnical

Director, M.S.MIS Univ of

Phoenix

Alliance for Human Services www.alliance4hs.org

The Children’s Trust www.thechildrenstrust.org

Dade Community Foundationwww.dadecommunityfoundation.org

Early Learning Coalition www.childreadiness.org

Esperanza USA www.esperanza.us

Gateway Foursquare Church www.gateway4square.org

Holy Cross Lutheran Christian Day Schoolwww.holycrossnorthmiami.com

Jewish Community Services of South Floridawww.jewishcommunityservices.org

MEDA www.meda.org

Miami Dade County www.miamidade.gov

Social Solutions www.socialsolutions.com

South Florida Workforce www.southfloridaworkforce.org

U.S. Department of Labor www.dol.gov

Wachovia Bank www.wachovia.com

Abriendo Puertas www.abriendopuertas.org

Agape Family Ministries www.agapefamilyministries.org

Americorps www.americorps.org

Angela M. Turner Consulting

Assemblies of God www.ag.org

Barry University www.barry.edu

Christian Family Worship Center www.cfwcfl.org

Christian Legal Society www.clsnet.org

Please visit our website to read about each of these organizations www.peacemakers.com

Elijah Network elijahnetwork.org

Family and Child Faith Coalition www.fcfcfl.org

Farm Share www.farmshare.org

Fit Kids www.fitkidsclub.com

Florida Depart. of Children and Families www.myflorida.com

Florida Depart. of Juvenile Justice www.myflorida.com

Florida International University www.fiu.edu

Human Services Coalition www.hscdade.org

Imagine Miami www.imaginemiami.org

Jericho Resources, Inc. www.JerichoResources.com

Justice and Security Strategies www.jssinc.org

NetString www.netstring.com

OIC of Broward, Inc. www.oicofamerica.org

Reflections Wellness Centerwww.reflectionswellnesscenter.com

South Florida Workforce www.southfloridaworkforce.org

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod www.lcms.org

Univ. of Miami School of Medicine www.med.miami.edu

Univ. of Wisconsin - Milwaukee www.cuir.uwm.edu

U. S. Depart. of Health & Human Services www.hhs.gov

Volunteer Florida www.volunteerflorida.org

World Relief www.wr.org

Jobing.com www.jobing.com

Walmart www.walmart.com

PEACEMAKERS 5

JenniferSandersDirector ofAmeriCorpProgram

Peacemakers/Trinity Church StaffNorth Campus (above) and South Campus (below)

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*Out of School and Children of Inmates are funded by The Children’s Trust.

The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voterreferendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.

7

Out of School ProgramOur Out of School program provides children/youth, ages 5-17,with a variety of unique, year-round, multi-disciplinary enrichmentactivities Monday through Saturday. Program elements include homeworkassistance, tutoring, FCAT preparation, sports, dance/musical theatre, visual arts,Media Workshop, and Career/Work Preparation.*

AmeriCorpsAmeriCorps is a network of local, state, and national service programsthat connects more than 70,000 Americans each year in intensiveservice to meet our country’s critical needs in education, public safety,health, and the environment.

Healthy Marriage InitiativeTrinity Church was selected by the U.S Department of Health and Human Servicesto provide healthy marriage and family strengthening training to youth and theirfamilies in both Miami Dade and Broward Counties.

Trinity Christian AcademyTCA is Peacemakers’ on-site day care center which is operated underlicense with the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Abstinence Education ProgramTrinity Church was selected by the U.S Department of Health and Human Servicesto provide a Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) Program, an absti-nence-until-marriage education curriculum that provides youth with healthy mes-sages about their bodies, their behaviors, and their interactions.

Service Partnership for Children of InmatesPeacemakers provides intensive case management services tochildren of inmates.*

North Miami Neighborhood Resource NetworkThe purpose of this network is to identify, mobilize, and coordinateresources and social service providers in the community to provideprimary prevention and early intervention services to families.

Disaster PreparednessThis innovative project focuses on assisting economically vulnerable populations—those who live in survival mode every day—to prepare basic resources bothpre- and post-disaster.

