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I had the opportunity today to represent Otter Creek church and fly to Austin, TX for a one day trip. This trip was sponsored by Mobile Loaves and Fishes (MLF). They have a branch office in Nashville but were started in Austin. Also on the trip were representatives of Woodmont Christian church, The Bridge ministry, a local developer, the Nashville Mayor’s office, the Nashville City Council, Metro Police Department and Metro Housing Authority. The purpose of this trip was to get a firsthand look at how MLF was working with the City of Austin to address the issue of homelessness with the goal of seeing if such a plan might work for Nashville.
Over the last 4 years MLF has begun purchasing and, where necessary, renovating RV’s to use as homes for the homeless. These have been placed in RV and trailer parks where they are rented to homeless individuals for a nominal monthly fee. MLF then cooperates with other groups and agencies to provide “wrap-around services” which help address underlying issues that each individual may be facing. The program has proven so successful that the City of Austin has just agreed to lease MLF a 20 acre tract for $1 to allow them to develop their own RV park. This park will have 100 sites along with a chapel, a commissary and space for on-site support services. It’s located on the bus line with easy access to city services. The chronically homeless are the primary people being served by this program. MLF has created a full-blown business plan and operating manual which attempts to layout both the vision and the implementation of this plan. They willingly shared their failures and successes up to this time in an effort to help us see if something like this might work for Nashville. Over the next several months there will be a number of groups meeting to decide if such a plan might work in Nashville. While it may not look exactly like the Austin program, there’s no doubt that it is going to take some out-of-the-box, creative thinking and partnerships with many groups to move Nashville forward in addressing the needs of our homeless citizens.
I was impressed and inspired by what we saw in Austin and the vision for the future of the program. But, even more than that, I was humbled at being given the opportunity to be asked to represent Otter Creek with this group. That Otter Creek was considered important enough to be asked to be a part of this group confirmed that there is a place for salt and light in areas of social justice and mercy. I don’t think any of us should be overly proud, but I also believe that the Lord we serve is smiling at us and for us as continue to try to use the gifts He’s given us so that His influence (and not ours) can grow and touch the hearts and lives of people whose paths we cross.
3.24.09
3.24.09
My wife is a member of a book club made up of Otter Creek women, most of whom are retired and no longer working outside the home. They meet once a month to talk about that month’s book and share time together. She suggested to the club that they might pick a few of their individual favorites and go with me to a class I teach at Mending Hearts where they could share with the women some of their impressions of the books. This evening I drove 9 of these beautiful ladies in the church bus out to Mending Hearts where they spent a few hours meeting some of the women from Mending Hearts and spending time with them. Both groups seemed to genuinely enjoy their time together. As we were heading home I overheard a few of them talking about their impressions of the evening, the women and the organization. I don’t think many of them had ever been to that part of Nashville (some would call it the hood). And I definitely doubt many of them had ever been to a group meeting of recovering alcoholics, drug users and prostitutes. But a willingness (even if a little reluctant at first) to serve out of love and in the name of Jesus can break down all sorts of inhibitions and preconceptions. And that’s what I was privileged to witness. I can almost assure you that the Otter Creek women came away as fulfilled and inspired as did the women from Mending Hearts.I ended the session that evening by reminding the women that what they had each experienced was the power of community. Whether it’s the Otter Creek book club or the group meeting at Mending Hearts, we all long for a community where we can be included and contribute. One where we can be accepted for who we are, where we are free to struggle and to succeed and fail without concern for whether or not we’ll lose inclusion in the group. Where we look to the other members of the group to hold us accountable out of a genuine love for us, rather than any kind of “I gotcha” mentality. It’s hard for some of us to admit, but we realize we can’t go it alone through life. Regardless of how many times we’ve reached to a community and been rejected or betrayed, we know we need it. Funny, but all of that sounds a lot like church doesn’t it. And I got to experience “church” this evening in a way that has lifted me and made me thankful to be a part of a group that not only calls itself Christian, but strives to live it out.
My wife is a member of a book club made up of Otter Creek women, most of whom are retired and no longer working outside the home. They meet once a month to talk about that month’s book and share time together. She suggested to the club that they might pick a few of their individual favorites and go with me to a class I teach at Mending Hearts where they could share with the women some of their impressions of the books. This evening I drove 9 of these beautiful ladies in the church bus out to Mending Hearts where they spent a few hours meeting some of the women from Mending Hearts and spending time with them. Both groups seemed to genuinely enjoy their time together. As we were heading home I overheard a few of them talking about their impressions of the evening, the women and the organization. I don’t think many of them had ever been to that part of Nashville (some would call it the hood). And I definitely doubt many of them had ever been to a group meeting of recovering alcoholics, drug users and prostitutes. But a willingness (even if a little reluctant at first) to serve out of love and in the name of Jesus can break down all sorts of inhibitions and preconceptions. And that’s what I was privileged to witness. I can almost assure you that the Otter Creek women came away as fulfilled and inspired as did the women from Mending Hearts.I ended the session that evening by reminding the women that what they had each experienced was the power of community. Whether it’s the Otter Creek book club or the group meeting at Mending Hearts, we all long for a community where we can be included and contribute. One where we can be accepted for who we are, where we are free to struggle and to succeed and fail without concern for whether or not we’ll lose inclusion in the group. Where we look to the other members of the group to hold us accountable out of a genuine love for us, rather than any kind of “I gotcha” mentality. It’s hard for some of us to admit, but we realize we can’t go it alone through life. Regardless of how many times we’ve reached to a community and been rejected or betrayed, we know we need it. Funny, but all of that sounds a lot like church doesn’t it. And I got to experience “church” this evening in a way that has lifted me and made me thankful to be a part of a group that not only calls itself Christian, but strives to live it out.
3.22.09
I’ve referenced this before but on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month there’s a special gathering and worship service held at 4PM at the Martha O’Bryan Center located on S. 7th off Shelby (www.marthaobryan.org). Located in the middle of the James Cayce homes, MOB is an oasis of friendship and hope for a community in desperate need of both. Almost 2 years ago, after having some interactions with MOB thru supporting them in one of their fund-raisers and occasionally taking a call to help with someone in need, Otter Creek was invited to partner with Harpeth Presbyterian, Eastminster Presbyterian, Living Word Community Church and one of the Christian Student Centers at Vanderbilt to come together to create a “church” for the residents of Cayce. When the pastors of these different churches initially met, we heard from the director of MOB how they had heard from the residents about a need for a more formal community gathering. Many of the residents go to church on Sunday morning, but there was a need for real community. We discussed how the gathering might be structured and what its goals might be. I was touched by the willingness of all the pastors to put aside denominational preferences in order to create a gathering that sought to serve the community. It was not our intent to pull people away from their home church. But rather to address another need – the need to meet others in the community who were also looking for fellowship. You see, if you’re a single mom living in Cayce and trying to raise your children and “do right”, then the natural tendency will be to pull the kids inside as soon as the sun starts to go down, lock the doors and close the blinds and try to shut out all that’s going on outside. While this may be the safest approach to take, it can isolate a mom and feed fear and mistrust. The creation of Joyful Noise (it didn’t take us long to come up with the name!) was to address that need. It seeks to offer a safe place to come and meet others in the community who are looking to honor God with their lives. The format for each service is about the same, but the content varies greatly. We’ll have a call to worship, singing and music (so varied it defies being categorized – hence the name Joyful Noise), a short devotional message by one of the visiting pastors, a time of response and prayers for the community and then a meal for everyone present. To hear a 12 year old girl ask for prayers to God that the shooting will stop, to see a single mom load up her plate and then ask for one to take home, to see kids and families singing and laughing and praying together give me glimpse of what “thy kingdom come” must really be like.
Today was a musical service with several different groups singing and playing and less speaking. It was a holy time. The Otter Creek life group that we attend decided not to meet in the evening due to a couple of sick families so we invited the others to come with us to Joyful Noise. One family was able to attend. Bringing their children was a delight to see – there’s no nursery or childcare service at Joyful Noise. Kids just climb in any laps they can find and we all serve as the nursery. We had a great time of worship. One of the talented Otter Creek families led a portion of the song service – they’ve helped lead the MOB Vacation Bible school this past year and are planning to help again this year. We even had a special musical guest that was a real treat for the folks – Amy Grant stopped by to sing, play and talk to the folks in a way that offered hope and encouragement. It was an awesome evening where seeing God at work is as simple as just opening your eyes and ears and being a part of a Joyful Noise.
Got a call as we left Joyful Noise from a homeless friend. He was upset because someone had stolen his sleeping bag earlier that day. And while it wasn’t supposed to be terribly cold tonight, it sure helps to have some padding and bedding when you’re sleeping under a bridge. Thanks to the generosity of a few Otter Creekers I keep a supply of sleeping bags, hats, gloves, hand warmers and socks in my truck. So I went downtown, found him and was able to restock him with a sleeping bag. As he headed back to the bridge he said he sure hoped the person that took his bag was able to use it. I’m not sure that would have been the first thought that crossed my mind. I want to thank all of our OC members who partner with me in this ministry. God is truly changing lives as we become His presence in this place…
Today was a musical service with several different groups singing and playing and less speaking. It was a holy time. The Otter Creek life group that we attend decided not to meet in the evening due to a couple of sick families so we invited the others to come with us to Joyful Noise. One family was able to attend. Bringing their children was a delight to see – there’s no nursery or childcare service at Joyful Noise. Kids just climb in any laps they can find and we all serve as the nursery. We had a great time of worship. One of the talented Otter Creek families led a portion of the song service – they’ve helped lead the MOB Vacation Bible school this past year and are planning to help again this year. We even had a special musical guest that was a real treat for the folks – Amy Grant stopped by to sing, play and talk to the folks in a way that offered hope and encouragement. It was an awesome evening where seeing God at work is as simple as just opening your eyes and ears and being a part of a Joyful Noise.
