An Unexpected Christmas Card

From Paula & Marvin, living under the railroad bridge.

It was the best Christmas card we received this year!

News article about us

Below is an article from the "Kearney Courier" newspaper on July 26, 2007

[Like all news articles it leaves more questions than it answers and it is not totally accurate (for instance it insinuates that it is a kid's group). The majority of the people showing up to help and donating food are adults... but it was Cody's dreamchild. Cathy was realistic enough to realize that there would have to be a lot of adult involvement for it to succeed. Sad to say, but there are even parents who will not allow their kids to go along ever because they feel they would be in danger.

The article also does not mention Sheila who is the lifeline of the group. She has actually bonded with a couple and spends her day off visiting with them. She takes them to the City Market and brings them to church and to her home. She has become a kind of extended family member to Paula and Marvin.

All of those who have participated in our Under the Rail Road program have been changed by the experience.]

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Kearney Kids aim to Bring Hope to the Hopeless

Most people can remember a time when they were stopped at a red light and saw someone on the side of the road asking for something. Maybe he asked for money or food or a job, but he said he needed something that he could not provide for himself.

And while some may crack their window and slop out a few dollars, others just look away hoping for the light to turn green or even curse at the person, telling him to get a job.

But a group of Kearney kids are hoping to change not only the general public’s impression of the homeless but their own, too.

Brooke Alexander is one young woman who crossed the social barriers and sat under an area overpass in an effort to bridge the gap between her and those who are homeless.

“I’ll admit that the first time I went, I was nervous,” Alexander said. “I was apprehensive about what I’d see and how they’d react to us being there.”

Alexander said it didn’t take long for both sides to open up to each other.

“Once we started talking,” Alexander said. “They were respectful, friendly and welcoming.”

The group was started after Cody Bates, 16, read the book, “Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America” by Make Yankoski.

He said the book made him more aware of the needs of his community. He also said after reading it he and his youth pastor, Cathy McIntire, decided to get a froup together to do more.

“I wanted to be more involved in my community,” Bates said. “When we approached these people , we asked if they would like our help, and they said they would.”

And while there are groups all over the Kansas City area reaching our to the homeless, McIntire said that this group was different.

“We’re trying to meet them where they are,” McIntire said. “A lot of these people don’t want us to come in and change their lives; they just want to be accepted as a person.”

But whether the goal is to change lives or not, reaching out to those in need has changed the life of Bates.

“The experience of knowing these people has opened my eyes,” Bates said. “It has shown me another part of our world and that this isn’t a problem happening in another country, it’s happening here.”

Alexander also said helping the homeless had deeply affected her life.

“Knowing these people has helped me put my priorities into perspective.” Alexander said. “ My possessions are not everything, I think about what’s really important now.”

Both Bates and Alexander said spending on day with the homeless people would change what others thought when they drove by.

“These are good people,” Alexander said. “They’re not drunks or doing bad things.” Bates also invited people from his community to help.

“It’s such a great program,” Bates said. “Just take one day to say hello, and it will make a difference.”

But these youth don’t just sit and talk with the homeless people; during the winter months they bring the food and ask what they can do to make their lives easier. Bates said each week they would ask, ”If you could only receive one thing this week, what would you ask for?” Bates said that they would ask for propane so they could prepare warm meals on camp stoves or they would ask for firewood so they could keep from freezing during the long winter nights.

“There are literally 12 people living under the overpass we visit,” McIntire said. “in the winter months we visit every week and every couple of weeks once it warms up.”

McIntire said the group member were more than just someone to talk to; they were people who cared about making a difference in the lives of the homeless.

“We are giving them help in all areas of their lives,” McIntire said. “Recently we helped a woman get a mammogram, and we try to help with other needs like that that they can’t meet on their own.”

After seeing the need in the community, McIntire helped start the BackPack Program here in Kearney. The program provides food and other necessities to elementary-age children and their families on a weekly basis.

“I know for me knowing that I’ve helped meet someone’s needs is very rewarding,” McIntire said. “We want them to feel loved and valued, and I think they do.”

Staff writer Carrie Alexander can be reached at carriealexander@npgco.com

Zack

When I met Zack his hands were black. He had dark chin-length matted hair with one thin braid at the side of his head. He looked to be in his 40s but it is hard to tell.