Peacemakers Youth Leadership InstitutePeacemakers Youth Leadership Institute promotes positive youthdevelopment and leadership skills by sending a clear and consistentmessage that avoiding out of wedlock pregnancy, drugs, alcohol,tobacco and violence provides positive life outcomes for youth.

Job DevelopmentThe Peacemakers Family Center is a South Florida WorkforceACCESS Point and assists job seekers with preparing theirresume and cover letter, as well as assisting them with on-line jobsearch through Jobing.com and Employ Florida. South FloridaWorkforce’s Mobile Unit is a one stop career center with everything a client needsto secure a job.

Dept of Children and Families ACCESS NetworkPeacemakers is now a part of the Department of Children and Families ACCESSNetwork that offers food stamps, Medicaid, and temporary cash assistance.

Peacemakers Food BankThis site services individuals, families, and numerous churches andcommunity-based, non-profit organizations that provide food to thosein need.

April 27, 2008 was a monumental day for Peacemakersfounder, Rich Wilkerson and our entire Peacemakersfamily. Pastor Rich, his son Jonfulton and a small teamfrom Trinity Church boarded a plane with their heartsintent on taking a message of hope to Haiti. The people ofHaiti live in a far harsher reality than we realize here in theUnited States. Devastating economic conditions havewreaked havoc on the Haitian people and the statisticssurrounding Haiti are startling; nearly half of the popula-tion are illiterate, roughly 60% are without work and about80% live in extreme poverty. Many of the major citiespopulation are composed primarily of children and youngadults, because the populace often don’t survive past 50years of age due to disease, violence and starvation.

During our visit, our team encountered firsthand theterrifying environment the people of Haiti are subjected toevery day. Rev. Jackson led the team on a mission to seePresident Renee Preval who expressed great distress overHaiti’s overwhelming famine, lack of self-sufficiency, andthe desperate measures Haitians are taking to survive.

After laying a framework to help our team understandthe basic needs that must be met for Haiti to survive,President Preval concluded by saying they could useanything…any help we could provide would be beneficial.

The next stop was Cite’ Soliel, a locationrecognized across the world as the worstslum in our hemisphere. Pastor Richand our team walked down narrow dirtroads littered with mounds of garbage,as malnourished children were literallyplaying in the garbage. The team

witnessed firsthand a land of povertybeyond imagination. In spite of the

devastation, the children were quick tosmile, quick to hug, quick to want to spend

time with the members of our team.

As critical as the situation is, the children’s sweet strengthseems to give them hope beyond understanding. Theextent of the Haitian problem is overpowering but we’rethankful we serve a God who cares and is still in control! Our God hasn’t given up on Haiti and neither will we. Withthe help of our Trinity Church family, our team returnedonce again to Haiti in August and presented a $15,000check to the Haiti Mission. In addition, a team of Trinitymembers will return to Haiti this spring for a mission’s trip.We’re committed to being part of the solution for Haiti.Keep us in your prayers as we work towards bringing hopeto our neighbors in crisis. With God’s help, we’re gonnawin!

8 PEACEMAKERS

Alix Delva beforeand after surgery

Pastor Rich Wilkerson and Pastor Marcus Gonzalezin Haiti to present the check to the Haiti Mission

Pastor Rich Wilkerson with Alix Delva andDoctor Mathew Schacht a few days after surgery

PEACEMAKERS 9

Alix’s MiracleThis past year, God used Peacemakers to answer the prayersof Alix Delva, a Haitian father of four with a disfiguring medicalcondition. We met Alix in June of 2007 at the lowest point ofhis life. For years he suffered with tumor like growths that coveredhis face and were slowly robbing him of his ability to see, eatand breathe. We knew Alix’s journey towards healing would be along road, but we determined to help him every step of the way.Peacemakers used every resource available to get Alix’s situationand story into the public eye; hoping people would respondgenerously and join with us in giving Alix back his life.

