Mobile Loaves & Fishes Blog

Street Retreat 2010: Reflections from Steven Hebbard, Day 1

Steven, the Mobile Loaves & Fishes KP Programs Director, has been on a street retreat for a few days.  Here are his thoughts.

Day  1

I spent the afternoon and evening of our first day getting to know a tight knit group of young survivers at Woolrich Park.  It’s 10:30 pm as I write this.  James and I have just returned from a Johnny Sac run to the dumpster near the downtown youth correctional facility.  The story he tells me is that when you are admitted to the jail, anything you have on your person that might be questionable is seized by the guards.  Since the city can’t keep this on city property, the seized material is placed in the grabage where an underground economy has developed in the distribution of reacquired goods.  James is seen by some as a veritable Robin Hood, but he called himself a Ghetto Santa Claus .  He doesn’t sell his goods but distributes them freely to friends and strangers alike.  He’s been living on the streets off and on for the last 12 years, since he was 18.  He used to get Social Securtity for Bio-polar, ADHD, mild retardation (his words) and scholiosis of the back, a condition that makes him abnormally sensitive to the cold.  He walks with a serious limp from a car collision that resulted from his evident lack of concern for oncoming cars during the downtown nightime hours.

He has the city schedule down and knows precisely what trash cans contain what and at what times they will hold the good stuff.  He walks me a few blocks over where we fill up water bottles for the group, past a collection of cops that he tells me go to this intersection to hang out and talk rather than look for trouble.  The dumpsters he will be inspecting with me are ten feet tall.  The city began to lock up the sides after too many people were taking out garbage and leaving a mess all around.  The only way in now is from the top.  He has to dive down, a nasty little duty evident from the wet shorts he bears upon the completion of his task.  We return with three quarters of a 20 ounce soda bottle and one large sac of garbage that he says bears all the Johnny Sacs that we’ll need for the night.  Upon returning, mostly young people from upstairs and down the street come, looking for food.  Sometime, James trades for cigarattes but usually he gives his treasure away freely.  While others collect their food, James explains that he is a Christian, “like everybody else” in that he belives he ought to do right by others.  When I ask if he believes in Jesus, he replies, “A Higher Power yes; Jesus, no.”  He is actually a wiccan.  He worships the moon and can tell the time by its orbit.  This explains why he is so comfortable in the night time hours.

The leader of the pack I’m with is named Angelo.  When James and I return Angelo and wife Jennifer are already sleeping, but promply wake up to dig through the bag and put away whatever items might be useful for the next day.  Sadly the bag only contains food, no cigarettes!  The Johnnny Sacs from the previous afternoon were the only dinner that this troupe gets as the Food Not Bombs vegetarian dinner (that I enjoyed immensely)  was not their cup of tea.  Angelo and Jennifer have a little more dinner as they sit nestled in a single queen sized comforter entangled in each other.  They smoke and talk for a bit with Ronnie, the third member of the troupe.   Angelo is 20 years old.  Jennifer is 19 and Ronnie is 24.  Angelo has been in CPS since the age of 2 and has been in most foster care facilities in the state.  He spent a brief bit of time in the army and some time in prison.  His hair is in a million tightly bound knots so that it will grow out faster and denies to Jennifer that he is trying to grow dreds.  He is earnest about finding a job, as are all three of them.  They have developed a plan to go in together on a place when they get the money.  All seem smart enough to do anything.  Angelo, Jennifer, and I played Rummy to pass the hours while Ronnie was reclaiming a hit of his stashed stuff.  He beat me heartily.

Angelo and Jennifer are both bi-sexuals, a not-so-uncommon thing, I found out, among the young on the street.  Angelo was homeless since the age of 15.  He met Jennifer last year before her mom died of a rare illness. The two fell in love.  When Angelo introduced Jennifer to his “Street Dad”, he asked her to call him Dad, but she refused saying that she couldn’t unless he was really family.  Ten minutes later, Angelo proposed and they have been married for severeal months now.

