Street Smart: June 15, 2016

Volume 10 Number 12 | June 15, 2016 | www.agrm.org

This issue of Street Smart is sponsored by:

Another AGRM Convention Is in the Books
Once again this year, members of the AGRM staff heard the following words from attendees at AGRM’s 2016 Annual Convention in Jacksonville: “Best AGRM convention ever!” We’ll leave it up to those who attended to make their own determinations, but AGRM’s staff certainly noticed a wonderful spirit among the approximately 1,000 people who passed through the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront last week.

If you did attend, a survey will be sent to you via email in a week or so. Your comments will help us shape next year’s event, and we might even use some of your words to promote the next convention (with your permission, of course). Plus, everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for a free convention program fee for our 2017 event in Dallas. For questions about the attendee survey, email Director of Member Services Justin Boles. A separate survey will be sent soon to all exhibitors.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss out on all the education, inspiration, networking, and festivities next year, head to your calendar right now and block out the dates May 30–June 2 for the 2017 Annual Convention in Dallas, Texas. The theme is “Strong Tower,” in reference to Psalm 61:3: “For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.”

Watch a Convention General Session
At this year’s annual convention, AGRM live-streamed two general sessions so that those unable to attend the event could still get a taste of what was going on. You can view the recorded version of the stream from the Wednesday Evening General Session.

The evening included networking time and a State of the Association presentation by AGRM President John Ashmen, and concluded with an inspiring message from Brenda Salter McNeil.

Catch AGRM Videos from Convention
Each year, AGRM works with our video partner i58:10 Media to produce videos around the convention theme. If you’d like to watch the videos from this year, just click here.

Looking Down the Street…

Please welcome into AGRM membership the historic The Scott Mission (Toronto, Ontario). Peter Duraisami serves as executive director.
Also welcome into AGRM membership Placer Rescue Mission (Roseville, California). David Loya is the mission’s executive director.

Convention Lost and Found
Just a few items were left behind in Jacksonville. One was an LG phone (locked so we can’t determine who it belongs to). If you think the phone is yours, contact AGRM’s Director of Operations Stacie Hughes at shughes@agrm.org.

Changing the Language of Addiction
John Kelly, an addiction researcher at Harvard and director of Massachusetts General Hospital's Recovery Research Institute, is behind a growing movement in the scientific and advocacy community to reframe the language of addiction, according to a News Works report. He's not proposing that people change their language just to be politically correct, but some terms no longer reflect what scientists now know about how addiction works. They can also be unnecessarily stigmatizing.

For Kelly, substance “abuse” connotes choices someone makes in continually using drugs, but scientists now know it's more complicated—that genes and the environment also play a role. The word abuse has been dropped from the latest Diagnostic Manual of Psychiatry. The group uses substance use disorder instead, which includes a range of symptoms and levels of use. He worries that bias could lead to poorer care, even when clinicians are trying to help. They may feel less empathy toward patients, without realizing it, making patients more likely to drop out of treatment.

The office of National Drug Control Policy has been striking the word abuse from all of its communications about addiction. The agency is going a step further than Kelly's research, getting rid of words like addict and junkie.

A Hidden Epidemic Among Older Adults
The death of pop superstar Prince in April from an accidental overdose of pain medication has brought new attention to opioid addiction. It has also highlighted the extent of prescription drug abuse among older adults. Access to multiple doctors, people willing to help, and plenty of money to spend can cloak the warning signs of addiction, experts say. One medical director said in a New York Times report, “Their resources allow them to advance in their addiction without detection. So the addiction progresses.”

As prosperous Baby Boomers age, their prescription drug use is increasing and they are becoming addicted to powerful pain medications to drown out the aches and pains of aging. Women may end up becoming dependent on pain relievers more quickly than men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and their overdoses have been rising rapidly.

Addiction can begin with a simple request for something to stop back pain, but even low doses of opioids can quickly turn into addiction because of aging adults’ drug tolerance that builds with time, as well as the body’s slowing metabolism, which gives drugs a bigger effect.

Is New Supplement a Painkiller or Addictive Drug?
A growing number of people in the United States are turning to the opioid-like substance called kratom for its pain-relieving quality, reports CNN. It is also increasingly popular to help during withdrawal from opioid addiction. Because it’s classified as a supplement, it is very loosely regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and can be easily purchased online or at a store.