After months of fundraising, we received word from JacksonMemorial Hospital that they were ready to perform Alix’s surgery.With about half of the needed money raised, we took a step offaith, opened our checkbook, and wrote the $46,000.00 check. OnSeptember 20th, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Alixentered into his first surgery.The surgery lasted almost twelve hoursand nothing could have prepared us for the miracle God performedthrough the hands of the surgeons that day. The healing we prayedfor finally arrived and the results were astounding! We are so thank-ful that, as an organization, Peacemakers was able to help, but wecould not have impacted Alix’s life in such a powerful way alone.The prayers, faith, and financial support of thousands made Alix’smiracle a reality. Alix’s story is a reminder that every prayer anddonation you’re able to give really does change lives. When wework together and trust in faith, nothing is impossible.

We are so thankful that, as an organization, Peacemakers wasable to help, but we could not have impacted Alix’s life in such apowerful way alone. The prayers, faith, and financial support ofthousands made Alix’s miracle a reality. Alix’s story is a reminderthat every prayer.

We’re thankful God has enabled Peacemakers to offer people likeAlix a second chance at life. With your help we can continue toprovide answers, hope, and life saving assistance to many whohave run out of options. God wants to answer the prayers of thedesperate, but we limit His work when we refuse to respond toHis urging. We encourage you to consider partnering with us andplaying an active role in touching lives. Visit www.peacemakers.comfor more information, or to find out how you can help today!

• Haiti is one of the mostdensely populatedregions in the WesternHemisphere. It is a missionField where much work isneeded.

• 95% of the people are ofAfrican descent, 5% are ofmulatto and Europeandescent.

• The official religion ofHaiti is Catholicism,which embraces about80% of the population.The practiced religion ofmany Haitians is voodoo.Voodoo is essentially theworship of Satan and hisangels. Approximately16% of Haiti is protestant.

• 50% of the populationdoes not get enoughfood to eat daily. Riceand beans are the staplefood of the Haitian people.

• Haiti has an 85%unemployment rate.Daily minimum wage is$2.50 US. It is verydifficult to live on sucha small wage. The majorindustries are sugarrefining, cement, textiles,and tourism.

• Haiti has no publictransportation system.Taxis and Tap-Taps(small pick-up trucks)are privately owned andare not big enough to meetall the needs of thepopulation. For thisreason many people walkwhere they need to go.

• Approximately 60% ofHaiti’s population isunder the age of 25.

PeacemakersMedical /ConstructionMissions Trip to Haiti

April 16-24, 2009

Team members sought: medical professionals,carpenters, painters, home “do-it-yourselfers,”

dental professionals, teachers, eye doctors, andservant leaders willing to serve in any capacity

To register please call786.888.HOPE

10 PEACEMAKERS

Dedication Ceremony with Pastor RichWilkerson and Mr. Rick Beasley,Executive Director of South FloridaWorkforce Access Point

SOUTH FLORIDA WORKFORCE

Job Development/ACCESS PointWhen you offer social service assistance on such a large scale, as Peacemakers hasgrown to over the past years, you come up with some pretty big numbers … like60,000, that’s the number of meals we distribute per month … or 1,000, the number

of children who participate in our out of schoolprogram. Sometimes it’s hard to comprehendthat these statistics are not just numbers ona page, but individual people and families whoeach have their own story. We’re grateful forthe life changing role Peacemakers plays inthousands of stories across South Florida, andfor the solutions and hope we can offer tothose in need. One of the powerful solutionswe are able to offer South Florida residentsis job placement services.

Take for example, Donna, a young motherwhose recent unemployment left her and hertwo children homeless. For years she livedfrom paycheck to paycheck. Donna cameto Peacemakers without any savings or

prospects for a job to support her family. Our social workers recommended a localjob fair and assisted Donna in preparation, by creating an updated resume. Wesupplied Donna with groceries for her children and prayed with her for favor at the jobfair. The day after spending her last $40 on a motel room for her children, Donnaattended the job fair and was hired on the spot! Donna is now in a position where shecan provide for her children and she is working towards financial stability. We find joyin giving hope to individuals just like Donna EVERY DAY!

