Pictures of Hope!

Just a glimpse of some of the HOPE that floods forth in Uptown....

This is a visual diary of many homeless people who once were homeless and are now permanently housed. All these wonderful people have very different stories, were once homeless for a huge range of reasons and were also homeless for various time periods. They were all helped and assisted, directly or indirectly, by us at Cornerstone Community Outreach....

We are so thankful to know each and every one them.

Join us and celebrate all these successful moves with us....

Stains Of Hope!

There are days when I feel the walls closing in....
There are days when all the issues seem insurmountable....
There are days when hope seems to have vanished and taken an early vacation....

When these days arise, the wisest thing for me to do is to take some time, and go for a midday wander around the neighborhood. This gives me the opportunity to rejuvenate and refocus. These wanderings help me recenter my thoughts and prayers on God; the One who helps me "be still" in all the chaotic madness that can overwhelm us at CCO.

Today I went on one of those walks....

As I rounded the corner, I was surrounded by undeniable, unforgettable and unusual hope! I was on the corner many people in Uptown perceive as blighted and a disgrace to the "hood", but today, I was seeing and experiencing hope. I was standing on Wilson and Broadway, celebrating all the success and movement that was embracing me.

Within a space of less than 100 meters, I was privileged to be shaking the hands of 12 different people. Yes, that right, 12! We'd assisted each and every one of them in different ways; we'd helped them all either get housed, stay housed or both. Some of this group had been helped directly, while others indirectly; some had received financial assistance, while others had their practical needs fulfilled; vital phone calls had been made and the right referrals had been given at the right time.

Earlier this morning, I had helped one of these men who was in a dire situation. I'd originally assisted him a couple years ago, by helping obtain his own apartment, yet today, by giving him a little financial aid (thanks Emergency Fund), I was able to ensure he'd stay housed and wouldn't end up back on the streets.

You get the gist! On Uptown's most blighted corner, I was surrounded by 12 men and women who'd escaped the grasps of homelessness and hope was staring me straight in the eyes. I gotta admit: I feel truly honored and privileged to be a part of all these miraculous and remarkable stories of success and positive movement.

Today, as I walked around the neighborhood, I smiled, thanking God, thanking Jesus, for opening my eyes to the undeniable, unforgettable and unusual hope which stains the streets of Uptown.

Blessed Non-Conformity

I see an ocean of people
just sitting, waiting, longing
for hope, a chance, deliverance!

They wish to break free
from life's demoralizing cycle
to find freedom from the masses.

A propaganda of materialistic hope
drowns us Into believing
the complete falsity of it all.

Hope and deliverance smiles
compassionately revealing themselves
in contradictions and the Truth.

The Kingdom rose from the dust
with bloody nail scarred hands
calling individuals to loving rebellion

The path of Blessed Non-conformity
has rescued us and tossed us
in the Eternal Ocean of His Love

It Just Ain't That Simple!

Let me tell you; it just ain't that simple!

There's a lofty myth floating around Uptown, Chicago; it claims that getting into permanent housing for chronically homeless people is a relatively easy task; all someone needs to do is, put in a little effort, and then, simply reach out and grab it! But, let me tell you; it just ain't that simple!

Uptown's been all over the Chicago news recently, intensifying this very myth! A myth that trickles well beyond the borders of the 46th Ward and splatters itself in various forms throughout this country and the whole world....

• As we observe hordes and hordes of poverty-stricken and homeless men, women and children lining up for shelter, food and clothing throughout our neighborhoods, it triggers some form of emotion in each of us. 
• As we see homeless people sleeping under viaducts, on loading docks and the trains we ride on, those same emotions are intensified! 
• As some poor soul, with a dirty cup, staggers up to our cars, our moving feet or as we enjoy a meal, begging for a little change, some form of emotion wells up in each of us.

When we see people experiencing homelessness, compassion may flood our very souls, or maybe anger may roar deep within us! Some people actively choose to ignore our poor brothers and sisters, while others are compelled to diligently embrace them and "do" something! For some of us, love may saturate every inch of our beings, while for others, feelings of bitter raging hatred for homeless and poverty-stricken folks may grip us tightly.

