Month: August 2013
Taking Steps Toward Your Dreams
“Hey, this guy is on Facebook!”
“That’s his job, Deshay”
And that’s how my first experience at the teen LifeSkills class began. I had tried to blend into the background, to be an invisible observer, but that just wasn’t an option. On Monday nights, everyone participates—everyone is part of the group.
These Life Skills Classes have been going on for almost three years—this particular one was class #126. Christopher Kai (an entrepreneur among many other things) is the lead volunteer, and has devoted every Monday night (sans holidays) to enrich the lives of the teens at the Mission. Each lesson encourages, inspires, and teaches the students how to work toward their dreams. He also has an awesome and diverse group of volunteer mentors: a former marine, an preschool teacher, a wealth manager, a model/photographer, and a ballerina.
From the moment the door opened up you could feel the excitement emanating from the teens. As they entered the room, their faces would light up—one right after the next. You could definitely tell this class was one of the highlights of their week, a place of retreat from the monotony of Mission life. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Chris approach all of the first timers and make an effort to memorize all of their names. Impressive indeed.
Today’s meeting revolved around the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech”.
“We are each made exactly 99.6% the same,” Chris explained as he pointed to individuals in the group. He continued on how MLK fought for civil rights and how it’s significance in history affected not only those in America, but to all people worldwide.
We were then broken up into three groups in a little exercise to the roof.
Each group was given a mentor and instructions on how to tackle the flights of stairs before us. The first group would ascend to the top by skipping as many steps as possible, the second would skip every other step, and finally the third would take every step.
When all of us finally reached the rooftop we regrouped under the cityscape of downtown LA. The exercise was designed to show that whether we are skipping steps or taking our time with each individual stair, we are all on our individual journey. All we needed to focus on is our dreams and the goals we needed to set to get there.
If anyone is interested in volunteering, please visit: www.fb.com/mondaysatthemission or email Christopher Kai directly at Chris@christopherkai.com
Thelma
How Will We Ever End (Slow) Homelessness?
A few years ago URM came up with a 10 step plan to end homelessness that we really believed in. Our goal was to get all people off the streets of Skid Row by 2016. You can view the well thought out plan at You Are The Mission.
Our Federal government, local Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and others also came up with a plan called Home For Good LA—they believed this would end chronic and veteran’s homelessness in Los Angeles by 2016.
Despite the well intended plans of many, homelessness has increased by 16% in the Los Angeles area in the last two years. Though veterans’ homelessness has decreased with the increased attention, single male and female homelessness has increased in spite of the increased Home for Good focus on these two groups of individuals experiencing homelessness.
Prior to 2012, there were several years where the number of people residing on Skid Row in Los Angeles was decreasing. This year, the numbers of people on the streets have jumped dramatically. In fact, I have never seen so many people on the streets of Skid Row in my nearly 14 years of volunteering or working here. It is frustrating to admit that whatever we are all doing; including the Federal Government, local government, local Chamber, United Way, Home For Good LA, and others — we are not ending homelessness.
The theory of focusing on the “anchor” people (who have been chronically homeless for years) and getting them off of the streets, so that homelessness would end, is simply not valid.
By shifting most of the resources on the few (10% to 20% of those experiencing homelessness – the Chronic and Veterans), most of the resources have shifted away from the other 80% to 90% experiencing homelessness; families, children, those on the edge and falling in and out of homelessness—and left them out in the cold.
Studies of adults experiencing chronic homelessness suggest that they were once chronically impoverished or homeless children, which may very well mean today’s chronically impoverished & homeless children will be tomorrow’s chronically homeless adults. This leads me to predict that efforts put forth by all of those focused only on the few right now will actually lead to increased homelessness — not only in the now and near future, but in the long run. In fact, I would declare right now we have an epidemic of homelessness that will only increase.
One of my respected and trusted peers, Larry Adamson, CEO and President of The Midnight Mission, says our Federal Government’s plan calls for people receiving housing and depending on the government in perpetuity. Neither Larry nor I believe this is a sustainable plan now or in the future as homelessness continues to increase.
Another knowledgeable trusted colleague has a more cynical view toward our Federal Government’s plan. He and others believe the plan is to make people experiencing homelessness obscure and out of sight, stuck away in very small quarters without the services they so desperately need to turn their lives around. Union Rescue Mission believes in ending homelessness, one life at a time, through Life Transformation. We believe our role in this challenge of homelessness is life transformation, followed by a job, followed by a home.
I’m not here to put the blame on anyone in particular. The truth is no one can keep up with the increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness our American Culture is producing.
One of the most common denominators for homelessness is isolation. Too often we hear “I have no ties to family” as the first of many issues that led to a guest becoming homeless. Families were disintegrated or bridges were burned, young people have ended up in foster care and then left foster care only to end up homeless or in prison and on their own. The reality is that broken relationships result in broken lives. Broken people lose touch with their humanity, their dignity, and their value as a person created by God. They are truly lost.
Many of the people who come to us are lost and don’t know it. Some are lost and have ceased to care. At Union Rescue Mission we believe our job is to reach out to them one life at a time with the most potent alternative, a relationship with Christ. It is our job to present the Gospel in words, actions, and commitment. Then and only then can the cycle of isolation, lack of family, lack of community that can lead to addiction, mental illness and yes, even homelessness be broken.
Until we address our families and culture of isolation, and develop a heart that will not allow even one person to be on their own living on the streets, we will not end homelessness.
