Tuesday, May 29, 2007

News from LA

Check out a video from "60 Minutes" about one of the latest issues causing some frustration in the heart of Los Angeles - hospitals dumping homeless patients onto Skid Row.

Want to learn how you can serve on Skid Row in LA? Check out our website!

Monday, May 21, 2007

Friday, May 18, 2007

Street Newspapers!!

Follow the links to newspapers written, published and distributed mainly by the homeless of our country's urban centers.


Chicago's StreetWise


Washington DC's Street Sense


Find street news in an urban center near you.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Homeless for a Night

Several groups returned to CSM Philadelphia this Spring break. One of them included Wesley UMC from Selinsgrove, PA. They were one of the first groups that I hosted when I started working with CSM. Dale Long is the leader of this group and has been a consistent supporter of CSM and of Justin and I. Dale has a real heart for service and demonstrates that to his kids on a daily basis.
The youth group has made it a yearly tradition to sleep out in cardboard boxes and raise money for ministries in Philadelphia. The night before Thanksgiving they set up cardboard boxes near one of the main highways in Selinsgrove. The kids said it was rainy and cold but local pizza restaurants brought free pizza and many people stopped to give money and offer support. They even got coverage on a local radio station.
This year they raised around $3500. The group arrived in Philly eager to see who was in need of the money. They were able to give several very generous donations to ministries. It was beautiful to see the excitement on the kids faces when they were able to bless ministries with service and financial support. Many of the ministries were blown away by such unexpected generosity.
This experience gives the youth a small glimpse of what it may be like to live on the streets. They are recognized in their community for doing something radical to help the poor. We are very thankful for the opportunity to serve with Wesley UMC and learn from their desire to help those in need.

Have another idea of how others can serve their community after they go on a CSM trip? Email us!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Stories from the Fontlines: Tony

Tony is a man I met while handing out sack lunches to hungry people on the streets. On this particular day, my group and I handed out thirty lunches, and Tony was the only person who talked to us. A few years ago he was a well paid construction foreman in Seattle. He went through a divorce in which he lost most of his wealth, and soon after he was hospitalized with two hemorrhages in his brain. At its worst, there was so much blood floating around in his skull that he couldn’t move or talk.
After being released from the hospital, Tony found himself financially exhausted from his divorce and medical bills. Not being in a fit condition to return to work, he became homeless in Seattle. About a month ago, he took a bus to San Francisco hearing that the weather was milder and this city took better care of its poor.
Unlike most stories, Tony’s has a bit of a happy ending. He found a job that pays almost enough to support him, and his body is healing a little faster than was expected. He guesses that he ought to be able to return to work, if he can find work, in a few more months. However, until then he’ll be on the streets.
Pray for Tony. Through circumstances mostly out of his control, he’s found himself without a home, a family, or anyone to turn to.