Bootstraps!

By -
The main problem with telling homeless people "all you need to do is pull yourselves up by your bootstraps" is a lot of these men and women's bootstraps are missing, frayed or broken. Let's face reality; a lot of people don't even have boots! And that's where we need to be....

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Old Paths. New Paths. Our Ever-Evolving Journey!

By -
Image
In late 1996, I hopped on a plane in Aotearoa New Zealand and ended up in Chicago. I was scared, anxious and excited. I didn't know where it would lead, but I knew it was the beginning of a new adventure. I had decided to travel to Chicago the year before while studying at the Bible College of NZ (Laidlaw College). I'd read about an intentional community called  Jesus People USA  and their work with those experiencing homelessness. After graduating and driving taxicabs for a stint, I got a visa for a year and took a leap of faith into the unknown. My original intention was to go and learn, and then return to Aotearoa to start a similar ministry here in Tāmaki (Auckland). I arrived in JPUSA in November 1996 and began working for JPUSA's homeless shelter Cornerstone Community Outreach  (CCO) in January 1997. I felt at home. I felt I was using my gifts and talents. I made lifelong friends. I felt I was discovering who I was. I remained there until August 1997. The following ...
read more......

The Eclectic Path of an Outreach Worker: Reaching Out to Those Experiencing Homelessness!

By -
Image
I love my job!  I hate I have to do it!  I wholeheartedly believe that housing is a human right. Housing saves lives. Housing reduces harm. Housing should be affordable and available for all, and yet, sadly we live in a world where housing is only affordable, adequate and available to some, leaving many people unhoused or living in unhealthy or overcrowded homes. Therefore I have dedicated most of my adult life to helping those who need a place to call home.  In January 1997, I started my journey in Chicago as a community worker in a large homeless shelter, Cornerstone Community Outreach (CCO). Today, I continue my journey in Tāmaki Makaurau as Visionwest's Supportive Housing Outreach Leader. Whereas my roles have varied over the decades, my emphasis in this piece is to focus on my responsibilities as an Outreach Worker in both cities: what it is, how I do it, and why I think it's important!  Beginning in 2001, I helped set up and direct CCO's men's shelter, only for...
read more......

Two Worlds Colliding

By -
Image
I sit here on this beautiful Chicago morning looking across the lake at the highrises downtown, while reflecting on and missing the gorgeous West Coast beaches nestled by the Waitākere ranges. Contemplating.  Realising.  There are people, places and things in Chicago I'll never find in Aotearoa.  There are people, places and things in Aotearoa I'll never find in Chicago.  It hurts.  It's painful. Why can't I be in 2 places at once? I lament, knowing my whānau is going through the same pain.  I lament, wishing there would be no separation between friends, family and acquaintances. I lament, questioning my decisions, knowing I have to live with them. I lament, seeing well over 50 tents nestled in the Uptown parks, while many neighbors live in luxury. I lament, knowing many are sleeping in cars and under bridges in Auckland, while many neighbours live in luxury. I lament, as I watch both governments play with numbers, pretending they're solving a solvable cris...
read more......