It was obvious to me that he was living this life the way he wants to be livin’ it. Free. He was outgoing and seemed happy and content. Glad that we brought warm food on that cold day but I got the idea he wouldn't have changed his schedule to make sure he would be under the overpass to receive it.

He told us that he had just spent some time over at the Truck Stop polishing the trucker’s tires for money. (Ah! The black hands!) He explained how you have to do a good job but not to do too good a job. You know, so they’ll want you to do it the next time they’re comin’ though.

just a pencil

I think kids are often just natural at helping others. Yes, they might stare when we would know not to but they ask the questions... They treat people like people. That's all. Jodi at Looking Beyond the Cracked Window wrote this:

There is one man who lives near the malls, he sits on a bench with his cart and stuff...One day the kids and I were going into a store, and the kids said hello...Otto, bold little man, asked him what he needed most...The man said a pencil. The teen asked why a pencil, he held up a crossword puzzle from a discarded newspaper (covered in wiped off garbage) and stated his pencil broke.

We went on our way, and yet the man stuck with me. The thought of here I am spending frivolous money, not that there is a lot of that, yet truly what is the importance of just shopping.

The Teen, bored as we were not anywhere near a store that interests him, asked for twenty bucks and stated he was going to head to another store.

All done with shopping, I headed out with CJ and the Diva, to find The Teen and Otto walking across the parking lot towards this man. At first, my gut reaction was to yell, "Hey guys!", yet, I did not and waited. I calculated in the span of 5 seconds a game plan, should anything go awry...(Damn judgments)

I slowly walked towards them and watched...I could hear them chatting with him again, The teen started to hand him something, I strained to see...

Oh My... Otto and The Teen handed this man, a box of pencils, a sharpener and a brand new book of puzzles! The man was shocked and at first didn't want it, as he was afraid they would be in trouble. That was when I reached them, "No, no trouble."

The man sat there a bit dumbfounded. I quiet settled over us at that moment, a quiet that led to awkwardness. "Okay, you guys ready?" And we turned and began to walk to the truck, when I heard, "Hey lady!"

Glancing over my shoulder the man, looking into my eyes, just said, "Some kids you got there."

I smiled said thank you...
We sat in the truck for all of two minutes..All quiet. Not easy with four children on a shopping rush. All I could say, without letting that knot in my throat loose, was, "I love you guys."

And the day moved on....

Yeah....Some kids I got here.

We've all had our Moments

I just saw the video by Emerson Drive of their song "Moments". I found it to be quite moving and it got me to thinking...

We all fall sometimes. There are times when we want to give up or give in. Why don't we? What makes us so different? I don't know... I only know why we are the same.

God loves each and every one of us and life is worth living, if for no other reason than that. We all have value. We are all loved.
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The lyrics to "Moments":

I was coming to the end of a long, long walk
When a man crawled out of a cardboard box
Under the E. Street Bridge
Followed me on to it
I went out halfway across
With that homeless shadow tagging along
So I dug for some change
Wouldn't need it anyway
He took it lookin' just a bit ashamed
He said, You know, I haven't always been this way

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that plane ride coming home from the war
That summer my son was born
And memories like a coat so warm
A cold wind can't get through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments

I stood there tryin' to find my nerve
Wondering if a single soul on Earth
Would care at all
Miss me when I'm gone
That old man just kept hanging around
Lookin' at me, lookin' down
I think he recognized
That look in my eyes
Standing with him there I felt ashamed
I said, You know, I haven't always felt this way

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like the day I walked away from the wine
For a woman who became my wife
And a love that, when it was right,
Could always see me through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments

I know somewhere 'round a trashcan fire tonight
That old man tells his story one more time
He says

I've had my moments, days in the sun
Moments I was second to none
Moments when I knew I did what I thought I couldn't do
Like that cool night on the E. Street Bridge
When a young man almost ended it
I was right there, wasn't scared a bit
And I helped to pull him through
Lookin' at me now you might not know it
Oh, lookin' at me now you might not know it
But I've had my moments

Choo Choo

I never met him but I heard about him. Choo Choo. He was one of the regulars but would come and go, as with so many of those who choose this lifestyle. Not everyone who is homeless chooses it. Many are thrown into it and can't dig out. Some of them like the freedom or have grown to know it so well that there is comfort in it. I have learned that many of our new friends take great pride in their survival abilities.