This year our job development services went a step further with the addition of ournew South Florida Workforce Job Development Access Point. Although providingJob Development services is nothing new for us, becoming an Access Point hassignificantly increased our capacity to help our community. For the past several monthsour parking lot served as one of many locations for South Florida Workforce’s MobileUnit, a one stop career center with everything a client needs to secure a job. Uponarrival South Florida Workforce quickly saw the pressing need for job services herein Miami Gardens. This new location of The Mobile Unit for Peacemakers (one stopcareer center) became their busiest unit. As a result, in late March of this year, SouthFlorida Workforce chose us to become a permanent Access Point. Since that time,the Peacemakers Family Center has been outfitted with eight computer workstations to enhance our job development services. Peacemakers job developmentservices expanded even further on July 22 when the mobile unit previously stationedat our North Campus started it’s rotation to our South Campus every other Tuesdaybetween 1:00pm to 6:00pm. We’re so thankful that we’re now in a position to equipmany more individuals like Donna with all the tools they need to provide for theirfamily. Visit www.peacemakers.com to find out more about our Job DevelopmentServices and how YOU can help!

If you would likea free copy of

THEWORDFOR YOUTODAYDEVOTIONALcall us at 786-888-HOPE

Visit usonline at

www.peacemakers.com

YOU Can Help!There are so many ways youcan be a part of what God is doingin and through Peacemakersministry. God will bless whateverlevel of investment of your time,finances and prayer you’re ableto give.

Your tax-deductible donation helpsus continue to grow Peacemakers’ministries and bring hopeto Miami Dade County.

PEACEMAKERS 11

Disaster PreparednessThe city of Miami is known around theworld as a beautiful and exotic destina-

tion. Unfortunately,many of the elementsthat add to Miami’sgorgeous sceneryalso put it at high riskfor natural disasterslike hurricanes andtropical storms. OurCommunity Emer-gency Response

Team is actively involved with the Officeof Emergency Management and wasrecently honored as a model CERT team.Our CERT members are certified tohandle a wide variety of disasters inMiami Gardens and our surroundingcommunities. With Hurricane seasonrapidly approaching, don’t forget to beprepared!

Have a family disaster plan. Talk toyour kids about where the safest area inyour home is and decide on an evacua-tion route.

Assemble a Disaster Supply kit. Besure to include enough bottled waterfor three to seven days, non-perishablefood items, a can opener, a first aid kit,blankets, pillows, a flash light and batter-ies, cash and important documents in awaterproof container.

Decide on a place to go in caseevacuation becomes necessary. You’remore likely to make the best decision ona safe place for your family if you have aplan before disaster strikes.

For more info on Disaster Preparednessor to find out how you can join our CERTteam, visit www.peacemakers.com.

Youth Job FairWith unemployment on therise, youth across the coun-try are being forced to dealwith limited opportunities forsummer work. Because ofthe lack of opportunity, youngpeople now have to competewith unemployed adults for positionstraditionally held by youth.

Out of concern for our youth, Peacemak-ers organized a job fair for the commu-nity this year and paired young adults withlocal businesses to fill their entry levelopenings. We planned for 200 youth toattend, but were blown away when theattendance broke 500 – a testament tothe need for more events like this in ourcity. All of the young people in attendancefilled out job applications and had thechance to learn valuable information aboutthe job market. Some of the applicantswere actually hired on the spot. Theevent’s success was featured on the frontpage of the Miami Herald News!

It is critical for the next generation to graspthe value of work and have access toemployment opportunities. We areoverjoyed at the success of the Youth JobFair and look forward to the next opportu-nity to bless the youngpeople of our community.

2008 FloridaAmeriCorps andNational ServiceConferenceby Jennifer I. Sanders

Imagine 1000 people from all over thestate of Florida in one place at one time

Make a Difference in a Child’s Life this Christmas

for one purpose – serving theircommunities. On May 17-18,Trinity Church AmeriCorpsmembers were part of the1000 strong who met togetherin Miami for a statewideAmeriCorps conference hostedby Volunteer Florida, The

Governors Commission on Volunteerism.