Got a call as we left Joyful Noise from a homeless friend. He was upset because someone had stolen his sleeping bag earlier that day. And while it wasn’t supposed to be terribly cold tonight, it sure helps to have some padding and bedding when you’re sleeping under a bridge. Thanks to the generosity of a few Otter Creekers I keep a supply of sleeping bags, hats, gloves, hand warmers and socks in my truck. So I went downtown, found him and was able to restock him with a sleeping bag. As he headed back to the bridge he said he sure hoped the person that took his bag was able to use it. I’m not sure that would have been the first thought that crossed my mind. I want to thank all of our OC members who partner with me in this ministry. God is truly changing lives as we become His presence in this place…
3.21.09
Saturdays tend to be catch-up days for calls and meetings with folks that are either tied up or otherwise unavailable during the week. Came by the church building to pick up our covered trailer that we use for hauling furniture. (A few years ago one of our Otter Creek members changed jobs and no longer needed his covered trailer to carry his sales products so he and his wife donated the trailer to our furniture ministry and it’s been a tremendous blessing to hundreds of people.) Stopped by the Campus to pick up one of my homeless friends who had offered to help me move some furniture. Earlier that week I had picked up a component desk that had been taken apart and been damaged by the owner in the disassembly. Rather than try to fix it, they called and asked if Otter Creek might want it. We took it not knowing what to do with it. But I got the idea that my homeless friend might be able to repair it and sell it to a local used furniture and appliance shop – he occasionally does some repair work for them and he has plenty of skills. So I offered to give him the desk in exchange for his help. We delivered the pieces of the desk to the store and then headed off to breakfast. Another friend of mine has opened a small restaurant and I had promised to come by and see him so my friend and I stopped by. As we chatted with the owner, he indicated he was looking for some part-time help. My homeless friend immediately indicated he would love to have a chance at the job and he was hired on the spot!! He starts tomorrow at 8AM. Some might call that being in the right place at the right time – I see God’s hand all over that event.
From there we went to help another Otter Creek member who was helping a young woman move out of a rental house and into a lower cost apartment. She’s not a member at Otter Creek, but a friend of his who he’s been encouraging, studying with and praying for for many years. It was a treat to let my homeless friend talk with this struggling woman about his life and help her put her situation in perspective. Got the furniture loaded up and moved to the new apartment.
Dropped my friend back off at the Campus where he was so excited to tell his buddies about getting a job!
From there I headed by downtown to a hotel where a family of 5 has been living for 4 months. An outreach worker had called me earlier in the week and asked if I might stop by to see if there was anything we could do to help them. As we chatted about his work experience and looked over his resume’ I saw that he had considerable restaurant and cooking experience. I took a chance and called my restaurant friend to ask him if he thought he could use another part-time worker. When I told him his work background, he immediately said for him to come in Monday morning at 8 and he’d talk to him. This made the man’s day. Knowing that he had a job interview and a high probability of getting hired on Monday lifted his spirits. I let him know that the reason I was there was because of being blessed by a church to live out a calling and trying, in our own way, to follow in the steps of Jesus. Jesus spent time with people, telling them about a new way of living and performing miracles as evidence of that calling. That’s what we do at Otter Creek – spend time with people and help perform miracles (if you don’t think both my homeless friend and this man didn’t see getting a job as a miracle then you need to talk with them!). May God be honored by the faith in our lives and the manner in which we live that out each day.
From there we went to help another Otter Creek member who was helping a young woman move out of a rental house and into a lower cost apartment. She’s not a member at Otter Creek, but a friend of his who he’s been encouraging, studying with and praying for for many years. It was a treat to let my homeless friend talk with this struggling woman about his life and help her put her situation in perspective. Got the furniture loaded up and moved to the new apartment.
Dropped my friend back off at the Campus where he was so excited to tell his buddies about getting a job!
From there I headed by downtown to a hotel where a family of 5 has been living for 4 months. An outreach worker had called me earlier in the week and asked if I might stop by to see if there was anything we could do to help them. As we chatted about his work experience and looked over his resume’ I saw that he had considerable restaurant and cooking experience. I took a chance and called my restaurant friend to ask him if he thought he could use another part-time worker. When I told him his work background, he immediately said for him to come in Monday morning at 8 and he’d talk to him. This made the man’s day. Knowing that he had a job interview and a high probability of getting hired on Monday lifted his spirits. I let him know that the reason I was there was because of being blessed by a church to live out a calling and trying, in our own way, to follow in the steps of Jesus. Jesus spent time with people, telling them about a new way of living and performing miracles as evidence of that calling. That’s what we do at Otter Creek – spend time with people and help perform miracles (if you don’t think both my homeless friend and this man didn’t see getting a job as a miracle then you need to talk with them!). May God be honored by the faith in our lives and the manner in which we live that out each day.
3.19.09
Reaching out comes in all different forms. Last Fall there was a survey of the homeless performed in Nashville. Several Otter Creekers participated in the process. Rather than just count how many people were on the street, this survey was designed to determine “vulnerability”, i.e. how likely an individual living on the street is to die. This involved waking up a person and talking with them for a few minutes. One of the first men I came across was a middle age man named “Carl” (fictitious name). Carl had been on the streets for almost a year due to a set of circumstances that could have happened to any of us. The temperature at 3AM the morning of the interview was in the low 20’s and Carl was wrapped up in a blanket with no jacket. He said someone had stolen it a few days ago. After visiting with him for a few minutes I told him I would bring him a back a jacket later that day. About 6PM that evening my wife and I drove back down town, she stayed in the car and I walked down the street to find Carl. I gave him the jacket and a friendship started that is truly God-lead. Over the last 5 months I’ve introduced Carl to Room in the Inn so he would have a place to stay and the chance to experience their love and assistance (he has had 3 trips to the hospital since we’ve met and Room in the Inn has provided respite care for him after he was released), he’s met my son, several members of our Otter Creek family, helped one of our life group families move into their new house and spent time at the church office looking for a job on the computer. When the weather is warm or if Carl doesn’t get a bed at Room in the Inn, he spends the night in the alcove of an outdoor elevator of a bridge in downtown Nashville. I spent time with him there as well. A bout 3 months ago he told me someone had stolen his glasses. Carl loves to read and while he can see to read he is very nearsighted and not able to see well beyond 20 feet. As we talked it was clear this was hindering him from getting a job. Otter Creek has reached out to an eye exam and glasses business who has agreed to consider giving a free exam and a pair of glasses to people in need that we send their way. It involves writing a letter, getting them the necessary information and then waiting until they give the OK. I started the process of trying to get Carl a new pair of glasses about 6 weeks ago and yesterday I took him to the mall to get his exam and a pair of glasses. I dropped him off at 8:30 (I had other work to do) and didn’t pick him up until 3:30. But Carl had his glasses!! All the way back to the Campus I would see him looking out the window, then look over the top of his glasses just to compare what it used to look like with the clarity of how he could now see. He said he felt like the blind man that Jesus cured who couldn’t keep quiet about his new gift of sight. He said he was now ready to get together to work on finding housing and a job. I’m excited about where God is leading Carl and the opportunity Otter Creek has been given to walk with him and learn from him.
3.17.09
The tough economic times we're in is proving to be no respecter pf persons. Got a call from a young woman with a 19 mth old child. Her husband had left her due to his substance abuse issues and she was struggling to make ends meet. The difference in this call and most of the others that I get is that this woman had a good job, lived in a good part of town, drove a new car, had an education, but was unable to pay her electric bill. She was calling churches looking for help and randomly called Otter Creek. As we spoke I offered to meet her to get the chance to see her face-to-face. She seemed very anxious to meet so we agreed that she'd take her lunch break and we'd meet on West End Ave at Starbucks - her office was on West End. While her story has a few different twists, it's pretty much the same as most of the others. She's almost totally alone and realizing that she's not going to to be able to make it. She kept asking me, "It's going to be alright isn't it? I'm going to make it through this, aren't I?" As I tried to find different ways to tell her that I didn't think it was alright and that I didn't think she was going to to make it through her challenges I kept coming back to the need for community. What I told her was that she probably wouldn't be able to make it by herself - after all, she was calling for help. And that unless she recognized the need to find a different community than the one she had been in with her ex-husband, the likelihood was that she'd end right back up with another man that abused her and was struggling with addictions. A light seemed to dawn on her and she asked me about Otter Creek and our community. Now we're not perfect, but I'm never shy to invite people to come and experience a community of people who are trying to be what our new vision statement claims we want to be: "a transparent people whose confident, joyful, victorious daily walk with God flows out of a profound, personal appreciation for His life giving love and sacrifice". That's what she wants and I pray that our church family can work and live by faith to be that type of place for ourselves and for her.
Took a call from a homeless family living in a hotel that was asking for help. They got our name from a street outreach worker from another agency. Seems both the man and woman had been unemployed for several months. His wife had just gotten a job a few days ago so he was looking for work. In the course of the conversation he mentioned that his wife was not at work today. I asked why and he said she had had a stressful day yesterday! I told him (in as kind and compassionate manner as I could) that a lot of us live with stress and still go to work. That if he was calling and asking for help, he needed to be doing all he could to show he was helping himself and his wife not going to work because she felt overwhelmed really hurt his credibility. To my surprise, he agreed - I had expected him to defend her decision because of some mental illness. He said he understood what I was saying and would make sure she was at work tomorrow. I replied that it was only 10AM and that she might call in to say she was feeling better and for her to go in at lunch. I hope to go see them tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see what they did. Later in the day I heard that several other groups stepped up to pay their hotel bill for the next few weeks. Let's hope this doesn't reduce the sense of urgency to get a job.
Speaking of getting a job, we've had pretty good success in the past few days of getting people job interviews and jobs. One of the young men I've talked about in earlier blogs that has sold drugs and was trying to get his life together, called to tell me he got a job as a dishwasher. Another one of our Otter Creekers who has been looking for a job got the chance to follow up on a lead that we'd sent out and emailed to tell me he was going in for an interview. And a friend of mine who manages a restaurant called to tell me he was looking for a waitress, was able to talk with a young woman who had called me earlier in the week. If everything works out, she'll start tomorrow morning at 7AM. I'm telling people that unless you're putting out 20 applications a day, your chances of getting a job interview are slim. In this economy, it's a numbers game and takes a shoe leather approach - you've got to hit the streets. Easier for some than others - especially those that don't have a car. Check out my friend Steve's blog article on the obstacles to getting a job that many of us may not realize exist for a number of people:(http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/dont_be_homeless_get_a_job)
Finally, I've written a little about the woman asking for help with her NES bill that wrote a letter to the mayor who sent it to Metro Action who sent it to several groups and agencies (including us). I visited with her last week. Talked with NES who sent me a printout of her last 12 months usage and payments. While very confusing to read, I plan to meet with the woman tomorrow to go over the plan for trying to get her caught up. With the help of about 4 agencies, members of her family and some of her own money we may have just enough to help keep her lights on. But like so many, what this sweet woman needs is a family. She's alone. Her only son is is New York. Since she moved about 18 months ago she no longer attends church. She has some physical limitations so getting out is hard for her. She's a little paranoid and fearful as well. In meeting with her, I hope to be able to invite a nearby church to reach out to her and start the process of building trust so that she can find people who will love her and walk with her as she becomes more comfortable sharing her gifts with them.