Several weeks ago we had a long cold spell. The temps were not above freezing for days on end and dropped to the single digits every night. It must have been terrible trying to stay warm during that time. Choo Choo didn't. We got word that he was in the hospital with frost bite. Then we heard that they had to amputate his toes. Then he was released and no one knows to what or where.

It is our hope that he has reconnected with a loved one or possibly the Veteran's Hospital. Please keep him in your prayers as he readjusts to a new life... wherever he has landed. God Speed, Choo Choo.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anonymous Gifts

One Sunday on our normal visit to our friends off Front Street, we headed to Quick Trip afterwards to grab a hot drink and use the restroom. As one of the young women in our group came through the front door of Quick Trip, a stranger, whom had obviously seen her exit off our church bus, stopped her and said, "Did the mission just come by or something?"

Onikah, thinking that he perhaps needed some food, replied "No, I'm just with my church and we're feeding some folks - Did you need something to eat, sir?"

The man replied that he did not and Onikah went on her way; however when one of the adult women walked in just a few moments later, the same man approached her and simply handed her a $20 bill and said, "Use it how you see fit to help." The man then just went to his vehicle and drove off.

I'm often reminded of the good in people - that most people genuinely care and desire to help those in need. Often times, people just do not know how or where they can help. This man saw an opportunity to be a blessing - not only to the needy by offering money for supplies, but probably unknowingly to those of us who were there doing the serving by affirming and supporting what we are doing. I believe those opportunities to be an example and a blessing to others cross our paths on a daily basis. This man simply chose to act on the opportunity - do we?

Sunday Visits

After spending a few weeks exploring the effectiveness of our efforts in the downtown KC area and finding that the homeless have several resources available in that area, our group began to search for other places to spend our time and energy. Through conversations with others, we were led to an area of KC off Front Street - a commercialized industrial neighborhood. It is in this location that we have spent the last few months building relationships with a small group of homeless that have become like family to us now.

We've met several people, but every Sunday when we head to their "home", we can count on about 6 of the same to be there week in and week out - Marvin, Paula, Dennis, Zach, Whiskey, and Choo-Choo. Our routine is pretty much the same every week whether it's sunny, below zero, sleeting, or blizzarding - we load up a hot meal we've prepared along with bottled water and perhaps some other necessities we know they are in need of and head down there usually on the church bus right after our church is out. On the drive down, the discussion amongst the small group on the bus usually centers on what we'll find when we get there - who will be there today, how they've survived the weather that week, who has hopped on a train and headed for somewhere else, etc. - it's much like we're catching up on the "family" gossip.

When we pull up on the bus where they're usually waiting for us, we honk the horn so those who are back at "camp" can come out, meet us, eat with us, and talk. And that's exactly what happens - we pull out the meal we've prepared, serve it up for them and us alike, we sit down right under the railroad bridge overpass and eat and talk. We spend anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour chit chatting and sharing stories then we pack up what remains of the food to leave with them and we head home. The return ride always brings discussions of what new things we've learned about our friends that day, what they might need for the next week, who can make the meal the following week and what should it be?

What has always hit me when we leave is the fact that they are very comfortable with where they are - they don't act as if they care to come "home" with us. They are very grateful for the food we've provided, for our company, for other efforts we've made; but they do not make us feel guilty for their situation. They seem very content and satisfied with who they are and where they are in life. It makes me ponder our society - why is it we always want more? We always want what someone else has - why we're never content with what we have?

One thing I know: I hate it when I am unable to go see our friends on a Sunday and I have to wait until the following week to reconnect with them. I look forward to the visits and I believe they center my thoughts and challenge for the week ahead.

Lucky & Shea

In my life, there are certain things that I have always believed: people are basically good and everyone I encounter has something to teach me. I have witnessed this to be true over the years, but never more so than over the past few months as I have been blessed by the folks I've encountered as a part of an outreach ministry at my church.