Taken at low dosages, the substance acts like a stimulant, heightening alertness and boosting energy. At higher doses, kratom is a sedative, producing opioid-like effects that dull pain without slowing breathing like opioids can.

Six states have banned the supplement: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Tennessee, Vermont, and Wisconsin, and New York has introduced legislation to ban it. Though kratom is not listed under the federal controlled substances act, the DEA considers it a “drug of concern” and says there is “no legitimate medical use for kratom in the U.S.” There have been several deaths related to kratom use, but in all those cases other drugs were also involved.

Watch Your Step: More Americans Dying by Accident
In this, the National Safety Month, new data shows that more Americans are dying by accident—largely because of drug overdoses. AOL reports that National Safety Council research shows the number of accidental deaths hit a record high in 2014, the most recent year data was available, claiming 136,053 lives that year. Accidental deaths are now the fourth-highest leading cause of death, falling behind heart disease, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease. These numbers reflect a 57 percent increase since 1992, when deaths from preventable injuries were as low as they had been in 68 years. Sadly, almost all of them are preventable.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said deaths from opioid and heroin use rose 14 percent from 2013 to 2014 and have nearly tripled since 2010. The NSC report showed that deaths from accidents such as falling have more than tripled in the past couple of decades. An increasing elderly population is likely the reason.

Study Provides a More Accurate Picture of Unemployment
As the U.S. economy struggled to regain its footing in the labor market recovery, more than 14 million new jobs were created. More Americans are working, and the country’s unemployment rate last month dropped to a multiyear low.

But that doesn’t paint a complete picture. An article in U.S. News & World Report explains that the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ much-followed unemployment rate only tracks individuals who don’t have a job and have actively looked for work in the last four weeks. So although the rate came down last month, several analysts think this was because many Americans simply stopped looking for work.

The total number of Americans not counted in the labor force—some of whom are retired or in school, but others of whom have likely given up trying to find a job—climbed by more than 660,000 last month to around 94.7 million. Much of the homeless population, for example, wouldn’t be covered in the unemployment rate, and those who aren’t filing for unemployment insurance could effectively fall off the labor grid.

As a new Harris Poll shows, 43 percent of all unemployed individuals and 59 percent of those who had been without a job for more than two years, said they’d “given up” on looking for a job. When statisticians factor in the number of unemployed people who want a job and have looked for work at some point in the last year—as well as those who ended up taking a part-time job but would prefer to be working full time—the unemployment rate stands at a much higher 9.7 percent.

Health Issues Become Problematic for Homeless People at a Younger Age
Homeless individuals have plenty to worry about, and their health often takes a backseat to more urgent needs such as housing and food. Doctors say that ultimately takes a toll. When it comes to health, homeless people in their 40s and 50s have problems you’d usually see from people in their 70s or 80s. And chronic health conditions such as lung disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease seem to be at more advanced stages at younger ages, reports KERA News.

One doctor who works with homeless people in Dallas said the environment homeless people live in—not having a structure you can go to, not being able to get out of the sun, sleeping outside, not having a comfortable place to rest, not having access to good nutrition—is very hard on the body. “There are so many barriers, and I don’t think anybody has a really good enough handle on it to get everyone the kind of treatment that everyone deserves,” she said.

A recent study published in The Gerontologist found younger homeless people tend to struggle with things that typically older people face. As just one example, some homeless diabetics need to inject insulin, which should be refrigerated. That’s hard to do when you don’t have a place to live.

Plethora of Ideas
Looking for a new fundraising idea? Double the Donation offers “60+ Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits,” organized by categories such as technology, contests, health, tournaments, events, and more. The website promises, “We’re talking about fundraising with doughnuts (yum!), candles that smell like autumn wreaths (seasonal bliss for your nose), and fancy Internet tools that will make your competition quake at your tech savvy.” While that might be a bit of an over-promise, the ideas might spark something you hadn’t thought of on your own.

The following job positions are currently open at AGRM member missions. Please visit www.agrm.org/careers to view full descriptions and to apply. Click here for instructions on using AGRM's Recruiting Center to post open positions for your mission.

