Victory Inner-city Ministries Weblog

The VICM Board of Directors met this past Saturday for a marathon 5 1/2 hour meeting.  It was great way to set our director the new year ahead.  There are a lot of great changes, and we thank God for these dedicated men who help to make VICM the quality organization that it is.  Thanks Board members!

This past week we spent the week sharing the vision and ministry of VICM with the people of Missouri.  It was a blessing to us as we met many new friends and renewed many old friendships. 

Meanwhile back in Indianapolis, things are going well and moving ahead.  Pastor Steve is doing a great job.

It is hard to believe that we have really come this far!  2008 marks the beginning of my tenth year in ministry and seven years for the work of VICM.  As we look back on this past year, we realize again that it is God who has sustained us.  Thanks to each one of you who have partnered with us over the years to make this work possible.

This past year we served nearly 6,000 hot meals and helped countless families with clothing and other basic needs.  We blessed over fifty people with temporary shelter, and we helped three families with permanent housing.  Victory Acres, our non-profit farm, supplied 73 families with up to 300lbs. of quality, naturally-grown produce for the year as well as offering agricultural, hands-on educational tours to a variety of school and youth groups.  In 2007, we had over 120 elementary, high school and college students, visit, learn, and work at Victory Acres.  Three formerly homeless individuals have benefited from transitional employment at Victory Village Shoppe.  An average of 95 diverse congregants each week calls Victory Chapel their church home.  And we do all of this and much more with an income of less than $200,000 per year.

At this time of year, many people are looking over their stock portfolio and calculating their returns for the tax season.  Can I suggest an investment for next year?  One that will bring a much better return than Wall Street.  We could really use your help on some very tangible projects that will benefit many people in our Indianapolis community and beyond.  Because offerings cannot support the needs of our congregation, which primarily serves the poor, we have learned to be innovative.  Victory Acres and Victory Village Shoppe in the long run will be a means of support for our congregation as well as a great blessing to our community.  They are engines for community and economic development.  While our Farm and Shoppe are supported by the crops that we raise and the donated items that we sell, we often do not have the money left to invest in capacity building for the future. That is where you come in.  Would you help us?  Our request is for a few very important capacity-building projects that could help us to build on our track record of the past and blossom for years to come.  Here are a few key investment opportunities for you to consider: 

Guest worker housing at Victory Acres (just $3,500 per cabin)

We could help more people if we had more space.  We could do more at Victory Acres if we had more help.  We could have more help if we had the space to keep more people.  Adequate housing space for guest workers at Victory Acres is a constant need.  From college interns to needy homeless neighbors, we could serve and educate more people if we had more space.  We can build a basic cabin for just $3,500.  We could even put your name by the door or dedicate it in memory or honor of a loved one.  Your cabin will continue to give back for years to come.  What an investment!

Development of our transitional employment program for homeless women   (just $4,000 per person)

How do you get a job when you’re living in a homeless shelter?  Our transitional employment program is not just employment training; it is employment.  Armed with a job, a work history, references, and some skills, these ladies now have a much better chance of finding quality future employment.  Because they now have an income, more housing doors are opened.  (The irony is that if you have no income then you do not qualify for low-income housing.)  Many homeless women could move from homelessness to housing with even limited part-time employment.  Through our strategic partnership with Wheeler Mission Ministries Care Center, we are helping women to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.  As they become equipped, they will give back, helping others.  Your investment will continue growing for years to come.

Capital Campaign for Victory Acres (total $175,000)

While we are making all payments on time, there is so much more that could be done if we could retire the debt on the property at Victory Acres.  Would you consider investing in this endeavor?  A farm that is providing good work and good food has tremendous potential.  Building on six generations of loving care for this land by the Himelick Family, Victory Acres will continue to make a difference for generations to come.

We are thankful for everyone who gives - $5, $10, or $20 – no gift is too small.  It is gifts like these that sustain this work.  Rarely do we receive gifts larger than $100.  Anything that you do is significant and important.  We are being faithful stewards of these gifts, and we thank God for them.

However, we also know that there are a whole different group of resources.  There are people like you (and perhaps you) who are looking to invest significant quantities of personal resources in Kingdom work.  They want to make a difference.  They realize that life is too short to live for stuff.  But you are careful.  You want your investment to make a difference.  Where would God have you to give?

Could I make a suggestion?  By God’s grace and help, we are doing significant Kingdom work and (Lord willing) we will continue to do so for years to come.  We have a solid team of leaders.  We have a quality Board of Directors.  We have good fiscal policy and management.  We have a vision that we continue to pursue.  Why not invest in the work of Victory Inner-city Ministries? 

We at VICM will do our utmost to be sure that your investment is used prayerfully and carefully.  If I can ever be of service to you, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.  May God bless you in this bright New Year.

Your brother,

Eric Himelick, Executive Director

Here we are.  We have finally made it into the blogging arena.  There will be more later.  Victory Inner-city Ministries is working on some really exciting things.