As I've mentioned before, some adults and some youth from my church began to meet and discuss the book Under the Overpass. We were led in the direction of reaching out to homeless on the streets - not so much to make this "huge difference" in their lives; but more to simply begin to build some relationships with people who seem to need just that - someone to talk to, someone that cares about them, and someone who will just spend time with them. And, while our efforts were being made as a church group, our goal was not to evangelize to them; but to hopefully show them Jesus Christ through our love and actions.

With lack of anywhere else to start, downtown Kansas City seemed to be a good place. So, last summer on several different ocassions, we headed toward where we knew there to be shelters and soup kitchens. We just looking for people to connect with... we did find them. We'd bring food and water and sit and talk with them in a place they called "Jurassic Park".

It was there we met a young lady about 23 years of age, Shea, and her partner, Lucky. What immediately caught my attention was the beautiful little baby girl, Helen, they pushed along in a stroller followed by five other small children ranging in ages from 2 - 9. This family was homeless and they stayed in a local shelter each evening. They were all clean, well mannered and appreciative of what we had to offer.

One day we caught sight of their "entourage" obviously on a mission. I yelled out their name and ran around the block to catch up to them only to find they were on their way to the grocery store. They came back with me to where the others in our group were to grab some food and water and talk for a few minutes. As they were about to head out again, I suggested we could give them a quick ride to the grocery. So, Vince piled Lucky, Shea, and 4 of their children into my van and headed out. The rest of our group stayed behind to talk to some other people...we talked, ate, waited, talked some more, waited some more....time ticked by and I became concerned for Vince - where was he? What was taking so long? About 25 minutes after he'd left my van rounded the corner of the block. It seems that the grocery where this family was headed was about 4 miles away. Their plan was to trek the 4 miles there, grab a couple bags of groceries (because that would be all they could carry back), and then hopefully stop by a friend's house on their way back to see if he could give them a return ride to the shelter. They had allotted their entire day to this process - just to get a couple bags of groceries.

The next week when we returned, Lucky & Shea were there again with some exciting news. Lucky was to begin working for one of the local shelters and because of this their family would be eligible for transitional housing. As we talked about this news and the change it would mean, it became apparent that they would be in need of some very basic "house" supplies - dishes, cups, towels, soap, toilet paper... - things we don't give a second thought about having. Lucky told us where his job would be and we promised to do what we could to provide some of these basic necessities. My adult Sunday school class poured out their hearts and gave beyond what was asked and we provided quite a collection of kitchen supplies which Vince delivered later that week. We have not seen them since.

I see the good in Lucky & Shea and I believe they've something to teach us...they were obviously going through an incredibly rocky time in their lives, yet it was equally obvious they are striving to be good parents, to provide for their children, and to make positive changes in their lives. I see in them that commitment of sticking together through the good and the bad and surviving together. I thank God for those few encounters with them and I pray that God is watching over them and their family and blessing their efforts.

Lawsuit in NYC

I just read this article at the New York Post site about an Upper East Side antiques dealer who has filed a million-dollar lawsuit against the vagrants that warm themselves on the sidewalk grate in front of his shop. Presumably they block the view of the fine antiques and have scared away some customers. (OH NO!) The suit asks that the homeless people be barred from anywhere "within a radius of 100 feet" from the store.

When the sidewalks become the property of the storeownwers I imagine all the New York City tourists will be walking in the streets being run down by taxis. When I come to visit the Upper East Side they will shoo me away instantly recognizing that my coat was purchased at Target and my boots at Famous Footware. "Off with you, Hillbilly Woman! You cannot afford to look in on our fine fare!."

Please... someone assure me this is a frivolous lawsuit...
Read it and weep.

Christmas Eve '06

My husband, Vince, has been heavily involved with this homeless outreach program. For months now they’ve been taking food and supplies into the city every Sunday. They have developed a rapport with many of them and Cathy invited them to worship with us on Christmas Eve morning. Three of them took up the offer.

They were well received and warmly welcomed. They praised God and worshiped right beside us. Someone at the worship service even asked Cathy to pass on a $100 bill to each of the three.

After Worship, our families joined Whiskey, Martin and Carla for Christmas dinner in the church hall. Carol had set the tables with white tablecloths and beautiful linen Christmas napkins. There was turkey and ham and all the trimmings.