The time is now past 11 and I am going to attempt to get some shut eye. More soon.

Posted in Steven | 1 Comment »
Tags: dinner, homeless, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Street Retreat
Just a glimpse of beauty on a Friday morning.
March 25, 2010

For my (Jen’s) mom, hospitality seems to naturally surround her. Upon entering my parent’s home, you will promptly be invited to have a seat and make your self at home, and would you like anything to drink? My mom remembers people’s favorite drink and makes sure to have that beverage available the next time you should happen to stop by. For me, that usually means there’s a gallon of McAlister’s Sweet Tea in the fridge with my name on it when I come to  a visit.

I have learned to take after my mom and it has almost become natural for me. I have enjoyed serving people in this way at our weekly Stone Soup Breakfasts. I believe it creates a sense of belonging when someone hands you your coffee with the somehow necessary 5 packs of sugar, or when someone know that you prefer orange juice.

Last Friday, I was blessed by this sense of belonging. I was listening to one of our residents’ fascinating story of how he ended up on the streets when I heard my name being called from across the trailer. Well, sort of my name! It sounded a little more like “Jan” and a little less like “Jen” and always makes me smile. Jimmy is a 65 year old man with a kind heart and a playful sense of humor that makes me laugh so hard I can barely breathe sometimes. He wanted to know if I would like a coffee refill. I wish I had the words to better paint the picture of beauty that this simple act meant to me. I felt so cared for. Jimmy is learning that our community is a place of service and lovingly played his part.

It’s these hundreds of little unnoticed moments: at the Stone Soup Breakfast, at a workday, at the booth at the Farmer’s Market that make me realize how so incredibly blessed I am to be part of this loving and healing community.

What It Felt Like To Be #Homeless: A Word From Gary M.

For me, it was a sense of not belonging to the rest of society, not being a part of the world others seemed to enjoy living in. Shame and loneliness created fear and loathing of what I was and what I would become, not to mention what others thought of me, or fear of who I may be confronted by.

These may seem as character defects, or personal traits, that are evident in a lot of people within society, but the homeless definitely live in the proverbial “Glass Houses” within plain view of society. Quite possibly, this may be the reason most of the homeless population wanders far from their “homes”.
For me that was not the case since I had lived and worked in Austin, Texas for the previous 25 yrs., before I finally surrendered to whatever it was that caused me to become homeless.

I met homeless who were there, “on the streets”, because of the loss of a relationship (wife, husband, parent), loss of economic security (job, the house, funding for school), lack of social, physical, and mental ability to deal with life on life’s terms in this society; and, like me, the inability to deal with life because of the disease of addiction to alcohol or drugs. Not everyone is an addict when they become homeless, but “if you hang around a barbershop long enough your bound to get a haircut”. I have met individuals, who are by trade civil and electrical engineers, schoolteachers, business management and department heads, and civil and construction engineers (some with degrees and licenses). There are gourmet chefs and world-class musicians living “on the street”.

On the day of Thanksgiving after the loss of my father, I found myself sitting on the street corner where I “worked” holding a sign feeling lonely and sorry for myself, as tears flowed. There was not much traffic driving by and those that did I knew were going to spend the day with family and friends of which I thought I had none. As I continued to sulk and cry for fear of not making the money I thought I would need to supply my “medicine”, my drug of choice in my addiction, I spoke to the God of my understanding of my fears and I feel He spoke to me. I heard Him say, “You are always crying to me for help, but as I have never denied you in times of need I need you to help me show others the love I have for everyone.”
 
From that point forward, I lived another two years on the street and carried a small Bible which I read daily before praying each morning. Some nights, when the light was available under the bridge, I would read and share it with others. Another practice I began, afterward, was allowing the Lord to place on my heart what words would be displayed on the cardboard sign I would hold that day and no longer attempting to influence passers by to give me money out of sympathy or humor. This practice kept me in the practice of reading wherever God led me in His book. I found a lot of people looked anxiously for what I printed and some even thank me for displaying what they needed to hear that day. Sharing it with others kept me close to Him with the Hope that I would find a solution to overcome my situation of homelessness and life of addiction.