Took a call from a homeless family living in a hotel that was asking for help. They got our name from a street outreach worker from another agency. Seems both the man and woman had been unemployed for several months. His wife had just gotten a job a few days ago so he was looking for work. In the course of the conversation he mentioned that his wife was not at work today. I asked why and he said she had had a stressful day yesterday! I told him (in as kind and compassionate manner as I could) that a lot of us live with stress and still go to work. That if he was calling and asking for help, he needed to be doing all he could to show he was helping himself and his wife not going to work because she felt overwhelmed really hurt his credibility. To my surprise, he agreed - I had expected him to defend her decision because of some mental illness. He said he understood what I was saying and would make sure she was at work tomorrow. I replied that it was only 10AM and that she might call in to say she was feeling better and for her to go in at lunch. I hope to go see them tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see what they did. Later in the day I heard that several other groups stepped up to pay their hotel bill for the next few weeks. Let's hope this doesn't reduce the sense of urgency to get a job.
Speaking of getting a job, we've had pretty good success in the past few days of getting people job interviews and jobs. One of the young men I've talked about in earlier blogs that has sold drugs and was trying to get his life together, called to tell me he got a job as a dishwasher. Another one of our Otter Creekers who has been looking for a job got the chance to follow up on a lead that we'd sent out and emailed to tell me he was going in for an interview. And a friend of mine who manages a restaurant called to tell me he was looking for a waitress, was able to talk with a young woman who had called me earlier in the week. If everything works out, she'll start tomorrow morning at 7AM. I'm telling people that unless you're putting out 20 applications a day, your chances of getting a job interview are slim. In this economy, it's a numbers game and takes a shoe leather approach - you've got to hit the streets. Easier for some than others - especially those that don't have a car. Check out my friend Steve's blog article on the obstacles to getting a job that many of us may not realize exist for a number of people:(http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/dont_be_homeless_get_a_job)
Finally, I've written a little about the woman asking for help with her NES bill that wrote a letter to the mayor who sent it to Metro Action who sent it to several groups and agencies (including us). I visited with her last week. Talked with NES who sent me a printout of her last 12 months usage and payments. While very confusing to read, I plan to meet with the woman tomorrow to go over the plan for trying to get her caught up. With the help of about 4 agencies, members of her family and some of her own money we may have just enough to help keep her lights on. But like so many, what this sweet woman needs is a family. She's alone. Her only son is is New York. Since she moved about 18 months ago she no longer attends church. She has some physical limitations so getting out is hard for her. She's a little paranoid and fearful as well. In meeting with her, I hope to be able to invite a nearby church to reach out to her and start the process of building trust so that she can find people who will love her and walk with her as she becomes more comfortable sharing her gifts with them.
3.16.09
Left the house a little earlier than normal to go pick up a young man who we've been working with for several years. I first met this young man when his girlfriend called for help with food and in the meeting and conversation found that she had a man living with her in her apartment who had just gotten out of jail. In public housing, you are not allowed to let people live in your apartment without approval and getting them added to the lease. Violation can result in eviction. As we talked I convinced the young man he needed to move out if he loved the woman (which he said he did). We helped him get a job (one of several) and a place to live. Since then, he's been in and out of jail a few times. But he and the woman have gotten married, joined a church and just a few months ago I was invited to witness his baptism. Because of his background, no transportation and the need to be off on certain days to take court-ordered anger management classes and probation meetings he is struggling to find a job. We continue to work with their small church to help where we can. But, once again, trying to balance enabling with encouraging and empowering is a fine line. He called last week asking for a few bus passes so he could get to his meetings and look for work. Rather than just give him the passes, I offered to pick him up this morning and take him to his class. That gave us a little time to talk and for him to ask me a few questions about finding a job. We hope to get together later this week and do some computer searching. He struggles with reading and writing but seems willing to ask for help.
After dropping him off at his class meeting, I headed to another housing project to pick up a man who had just come back into Nashville and called to ask for a meeting. This man had been in the Odyssey program (see prior posts about this program) but had relapsed, been asked to go to treatment, completed treatment, but because of other circumstances was not invited back into the program. He had met a woman from s small town outside of Nashville and moved in with her. It did not work out so he's now back in Nashville, staying with his sister and trying to figure out what his next step should be. During Odyssey we became good friends. This man has lots of potential , but has lots of demons pulling at him that he's not been able to turn over to God. I picked him up and brought him to the office so we could talk before everyone else got in to work. We also are storing most of his possessions since he's been on the move, and he wanted to get a few things. Since he had called me over the weekend, he'd been back in touch with his girlfriend from out of town, had reconciled with her and had decided he was probably going to head back to stay with her. We talked about his cycles of behavior and how they keep getting him the same results he knows he doesn't want to get (remember the definition of insanity). He recognizes the cycles but sees no other alternatives at this point. He's still really hurting from not being able to get back in the Odyssey program where he felt like he was trying to do something different and something right. It was a difficult conversation. It's at times like this that I have to remind myself that our calling is not to "fix" anyone - that's God's work. But our call is to represent the life of Jesus IN OUR LIVES to everyone we meet and offer them, through example and suggestions for living (once they allow us to know them well enough to ask), alternatives to the options they perceive they have for making day-to-day decisions.
Had dinner with the Odyssey men at the homeless shelter. After the meal we each tell the group our highs and lows of the week. While I never say it, one of my highs is the humbling experience I get each week by listening to each of their highs and lows. Many of the people I see get so caught up in what we have, what we do, where we go, how we look, who we know and what they have or haven't done to or for us, that we forget the real basics of friendship and simple blessings of having a place to sleep, a meal to eat and (one set of) clothes to wear. Most of these men not only realize those simple things, they state them as their highs for the week.
From the dinner I went to a prayer group called the Community of Sant Egidio (http://www.santegidio.org/index.php?&idLng=1064&res=1). It's a group of 8-10 people that meet monthly to prayer for the poor and homeless in our community and around the world. A simple liturgy guides us as we sing and pray. The gift of prayer is not one of my strengths. But I also believe it's a critical element to each of us looking more like Jesus. So while it's not my gift, it can be my decision to make it an intentional and conscious part of my life. Gathering with these brothers and sisters each month at Christ the King takes me a little out of my comfort zone and stretches me to think in ways that I was not taught to think. But I never leave without a heightened sense of connectedness with my brothers and sisters, with God and with myself. If you'd like to learn more about this gathering send me an email and I'll give you the details.
After dropping him off at his class meeting, I headed to another housing project to pick up a man who had just come back into Nashville and called to ask for a meeting. This man had been in the Odyssey program (see prior posts about this program) but had relapsed, been asked to go to treatment, completed treatment, but because of other circumstances was not invited back into the program. He had met a woman from s small town outside of Nashville and moved in with her. It did not work out so he's now back in Nashville, staying with his sister and trying to figure out what his next step should be. During Odyssey we became good friends. This man has lots of potential , but has lots of demons pulling at him that he's not been able to turn over to God. I picked him up and brought him to the office so we could talk before everyone else got in to work. We also are storing most of his possessions since he's been on the move, and he wanted to get a few things. Since he had called me over the weekend, he'd been back in touch with his girlfriend from out of town, had reconciled with her and had decided he was probably going to head back to stay with her. We talked about his cycles of behavior and how they keep getting him the same results he knows he doesn't want to get (remember the definition of insanity). He recognizes the cycles but sees no other alternatives at this point. He's still really hurting from not being able to get back in the Odyssey program where he felt like he was trying to do something different and something right. It was a difficult conversation. It's at times like this that I have to remind myself that our calling is not to "fix" anyone - that's God's work. But our call is to represent the life of Jesus IN OUR LIVES to everyone we meet and offer them, through example and suggestions for living (once they allow us to know them well enough to ask), alternatives to the options they perceive they have for making day-to-day decisions.
Had dinner with the Odyssey men at the homeless shelter. After the meal we each tell the group our highs and lows of the week. While I never say it, one of my highs is the humbling experience I get each week by listening to each of their highs and lows. Many of the people I see get so caught up in what we have, what we do, where we go, how we look, who we know and what they have or haven't done to or for us, that we forget the real basics of friendship and simple blessings of having a place to sleep, a meal to eat and (one set of) clothes to wear. Most of these men not only realize those simple things, they state them as their highs for the week.
From the dinner I went to a prayer group called the Community of Sant Egidio (http://www.santegidio.org/index.php?&idLng=1064&res=1). It's a group of 8-10 people that meet monthly to prayer for the poor and homeless in our community and around the world. A simple liturgy guides us as we sing and pray. The gift of prayer is not one of my strengths. But I also believe it's a critical element to each of us looking more like Jesus. So while it's not my gift, it can be my decision to make it an intentional and conscious part of my life. Gathering with these brothers and sisters each month at Christ the King takes me a little out of my comfort zone and stretches me to think in ways that I was not taught to think. But I never leave without a heightened sense of connectedness with my brothers and sisters, with God and with myself. If you'd like to learn more about this gathering send me an email and I'll give you the details.
3.13.09
Started the morning picking up a young man who I've been working with for a few weeks. He was referred to our church by a local mental health and counseling agency that I had reached out to and who has a member that attends at Otter Creek. I had asked this therapist to let us know if there was a client that seemed to be (in their opinion) looking for community and recovery in a way that a church family like Otter Creek could work with with them. Within about a week I had 3 different people referred to us. This young man has just completed an IOP (intensive out patient) program for drug and alcohol. He seems to be very intelligent and well spoken. Made his money selling drugs and managing a group of other folks selling. He's now committed to staying clean and changing his life so we're looking for the roadblocks in his way to getting a job. #1 roadblock for him is transportation. He has an old car but it has a water pump issue so we've gotten it repaired. However, we're not giving it back to him (with his permission) until he gets a job so that he can afford to insure the car. So now we're looking for a job. In a separate office at the church building we've set up a computer with access to the internet and a printer to allow people to come in and search for a job. If you've never looked at the job listings on Craigslist I highly recommend it. We started with creating him a work history (aka resume'). Very basic - name, address, contact info, work history, education and references. This was the first resume' he'd ever had. I had told him in advance our plans so he came well prepared with a notebook page listing of his work history. Simple stuff like don't leave gaps in your work history - even if it means showing you were in jail. Have an explanation ready. Then on to Craigslist with the goal of sending out at least 20 resumes for every hour on the computer. Print out a list of each one you've sent out so that we can work together to create an accountability system for follow-up. In a couple of hours he sent out well over 40 applications. We'll see...