It was my first time to meet these people that my husband has come to know and care about. We chatted and they talked about their enjoyment of worship, especially of the music, and of other church services that Martin and Carla had attended regularly in San Antone last year before they came to Kansas City. Whiskey also enjoyed the carols that were sung. Whiskey was not "whiskeyed" that morning but appears off balance a bit. He has a balance problem resulting from an old injury received when someone attacked him years earlier. He has been wandering more than half his life; for him it is a lifestyle yet he was sweet and humble.

There were also Christmas presents for all of them, specifically chosen for each of them (and for those that didn’t come, as well). There were tarps, and sleeping bags and backpacks and blankets and buckets and flashlights. All of the uneaten food was packed up and delivered back under the railroad bridge where the rest of them were awaiting the Christmas dinner.

The whole morning was one of the best Christmas moments I have ever had. I learned that homeless people are just that: people without a home... not much different than lots of people I know who do have homes. They just don't have the "Fall back" system that most of us have in place for that time when disaster hits, emotional, physical or financial. I felt moved and blessed to have been a small part of it all.

The QuikTrip

My husband, Vince, stuffs his old jackets behind the seat of his pickup truck instead of putting them in the Good Will box. He told me he often sees homeless guys on his way to and from work. He wants to have the coats handy if it looks like one of them need one. I was fascinated by this information. I don't often notice that side of my husband. Anyway, he has been doing that for years now.

It was natural for him to want to hook up with the group at our church making efforts to help the homeless and he was one of the first to join up. Vince grew up in the city not far from the railroad bridge where "our" homeless folks abide. His mom still lives in that same house.

There's a QuikTrip just off the highway where we often stop for gas or coffee on our way home from Vince's mom's. I used to wonder why he always stopped there but it wasn't long before I realized he was watching for the homeless guys he often sees hanging around there. He sometimes buys them a cup of coffee or gives them a couple of bucks and visits with them a few minutes.

I was with Vince one time when he talked to a man for a few minutes then went on in to pay for our gas. We had just been to the grocery store so I grabbed an apple and went over to the man myself. I offered him the apple and he politely refused it showing me his rotted teeth. "Can't eat apples any more." I think we left him with a loaf of bread that day.

Anyway, that is how our church group found this "Under the Railroad Bridge" habitat. After talking to these guys that were so often seen at this QuikTrip, we've learned that they live nearby just past the highway. There is a railroad track and several have set up camp there. Originally there were just a few but as winter set in more and more have come and now there are around 12 or so now, although some come and go.

They are at the edge of the city in a wooded area. There are more services for homeless people deeper in the city but these people find it to be safer here. They say that Law Enforcement pretty much leaves them alone if they don't hassle anyone. They have built a small community.

I am thinking about them today because the weather has turned cold after a beautiful bout in the 50°s. Yesterday there was freezing rain and sleet with more to come today and snow tomorrow. I don't know how cold it got last night but it is only 19° right now. I am worried about them.

10th Annual Homelessness Marathon

The Homelessness Marathon is a 14 hour radio broadcast featuring the voices and stories of homeless people from around the U.S. The Homelessness Marathon features live call-ins all night long via a national toll-free number. You can listen to excerpts from Marathons past at the link above.

Below are some insights from the founder of the Homelessness Marathon from his essay regarding why there are so many homeless people today and also his answer to the always prevalent theory that those people choose to be homeless.

There are plenty of homeless people who aren't bums, by which I mean, they're clearly not doing everything they can to stay in the same miserable situation. Think of it this way. More than 750,000 people are homeless at any given moment, which represents as many as 3.5 million people cycling on and off the streets every year, which represents at least 20 million people homeless since the early '80s when the crisis began. Just do the math.

750,000 represents less than four percent of 20 million, which means that more than 96 percent of all the people who have ever been homeless have gotten out of homelessness (as will most of the people on the streets today). That's a statistic you won't hear from Bill O'Reily who regularly portrays homeless people as unable to get their lives together. Maybe because once you've heard it, you have to wonder how come this obviously motivated more-than-96% wound up on the streets in the first place.