We're talking about folks who are just trying to survive the day-to-day, and how their mere existence and the sight of them can divide a community!

Whatever our response may be, we cannot deny that seeing homeless people causes some form of emotion in each and every one of us. Deep down, we all know that homelessness should not exist in such an affluent society or a world that has enough resources to eradicate hunger and poverty! When we see a woman (or a man) sleeping under a viaduct, we seek answers to the never-ending, ever-recurring, questions; "Whose fault could this possibly be?; Is it her own fault; did she self-destruct, did she make dumb choices? Did she do the wrong things? Was her family's fault? Or was it the fault some abusive ex-boyfriend or friend? Should we blame a society that seems to have become oligarchical and plutocratic, where the gap between the very rich and very poor is at an horrific and criminal level? Should we blame the governing bodies, our politicians, capitalism, or the corporations? Or how about the people who blame social service agencies and homeless shelters, don't they just enable and want to keep people in poverty? Or maybe it's just a combination of everything, or should we just blame our all-powerful, all-knowing God?"

You get my drift; we feel we have to blame somebody, because there's nothing, absolutely nothing, about homelessness that is right! Yet, right here in Uptown, homelessness is very real; it's palpable and in our face! We can actually touch it! There's no escaping the poverty that surrounds us, people in my neighborhood need to react; we cannot ignore it and we have to face what's standing right before us all!

All this leads me to my original comment; "it just ain't that simple!", because finding housing for "chronically homeless" people is downright complicated and filled with endless difficulties. Obstacle after obstacle stands in the way. Felonies, misdemeanors, evictions, a lack of income, the color of one's skin, physical disabilities, addictions and mental illnesses are just a few of these obstacles, making someone's journey from "homelessness to housed" seem insurmountable!

It is my dream, or anyone who does outreach work, to be able to just walk up to someone sleeping under a viaduct, living in a homeless shelter or some poor soul snoozing in an abandoned building with a sparkling gold key to a brand new furnished apartment. It is my prayer to see that homeless individual grab that key with delight, pick up his bags full of all of his belongings and memories and wander to the address I'd written on a piece of paper. It is my wish to see that happy joyful soul enter her new apartment, cook herself a home-cooked meal, have a long relaxing shower, settle down on her comfortable couch with a good book and live happily ever after.

It may be my dream, prayer and wish, but it ain't realistic! And let me tell you: it just ain't that simple!

Johnny (not his real name) had been homeless for over 10 years; living in shelters, sleeping countless nights with one eye open on the Red-Line and occasionally crashing on a friend's couch. Even though he'd made countless efforts, Johnny was never able to secure a job, so he'd end up panhandling for some piddly coins. For many years he'd struggled with a bunch of major obstacles that stem from having a depressive disorder, many serious medical issues, being an alcoholic and rejection from his family. Johnny's never been to prison or committed a felony, but his rap sheet looks long and awful, because he's been arrested and landed in jail too many times for drinking beer in public, panhandling, sleeping in uninhabitable places and urinating in alleys.

Johnny was stuck! He didn't know what to do and where to start. He knew he couldn't just walk up to any landlord and say, "I'm homeless; let me live rent-free in your humble abode!", so he whined and begged! Johnny came to me many times, pleading and giving me variations of this sentence; "Jeremy, I'm tired, I need to get off these streets, I need to stop drinking. Please help me! I need your help! Pray for me Jeremy!"

That journey and those words started years ago. As much as I wished I could immediately make his dreams come true, I couldn't. There may be thousands of abandoned or foreclosed buildings in this city, yet none were available for Johnny. How would he pay his rent? How would he get the continued support he needed? How could we get a landlord to accept him with his criminal history and lack of credit? What could I do to help him?

We started the process with the basics; we helped him get his birth certificate and State ID. We helped him connect with good and reliable mental health and substance abuse providers. We urged him to apply for disability benefits, as his medical and mental issues make it virtually impossible for him to find employment; unfortunately receiving SSI often takes repeated efforts and can frustrate people, like Johnny, for years. He is waiting and is still without income. To cap all that off, we put Johnny on every housing list available and continually gave him any leads to the ones he needed to travel to.