Followed up on a request from one of the directors of a major Metro agency charged with helping people in financial distress. This director had received a request for help from the mayor's office who had received a letter from a woman complaining about her electric bill and asking for help. our local power company had not been able to help and it seems the woman had disability income that prohibits her from getting any help from Metro. So the director had sent out an email to about 10 agencies and groups (including Otter Creek) asking how many of them might have funds to help this woman pay her bill - which was over $800!!. Those who replied to all said they were out of funds except for one group that said they'd commit $100. I replied that rather than commit money, I'd like to go meet the woman and listen to her story. The director immediately responded with thanks and to let him know what I found out. (to me it seems obvious that should be the next step but it does take time and open up the door for all kinds of messy complications). I went to meet the woman and we had a delightful conversation. She is alone and looking for a community. Fortunately, she lives very near a great church that I plan to connect her with. In the meantime, we talked about options for how to get her bill paid. With the help of one more agency that has since committed, along with the woman, her son, Otter Creek and the earlier agency, we ought to be able to get close to what she needs. I'm convinced this would have never come together had we not decided to go and visit with her.
Left that meeting, took one of our other ministers with me and went to pick up and deliver a dryer. One of our members called earlier to say that they were purchasing a washer and had gotten a great deal on a matching dryer so they had a perfectly good one to donate. A few weeks earlier we had a call from a single mom in the projects looking for a washer and dryer. We delivered a washer but didn't have a dryer. As soon as this one came available, I called the single mom and told her we had one. So the other minister and I got to see the contrast of a home with the blessings to have an extra dryer willing to give it away versus Nashville's inner city projects where a dryer is also an incredible blessing. As we pulled up to deliver the dryer we were approached by a man asking if we needed help. While we really didn't, I never refuse help because I know it will typically result in an expectation of payment and that opens the door for a conversation. Sure enough as we finished up taking in the dryer our help asked if we had $2 for a bus ticket so he could go to work. I immediately asked him where he worked and told him we'd just take him to there. He responded that he didn't go to work until 4:30 and that he was waiting on his daughter to come home from school. There was no school today (first day of Spring Break, but nice to know in order to extend the conversation). He said his daughter was in day care and not in public school (good answer). I asked him where he worked and he mentioned a carpet installer that I knew so I referenced my knowledge of the owner and how unusual it was for him to be going to work at 4:30 on Friday afternoon to a carpet installer. He said they were working on putting carpet in a display for a home decorating show that was going on that weekend. With those reasonable answers I gave him $2. We'd already told him we were ministers and what we were doing. However, the next event surprised me. As we were about to get in the church van, he asked us if we could use some extra clothes that he had in his trunk. He wanted them to go to someone who could use them. In fact, he said he had other stuff that he's love to give us sometime next week!! So in a matter of 10 minutes we'd gone from an interaction with someone we might have seen as a panhandler to a conversation with a man willing to give what he had (and he lives in the projects) so that others could be helped. We serve an awesome God...
Followed up on a request from one of the directors of a major Metro agency charged with helping people in financial distress. This director had received a request for help from the mayor's office who had received a letter from a woman complaining about her electric bill and asking for help. our local power company had not been able to help and it seems the woman had disability income that prohibits her from getting any help from Metro. So the director had sent out an email to about 10 agencies and groups (including Otter Creek) asking how many of them might have funds to help this woman pay her bill - which was over $800!!. Those who replied to all said they were out of funds except for one group that said they'd commit $100. I replied that rather than commit money, I'd like to go meet the woman and listen to her story. The director immediately responded with thanks and to let him know what I found out. (to me it seems obvious that should be the next step but it does take time and open up the door for all kinds of messy complications). I went to meet the woman and we had a delightful conversation. She is alone and looking for a community. Fortunately, she lives very near a great church that I plan to connect her with. In the meantime, we talked about options for how to get her bill paid. With the help of one more agency that has since committed, along with the woman, her son, Otter Creek and the earlier agency, we ought to be able to get close to what she needs. I'm convinced this would have never come together had we not decided to go and visit with her.
Left that meeting, took one of our other ministers with me and went to pick up and deliver a dryer. One of our members called earlier to say that they were purchasing a washer and had gotten a great deal on a matching dryer so they had a perfectly good one to donate. A few weeks earlier we had a call from a single mom in the projects looking for a washer and dryer. We delivered a washer but didn't have a dryer. As soon as this one came available, I called the single mom and told her we had one. So the other minister and I got to see the contrast of a home with the blessings to have an extra dryer willing to give it away versus Nashville's inner city projects where a dryer is also an incredible blessing. As we pulled up to deliver the dryer we were approached by a man asking if we needed help. While we really didn't, I never refuse help because I know it will typically result in an expectation of payment and that opens the door for a conversation. Sure enough as we finished up taking in the dryer our help asked if we had $2 for a bus ticket so he could go to work. I immediately asked him where he worked and told him we'd just take him to there. He responded that he didn't go to work until 4:30 and that he was waiting on his daughter to come home from school. There was no school today (first day of Spring Break, but nice to know in order to extend the conversation). He said his daughter was in day care and not in public school (good answer). I asked him where he worked and he mentioned a carpet installer that I knew so I referenced my knowledge of the owner and how unusual it was for him to be going to work at 4:30 on Friday afternoon to a carpet installer. He said they were working on putting carpet in a display for a home decorating show that was going on that weekend. With those reasonable answers I gave him $2. We'd already told him we were ministers and what we were doing. However, the next event surprised me. As we were about to get in the church van, he asked us if we could use some extra clothes that he had in his trunk. He wanted them to go to someone who could use them. In fact, he said he had other stuff that he's love to give us sometime next week!! So in a matter of 10 minutes we'd gone from an interaction with someone we might have seen as a panhandler to a conversation with a man willing to give what he had (and he lives in the projects) so that others could be helped. We serve an awesome God...
3.12.09
Phone calls keep pouring in, both from people who are a part of our church family and from people who have heard about our willingness to help - or at least answer the phone. Talked with a woman today who is a nurse at a local hospital. She had a medical emergency and had to miss 2 weeks of work. She's a single mom with a 7yr old and is living paycheck to paycheck. She was already pushing late payments on her utility bills so when the hospital failed to turn in her request for medical leave on time it caused her to miss a pay period (this is her story). That caused her not to be able to make her utility payment to avoid cutoff. So she called in the dark. I asked her about her church home and she told me she visited the church where her grandmother attended. She had called them and they had said they were out of funds. I decided to call and talk with them. I explained our church's position was that we'd love to help this woman but since she was attending there, we'd prefer to send them the check and then let them pay the bill. This would open up the door for them to build a relationship with someone directly tied to their congregation. They said they were not interested. That if we wanted to help we could just pay it directly. That what funds they did have to help, they sent to another agency in town so that they could direct all of the calls they got for assistance to that agency. "But what if one of your members needs help and they call the agency and they are out of money?", I asked. Their response was (although they didn't say it this way) that they were so suspicious of people asking for help that they preferred to send everyone to a 3rd party and not involve themselves at all. I got the feeling they really felt good about the efficient system they had devised. I'll hold off on any editorial evaluation of this method of compassion, other than to say that personally I don't think this is the way Jesus would handle it. I called the hospital where she worked, talked to HR to see if they knew that their error caused one of their employees to have their electricity cutoff. The person I spoke with seemed genuinely interested and offered to check out her situation and get back to me with a solution.
Follow-up to yesterday's meeting with the woman who had been living in her car... I also spoke with the church she was attending and got a totally different answer from the one just referenced above. I had previously met the pastor from this church and knew them to be a loving church interested in walking with people no matter where their journey starts. I spoke with them and asked if they'd be willing to help this woman if we sent them a check and they not only agreed, they seemed truly appreciative. I left her a message that we were going to be sending a check to her church and they were expecting a call from her to arrange payment. In my opinion, that's the way churches are supposed to cooperate. Such a contrast on the same day.
One our members and I met at the 2 bedroom apartment of a young mom who we've known and helped, off-and-on, for over 2 years. She has 4 children, a live in boyfriend, his uncle and her mom all living in the apartment. She's being evicted for not being able to keep the house clean. And while it looked a little better than it had on other visits, I still had to be careful where I laid my arm so as to not have a cockroach run up my sleeve. She contends it's not her fault about the filth. That it's other people in neighboring apartments that are causing the bug problems. She is actually appealing the eviction notice. I had to tell her that while she was appealing she ought to be looking for another place since I didn't think she would win her appeal. I gave her the name of another apartment complex to call. We listened to her latest stories, tried to be understanding and encouraging and then said our good-byes. Once outside I talked with our member who has befriended this woman. There's lots of issues her but at the root it's both a failure to recognize the need to for change, a fear of even thinking about change and an inability to implement the change. It's one of those times that it's really hard to know what to do. You don't want to prejudge the outcome, but it sure looks like the woman is not at a place to make the serious changes in her life that, from the outside, seems obvious. It's not even our place to demand those changes. We can suggest, but there's so little trust of anybody that I doubt she's willing to take that risk. We can be kind. We can listen. And we can pray for her. We're not going to give up and walk away but we're going to follow her lead rather than try to impose our way of thinking and living on her. If we really want a relationship with this woman then I believe our role for now is to just be on the journey with her.
Follow-up to yesterday's meeting with the woman who had been living in her car... I also spoke with the church she was attending and got a totally different answer from the one just referenced above. I had previously met the pastor from this church and knew them to be a loving church interested in walking with people no matter where their journey starts. I spoke with them and asked if they'd be willing to help this woman if we sent them a check and they not only agreed, they seemed truly appreciative. I left her a message that we were going to be sending a check to her church and they were expecting a call from her to arrange payment. In my opinion, that's the way churches are supposed to cooperate. Such a contrast on the same day.