I met Alan Graham, for the first time, in December of 1999. He, along with a few others had just began a ministry of reaching out and bringing to the homeless the items they felt they would need to survive another day. The ministry called Mobile Loaves and Fishes, from what I understand, was a calling from the Lord, to Alan, to help God help others truly in need. This last period of homelessness for me from 2005-08, I had been sleeping in the woods off of the side of a major interstate highway where I “panhandled” to support myself. In 2006 I noticed one of Alan’s trucks pull onto the corner of the feeder road up on the grass. As I approached the truck, I recognized Alan with a group of volunteers as they passed out food items, drinks, and some toiletries. I had recently seen an article about a program they had begun called “Habitat On Wheels” and as Alan greeted me, the manipulative mind of the addict spoke out and said, “Alan, I’ll tell you why I am out here. I am an addict and can’t get a job because I can’t get off drugs, because I need someplace to lie down while suffering from withdrawals, I can’t bathe or keep clean clothes, and besides I am a convicted drug felon and no one will rent to me anyway. So, I feel as if I could be a productive member of society if I just had a place to live.” Alan smugly, but in a positive manner, replied, “Brother, I think I can help you out with a place to live and something to eat, but first you have to get off the drugs and find a means of support.”

Feeling I had given it my best shot, and knowing at least I had been honest with him, this turned out to be an honest and respectful friendship. Alan continued to frequent “my corner” and when he would introduce me to new volunteers he would ask me to tell them the same thing I had shared with him. One afternoon Alan introduced me to a couple that volunteered and asked me to tell them why I was homeless. I shared with David Shiflet and Kay Dalton that “I was an addict and didn’t like it, but that was what I was.” David, who spoke and appeared to be of an intelligent, decent stature mentioned, “I know a little about addiction. Somebody close to me suffered much the same as you and today he has been clean and sober for two years.” Kay cheerfully agreed and as they handed me the items they had to offer I responded, “Thank you, but I wish they would carry toilet tissue on these trucks.” Kay laughed and David suggested I grab a pair of the shoes someone had donated. I said that’s alright, you don’t have any to fit me. David, looking confused said, “How do you know?” after telling him nobody ever had extra shoes to fit me because I wear a size 13 or 14, he said, “I bet I do.” Looking confused myself, I asked what he meant and he said, “I wear a size 13 myself and I’ll bring them tomorrow on my lunch break, and the toilet tissue!” I heard promises of people returning many times and thought no more of it until, the next day around noon when David and Kay pulled up behind me as I held my sign on the corner. Hearing their honk and recognizing them, I walked over and David handed me a pair of size 13 Tennis Shoes that I sentimentally still own today. They also brought the tissue and a few other items and I felt guilty when David handed me $20. I said, “You know what I do with this.” He said, “That’s why you said you were out here, and here is my personal phone number in case there is anything else we can do for you.”

Within two weeks I had made a decision that I would not be able to continue living in addiction and on the streets. I cried again, this time telling my God I would not make it much longer and I needed help. The very next morning, while searching through a tattered wallet, I found David’s number. I called his cell phone and left a similar message. I also emailed Alan telling him the same. In less than 24 hrs, Kay pulled up again to “my corner” and asked, “Where were you last night? We had a bed for you at the Austin Recovery Drug Treatment facility.” Had was all I heard, and thought I had blown my chance to get out of this mess when Kay said, “We have one for you tomorrow, if you still want it.” With a joyous cry of relief I responded yes, and Kay informed me to be at that spot, that night, and she had already rented a hotel room for me to sleep comfortably my last night before I entered treatment.