To our surprise and celebration, in the middle of last year, Johnny's name came up on one of those lists! He was eligible for the magnificent "100,000 Homes Campaign"; a program that finds the city's most vulnerable chronically homeless individuals and gets them into housing as quick as possible. For the first time in over 10 years, housing was definitely in his foreseeable future. At this point, I wish I could just give him those sparkling new keys, hug and congratulate him, but again, it just ain't that simple!

Even though Johnny had an agency to pay his rent, a program to offer him support and people running around for him, it still took many long tedious months of sleeping in trains and shelters, a few arrests and many landlord rejections before he received that sparkling new key and the first lease he'd ever signed. It took several agencies collaborating and networking together for the sake of this man, it took many case-managers and outreach workers making sure he kept appointments, didn't disappear into Chicago's homeless wilderness and got all the documents he needed. A lot of red-tape needed to be cut, and that also took a lot of patience and perseverance.

The reality is, thousands of chronically homeless folk are living the same story as Johnny, and they are living proof obtaining an apartment ain't that simple, and should never be this difficult!

Last month, when Johnny proudly showed me his precious key, he knew "it just ain't that simple", and he couldn't stop thanking me and all the people that played a part in helping him.

Tonight, as Johnny eats his own meals, sleeps in his own bed and relaxes in front his own TV, he knows his story is a picture of community and love.
Johnny's story, is a story of caring people coming together and going the extra mile for him.
Johnny's story, is a story of caring people not allowing him to be homeless anymore.
Johnny's story, is a story of caring people forgetting his past and pressing toward the future.
Johnny's story, is a story of caring people loving him with a Love that "holds no records of wrongs"
Johnny's story, is a story of caring people who lived out the wonderful truth of the Gospel, the Kingdom of God and the Hope of the Resurrection for him, right here in good old Uptown!

Congratulations Johnny, you did it, and we love you my brother!

Rest In Peace My Friends.

22!
That's right!
22!

I think I'm way too young to personally know 22 people to pass away in one year (2012). Actually this number only includes people who have experienced homelessness in their lives. 22 is the number of people I have met while living my life at CCO as an outreach worker and case-manager. I knew some of these men and women deeply, while others were just fleeting memories.

I write this as a brief memorial, because I want these men and women to be remembered and I would hate for them to be forgotten! Even though they were harshly ignored, and continually neglected and rejected throughout their lives, we can never forget that each and everyone of them is precious in the sight of our Lord.

Late last year, all their names were read at Chicago's annual "homeless memorial" at Old St Pats Church, always held on the shortest day of the year. We remembered these men and women; we held candles, sung hymns, read scripture and prayed. These 22 invisible people (mentioned among many others) were briefly made visible in that crowded Church.

Even though these 22 men and women were all united in homelessness, their stories were all very different, they came from all over the globe, were from a variety of races and were all different ages. We can never forget the huge diversity of this small group, as they were a bunch of individuals, struggling with all their depressing tales of woe and triumphant success stories. They were men and women searching for their purpose, love, acceptance and happiness! Just like me and you!

These 22 men and women were not just united in homelessness, but in the Merciful Love of their Crucified Saviour, the One who boldly proclaimed "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven". Hope rises in this loving reality; the death and resurrection of Jesus conquered and overcame the inequality and injustice of this very unequal and unjust world.

Thank you Jesus; for you did not ignore or forget our homeless friends, but you love them with your all-consuming, all powerful, Kingdom Love; a Love that rights all wrongs!
 
Rest in Peace My Friends....
Rest in Peace! 

Happy 8th Birthday to Our Miracle Girl

8 years ago we feared what might be. In anticipation, we waited to see the daughter we loved so much. Months earlier, Muriwai had entered our world with great vigor, by revealing to us that her left arm was shorter and she did not have a hand. This ultrasound had caused Beth and I to weep, and yet to love her ever so deeply. We prayed! We fasted! We waited in eager anticipation and fear! We tried to cope with the unknown!