One our members and I met at the 2 bedroom apartment of a young mom who we've known and helped, off-and-on, for over 2 years. She has 4 children, a live in boyfriend, his uncle and her mom all living in the apartment. She's being evicted for not being able to keep the house clean. And while it looked a little better than it had on other visits, I still had to be careful where I laid my arm so as to not have a cockroach run up my sleeve. She contends it's not her fault about the filth. That it's other people in neighboring apartments that are causing the bug problems. She is actually appealing the eviction notice. I had to tell her that while she was appealing she ought to be looking for another place since I didn't think she would win her appeal. I gave her the name of another apartment complex to call. We listened to her latest stories, tried to be understanding and encouraging and then said our good-byes. Once outside I talked with our member who has befriended this woman. There's lots of issues her but at the root it's both a failure to recognize the need to for change, a fear of even thinking about change and an inability to implement the change. It's one of those times that it's really hard to know what to do. You don't want to prejudge the outcome, but it sure looks like the woman is not at a place to make the serious changes in her life that, from the outside, seems obvious. It's not even our place to demand those changes. We can suggest, but there's so little trust of anybody that I doubt she's willing to take that risk. We can be kind. We can listen. And we can pray for her. We're not going to give up and walk away but we're going to follow her lead rather than try to impose our way of thinking and living on her. If we really want a relationship with this woman then I believe our role for now is to just be on the journey with her.
3.11.09
I was able to follow up on several of the calls and discussions that had gone on in the past few days. One of the families struggling with all the financial problems that had their car break down on them called and wanted to use one of the vehicles that had been donated to Otter Creek which we were holding to give away. Since it wasn't licensed we had to handle that. I asked the couple if they might be willing to take it to be inspected and get it licensed. They agreed and have started that process. We've decided not to give them the car but license it in the name of the church, make sure they have insurance and that we have it insured on out policy and then let them borrow if for a fixed period of time. The goal is to help but not to enable. There's always a thin line that I feel we have to walk between encouraging and enabling. And while there are no hard and fast rules, we try to be creative in our approach to assistance but always err on the side of being more kind than strict. Show trust and expect people to want to grow, but be wise in how you do it. It's not intended to be manipulative. Yet I really think this is a way of teaching that Jesus lived - as much through his parables as through his actual works.
Went to meet with the woman I mentioned in yesterday's posting who had lost her job back in December and had been living in her car for the past several weeks. We met at a McDonalds. While she looked a little disheveled you'd never suspect that she was homeless. It makes me wonder about other people that we pass on the street or see in the grocery store - how many of them are in desperate situations just barely hanging on and we don't even know? We had a good conversation and it looks like we should be able to help her. Found out that she attends a church where the pastor and I know each other pretty well. That was the key I was hoping for as we talked. I asked her to call the church and have the pastor (or whoever she had been working with) to call me so that we can talk about how our two congregations might be able to work together to both help her and for future needs. I believe it's not our job to be in the business of trying to pull people to our church family - especially if they already have one. The reality is that we have to be careful as we help people so as to not create some type of unspoken expectation that in exchange for our assistance we expect them to attend or "try out" our church - that's the way many people think (I wonder where they get that idea?). This not only creates a bad impression on the people being assisted, it creates all sorts of tension and potential competition with their current church. The approach we take is that when someone asks us for help (either financial or resource) and they have a church home, then I always try to ask them to have their pastor call me so we can work with that church to get them help. In this case we'll probably send the financial assistance to her church (actually write the check to the church) and let the church then help her. Our belief is that once this crisis is handled there will still be a need to walk with the person. If they already have a church home, then they are the best ones to do that. We want to be an encouragement and support to that church to work with the person being helped. I've found that our approach seems to motivate some churches to do that. It certainly opens the door for Otter Creek to be able to dialogue with that church as we might never have been able to do had we just helped out the person and didn't make the effort to tie in with the church. I'm proud to be a part of a church that takes that approach to reaching across all types of denominational lines in order to show what the kingdom of God here on earth might look like.
Went to meet with the woman I mentioned in yesterday's posting who had lost her job back in December and had been living in her car for the past several weeks. We met at a McDonalds. While she looked a little disheveled you'd never suspect that she was homeless. It makes me wonder about other people that we pass on the street or see in the grocery store - how many of them are in desperate situations just barely hanging on and we don't even know? We had a good conversation and it looks like we should be able to help her. Found out that she attends a church where the pastor and I know each other pretty well. That was the key I was hoping for as we talked. I asked her to call the church and have the pastor (or whoever she had been working with) to call me so that we can talk about how our two congregations might be able to work together to both help her and for future needs. I believe it's not our job to be in the business of trying to pull people to our church family - especially if they already have one. The reality is that we have to be careful as we help people so as to not create some type of unspoken expectation that in exchange for our assistance we expect them to attend or "try out" our church - that's the way many people think (I wonder where they get that idea?). This not only creates a bad impression on the people being assisted, it creates all sorts of tension and potential competition with their current church. The approach we take is that when someone asks us for help (either financial or resource) and they have a church home, then I always try to ask them to have their pastor call me so we can work with that church to get them help. In this case we'll probably send the financial assistance to her church (actually write the check to the church) and let the church then help her. Our belief is that once this crisis is handled there will still be a need to walk with the person. If they already have a church home, then they are the best ones to do that. We want to be an encouragement and support to that church to work with the person being helped. I've found that our approach seems to motivate some churches to do that. It certainly opens the door for Otter Creek to be able to dialogue with that church as we might never have been able to do had we just helped out the person and didn't make the effort to tie in with the church. I'm proud to be a part of a church that takes that approach to reaching across all types of denominational lines in order to show what the kingdom of God here on earth might look like.
3.10.09
I continue to be concerned about both the number of people calling our office for assistance (both Otter Creek members and other people in the Nashville area) and the severity of their needs. I talked with one person whose prior financial decisions have nearly wrecked their family. They are living so near the edge of disaster that any unexpected cost is nearly fatal. As we looked at their bills you could see that every bill was being paid on the 59th day of being past due - in their mind just the minimum to keep their heads above water. Life like that is unsustainable. Relationships at home are on egg shells. Stress, frustration, guilt and fear are the primary emotions you deal with every minute. How in the world can someone living under those conditions be expected to perform and produce on the job at a level that would help them rise above and project "this is a guy I want to buy from" to the customer?
I then got an email from a woman we'd helped about a year ago. It's a compliment that she decided to call us although I'm not naive enough to think she did it only because of our compassion - I expect we were a last resort call. However, I know she probably wouldn't have called had we not treated her with respect and dignity in our previous interactions. Seems that she lost her job in December, got behind on her rent and was evicted. Has been living in her car with her 3 cats since that time. She has a medical condition that flares up occasionally and requires her to see a doctor. Her call to us was looking for help to pay her $70 insurance premium because she has been told by the doctor's office they won't see her until she can verify that her insurance is valid. $70? What is happening?
Finally, we were asked by a Metro school case manager if we would go visit a family. The kids were showing up at school dirty and hungry. In talking with the parents, the case manager found out they were living in a house with no electricity - it had been shut off for the past 3 weeks! We work with several Metro agencies that assist with utility payments so as I talked with the case manager I learned that the reason this family can not get any assistance is that they have no documentation - they are Hispanic and illegal aliens. I took one of our ministers that speaks Spanish with me and we visited with the father. He's an exterior carpenter and painter looking for work. The house was very clean. They seemed resolved to do the best they could and prioritize where they spent the money that he was able to make as a day laborer. Having shelter, even if it has no electricity, was most important. They know they need water but it's 3 months behind. Neighbors are helping with some food and letting them cook. They have lanterns and a kerosene heater. Interestingly, they are not Catholic so they have almost no community to help them. They do have a car so he can get to work, but he has no insurance and no license. There's no question in my mind that Jesus would be looking for ways to help this family, regardless of their immigration status. So we start tomorrow morning looking for how we can help both short term - getting their electricity turned back on, and long term - trying to help with a more permanent job (very difficult when you have no documentation) so that there's some chance of sustainability.
A few months ago I helped lead a seminar on a topic I had never heard of until the invitation came to speak - "How to Avoid Compassion Fatigue". The phenomena of getting overwhelmed with all the issues of life that confront ministers and other care-givers to the point that one shuts down and retreats back into a shell. I'm glad I paid attention in that seminar.
I then got an email from a woman we'd helped about a year ago. It's a compliment that she decided to call us although I'm not naive enough to think she did it only because of our compassion - I expect we were a last resort call. However, I know she probably wouldn't have called had we not treated her with respect and dignity in our previous interactions. Seems that she lost her job in December, got behind on her rent and was evicted. Has been living in her car with her 3 cats since that time. She has a medical condition that flares up occasionally and requires her to see a doctor. Her call to us was looking for help to pay her $70 insurance premium because she has been told by the doctor's office they won't see her until she can verify that her insurance is valid. $70? What is happening?
Finally, we were asked by a Metro school case manager if we would go visit a family. The kids were showing up at school dirty and hungry. In talking with the parents, the case manager found out they were living in a house with no electricity - it had been shut off for the past 3 weeks! We work with several Metro agencies that assist with utility payments so as I talked with the case manager I learned that the reason this family can not get any assistance is that they have no documentation - they are Hispanic and illegal aliens. I took one of our ministers that speaks Spanish with me and we visited with the father. He's an exterior carpenter and painter looking for work. The house was very clean. They seemed resolved to do the best they could and prioritize where they spent the money that he was able to make as a day laborer. Having shelter, even if it has no electricity, was most important. They know they need water but it's 3 months behind. Neighbors are helping with some food and letting them cook. They have lanterns and a kerosene heater. Interestingly, they are not Catholic so they have almost no community to help them. They do have a car so he can get to work, but he has no insurance and no license. There's no question in my mind that Jesus would be looking for ways to help this family, regardless of their immigration status. So we start tomorrow morning looking for how we can help both short term - getting their electricity turned back on, and long term - trying to help with a more permanent job (very difficult when you have no documentation) so that there's some chance of sustainability.
A few months ago I helped lead a seminar on a topic I had never heard of until the invitation came to speak - "How to Avoid Compassion Fatigue". The phenomena of getting overwhelmed with all the issues of life that confront ministers and other care-givers to the point that one shuts down and retreats back into a shell. I'm glad I paid attention in that seminar.