After Kay picked me up that evening and I entered the hotel room, I dropped to my knees and cried in gratitude to my God for doing for me what I could not do for myself. I thanked Him that He had placed people in my life that cared enough about others to seemingly “go out of their way” to help. And at that point I decided I was willing to do whatever it took to get off drugs, live in a home like others, and become a productive member of society.

It has not been easy, but it was made a lot simpler knowing that God has placed, in the hearts of others, the love and compassion to reach out and help. David and Kay have been personally responsible for helping at least seven or eight other individuals off the streets and into homes. And if it was not for the ministry of Mobile Loaves and Fishes reaching out to where these people are located and providing the “Human Connection”, many would not know anyone cares. I call these individuals who help my angels, because God placed them in my life.

As Kay and I drove from that corner October 31,2008 she pointed to the setting sun and we prayed together that would be the last sunset I would have to see living on the streets, holding a sign, and addicted to using drugs. Since that day, I have been drug and alcohol free. Today I work a full time position and support myself, while helping others. Today, I live in a home provided by the Mobile Loaves and Fishes Habitat on Wheels program and have a sense of community, of belonging. Today I am not lonely and do not fear because I know, my God will provide for me and I continue to share with others the Love He has for us all. None of this would have occurred if someone had not reached out to me and shared the Love God has to give.

KP Correctional Farm!

Friends!

The last month has witnessed the greatest expansion in the history of our program. Ok, so we’ve only been at this since August, but we have accomplished quite a bit in a short amount of time. The fact remains that Austin’s backyards are getting tastier, and dad’s everywhere are finding a highly convenient side benefit to the KP program is having large swaths of their yard that no longer require their mowing services. You’re welcome fathers!

Over the next two weeks (God-willing), KP will finish its Backyard Garden Summer expansion. And we have to thank all of our Backyard Garden “Hosts” for your patience and willingness to partner with us in loving our community through sustainable agriculture. Healing and goodness are breaking through (Maestro: Cue the music!)

But while this fast and furious Backyard Garden planting work is winding down, our work is by no means finished. Wait for it…. Through a connection at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market, KP has recently been invited to expand our farm-management services into the Travis County Correctional Facility by the Austin Bergstrom Airport. Maybe you didn’t catch that: Our formerly “chronically” homeless community, staff, and team of (beautifully generous) volunteers have been invited to head up a farming education program at an area prison. As a friend recently put it: Somebody is really smiling down upon us! (I know Who…) What’s more, our friends Jeff and Melanie of Break it Down Austin (link) will be partnering with us to transform the prison’s 2500 inmate cafeteria waste into rich compost – on site- for the farm and hopeful chicken operation. Sadly, due to the prison rules, we won’t be able to return the produce to the cafeteria at the present time, but inmates can earn produce from the farm by graduating from educational programs offered through the prison such as AA or getting their GED. The KP team will be primarily working with the women’s dormitory and those doing Saturday community-service hours to grow our produce for the Austin community.

This is such a great opportunity for KP and our resident community but it will also mean that our team of volunteers will need to expand. To help make this Farm a space for education, fun, and nurturing relationships, both with our community and the folks undergoing rehabilitation in the prison itself, we’ll need people dedicated to both Farm-learning and people-loving. We are a “people project” after all. And as the season is getting-on, we’ll be acting fast to make this happen. Are you willing to financially sponsor this or other KP programs? Do you want to jump in and learn the trade of organic farming in a community-first context? Email us at [email protected].

“Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name! Your Kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven….”

Live this prayer with us in the coming weeks and months. KP, a Ministry of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, is a community of Ex-Homeless individuals pursuing community, dignity, and “Home” through an RV park full of friends, a sustainable jobs program, and loving partnerships with people across the City. Check out the calendar of events below for ways you can join in.

P.S. Don’t forget the Farmer’s Market has moved! We’ll still be selling this Saturday at the Farmer’s Market but it is now located on the Northeast corner of the Barton Creek Mall shopping center.

