I-Help News

Tom is this big black soft-spoken young man in his late twenties. His size is intimidating, but he is just the opposite. Tom sat across from me about 3 months ago in the Fellowship Hall at Desert Cross during our I-Help dinner. The noise in the room combined with my poor hearing prevented me from consuming the whole conversation but I quickly discovered that Tom needed to talk. I don’t remember many of the details of the conversation that night but the words poured out of his mouth as if an emotional dam was about to collapse. I just sat there, nodding my head. And when he was finished, I got up from my chair, walked around the table, and hugged him.

It’s three months later and Tom sees me after the I-Help dinner, and says, “We’ve got to talk”. This time Tom seems like a different person. I could sense some excitement in his voice. Something had changed. “Let’s go outside” I chanted. We stood just outside the double doors. I was reminded of how Tom’s size towered over me. “I got a job interview this week. It’s the place where I’ve been applying for months. It’s an I.T. job and better yet, my turn has come up for my housing,” he shared with excitement. I almost cried because Tom seemed transformed. Tom had hope. Tom saw a future. Tom could almost taste that his life was about to change. We prayed together. I hugged him. As he walked away I yelled jokingly, “I hope I don’t see you next month!”

This is what the I-Help ministry is all about. Yes, we provide a couple of meals and a place to sleep, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a ministry of presence. It’s a ministry of caring. It’s a ministry of listening. This might not sound like much, but if you haven’t worked for a while or you are homeless, having a person who will listen to you means a lot. 2024 is coming quickly. If you or your group haven’t signed up for hosting an I-Help event, don’t hesitate! Spending one evening or one morning with these special people could change your life. You can contact me, Glen Stadler, by email:

glenstadler@gmail.com or text 480-233-5667 to sign-up.

Click the link below for the full I-Help newsletter this month.