3.9.09
I have never considered myself a very good listener. I've actually had some training in listening (if we get training in speaking and writing, the other two main forms of communication, why is training in listening so rare?) so I think I know something about how to listen. But as I grow in the ministry roles into which I've been called I find that I'm learning it's less about how I listen and more about why I listen. Today was a day to listen - mostly on phone. And that's particularly difficult for me because I want to multi-task while someone is talking - file something away or type an email. For me it takes an intentional discipline to focus and listen.
I took a call today from a woman who I knew from previous meetings and calls. She was sobbing and hard to understand. She had just learned that they were going to have to pay nearly $500 in taxes and they didn't have it and she was frantic about losing everything. She said they had sold everything they could to just make ends meet. We've met before and talked about budgets. Both her and her husband work, but their hours have been cut and their bills are growing. I listened. Not much to say at this point. No real answers other than "I'm sorry". To help resolve this and the root issues at work here will take time and work. It can't be cleared up with a quick answer on the phone. I assured her that she had a church family willing to work with her and her family - work with her - not simply write a check to solve the immediate concern. Taxes are due until April 15 so we've got some time. We set an appointment time to meet and I tried again to give her some comfort that she was not alone in this struggle.
A call came in from another women. She is in her mid-40's. She wondered into a store in Nashville desperate to talk with someone about what was going on in her life. The clerk she approached with the start of her story was someone I had met a few weeks earlier and told about Otter Creek and what we are trying to be to the community. She remembered that and gave the woman our name and number. Seems she had been married for 20 years and was being divorced due to her having a short affair with another man. She told me how sorry she was for what she had done. How it had ruined her relationship with her children as well as her husband. How he had said that he didn't feel like he could trust her ever again and wanted out of the marriage. She understood and seem truly regretful and repentant of the mess she had made. Her call was to ask for some help in understanding what to do next. The house was in her name (inherited) but she had not worked in 20 years. He had paid all the bills and was now refusing to pay for anything except the minimum while the divorce was going through. She was convinced she was about to be homeless and on the street and was in fear of that. I listened. I asked her who she had to talk with (remember, I've never met this woman). I assumed the answer since she called, but she confirmed that there was no one for her to talk with. She had no spiritual family to walk with her. No one to love her, accept her where she was and then begin to walk with her as she tries to live. She said she could see no way to ever forgive herself and she never expected to be forgiven. Her quickness to assure me she wasn't suicidal was more of a concern to me than a reassurance. I listened. What can someone say in a situation like that? There's no quick answer. This is life changing. What is going on will be something that stays with you for the rest of your life - the pain will eventually lessen, but the consequence is something that you have to live with. How do you say that over the phone? I don't think you do. I think you listen with the intent to open up a door of opportunity for a relationship that can grow.
Listening is only part "how". More importantly is who and why. May we never forget that these are real people talking about real pain and fears. Many of them are lonely and are reaching out in this impersonal form of communication to lessen the fear of rejection. They know, deep down inside, they need someone in their lives to walk with them. But the concept of being loved and accepted, not judged but, at the same time, treated with honesty and respect, is more than they may have ever received. But that's the call of Jesus followers. Why? Because I'm no different than any of them. I am them! And in the person of Jesus I have that unconditional acceptance and friend that will walk with me. That's who we're called to be. May we never get so busy or so cynical that we don't take the time to listen.
I took a call today from a woman who I knew from previous meetings and calls. She was sobbing and hard to understand. She had just learned that they were going to have to pay nearly $500 in taxes and they didn't have it and she was frantic about losing everything. She said they had sold everything they could to just make ends meet. We've met before and talked about budgets. Both her and her husband work, but their hours have been cut and their bills are growing. I listened. Not much to say at this point. No real answers other than "I'm sorry". To help resolve this and the root issues at work here will take time and work. It can't be cleared up with a quick answer on the phone. I assured her that she had a church family willing to work with her and her family - work with her - not simply write a check to solve the immediate concern. Taxes are due until April 15 so we've got some time. We set an appointment time to meet and I tried again to give her some comfort that she was not alone in this struggle.
A call came in from another women. She is in her mid-40's. She wondered into a store in Nashville desperate to talk with someone about what was going on in her life. The clerk she approached with the start of her story was someone I had met a few weeks earlier and told about Otter Creek and what we are trying to be to the community. She remembered that and gave the woman our name and number. Seems she had been married for 20 years and was being divorced due to her having a short affair with another man. She told me how sorry she was for what she had done. How it had ruined her relationship with her children as well as her husband. How he had said that he didn't feel like he could trust her ever again and wanted out of the marriage. She understood and seem truly regretful and repentant of the mess she had made. Her call was to ask for some help in understanding what to do next. The house was in her name (inherited) but she had not worked in 20 years. He had paid all the bills and was now refusing to pay for anything except the minimum while the divorce was going through. She was convinced she was about to be homeless and on the street and was in fear of that. I listened. I asked her who she had to talk with (remember, I've never met this woman). I assumed the answer since she called, but she confirmed that there was no one for her to talk with. She had no spiritual family to walk with her. No one to love her, accept her where she was and then begin to walk with her as she tries to live. She said she could see no way to ever forgive herself and she never expected to be forgiven. Her quickness to assure me she wasn't suicidal was more of a concern to me than a reassurance. I listened. What can someone say in a situation like that? There's no quick answer. This is life changing. What is going on will be something that stays with you for the rest of your life - the pain will eventually lessen, but the consequence is something that you have to live with. How do you say that over the phone? I don't think you do. I think you listen with the intent to open up a door of opportunity for a relationship that can grow.
Listening is only part "how". More importantly is who and why. May we never forget that these are real people talking about real pain and fears. Many of them are lonely and are reaching out in this impersonal form of communication to lessen the fear of rejection. They know, deep down inside, they need someone in their lives to walk with them. But the concept of being loved and accepted, not judged but, at the same time, treated with honesty and respect, is more than they may have ever received. But that's the call of Jesus followers. Why? Because I'm no different than any of them. I am them! And in the person of Jesus I have that unconditional acceptance and friend that will walk with me. That's who we're called to be. May we never get so busy or so cynical that we don't take the time to listen.
3.8.09
Got the opportunity to present another initiative of Real Community to the Otter Creek family during our Sunday service. The call was to encourage each of our members to be willing to sacrifice some of their time and "business" in order to help support other members. We're going to have an event called "Give It Forward" where any of our members looking to grow their business can set up an information table in the gym to let our other members know what it is that they do. In a church of 1,000 most people know a little about a few people and almost nothing about most people. If would estimate that we have a church where 30-35 folks are without jobs and another 50 looking for ways to grow their business. There's no reason that in a church of this size and with the resources available we shouldn't be able to get them jobs and send enough business their way to help them make it through these tough times. The challenge is getting those of us not in one of those groups to step us and be willing to make changes in our lives (what we spend, where we spend it - both our money and our time) in order to benefit those in need. Sounds biblically based to me, but I sense we're really pushing the call to many of our folks in asking them to do this. So for the next weeks leading up to the event, most of the focus will be on getting members to attend the event to learn, encourage and start helping our folks in some direct and real ways. Stay in touch..
This afternoon had my first opportunity to visit one of our local psychiatric hospitals. Got a call from a local half-way house about a women looking to get financial assistance so that she had a place to go when discharged from the hospital. I talked with her a few days ago as well as with the hospital social worker to get a little background. And as a part of our "normal" follow-up I made an appointment to sit down with her. Once again, I just happen to think that is how Jesus would handle it, so my commitment is to do my best to follow in his steps. Turns out to be a deep, messy and complicated story (what's new about that?). The young lady is pregnant and homeless with some deep emotional issues as well as addiction problems. At the same time, it is so easy to see many of her fears and frustrations that have contributed to the bad decisions she has made that have taken her down this path. Who knows where this will lead? But as I got ready to leave she looked at my business card and said to me, "You really mean that I can call you if I need to?". We're all looking for someone to trust - regardless of how badly we've been hurt or betrayed. Problem with that is that most of us are looking for another person to fill that need. And no matter how much we look and try, we're bound to be disappointed. There's only one that will never let us down and that's who we need to be ultimately depending on. Much easier said than done, but look at what our decisions to this point have gotten us.
4PM services at Joyful Noise at Martha O'Bryan. I was jolted to reality when a 12 year old girl responded to the call for prayer requests with the plea that the shooting would stop and the need for all the police in their neighborhood could go away. For God's sake, we're in Nashville Tennessee. Why does a 12 year old have to live in fear of being shot when playing outside her front door? The answer is multi-faceted and we've got lots of smart people thinking about it. But I know that the church has to be a part of the solution. May we be centered on Jesus and not get all bent out of shape as we try to form creative solutions and partnerships that seek to address many of the issues that will surface.
This afternoon had my first opportunity to visit one of our local psychiatric hospitals. Got a call from a local half-way house about a women looking to get financial assistance so that she had a place to go when discharged from the hospital. I talked with her a few days ago as well as with the hospital social worker to get a little background. And as a part of our "normal" follow-up I made an appointment to sit down with her. Once again, I just happen to think that is how Jesus would handle it, so my commitment is to do my best to follow in his steps. Turns out to be a deep, messy and complicated story (what's new about that?). The young lady is pregnant and homeless with some deep emotional issues as well as addiction problems. At the same time, it is so easy to see many of her fears and frustrations that have contributed to the bad decisions she has made that have taken her down this path. Who knows where this will lead? But as I got ready to leave she looked at my business card and said to me, "You really mean that I can call you if I need to?". We're all looking for someone to trust - regardless of how badly we've been hurt or betrayed. Problem with that is that most of us are looking for another person to fill that need. And no matter how much we look and try, we're bound to be disappointed. There's only one that will never let us down and that's who we need to be ultimately depending on. Much easier said than done, but look at what our decisions to this point have gotten us.
4PM services at Joyful Noise at Martha O'Bryan. I was jolted to reality when a 12 year old girl responded to the call for prayer requests with the plea that the shooting would stop and the need for all the police in their neighborhood could go away. For God's sake, we're in Nashville Tennessee. Why does a 12 year old have to live in fear of being shot when playing outside her front door? The answer is multi-faceted and we've got lots of smart people thinking about it. But I know that the church has to be a part of the solution. May we be centered on Jesus and not get all bent out of shape as we try to form creative solutions and partnerships that seek to address many of the issues that will surface.
