OUTREACH STORIES

By -

I have a goal. It's an ambitious goal. I don't know if I'll attain it, but I plan to write 50 brief reflections over the next year about my encounters and work as an Outreach Worker to those experiencing homelessness...

These reflections could be from Auckland or Chicago. They could be from that particular day or a couple decades ago. They certainly won't all be happy joyful hope-filled stories, and they certainly won't all be depressing traumatic tales, because Outreach takes us on an eclectic ever-evolving journey. I'm going to be as honest and realistic as possible,

I hope these reflections illustrate the importance and need for Outreach Workers. I hope these reflections open our eyes to the poverty that surrounds us. I hope these reflections help us to stop seeing those experiencing homelessness as the "other", but as "us". I hope these reflections challenge us to raise our voices against unfair and oppressive systems. I hope these reflections help us all to have more compassion and aroha (love) for our most vulnerable neighbours. 

These reflections are connected to 2 recent posts I have written and encourage you to read, as they look at (1) my evolving journey as an Outreach Worker and (2) what homelessness looks like in the 2 cities I've lived most of my life, Chicago and Tāmaki Makaurau...

I plan to record all the links in this post below...

  1. "You're Not Gonna Bible Bash Me Are You?"
  2. Rotten Teeth and The Cry for Petrol
  3. New Life for Old Bags
  4. Linda





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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 it
read more......

Homelessness in Chicago VS Homelessness in Auckland

By -
Image
Rachael is invisible in this massively spread-out city called Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland, New Zealand). She tries to sleep in her car at a local petrol station every night. Many more are doing the same, just in different places and vehicles. She has a host of fears but also plenty of dreams. She isn't seen, she's forgotten, but she's there! Kenneth is visible in this condensed crowded city called Chicago. Every night he hides under a blanket and tries to sleep on the noisy El train that travels from one side of the town to the other. Many more are doing the same, just in different carriages and trains. He has a host of fears but continues to hope. He's seen, he's forgotten, but he's there! In this post, I will highlight 7 differences and 7 similarities I've observed between the two vastly different cities I've lived in. This list is not comprehensive by any stretch of the imagination, these are just my observations that stem from having worked over 25 ye
read more......

The God of Outcasts

By -
Image
Matt wandered into Church early with his bulging backpack, sat in the back row, with his usual cup of coffee. He always had too many layers on, that would extenuate the pungent whiffs of cigarettes, marijuana, and his musty clothes. It was an adventure sitting next to Matt, as he lived in a tent down the street, and therefore, struggled to stay awake throughout the service. Matt was someone who didn't know how to talk quietly, so when he was awake, he would whisper to me with his loud foggy voice, followed by his impulsive croaky laugh. He would cause heads to turn and faces to frown as he'd tell me of his need to smoke a blunt, how he was going to get retribution on some fellas that "did him wrong", while always asking me about my family. Whereas Matt struggled to control his impulses, he did his best to be respectful. I don't know how much he heard, but the one thing I do know is he loved Jesus, he knew he needed Jesus, so as an act of faith, he faithfully came
read more......