The purpose of the conference was tohonor AmeriCorps members and recog-nize them for their service to the commu-nity. While there, they were able to hearfrom amazing speakers and dignitariessuch as Henry Lozano, Deputy Assistantto the President of the USA and Directorof USA Freedom Corps; Mayor MannyDiaz, City of Miami; and Wendy Spencer,CEO for Volunteer Florida.

Later in the conference, members had theopportunity to participate in a historicservice project at Virgina Key Beachwhere 1000 Florida AmeriCorps memberssimultaneously planted 1000 trees. Thename of the project was “Leaving aLegacy.” While the event carried greathistoric significance and will help to keepour land greener – it was also symbolic ofthe seeds that our AmeriCorps memberssow into lives of children and families

every day: seeds ofhope, peace and love.

The conference endedwith a celebration rallywhere Trinity Church’s“Exit Youth Choir”performed. Our youthrepresented us well,and were invited to sing

at another event for the American HeartAssociation as a result of their spectacu-lar performance. We’re so proud of our

For most of us, the thought of Christmas brings a flood of wonderful, warm memories – church programs,family, good food and of course, presents wrapped under the tree. Unfortunately, we all know that thereare many families each year who face the Christmas season without the joy of knowing that they canprovide those extra holiday expressions of love to their children. Our desire is to teach the children atTrinity Church that Jesus is the gift that God gave to each one of us. He is the only one who can fulfillall of our needs and desires. Giving a gift at Christmas is a chance to demonstrate that wonderful truthto all of the children in our church. Each year, with the help of friends like you, we have been able toprovide one wrapped, Christmas present to every child who attends Children’s Church on ChristmasSunday. For many of these children, this is the only gift that they receive during the holiday. Watching

their faces light up as they receive their gifts is an opportunity of a lifetime.Encouraging them to return week after week to learn more about Jesus and

His transforming power in their lives, is the ultimate goal. We are alreadydoing our Christmas shopping to make sure we have 1,000 gifts for

1,000 children. We provide age-appropriate, quality gifts that reflectour love for the children. Please join with us this year by donatingtoward our project. After all, giving is the best part of Christmas!

AmeriCorps members for their dedicationand drive to serve, and for making us thenumber one Americorps program in SouthFlorida!

This past month we were presentedwith the unique opportunity to nominatea Peacemakers’ volunteer for thePresidents Volunteer Service Award. Wesubmitted Mr. Don Tate, one of our mostdedicated servant leaders whose 2,000+volunteer hours literally revitalized ourbuilding, making it a safe and beautifulplace for our clients to receive help. OnSeptember 18 we received the news thatMr. Tate WON!! His award includes acertificate, a letter and a pin from the

Speaking of Peacemakers Ministries, President Bush said: “It was somebody with an idea,somebody who heard a call, not from government, but from a higher authority, to try to helppeople in need …”

President Bush: “Faith can move mountains”THE WHITE HOUSE, Office of the Press Secretary, March 1, 2005

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT THE WHITE HOUSE FAITH-BASED ANDCOMMUNITY INITIATIVES LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC

“So what we want to know is, what I want to know is, are we helping increase the number ofnew groups, small groups, first-time appliers for federal money. Are we doing that? Are we gettingbeyond those great, courageous faith-based programs that have been providing help for a longperiod of time. Are we reaching beyond the Salvation Army or the Catholic Charities, the fantasticpillars of the faith-based program. And the answer is, we are.

Let me give you an example. The Peacemaker Family Center in Miami is a small ministry ofthe Trinity Church that helps low-income and unemployed families. Towey visited there, so he’stelling me on the way over, in the limousine, that this is a desperate part of Miami, that this program

is in a desperate part of Miami. And, yet, inthe midst of desperation is a little beacon, a light. And so the center received a$50,000 — seed money, it’s called, from the Compassion Capital Fund Mini-Grant program. It’s the first federal funding the organization had ever received.