3.4.09
The economic crisis we're in is no respecter or persons or privilege. It may have taken a little longer to make its presence felt at the Otter Creek family, but it's here and it's real. And while our desire and focus to help those with less continues and our time & funding to assist is still available, there's no doubt that we (as a Christ-following community) are called to take care of our own while we also reach out and respond to those outside our family. For the last 2 months I've been putting together a ministry called Real Community. It's a series of initiatives designed to help our church family reach out and respond to our our members who are being hit by the financial fall out. Before I list some of those initiatives I want to explain the real "opportunity" I feel I'm being called to help pull out of this economic mess and the Real Community ministry - it's not to help those who have lost their job or had their income cut. It's to give all of us at Otter Creek an new paradigm of what it means to be a "real community" to our brothers and sisters. I want to call all of us to a new realization of responsibility to each other. We may find it hard to get passionate about helping people in need that we don't know, that we see on the street or under a bridge that might scare or offend us. But surely we can get behind and support (in many different ways) efforts to help our friends who sit beside us each week. This ministry has the potential to pull back the curtain on our fears and pride, our masks and our hypocrisy and allow us the opportunity to be real. It's not just about some classes we can hold to help those who have lost their jobs. It's responding to them in a way that we'd respond if one of our own children lost their jobs - we'd pull out all the stops, call in all our chips, sacrifice, invest time, reallocate resources and priorities, adjust plans. In effect, we[d personally invest ourselves to help them get back on their feet. That's what this ministry will call each member to do. For example, if we have a member who is self employed as an insurance agent and struggling to make ends meet in this economy, then I believe I have a responsibility to look at who is carrying my insurance. If it's some faceless company that I use, then I contend I should be looking to move my business to this member to help support him. If one of my sisters cleans houses and we currently have a cleaning service or even another person cleaning our house that has no ties to our church community then now may be the time for me to move that business to my sister. Several of the Real Community initiatives involve members polling their financial resources for the good of the whole - especially those in need.
Times like these call for out-of-the-box thinking and responding in a timely manner that is uncharacteristic for most churches. Some of these initiatives are a little radical. Some are a little risky. Some raise the perception that these times really are a crisis when some of us would prefer to think it's really not as bad as others are saying - that we can be dispensers of hope to this without a job by praying for them (which we definitely need to do) and letting them know we are there to support them - but not really putting any substance behind our words. I'm happy to be a part of a church family that is allowing me to put together some programs that are designed to encourage and be a real help.
Take a look at this list and then let me know if you have thoughts or questions:
REAL COMMUNITY – INITIATIVE SUMMARY
1. Business Fair – Designed to provide a place for Otter Creek members to let other Otter Creek members know about the services and products they represent or sell.
2. RealCommunity.org – An initiative to develop a networking database for job resources and needs thought the Otter Creek member network.
3. Christian Loan Fund – An initiative to create a church-owned and managed unemployment benefit pool to assist pool members who lose their jobs to supplement their remaining income with the goal of keeping their mortgage current.
4. Health Insurance pool – An initiative to cover members who have lost their health insurance with underwritten catastrophic coverage supplemented by church funded short term medical costs.
5. Free clinic for OCC members run by OCC doctors
6. Vegetable garden for OCC members
7. Classes on stretching a food budget while eating healthy
8. Budgeting & Cost cutting in a tough economy – how to renegotiate debt/ how to handle debt collectors
9. Family financial fund support - supplemental doncations by OCC members to help other members
10. Job Seeker network ministry
11. Interview skills training classes
12. Resume writing skills/HR Coaching
13. Good Clothes closet/ Interview clothes
14. Tax filing assistance/ Q&A about taxes
15. Educational funding options due to loss of investments
16. Create DVD to communicate Real Community
I feel sure we'll keep adding to this list. If you're reading this and would like more information on a particular initiative or how one of them might work, feel free to contact me and I'll try to explain in more detail.
It was a strange feeling to have spent the morning working on Real Community to then head to Tent City with a couple of Otter Creekers to check on a few of our friends that live there. We listened to their problems and tried to offer assistance and support. I find a strange kind of freedom from people living on the street. I'd never romanticize their plight or wish it on anyone. But I can't help but look at the issues they face each day and contrast them with the complicated lives many of us have to try and manage and wonder how Jesus would respond if he were to hang out with each of us for a few days. For some reason I think he'd be sympathetic to the problems and struggles of my homeless friend. And I can see him shaking his head in frustration at me as I try and rationalize how I'm spending my time in working through all the "stuff" I've gotten myself into. I can just imagine him wishing I'd listen to him as he looks at me, loves me and says, "go sell all that stuff and follow me...". I think I've heard those words before.
Times like these call for out-of-the-box thinking and responding in a timely manner that is uncharacteristic for most churches. Some of these initiatives are a little radical. Some are a little risky. Some raise the perception that these times really are a crisis when some of us would prefer to think it's really not as bad as others are saying - that we can be dispensers of hope to this without a job by praying for them (which we definitely need to do) and letting them know we are there to support them - but not really putting any substance behind our words. I'm happy to be a part of a church family that is allowing me to put together some programs that are designed to encourage and be a real help.
Take a look at this list and then let me know if you have thoughts or questions:
REAL COMMUNITY – INITIATIVE SUMMARY
1. Business Fair – Designed to provide a place for Otter Creek members to let other Otter Creek members know about the services and products they represent or sell.
2. RealCommunity.org – An initiative to develop a networking database for job resources and needs thought the Otter Creek member network.
3. Christian Loan Fund – An initiative to create a church-owned and managed unemployment benefit pool to assist pool members who lose their jobs to supplement their remaining income with the goal of keeping their mortgage current.
4. Health Insurance pool – An initiative to cover members who have lost their health insurance with underwritten catastrophic coverage supplemented by church funded short term medical costs.
5. Free clinic for OCC members run by OCC doctors
6. Vegetable garden for OCC members
7. Classes on stretching a food budget while eating healthy
8. Budgeting & Cost cutting in a tough economy – how to renegotiate debt/ how to handle debt collectors
9. Family financial fund support - supplemental doncations by OCC members to help other members
10. Job Seeker network ministry
11. Interview skills training classes
12. Resume writing skills/HR Coaching
13. Good Clothes closet/ Interview clothes
14. Tax filing assistance/ Q&A about taxes
15. Educational funding options due to loss of investments
16. Create DVD to communicate Real Community
I feel sure we'll keep adding to this list. If you're reading this and would like more information on a particular initiative or how one of them might work, feel free to contact me and I'll try to explain in more detail.
It was a strange feeling to have spent the morning working on Real Community to then head to Tent City with a couple of Otter Creekers to check on a few of our friends that live there. We listened to their problems and tried to offer assistance and support. I find a strange kind of freedom from people living on the street. I'd never romanticize their plight or wish it on anyone. But I can't help but look at the issues they face each day and contrast them with the complicated lives many of us have to try and manage and wonder how Jesus would respond if he were to hang out with each of us for a few days. For some reason I think he'd be sympathetic to the problems and struggles of my homeless friend. And I can see him shaking his head in frustration at me as I try and rationalize how I'm spending my time in working through all the "stuff" I've gotten myself into. I can just imagine him wishing I'd listen to him as he looks at me, loves me and says, "go sell all that stuff and follow me...". I think I've heard those words before.
3.3.09
Tuesday mornings are tied up with staff meetings and a staff lunch that normally keep me in the office and in meetings. So it's a good time to catch up with phone calls and make plans for the rest of the day and the week. Over the past week and this past Sunday I had several Otter creek families let me know they had furniture to donate. While we have a volunteer group that works with me to pick up furniture, I also feel a need to be somewhat involved to continue to give the donation the credibility that it will be used for a real person with real needs and not just donated to be resold. I believe most people want to know how they can connect and donations like this are real, tangible ways for that to happen. I had one volunteer show up in the afternoon to go with me to 3 different houses to pick up quite a bit of furniture and other miscellaneous donations. The smaller stuff goes to Thriftsmart and the furniture we are hanging onto in order to help about 3 families who have called in the last few weeks looking for beds, sofa and desks. Over the next week or so we'll have the chance to be welcomed into their homes as we deliver this furniture. I'll take one or two volunteers with me to help and to hear and see a different world than many of them knew existed within 30 minutes of where they live. Offering someone a bed (when they are sleeping on a quilt pad on the floor) is one of the best ways I've found to start to build a relationship. It requires followup and persistence, but very rarely do I ever get a response that they don't want to talk with me when I call to check up on them or call to ask if I can drop by and see how they are doing (especially when that's what I really mean!)
This evening my friend Lee Camp is hosting his Tokens show on the Lipscomb campus. He graciously gave me several tickets to invite a group of friends that would normally not know about this event, much less be able to pay for the tickets. I invited 10 women from Mending Hearts (http://www.mendingheartsinc.org/) to come with me. I had told them that Vince Gill was the special guest of the show tonight so they were excited to come (they had never heard of Tokens). As they arrived it was obvious to most people that they were visitors - several of them just didn't look like the rest of us. But it was beautiful how everyone that I introduced them to seemed happy to welcome them and genuinely interested to hear about Mending Hearts and the program. It totally blew their mind when I introduced them to Dr. Randy Lowery. I simply told them his name and he proceeded to say hello individually to each lady, shake their hand and welcome them to the campus. After he left I told them he was the President of the university and they were floored that someone that important would take the time to tell them hello. After the show Vince signed each of the ladies' meeting sheets (for those of you with AA experience, you know what that is)! He said he'd never signed an autograph like that. He got all the women on stage with him and allowed them to take pictures with them. While I know they'll never forget this, I also know the impact of the songs about God and justice and the reception they received will also stay with them. A homeless friend who attended a prior Tokens show told me after his evening experience that he didn't know that 500 people could spend 2 hours together laughing, singing, hearing great stories and enjoying each other's company without getting drunk, high or in a fight. It was a new experience for him. Thanks to Lee, Vince Gill and the rest of the Tokens team for making this a night that has given a group of women a new experience that may just open a door for them for the rest of their lives...