Upcoming March Events:


3.17.2010 (Wednesday)
National Symposium on Homelessness at St. Edwards University (8:30-4:00pm.- $18 at the door)- Contact
Steven for more details

Some KP leaders and volunteers will be participating in a Bible
Study at the Royal Palms Trailer Park at 6:30pm

3.19.2010 (Thursday)
Harvesting across Austin 8:00am – 12:00pm

Washing and bunching at 33 Olmos at 7:30pm

3.20.2010 (Friday)
Stone Soup Breakfast 9:00am – 11:00am

3.24.2010 (Wednesday)
Ground Breaking Work Day at 12613 Eagle Nest Drive Buda, TX
78610 at 8:00am

Bible Study at the Royal Palms Trailer Park at 6:30pm

3.26.2010 (Friday)
Stone Soup Breakfast 9:00am – 11:00am

3.27.2010 (Saturday)
Ground Breaking Work Day

8:00am – noon: 11108 Cusseta Ln Austin, TX 78739

1:00pm – 5:00pm: 8906 Creekmont Cove Austin, TX 78748

A Word From Gary: It Took 12 Steps...

…. a few angels to help me discover the most joy and more happiness than I have ever known in my life. Some may consider that a far stretch, considering my 53 years of existence. With 40 years of it involving some type of substance abuse in one form or another, it may not seem so unreal.
My name is Gary M. and I am a grateful, recovering Heroin Addict.
    That happiness I found started with a seemingly small step of honesty, admitting I was powerless over the disease of addiction and it had made my life a living insanity. Powerless yes; I knew I needed to quit a long time before but I could not so I had surrendered to the fact that I was an addict and would continue to use until I died. Insanity for sure; Addiction had deceived me into a feeling of worthlessness – “Nobody cared, anymore. No one would surely hire an addict like me.”, “I’m tired of hurting everyone so I’ll just kill myself so they don’t hurt anymore.”, ”Jails and prison just come with the territory.”, “Well if I couldn’t get any of that right, I may as well just live on the streets. Without rent to pay I would afford more dope!” These thoughts and more had consumed Eighty percent of my life.
    The second step involved being open-minded that something “Greater than me” could restore some sense of sanity to my life. I had recognized and spoken to a God of my understanding since adolescence and everything I was taught or experienced said He was able to make miracles occur. I felt a miracle was what it would take before I could remain clean and sober without restraint.
    Standing on a corner where I panhandled upwards of $150/day, tears fell down my cheeks as I became willing to let go of my self-will and my life as I knew it, I took my third step to recovery asking my God to take my life and show me His will for it. In the last 16 months, I have had to repeat these three steps many times, always telling myself and God – I am powerless, He could change me, and I would let Him.
    I had to do a little work to figure out what and why I was like I was. I took a fourth step and looked at people, places, and things in my life, which continually bugged me to the point of fear or not caring. Some of the fault may have been placed in my life by those things, but why had I allowed it to happen? Why had God let it happen? I discovered I had, but He had not. He had given me a working brain and conscience and the free will to make my own decisions. I looked at the part I had played into making my decisions and accepted where I had been wrong.
    So, for my fifth step, I admitted to myself, my God, and another recovering addict what I had seen and discovered about myself and why I thought it played a part in my addiction. This was not an easy task when my entire life I had blamed others for my self-deceit, bad breaks, and insane lifestyle.
    The sixth step I took, I admitted to my God I was ready for Him to have all of me, good and bad. For a seventh step I asked Him to remove what I had seen caused the bad in me. Simple yes, but the human nature is wired for a fight or flight survival mode and some of these things may take a little time to discard. But I was ready and I admitted it.
    I took my eighth step with the list of persons I felt I had harmed and admitted I was willing to do whatever it took not to ever use drugs again, even if that meant making amends to them all. For my ninth step, I made those direct amends, sometimes reluctantly, unless I felt it would harm them or someone else more.
    My tenth step requires I continually take a look at my character defects, which had kept me in addiction, and if I feel they have caused personal conflict with others I promptly admit it to myself, God, and them.