And so the pastor there is a woman named Linda Freeman, and saysthat the funding, the mini-grant, was the turning point for her program —exactly what Jim Towey and I were hoping to hear. Why? Because the cen-ter was able to raise — was able to hire a writer for grants with that money. In other words, the center was able to take a leap forward in terms of beingable to convince others that the program was worthwhile; leveraged thegrant, and has expanded from three employees to 25 employees in a quickperiod of time. That’s exactly what we hope happens. So this little program, in a dark neighborhood, had three employ-ees. Think about that. It was somebody with an idea, somebody whoheard a call, not from government, but from a higher authority, to try tohelp people in need. And so they had a program with three people. (Applause.) Three people — I mean, it’s a small program, but workinghard to save any life they could save. And so the mini-grant enabledthe person, Linda, to leverage, to hire somebody to help in the grant-making process, to expand their scope, to get more notice. And,obviously, more help is coming in, not from the federal government,from local government — local charities, so they’re now up to 25people, and they’re expanding. Helping to achieve the goal, whichis to save as many lives as possible. It’s the federal goal, stategoal, local goal, universal goal for America to help people realizethe great promise of the country. And so I asked a question: How many programs like Linda’sdid we help last — over the last two years? And it’s 600, 600programs. So we’re beginning to fuel social entrepreneurship. (Applause.) Those are the kinds of questions I will continue toask, you’ll be happy to hear, in order to help us achieve the

objective.”

White House. It will be presented tohim by Wendy Spencer, the CEO ofVolunteer Florida, at a State of FloridaCommissions meeting. If you’ve met Don,you know he doesn’t serve for recogni-tion or praise. His faithfulness to give ofhis resources and talents has alwaysbeen rooted in his desire to advance theKingdom of God.We’re so gratefulto Don and his won-derful wife, Sharon,for their labor of loveand so proud of thenational recognitiontheir service isreceiving!

Housing Fairat Trinity Churchby Jennifer I. Sanders

On May 17, the NID Housing CounselingAgency and the Peacemakers Home-buyers Club sponsored a Housing Fair atTrinity Church. More than 30 businesses,

banks and Realty Companies werepresent. It was a wonderful eventand very timely, as the Real EstateMarket is still trying to recoverfrom an incredibly slow season andfamilies are struggling to keep theirhomes from foreclosures. OurHousing Fair was another greatevent that is likely to be repeated!

PEACEMAKERS 13

1. Sponsor a child for our Out of School Summer Blast Daycamp Every year Peacemakers offers an enriching and creative Summer Camp experience for children in the Miamiarea. We host over 1,000 children throughout the course of the summer ... many of whom come from difficultsituations at home and families with financial disadvantages. For only $50.00 you can sponsor a child for one weekof daycamp where they’ll meet new friends, experience God, and take part in awesome activities and field trips.To sponsor a child: go to www.peacemakers.com and click on Donate.

2. Volunteer in the Peacemakers Family CenterAs Christians, we’re called to minister to EVERY need; spiritual, physical and emotional …and at the PeacemakersFamily Center we do just that! Everyday we have to opportunity to offer counseling, groceries, job developmentassistance, drug and alcohol rehabilitation support, and a long list of other services to individuals and families incrisis. Help us help Miami and experience the revitalization in your own life that can only come through service.To volunteer: go to www.peacemakers.com and click on Get Involved.

3. Bring your youth group or small group for a short term missions tripWe’ve got a A LOT going on here in Miami and we’d love for you to come minister with us! We want to engage yourteam in everything from Street Evangelism to hands on experience in our many outreaches. Bring your group fora fun filled, life touching trip in the great city of Miami! To bring a group for short term mission trip: go towww.peacemakers.com and click on Get Involved.

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of problems facing ourworld, our country, and our personal lives. We have to fight the temptation to

believe the lie, that since we can’t fix everything, it’s not worth trying to fix anything. That’s simply not true! The fact is, you can change SOMEONE’S world TODAY.