This evening my friend Lee Camp is hosting his Tokens show on the Lipscomb campus. He graciously gave me several tickets to invite a group of friends that would normally not know about this event, much less be able to pay for the tickets. I invited 10 women from Mending Hearts (http://www.mendingheartsinc.org/) to come with me. I had told them that Vince Gill was the special guest of the show tonight so they were excited to come (they had never heard of Tokens). As they arrived it was obvious to most people that they were visitors - several of them just didn't look like the rest of us. But it was beautiful how everyone that I introduced them to seemed happy to welcome them and genuinely interested to hear about Mending Hearts and the program. It totally blew their mind when I introduced them to Dr. Randy Lowery. I simply told them his name and he proceeded to say hello individually to each lady, shake their hand and welcome them to the campus. After he left I told them he was the President of the university and they were floored that someone that important would take the time to tell them hello. After the show Vince signed each of the ladies' meeting sheets (for those of you with AA experience, you know what that is)! He said he'd never signed an autograph like that. He got all the women on stage with him and allowed them to take pictures with them. While I know they'll never forget this, I also know the impact of the songs about God and justice and the reception they received will also stay with them. A homeless friend who attended a prior Tokens show told me after his evening experience that he didn't know that 500 people could spend 2 hours together laughing, singing, hearing great stories and enjoying each other's company without getting drunk, high or in a fight. It was a new experience for him. Thanks to Lee, Vince Gill and the rest of the Tokens team for making this a night that has given a group of women a new experience that may just open a door for them for the rest of their lives...
3.2.09
While I'm a huge proponent of being on the streets and getting my hands in the day-to-day lives of people, there's also a lot that can be done from the office - especially in the way of follow up, resource connection and encouragement to people we've earlier come in contact with. This was one of those mornings that was spent in the office. Talked with another case worker who called from Metro General looking for resources and direction to help a homeless man find a place to stay - problem was that he said he'd been turned down at the mission and the Campus. That's a big red flag since you have to be pretty belligerent to get turned down there. I offered to call and check him out and get back, but also gave her a few other places to point him to. Took several calls from people checking back on furniture availability. We've got several pick ups to make this week so we should be able to help out a few families. Got a call from a single mom of 6 children who thought she has finally found a job. She showed up for work today only to find out that the man who "hired" her had only told her to come back to talk with him - and he wasn't even at the office! She called from the business very upset and wondering what to do. You see her last time in jail was for punching an officer - she knows her temper can get her in trouble so she took the time to at least think to call. I got her to get the man's name (she didn't even know that) and phone number by politely asking the receptionist for it. She then called the man and asked for an explanation. As it turned out, she was actually hired and will start this Friday! I tried to explain to her how important it was to not lose you cool and don't think everybody is out to get you (easy for me to say). She headed home a very happy young lady. Then took a call from the wife of a young man who'd been referred to us from another case manager. We'd met last week and I left feeling really good that they had chance to reconcile. We were able to plug them into a church that they actually attended on Sunday. But somehow, Sunday afternoon things got off track. The wife had to go to work at a fast food restaurant and the husband decided to go and just sit there during her shift. After a few hours the manager told her that he couldn't stay, even though the manager's son was there the whole time. This mad the young man angry and he thought that his wife might be lying so she could rendezvous with another man. She tried to explain to him that wasn't the case but he continued to escalate the confrontation. Fortunately, she didn't let it get too out of hand but they ended the evening angry at each other. She called to ask for advice so we talked for a while and she hung up with some advice that I hope will let them continue to grow together.
Got a desperate call from a young man I've known for several years. We initially met when I was working with a young woman asking for help with rent. Visiting in her apartment in the projects, I noticed it appeared she had someone living with her (having a roommate is against the lease rules of the Nashville housing projects. If you get caught with someone living in your apartment that is not on the lease you will be evicted). It turned out to be this young man who had just gotten out of prison. Before we helped the young lady I asked to meet with the young man, told him what he was doing could get his girlfriend evicted and convinced him to let us help him as well. We were able to help him with housing and a job. Eventually he lost both of these, violated his probation and ended back up in jail. When he got out he called for help again and we've been working together ever since. He and his girlfriend were married several months ago and he placed membership and was baptized in a small church in North Nashville. I've had the opportunity to talk with his pastor on several occasions when this young man calls for help. He's having a very hard time finding a job and helping support his family because of his felony and prison record and because the terms of his probation require him to attend classes each week and to pay fees, which he has to beg (I mean that literally) to get the $40 each week. This call was a desperation call as his class was tomorrow and he felt like he had run out of options. The instructor had agreed to lower his fee to $20, but he couldn't seem to find the money nor did he have any way to get to class. I told him we'd give him a couple of bus passes (if you want to know one way to help homeless people asking for help on the streets, but some one day bus passes and keep them in your wallet to give out - they are like gold to most of them), but wouldn't help with the $20 (it's a tough call to know where to draw the line so as to not enable someone, especially when you know you have the resources to help). I encouraged him to keep looking for ways to get the money and to check back with me later in the day. He did tell me that he felt like he had secured a job starting later in the week. It required he get his drivers license reinstated and that one of the members of his church had agreed to pay for that. He called back about 2 hours later to let me know that he had made $10 washing a car and was looking for another car to wash (the high temp for today is in the low 30's). I headed to see him with a couple of bus passes and $10 out of my wallet just in case he hadn't made the other $10 by the time I got to him. As it turned out, he only had $10, so I gave him my $10 (which he promised to repay - we'll see) and the bus passes.
Went to meet the one of the managers of one of Nashville's agencies responsible for helping people with financial problems. We had met a few weeks earlier to learn about a new program his agency had which had just received significant funds to assist with utility bills. A part of the program was matching funds available to them when they reported what other groups and churches were spending to help qualified people pay their bills. When they first told a group of us about the "leveraging funds" it didn't make sense to me so I wrote it off. However, over the last few weeks he had sent me several emails asking for our list of names and amounts we'd paid to help people with their utility bills. Finally I decided to go see him to better understand the program. Seems for every dollar we (or any other church) spends to help with utility bills and then report to this agency they can pull additional dollars into their funds to help other people - come of which we can refer to them. We've got a good relationship with this group so we plan to try and use this partnership to help some people get their bills paid. The problem is that by the time most people call us for help, they are within a few days of cut-off. Currently this agency is more than 30 days behind in processing requests for help. So any referral we give to them is likely to have their electric or gas shut-off before they receive funds to help - and these funds do not pay for deposits or reconnection fees!! Go figure....
Headed to the Campus for the weekly Monday night meal with the Odyssey guys. Got a call on the way from one of my homeless friends asking for help. The low tonight is around 18. My friend and one of his buddies called to let me know they did not have a ticket for Room in the Inn and only had $15 towards a hotel room. They'd been doing some odd jobs during the day and had earned $30 but had to eat (food stamps don't come out until the 10th) and could only afford $15. I agreed to pick them up right after I finished the Odyssey meal and to pay for the other half of the room for the night. When I got to the dinner I had lost my appetite so I said my hellos to the men and then headed out. I got my friends picked up and checked in for the evening.
Got a desperate call from a young man I've known for several years. We initially met when I was working with a young woman asking for help with rent. Visiting in her apartment in the projects, I noticed it appeared she had someone living with her (having a roommate is against the lease rules of the Nashville housing projects. If you get caught with someone living in your apartment that is not on the lease you will be evicted). It turned out to be this young man who had just gotten out of prison. Before we helped the young lady I asked to meet with the young man, told him what he was doing could get his girlfriend evicted and convinced him to let us help him as well. We were able to help him with housing and a job. Eventually he lost both of these, violated his probation and ended back up in jail. When he got out he called for help again and we've been working together ever since. He and his girlfriend were married several months ago and he placed membership and was baptized in a small church in North Nashville. I've had the opportunity to talk with his pastor on several occasions when this young man calls for help. He's having a very hard time finding a job and helping support his family because of his felony and prison record and because the terms of his probation require him to attend classes each week and to pay fees, which he has to beg (I mean that literally) to get the $40 each week. This call was a desperation call as his class was tomorrow and he felt like he had run out of options. The instructor had agreed to lower his fee to $20, but he couldn't seem to find the money nor did he have any way to get to class. I told him we'd give him a couple of bus passes (if you want to know one way to help homeless people asking for help on the streets, but some one day bus passes and keep them in your wallet to give out - they are like gold to most of them), but wouldn't help with the $20 (it's a tough call to know where to draw the line so as to not enable someone, especially when you know you have the resources to help). I encouraged him to keep looking for ways to get the money and to check back with me later in the day. He did tell me that he felt like he had secured a job starting later in the week. It required he get his drivers license reinstated and that one of the members of his church had agreed to pay for that. He called back about 2 hours later to let me know that he had made $10 washing a car and was looking for another car to wash (the high temp for today is in the low 30's). I headed to see him with a couple of bus passes and $10 out of my wallet just in case he hadn't made the other $10 by the time I got to him. As it turned out, he only had $10, so I gave him my $10 (which he promised to repay - we'll see) and the bus passes.
Went to meet the one of the managers of one of Nashville's agencies responsible for helping people with financial problems. We had met a few weeks earlier to learn about a new program his agency had which had just received significant funds to assist with utility bills. A part of the program was matching funds available to them when they reported what other groups and churches were spending to help qualified people pay their bills. When they first told a group of us about the "leveraging funds" it didn't make sense to me so I wrote it off. However, over the last few weeks he had sent me several emails asking for our list of names and amounts we'd paid to help people with their utility bills. Finally I decided to go see him to better understand the program. Seems for every dollar we (or any other church) spends to help with utility bills and then report to this agency they can pull additional dollars into their funds to help other people - come of which we can refer to them. We've got a good relationship with this group so we plan to try and use this partnership to help some people get their bills paid. The problem is that by the time most people call us for help, they are within a few days of cut-off. Currently this agency is more than 30 days behind in processing requests for help. So any referral we give to them is likely to have their electric or gas shut-off before they receive funds to help - and these funds do not pay for deposits or reconnection fees!! Go figure....
Headed to the Campus for the weekly Monday night meal with the Odyssey guys. Got a call on the way from one of my homeless friends asking for help. The low tonight is around 18. My friend and one of his buddies called to let me know they did not have a ticket for Room in the Inn and only had $15 towards a hotel room. They'd been doing some odd jobs during the day and had earned $30 but had to eat (food stamps don't come out until the 10th) and could only afford $15. I agreed to pick them up right after I finished the Odyssey meal and to pay for the other half of the room for the night. When I got to the dinner I had lost my appetite so I said my hellos to the men and then headed out. I got my friends picked up and checked in for the evening.
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