    Today, and almost everyday for the last sixteen months, I pray and meditate to my God and ask Him to let me know His will for me and the strength to carry it out. My eleventh step consists of this daily routine often praying to Him to “Take me where You want me to go; Let me meet who You want me to meet; and place the words on my lips You want me to say to them.”, humbly asking Him to “take my will and my life, teach me how to live and to guide me in my recovery.” - (My third step prayer) Like I said before, I have to continually go back to those first three steps. I can’t do this myself, but with His help I can.
    Having experienced this Spiritual Awakening by taking these other steps, my twelfth step allows me to share the message of my recovery with those still suffering and, whether they decide to try it or not, it helps me continue to stay clean and sober by practicing these principles in my everyday life. This may sound like a lot of work, but it’s simple if these steps are taken slowly “One Step at a Time”. “Simply Baby Steps.” Keeping it simple and not making it difficult. There are literally millions, like me, who have taken these same steps and are willing to hold a hand while others learn to walk the walk. We do this because somebody did it for us.
    Those angels I mentioned are real. I met Alan Graham many years ago, and when I told him I “had a problem” and could he help, his response was, “He could help but first I had to take care of what created the problem –get sober. Then I needed to become self-supportive in order to afford a normal lifestyle. After that, he could assist me in finding a solution to the problem of no place to call home.” Alan Graham is an angel in my eyes; to many homeless he would be nominated for sainthood. Alan helped start an organization that assists homeless, and others in need, to receive the basics necessary to stay alive while in this world. St. Alan, I don’t believe that name has been taken. His organization uses many volunteers to visit and help distribute basic food and supplies to the homeless.
    I met Kay Dalton and David Shiflet, two of those volunteers, about one week before I began to take my steps. As I shared with them what I felt had caused me to become homeless, my addiction, they shared how someone close to them had taken twelve steps and recovered from similar circumstances. Kay and David returned the next day, giving me some personal items and their personal phone number if I needed anything more. I believe that was God letting me know he was sending me angels to help if I was willing to allow, all I would have to do is call and ask. A week later I had made a decision and I made that call and asked for help. Within 24 hours, God had sent those angels back and they held my hand as I took my first steps to recovery. Today, I thank God for sending those angels because I believe they helped me save my life and find that aforementioned happiness and joy. If God has angels on this earth, Kay and David are two of them. I have witnessed them as guardian angels over many of God’s creatures. They are also my closest friends.
    I mentioned the millions, like me, who are willing to hold a hand as others try to take these steps. God gave me another angel, an addict like me, that for conditions of anonymity I’ll just call “Tj”. Tj has shared he has not been perfect in his walk to recovery, but he had a desire to live his life differently and free from addiction. He was willing to do whatever it took to gain that and, by the grace of God, he has shared with me how he did it and I am truly grateful to God for sending him to show me “How it works” for him. I listen to his advice and suggestions, and again reluctantly sometimes, follow it because I feel my God has gifted me with him as an angel of recovery.
    Please, if you are an addict like me or afraid you could be, understand I tried several times to quit using drugs but I had no choice. In my DNA I am an addict. Choices are made for ice cream, clothing, and friends; all of which you can change your mind if you decide you don’t like the flavor, color, or personality. If you are an addict like me, it will take a decision to allow yourself to accept you have a progressive fatal disease that cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Cancer, HIV, and Addiction never go away but treated properly, a seemingly normal life can be had while we are still in this world.
     I told you, my God can perform miracles and if you knew the rest of my story you would agree – 16 months clean and sober, for an addict like me, is a miracle. My God loves every creature He has created in this world. He loves an addict like me, and He loves an addict like you. Just let Him, and let Him place angels in your life to hold your hand while you take a few simple, baby steps. Whether you are still suffering or not, I love you too. Join with me as I pray to my God to “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. To be able to change those things I can in my life. And the wisdom to know the difference.” Receive His blessings, He loves you.

