Greenville Magazine - April 2008 - (Page 15) The whistle blared again. The man still didn’t move. As the man braced himself for the impact, the train barreled by on a set of parallel tracks, leaving the man unharmed. Unable to end his own life, the man arrived at a Miracle Hill shelter, looking for hope. And he found it. “We provide an awful lot of physical assistance,” explains Lehman, Miracle Hill’s president. “But I think the best thing we offer is hope.” Miracle Hill distributes hope to thousands of people by serving meals and providing shelter. Lehman was appointed to his post as Miracle Hill’s president back in 1985 when the organization had just one children’s center and one adult shelter. “Now we are serving as a safety net for the Upstate of South Carolina, trying to ensure that nobody ends up sleeping outside because there’s no safe or secure place for them to go,” Lehman says. Miracle Hill has 400 shelter beds and Lehman says for the most part, every bed is full every day. Shelters turn people away daily, except when the temperature falls below 40 degrees. “We won’t turn anyone away on those nights,” Lehman says, even if it means having 150 people sleeping on the shelter floor. “The beds are full, so it’s just become apparent to us that we have got to have more bed space,” he says. Miracle Hill plans to increase the number of shelter beds by 50 percent. “We are seeing both here and nationally an increase in women and children that need help,” Lehman says. As the Upstate’s overall population grows, the homeless population will grow as well. That’s why Lehman sees a need for more shelter beds. But Lehman says going from 400 beds to 600 beds will require an additional half-million dollars each year. “Our support level is strong enough to cover 400 beds, but not strong enough to cover 600 beds, which is where we think we’re going to be in a year and a half.” But Miracle Hill is a faith-based organization and Lehman says throughout his 28-year career, preparing for the future of Miracle Hill has often required faith far more than a plan. “I believe without knowing where it’s going to come from that the money will come in,” he explains. “But if you ask me to lay it out exactly for you I couldn’t do that.” Hundreds of people are expected to turn out to the organization’s annual fundraising banquet set for April 29 at the Embassy Suites in Greenville. The event is free and open to anyone. Lehman says the night will be spent explaining what’s needed to meet the increasing demands of homelessness and poverty in the Upstate as well as thanking Miracle Hill’s supporters for helping so many people. Lehman probably will even tell some of his favorite stories, and you can bet they’ll be full of hope. n For more information on Miracle Hill Ministries’ annual fundraising banquet, call 864-268-4357 or visit www.MiracleHill.org. Not everyone is always a happy camper. General Liability Umbrella Workers’ Compensation Property Employment Practices Liability With the rapid rise of employment-related lawsuits, the demand for Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) has grown dramatically in recent years. EPLI insurance protects businesses from claims by workers who feel that their legal rights as employees were violated. The Turner Agency understands. Let us help minimize your risk. It’s Our Business To Protect Yours. 864.288.9513 623 Halton Road Greenville, SC 29607 864.288.9513 TurnerAgencyInc.com Harrison Cline, Clarence Turner, Jr., Michael Douglas, Ross Turner and Curtis Bull april 2008 | Greenville MaGazine 15 http://www.MiracleHill.org http://TurnerAgencyInc.com http://TurnerAgencyInc.com http://TurnerAgencyInc.com
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