Blessings,
Rev. Andy Bales
Written with assistance from URM teammates: Chaplain Steve Borja, Jacqui Groseth, and Kitty Davis-Walker.
The Mission Newsletter – August 2013
Thelma grew up in a family of 12. Her father was a very strict pastor, especially when it came to church. “He made us go to church two or three days a week, and we didn’t have a choice,” she recalls. “But I never really understood God. All I knew was that I hated going to church because I was made to go.”
Thelma says her father was controlling, angry, mean, and even physically abusive. “It reached a point where I had taken enough abuse, so I ran away.”
She was 13.
On the streets, Thelma says she initially felt free, “because I was able to do what I wanted to do. But I made a lot of bad choices.”
Those choices included alcohol, cigarettes, barbiturates, and, later, harder drugs, such as PCP and crack cocaine — and she had three children along the way. When Thelma became addicted to crack, she lost custody of her kids.
“I couldn’t hold on to a job or an apartment,” she says. “I started living out of abandoned houses. Men beat and abused me. I started hustling and stealing — even from my own family. I got high to live, and lived to get high. It was a sad, hard life. Next thing I know, 25 years of my life went by.”
Through it all, she blamed God, believing He was punishing her, and that He didn’t care. But when she was busted for drug possession in 1998, Thelma hit rock bottom while sitting in a jail cell. Tired and scared, she cried out to God.
“God heard me,” she recalls. “In jail, I got saved. God filled me with peace and turned my life around. That’s when I found out that with God, all things are possible.”
Soon Thelma reconciled with her entire family, including her children. But God had even more for her. Part of her transformation also took place at Union Rescue Mission. When Thelma applied for a job at URM in 2001, she found a home. She has been working with men, women, and children experiencing homelessness ever since. Today she is URM’s Supervisor of Hospitality and Guest Services.
“I feel so blessed,” she says. “This is right where I need to be, helping people. God has shown me so much love, kindness, and compassion. That’s what I want to show our guests here at the Mission. I want them to know someone cares.”
When temperatures rise on Skid Row, the harshness of these streets turns even crueler for people experiencing homelessness. Right now, people are suffering from life-threatening, heat-related illnesses on the sidewalks outside our doors. And we desperately need your help.
Every summer, donations drop way off. Worse, right now we’re facing a serious and dramatic financial shortfall that’s threatening our ability to meet the needs of precious souls who need our help this summer.
Your Gift Offers Hope to Hot, Thirsty People on Skid Row
Your kindness will make a huge difference. Your gift today will provide not just water, but also cool shelter, nutritious meals, and another day of hope — in Jesus’ name — to these precious people who need your help the most this summer. So please send the most generous gift you can today. Thank you!
Grit and Grace
I hope you read Thelma’s story in this issue of The Mission. She’s one special lady. After spending so many years struggling with drugs and homelessness herself, she offers extraordinary understanding and compassion to our guests. She has a big heart and refuses to give up on anyone. At the same time, she’s also wise and tough as nails, when she has to be. But in Thelma, it’s all love, all the time.
And when you’re working with people who are coming in off these streets of Skid Row, that combination of compassion and tough love is essential. These streets make people tough or they die. And we have to match their toughness with equal amounts of grit and grace.
But we do it because we truly believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ can transform lives, no matter how damaged they are. The power of that gospel transformed Thelma’s life. And it’s transforming the lives of countless numbers of people at URM.
With your caring support, we live out that gospel whenever we offer hurting people food, shelter, counseling, medical and dental care, and more. That’s what makes Thelma special. And thanks to you, it’s what makes Union Rescue Mission special.
Blessings,
Laker Jordan Farmar Sponsors URM Kids for Basketball Camp
“Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump…”
The sound of bouncing basketballs fill the stadium. If you closed your eyes for just a few seconds, it sounded like rain pattering on the rooftops. A hundred kids were dribbling their basketballs in unison—performing an unorthodox orchestral piece. This was the final day of Jordan Farmar’s 6th annual Hoop Farm, and I was ready to soak it all in.
Hoop Farm 2013 was held from July 29 through August 1 at UCLA’s brand new Pauley Pavilion. Children within the range of 7-16 are able to attend the camp, and Union Rescue Mission was blessed to be able to send a group fully sponsored by Jordan Farmar’s Foundation. Each student sent received an official Hoop Farm t-shirt, reversible jersey, and yoga mat!
To start the day off, the participants rolled out their yoga mats and began their stretching. I took some personal notes as my own flexibility leaves something to be desired. Then the “real” basketball training began, where the basketball court transformed something akin to a rotating organic clock—each timed station would teach an important basketball fundamental. Pushups, dribbling, defense, plyometrics; all combined would give the individual the tools to become a well-rounded player. Most importantly, the whole camp emphasized teamwork and cooperation—and it showed in the scrimmages to come.
One of the highlights of the day was the camp “Knockout” game. The interesting part about this game was the long line of participants (20+), and included Jordan Farmar and all of the coaches.
But the finale was what everyone was waiting in anticipation for. The camp held a final scrimmage—teams combined of coaches and children. Amazingly enough, the kids were able to hold their own versus the much more physically dominant counselors; many of them members of the UCLA basketball team. I was in awe at the level of play exhibited towards the end, and with each passing photograph wondered if I had just taken the picture of the next NBA star. Who knows?