8 years ago we feared as the doctors took precautions and were ready to operate, "if needed". She came with vigor and vim, the doctors left unneeded and we marveled at our beautiful little girl with her functioning "special arm". Our anticipated little girl had arrived. We thanked God we could hold her, love her and cherish her. Tears flowed from our eyes as we now coped with the known!

8 years ago we feared the life threatening seizures that possessed our little one. Helplessly she'd shake and go blue. We prayed. Our families prayed. Jesus People prayed. Homeless folk prayed. Kiwi friends prayed.  They gathered, embraced and supported us, as our newborn 9 pound girl lay hooked up to countless wires. Her little helpless body was drained of blood and endlessly tested. Her strength was ever present as we tried to cope again with the unknown!

8 years ago we feared her death, but life continued to rise. In our discomfort, comfort came. In our helplessness, help arrived. In our weakness, He gave us strength. In our fear, He gave us courage. In our hopelessness, He gave us Hope. God showered us with Love and we bathed in it. The future was unknown, but God made things known and we coped in this "known, unknown" tension.

8 years have now vanished. Before us is a beautiful little girl with astounding strength, who was weaned off the highly addictive anti-seizure medication. She fought through awful withdrawals and she continues to overcome every obstacle with a smile and determination; whether it's shooting a bow and arrow, taking her ballet lessons or chilling in a local playground and being surrounded by masses of kids wanting to touch her "special arm". Muriwai is our loving compassionate girl who endlessly wants to help and lift up the weak and the less fortunate.

One thing I do know; I weep joyfully when I reflect on her story and can hear her determined voice confidently saying, "I can do it myself!"

Sweetie; happy 8th birthday, keep blessing and loving those who surround you. Mummy, Cyrus and I love you dearly.


Here's a story I wrote about Muriwai's compassion: my-compassionate-little-girl

Here's another story about Muriwai and her desire to help other people: Plastic Bags, Homeless Veterans and My Sweet Lil' Wonderwoman

5 City Blocks of Hope!

What a blessing!
What an honour!
What a privilege!

This morning I walked for about 5 minutes...
covered 5 city blocks in good old Uptown....
and shook the hands of 5 different fellas..

All 5 of them were once deemed "chronically homeless"; now all 5 of them are permanently housed.

I am left smiling because of one simple fact: each of these fellas have risen out of the "pit of hopelessness" into the "cradle of hopefulness".

These 5 men's stories are all humbling to me, because I am blessed, honoured and privileged to have been able to play different roles in each of their remarkable transformations!

All this to say: these 5 men give only a small glimpse into how Uptown is filled with miraculous stories of never-ending hope, a networking community and revolutionary love for the "least of these."

A Marathon Challenge on Behalf of Uptown's Homeless!

This year I plan to do something that's going to be a huge (could I even say enormous) challenge for me. I've decided to attempt (yes, attempt) to run the Chicago Marathon for the homeless shelter I work for: Cornerstone Community Outreach. This is a challenge that takes me out of ALL my comfort zones; I haven't run since I was required to at Kelston Boys High School, but this was well over 20 years ago! The truth is, I was slow and clumsy. I don't have high expectations, I don't expect to break any records; in fact, I'd actually say that my expectations are fairly low! I just wanna, somehow and in someway, eventually make it over that long-awaited finish line, sometime on the same day!

Listed below are the 5 main reasons I am going to run this marathon....

• I need an outlet. Working at CCO is an all-consuming task that rarely allows me to escape from all the constant needs. Even going for a walk around the neighborhood, I get phone calls and people stopping me, needing advice and answers. My hope and prayer is that running will help me escape from all the stress.
• I need "alone time". As someone who easily gets wrapped up in our modern world of technology, my hope is to use the training to free myself from it's powerful embrace. My hope and prayer is that running will help me refocus, pray and embrace Jesus and the "rest" He promises.
• I need to DO something that's different. When I DO something in Chicago; homelessness, advocacy and CCO still grips me, because it's ever-present. Whether it's in the parks, playgrounds or libraries, people recognize and approach me. I'm not complaining about that; I just need those times away, and my hope and prayer is that running this will help me find that freedom.
• I need to exercise. Doctor's orders! When I went for a check-up late last year, and he discovered that my blood pressure, cholesterol and weight are all elevated and they need to be lowered. My hope and prayer is that running will help me live a healthier lifestyle.
• CCO is in need of money. Always! Last year, some people started running the Chicago Marathon for Cornerstone, fundraising over $12,000 for our homeless shelter. This year, we're trying to make over $50,000 toward the great work we're doing amongst the homeless, in Uptown, Chicago. At the last count, CCO has 62 runners, and I want to contribute in a very different way than I usually do. My hope and prayer is that I can make over $1250.00 for the place I love and have poured my life into, by running 26.2 miles.

