It has now been three months since I joined Ames Romero House (ARH) as Executive Director. I can say with certainty it has been one of the best decisions of my life. I often reflect on God’s two greatest commandments – to love God with all your heart, mind and soul….and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. These commandments always stuck out to me, but I really didn’t understand the true meaning until I joined ARH.
Each day can be a challenge with our guests when there are multiple areas of focus that need to be addressed. Some of the areas are controllable, while others are not. Sometimes the daily chaos resembles triage in an emergency room – we have to make quick decisions, utilize the correct resources, and direct our guests to the right outcomes. Every guest has an unique circumstance – a different path.
The one thing we try to provide at ARH is hope. While the challenges many of us face are long-term and can be eventually resolved; many of our guests are just trying to get through the day with food, shelter, clean clothes, and dignity. Some want to find Jesus by attending weekly bible study, OCIA, or by praying and adoring Christ in our chapel. We are a home of hope that offers our guests the ability to change their lives and to provide a path forward for their success.
Imagine waking up in the morning not knowing where you’ll find your next meal to keep going….or where you’ll sleep for the night – the anxiety and pressure one must feel. We are fortunate to have mental health counselors available to us 24/7. They help navigate individual situations and long-term programs and services to assist our guests in need.
It's been clear to me from the first week I started how important our community of volunteers, donors, spiritual leaders and leadership teams have been. We work in concert to develop solutions to help our brothers and sisters get through each day and to craft longer-term solutions to help them transform their lives. Many times, it’s one bad financial mistake, one expensive medical bill, an unexpected layoff – an emergency living situation that someone can’t recover from, that creates the immediate need for our assistance.
When living outside of Iowa for much of my career, I was often asked what Iowa is like. My answers were typically around the pillars of strong work ethic, traditional values, generosity and helping struggling neighbors in need. Iowa communities are known to help neighbors in distress by bringing food over when someone is sick, helping a farmer who is shorthanded during harvest or aiding neighbors when a natural disaster strikes. This is who Iowans are.
The same values are in play at the Ames Romero House. The countless volunteers who dedicate their time and financial resources --whether ISU students, retirees or those leaving work to assist with hospitality, food preparation and home improvements – we are always covered and we always leave the day in better shape than when it started.
Thank you for supporting Ames Romero House in whatever capacity you are able to assist. Our guests are grateful, and your generosity has helped transform lives and provide them with encouragement during days of darkness and uncertainty.
Loving and caring for our brothers and sisters is what Jesus wants us to do.
In Christ,
David Thielen
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