John Tumino

What a Surprise! We received a Call from Natur-Tyme one of the vendors who carries our Maple Syrup and Sauce on their shelves, they said they wanted to present us with a donation. This wonderful donation was made possible by Natures Way which is one of the Nations oldest homeopathic pharmaceutical companies, established in 1835. Shelly pictured here presented us with a check for $1250! Thank you to Shelly and the Natur-Tyme for their continued commitment in carrying our products which in turn financially supports as well as brings a deeper awareness to our Mission in CNY. Together with your partnership we are Building Hope and Changing Lives.

What a great day to be able to see our 233rd friend get indoors. We met Chris May of 2020 living under a bridge in Syracuse. There were many ups and downs though out this journey but Love never fails. We visited Chris regularly feeding, clothing and even bringing out medical assistance to him. We continued to show Chris that he was valuable and worth the fight even when he felt like he wanted to give up. As winter was approaching we were able to get him connected to one of the major shelters in town so that he would be safe and out of the elements. We would continue to Love on him get him on our Hire Ground work Van to bring some dignity to him in the midst of his struggles. Well look at his eyes in this picture holding up his own apartment keys. Next week we will be dropping off a weeks worth of groceries from the Abundant Life Christian Center (ALCC) Food Pantry for Chris. ALCC is a wonderful partner of IMFK and truly believes in feeding people Spirit, Soul and Body! Now the goal is to make sure Chris stays safe and starts to work on some goals to be able to get back on the grid of Life. Thank you everyone for your continued support of our work, Together WE are Building Hope and Changing Lives.

Every Friday IMFK’s Hire Ground Crew is assigned to Working with Onondaga County in projects around the County. Last week we were able to assist the County with the snow removal at Onondaga Lake Park. Our team shoveled the snow out from under the trees so that County workers could get in to take down the Christmas Lights at the Park. We also went around town shoveling sidewalks and stair cases at the Parks. When we Started Hire Ground folks would always comment and say that those panhandling would not want to work, we have seen the opposite. Since inception in 2019 we have had over 400 participants come on the work van. Mondays and Fridays are dedicated to those living outdoors or panhandling through out our community and Wednesdays are dedicated to folks living in our major homeless shelters in our county. What a blessing it has been to give folks a little dignity through work. The awesome thing that happens through out the day is the Building of wonderful Relationships. Once that happens the door for a turn around has now been opened. Just last week one of our Participants was able to get connected to full time employment, more on that story to come. Thank you everyone for your support, we are cleaning up our community while giving someone a little hope when they have felt like all was lost. Together we are Building Hope and Changing Lives.

Partnership is a Big Key to IMFK when it comes to assisting those who feel Invisible. Partnership in the Market Place is huge for IMFK, the Market Place is an opportunity not just for finances to come into our Mission its also an opportunity to bring awareness to the homeless crisis. We are excited to announce that Natur-Tyme is not just carrying our Pasta Sauce, they are now carrying our Pure Maple Syrup. Please consider shopping at the store and thanking the TEAM for carrying our products. Natur-Tyme thank you so much for believing in our Mission and Thank You for locking arms with us!

John and Leigh Ann

Partnership is a great Key for the success of the work we do at IMFK. We were able to present Mike Ferony (District Operations Manager) and Brian Speller (Northeast District-Director Labor Relations) the Homeless Hero Award. This award is presented to individuals and organizations that go above and beyond the call of duty by bringing Value and Dignity to those who feel Invisible.

James Emmett Casey was born on March 29, 1888, in Candelaria, NV. The Casey family later moved to Seattle, and soon after the move, Jim’s father became ill.

The eldest of four children (Jim, George, Henry, and Marguerite), Jim, left school at the age of 11 to begin working as a messenger due to the financial circumstances of his family. He and some friends later started their own small messenger service in Seattle. In 1905, they sold the business and moved to Nevada in search of gold.

When he returned to Seattle in 1907, Jim founded the American Messenger Company with partner Claude Ryan. The company served its customers by delivering telephone messages and running errands.

In 1913 the company merged with the Motorcycle Delivery Company, owned by Evert McCabe, to form Merchants Parcel Delivery. Jim’s first role was as manager of the delivery department.

After Charlie Soderstrom joined the company, Jim’s primary responsibility was for the financial side of the business. The name United Parcel Service was first used when the company opened operations in Oakland, CA, in 1919. The Seattle office did not adopt the name United Parcel Service until 1925.

Jim became the President of United Parcel Service when the Oakland company was incorporated. He held that position until his retirement in March 1962, when George Smith became CEO. Jim remained active with UPS and served on UPS’s Board of Directors until May 1983.

He died on June 6, 1983, at the age of 95

The UPS Foundation have been wonderful supporters of our Mission. On behalf of all of our friends outdoors and those that were housed we say thank you! You and your Team are truly Homeless Hero’s!