If you feel like donating to the amazing work CCO does, please click on the following link (which is my Crowdrise page): http://www.crowdrise.com/teamcco2013/fundraiser/jeremynicholls
You can also click the "widget" on the right hand side of this blog ------>

To be blunt, I feel really nervous about this whole endeavor. It's not something I feel at ease with, because it's not something that's easy for me to do. In all honesty, my life encompasses many challenges every day, responding to homeless people's needs and trauma. This week I took a wooden table leg off someone who was intent on hitting someone in the head with it! This week I visited and prayed with a dying person in the hospital, another person who lost a limb and now lives in a nursing home and tried to comfort a lady who's swollen toes have been ravished by frostbite. This week I walked down to "front street" and spoke to the local gangstas who had just chased and wanted to hurt a young guy who was acting a fool and begged them to "promote the peace" and have mercy on him; they agreed. This week I was also in the middle of comforting and assisting a distraught couple who's young baby passed away during the night. My week has also been occupied in trying desperately to house my buddy Chief who's been homeless for a long tedious 38 years; Chief's tragedy started when his mother died and he was only 13 years old!  Sadly, no doors are opening for him. Yet, this week, I'm happy to say, doors did open for 3 chronically homeless people who I've been actively working with, and they signed their leases and successfully moved into their own cribs. Click here for the LINK to their story

The reality is, this list goes on and on, because that is but a glimpse into the chaotic mess I wander through as I try to piece together all the fragments, by bringing comfort, peace and solutions into all the drama that hits us at such a rapid pace. Even though my life is caked in so much drama, death and chaos, I know what my "purpose" is and seem to thrive in it all. At this point, and in light of all I've just written, it would be utterly false of me not to admit that I often find myself emotionally splattered, and these are the moments it becomes imperative to bow my head and "be still and KNOW that God is God"; it is in these moments, it becomes imperative to cast my cares upon the One who said, "come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest....." 

Yet, my irony sits in the reality that these challenges and moments are far easier to embrace than merely putting on running shoes; I feel that living in this tension is a God-given gift that I was called to do, while running the Chicago marathon is something that is going to be very difficult to accomplish, I need to challenge myself with it, so I'm going for it....

I'm going to conclude with a few links....

• Team CCO (information about the team running for Cornerstone)
• Team CCO's Crowdise Fundraising Page
• My fundraiser page for Team CCO: Jeremy Nicholls' Fundraiser; Run for Shelter

Be Still; These Are Crazy Days!

Today is one of those crazy-filled, confusing, chaotic days.
Today is one of those days where it all hits you at once, and it's hard to process!

Death, drama, an intense conflict, a hospitalization and a successful movement all invaded my presence before the clock struck 10am. These days come, where I have to zigzag through the intense moments of grief, comforting, conflict resolution, life-affecting decisions and celebration. The difficulty is, that all these "moments" beg of me to be 100% focused and ready to react and respond right!

How do I comfort the grieving daughter who just lost her mother, and could now end up homeless?
How do I stop and bring about peace when two volatile "hot heads" (both suffering with paralyzingly PTSD) want to injure each other over a pair of jeans?
How do I respond when doctors and nurses need answers over whether to do surgery or multiple blood transfusions, and the ICU patient (my friend) has no "next of kin"?
How do I respond when dozens of other people invade my space, seeking advice and solutions, when I'm just trying to rightly react in love and patience to the 3 questions I asked above?

Now walking with Blaze and ensuring she successfully moved into her own crib is a wonderful experience, there's no question about how to respond; it's all about celebration, because a homeless woman has now found a home to call her own!