Here are a few things to try:

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4. Intern for a semesterThere is no better way to gain experience in your field than through an internship. Whether you’re studying media,music, ministry, or education we have a place for you here at Trinity. Join us for an extended period and you caneven receive school credit! To become an intern: go to www.peacemakers.com and click on Get Involved.

5. Start your own Peacemakers CenterJoin us in 2009 for our Peacemakers Dream Big Training Conference and learn how you can make a world ofdifference in YOUR community. We know God has called Peacemakers to spread and fill the overwhelmingneeds across the country – come be a part of it! To start your own Peacemakers Family Center: go towww.peacemakers.com and click on Get Involved or call 786-888-HOPE (4673) ext 107.

6. Send a financial giftHere at Peacemakers we have a strong vision to reach our community, but we need resources to accomplish whatGod has placed on our hearts. Proverbs 19:17 says “He who helps the poor lends to the Lord, and He payswonderful interest on your loan.” We’ve definitely experienced God’s blessings as an organization and we chal-lenge you to take a step of faith as you partner with us financially. God will bless you for it! To send a financial gift:go to www.peacemakers.com and click on Donate.

7. Apply to be part of our Americorps programAmeriCorps is a federal program that allows individuals to spend one year in full time service. Peacemakers isblessed to have the number one AmeriCorps site in South Florida, with over twenty full time members on our team.Serving in AmeriCorps is a large commitment, but it is an exceptionally rewarding program. Join our nationallyhonored team and dedicate this next year to service. To apply to become part of our AmeriCorps program: go towww.peacemakers.com and click on Get Involved.

8. Attend a Healthy Relationships or Abstinence Education ClassOf all the services we offer at Peacemakers, our Better Lives, Better Futures program is one of the most important.Our Healthy Relationships and Abstinence awareness classes are taught in public High Schools and Collegesthroughout South Florida, as well as weekly at Trinity Church. We invite you to join the thousands whose liveshave changed as a result of these powerful classes. To attend a Healthy Relationships or Abstinence educationclass; go to www.peacemakers.com and click on Get Involved or Call 786-888-HOPE (4673) ext 318.

9. Pray for Peacemakers MinistriesThe Bible says that when we AGREE together, things are going to change…aren’t you thankful for the power ofprayer?! We appreciate the many families and individuals that take time to lift up Peacemakers in daily prayer.Believe with us today for a change in Miami – We can’t do it without you!

10. Give someone a copy of Peacemakers magazineDo you know someone that would benefit from the services we provide? Or perhapssomeone who would like to join with our vision? We encourage you to share a copy ofPeacemakers Magazine with them! We want the word to spread about Peacemakersbecause we believe we’re called to touch as many lives as possible with an answer toevery need. If we work together and rely on God – the impact is limitless! To order morecopies of the Peacemakers magazine call 786-888-HOPE (4673) ext 107.

“I am only one, but I am one. I can’t do everything,but I can do something. And I will not let what I

cannot do stop me from doing what I can.” – Edward Everett Hale

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Visit us at: 17801 NW 2nd Avenue • Miami Gardens, Florida 33169Information & Prayer: 786-888-HOPE (4673)

Saturday Night Service – 7pm • Sunday Services – 8:30am, 10:30am & 12:30pmTuesday Rendezvous for Young Adults – 7pm • Wednesday Family Night – 7pm

www.peacemakers.com • www.trinitychurch.tv • www.therendezvous.tv

You were born for greatness! The “10 Discoveries” Rich Wilkerson sharesin his book are more than self-help concepts for success. They are the ground-zerolaws for your life based on what the Creator delivered to Moses thousands of yearsago on Mount Sinai. By following these proven principles you can rest assured theroad ahead will be a path of peace – a journey of joy and triumph.

To purchase Rich’s book, please visit our website at www.peacemakers.comwhere you will also find more great messages on DVD and CD.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

P A I DMiami, FL

Permit No. 04608PO BOX 680100MIAMI FL 33168

FOR YOUR NEXT BIG EVENT

Booking information forconventions, retreats, worshipevents, youth, and young adult

outreaches: please call786-888-4750