Being BES Executive Director has me daily before the Lord praying over needs and seeking wisdom. Matthew 7:7-8 states "ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Gal 6:1).  Thus,

• We asked for and God gave us the grace to stay afloat through a winter of leadership changes and steep learning curves;
• We sought and God provided a multi-talented staff during the springtime - a staff now blending into a successful ministry team; and
• We are knocking as the summer unfolds for God to open the door of transitional housing to expand restoration services to our needy brothers and sisters.
  

Transitional housing is a natural component of integrating the homeless back into mainstream society. We are regularly at maximum capacity and in the last six months, guest employment is up from 11% in October, 2007 to a steady 85% today. Shelter guests have regular savings programs and some even utilize employer direct deposit! We are pleased to be partnered with the Department
of Labor, the Burlington Police Department, the Veterans Administration, the Department of Corrections, Vermont Associates, and the McClure senior center -to name but a few. The next logical step - a transitional home - will provide individual rooms with limited supervision and will preserve the safety and security of Guests as the progress down the road of restoration in Christ.

Please receive our deepest thanks for contributing financially, in-kind, or through volunteer services and meal preparation. God is blessing the Shelter with unprecedented favor and opportunities.  We hope to build a donor base of 1,000 individuals and families who can contribute $25 per month (less than a dollar a day) to BES. With such a solid financial foundation, the Shelter will be able to expand its current operations to serve even more of our homeless brothers and sisters. People are becoming productive citizens and followers of Christ through the ministry of the Burlington Emergency Shelter. We hope to build on that success. Will you partner with us?

In Christ,

Jim Guiel, Executive Director