I can ask all these questions and live in the "land of confusion", but I thing I know, it's important and imperative to be there! It's vital to embrace each moment with my tainted love, making every effort to do "what Jesus wants me to do"! I must willing and not afraid to make mistakes, because those foolish mistakes most definitely happen.

And finally, I must always remember, even though people rush up on me relentlessly, I need to lay it in the Lord's hands, knowing there are things I can never solve or repair; I need to meditate like the psalmist did; when chaos, calamity and confusion surrounded him and he knew how big and unsolvable it all was, he humbly grasped these comforting words from God, "Be Still and Know That I am God". I try and I pray, that in someway and somehow I can do likewise....

Chronically Homeless Success!

Their combined length of homelessness outnumbers all the days I've endured on this planet. I'm only thinking of 3 chronically homeless friends, and I'm almost 41, so calculate their reality to see the deep and disturbing truth of our modern capitalist society!

I don't write this to lament, but rather to celebrate! Homelessness should have never been their reality, but it struck all 3 of them and it never let go! Until we entered this blessed week.....

Years of sleeping under viaducts, in trains, abandoned buildings, homeless shelters, loading docks, in dumpsters, on couches of some compassionate friends and under the hazy starless Chicago sky are finally coming to an end!

Years of relentlessly trying to find somewhere to chill out during their days are also coming to an end! They'll have their own place of refuge; to relax, without a security guard or police officer invading their tranquility, by asking them to get up and move on!

Years of being surrounded by masses are also coming to an end; with the crowded drop-in centers and the never-ending lines for food, toilets and that thin mattress on the floor. The peaceful freedom of being alone and being able to choose what television station they wish to watch will now saturate their realities!

And how about the blessed reality that they'll be able to soak in a warm tub, without someone hollering that their 15 minute shower slot has now passed? Most homeless men I speak to, dream of scrubbing all the street's grit and grime off their weak and weary bodies; they dream of being able to soak endlessly in that coveted peaceful bath tub. Alone!

....and now that dream is turning into reality.....

Now, let's get real: These 3 chronically homeless men haven't lived faultless lives;
.....but I got to ask; are their battles and addictions any worse than the ones we (or the housed population) may struggle with?

Clarence, Reggie and Kenny have battled for self-sufficiency and independence for years; these men aren't lazy bums, but a few fellas struggling and hustling to overcome the obstacles that are plopped right in front of them. These are men who don't have the support network surrounding them, enabling them to rise above the things that have held them down. These 3 men are all in their fifties and have seen the "land of opportunity" become a mystifying mist. Because of bad credit, arrests, addictions and health woes, they have been pushed further and further into the miry clay that has trapped them.

Yet, on this blessed week, we are honored to watch their fortunes turn drastically, and for that, we are eternally thankful....

What makes me smile is that I've had the privilege of playing a small role in each of their stories of successful movement! I've seen the painful journeys each of these men have reluctantly traveled. I've witnessed all the blood, sweat and tears shed along the way. I've seen person after person, and agency after agency, ditch these men as they desperately seek some love and support. As each of their years of homelessness mounted, we helped get them on the all-important housing lists, I hunted them down, making sure they got what they needed when they needed it, didn't miss appointments and received those vital phone calls!

In other words, we made it imperative and vitally important that Clarence, Reggie and Kenny weren't ignored and forgotten for another 41 years! These 3 chronically homeless men remained focused in our radar...

I'm writing this today, because it's cause to celebrate; when a chronically homeless man or woman finds a home to live in permanently, a miracle happens! Even though I believe that housing should be every person's right, a dark reality remains; when someone struggles with homelessness for years, the task of finding permanent housing becomes almost insurmountable and they need the help and guidance of people who love and care for them! But today, these 3 men prove miracles are alive and well in Uptown! What these chronically homeless men received was, a bunch of love, support and guidance, and they found it right here at Cornerstone Community Outreach!

....and now they're moving into their own apartments, where they'll be able to relax in their own beds, watch their own TVs, bathe in their own tubs and choose their own food to eat!