Case Manager: Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Las Vegas, NV

Chaplain: Rescue Mission of El Paso, Inc., El Paso, TX

Chief Development Officer: Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, Seattle, WA

Cook: Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN

Crossroads Men's Crisis Center Manager: The City Mission, Cleveland, OH

Dental Assistant: Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN

Dentist: Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN

Development Associate: The Path of Citrus County, Beverly Hills, FL

Director - Safe Harbor: Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Milwaukee, WI

Director of Development: The Shepherd's House, Bend, OR

Director of Development: Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Bridgeport, CT

Director, Major Gifts: The Bowery Mission, New York, NY

Donor Development Officer: Water Street Ministries, Lancaster, PA

Executive Assistant and Office Manager: The Bowery Mission, New York, NY

Food Service Attendant: Buffalo City Mission, Buffalo, NY

Housekeeping/Maintenance Manager: Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Milwaukee, WI

HR Supervisor: Rescue Mission Alliance, Oxnard, CA

Independent Living Counselor: Good Samaritan Mission, Danbury, CT

Maintenance Coordinator Technician: Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN

Major Donor Relations Coordinator: San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission, Northridge, CA

Major Gifts Officer: Buffalo City Mission, Buffalo, NY

Manager-Donor Relations: Buffalo City Mission, Buffalo, NY

Men's Director: Everett Gospel Mission, Everett, WA

Pastor: Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Las Vegas, NV

Principal - Cross Trainers Academy: Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Milwaukee, WI

Program Director: Phoenix Rescue Mission, Phoenix, AZ

Program Director - Naomi Family Residence: Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN

Programs Director: Jericho Road Ministries, Inc., Brooksville, FL

Recovery Program Coordinator: Westminster Rescue Mission, Westminster, MD

Resident Assistant, Center for Women & Children: Bay Area Rescue Mission, Richmond, CA

Residential Coordinator_Cornerstone Manor Facility: Buffalo City Mission, Buffalo, NY

Residential Coordinator_Mens Facility: Buffalo City Mission, Buffalo, NY

Vice President of Administration: Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Milwaukee, WI

Volunteer Manager: The Bowery Mission, New York, NY

An Open Life

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake (1 Thessalonians 1:4–5).

When Paul started the church in Thessalonica, what gave his message and ministry credibility was the kind of men he and his team proved to be while living among the Thessalonians. Displaying Jesus happens best when we “do life” among people. There’s a common cliché that becoming a follower of Jesus is caught as much as it is taught, and there’s a great deal of truth to this.

Nothing replaces the opportunity for others to see how Jesus influences the real routine of our lives: family, friendships, work, recreation, trials, and even the mundane issues we deal with like shopping for groceries or mowing the grass. This requires two things:

For God’s Holy Spirit to be living and active in our lives.
For us to live among other people with intentionality.

Paul shares the depth of this intentionality in 1 Thessalonians 2:8: “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” Paul cared enough to open his life up to the Thessalonians. Paul wanted them to see the “real Paul” and the real impact of the good news of Jesus in his life.

Displaying this level of transparency and vulnerability is not the norm in our modern American culture, but it’s a necessary step if we want people to see the difference Jesus has made in our lives. This also involves having “real” relationships with non-Christians and being open and honest with them when life gets messy.

Used with permission from Daily Devotionals, www.shortdailydevotions.com.

To contribute: If you would like to write a devotional thought for StreetLight, please make it about 200 words and include at least one Bible verse or passage, and submit via email.

AGRM is a nonprofit organization committed to furthering rescue missions. AGRM provides limited space in "Market Street" for advertising opportunities, services, and products to advance the cause of rescue missions. AGRM is not responsible for the claims made by its advertisers and reserves the right to select or reject any advertising, in the sole discretion of AGRM, for any or no reason.

PRIVACY: Protecting your privacy is very important to us at AGRM. We will not rent, sell, or exchange your e-mail address with a third party for any purpose.

All Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, unless otherwise noted. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Street Smart is sent to you as a member service of AGRM, and is published on the 1st and 15th of each month (unless those dates fall on a weekend or holiday). The content does not necessarily represent the views of or imply endorsement by AGRM. To submit items for publication, e-mail editor@agrm.org. To unsubscribe, email unsubscribe@agrm.org.