                            

~  Gary M. – Date of Sobriety 11/01/08 ~

Dear KP family,

A number of years ago, before my decision to move to Austin, I was at the end of my line. People talk about dry spells in their lives; seasons when life is somehow drained of the magic that makes each moment meaning-filled and worth living. Christians experience and express this most often in spiritual ways. “God was far from me”, they might say; or “it was a season to persevere in my faith-walk…blessed are they who do not see and yet believe.” And while we truly see things through this lens, we also mean “I was thoroughly depressed and didn’t want to wake up in the morning to face such a day.” It was one of those kinds of seasons for me. One night, the emptiness was particularly oppressive and I couldn’t sleep. I felt so alone and sad. In the early hours of the morning I began to pray “God where are you?” “Where is goodness?” God’s response to my prayer, as I understood it, was that I needed more faith! How irritating and dismissive that response felt to me. I expressed back…”But how?” God’s response: “Are you sure you’re ready to find out…?”

That prayer began the beginning of a process of cleansing that I have yet to complete. It began with a response from me and was followed shortly thereafter by the reanimation of my sense of calling and self-affirmation; eventually, in pure ecstasy, bidding me to come to Austin to seek my future. This week, the remembrance of this beginning caused me to stop and give thanks. Though it was an unlikely week for such thankfulness.

A few days ago I was in a car accident. Sadly, as “accidents” go, this one leaned more toward the “blame” end of the “accidental” spectrum. Without expanding, I can say in short, the other person didn’t know what hit them and being distracted with too many things, I didn’t know that I was about to do the hitting. Everyone is fine except our cars (and my ego) so please don’t worry (though do pray for me;). In a daze afterward, the police showed up and asked the occupants of both vehicles what professions we were in (why do they ask this question?). My awkward and abbreviated answer was “a farmer”. Later, I expounded, stating sheepishly that I work for Mobile Loaves & Fishes and proceeded to describe the Karpophoreō Project (sorry for the negative association Alan). But this is where the magic starts breaking through… It turns out that in the car I hit, two incredibly gracious women had just been talking about wanting to start a garden in their backyards but worrying about not having enough time to tend it (one even had starter material for seedlings in her car). One was also longtime supporter and volunteer of Mobile Loaves & Fishes. Needless to say, by the time the driver’s husband arrived to pick them both up, the Karpophoreo Project secured its third Backyard Farm reservation for the month of February and the possibility of connecting with several more, not to mention a kind parting (certainly not always the case in circumstances such as these). My ride home came a few minutes later from Lloyd, the only car-owner within our KP community, and this too made me smile and gave me the opportunity to give thanks.

Through this project I’ve had the chance to practice faithfulness to a degree I wasn’t capable of not so many years back. And the rewards have been abundant, even (or especially) in weeks like these.

This week was also incredibly special as one of our longtime volunteers has decided to wholeheartedly get on the KP bus! Reading in Ephesians “to live as children of light…and find out what pleases the Lord”, she realized that, in volunteering with the HOW community, she was witnessing something that warmed God’s heart. And though she wouldn’t say this, I believe she found something which was worth investing her considerable talents in. We welcome Jen Ardill to the KP staff and I hope you will all get the chance to say hello if you haven’t already.

Btw, Jen has designed the first Karpophoreō Project website! Check out all upcoming events and details about our programs at kprojectmlf.wordpress.com



Upcoming Events:

What a season we’re entering! Check out the events coming up and let us know where you’d like to plug in…

January 30th ** Community Workday ** A team from Veritas Academy will be washing and painting trailers in our community. Though they don’t know it yet, I’m also hoping they can help me get our mini-greenhouse transplants underway. The event will run from 9-12 with a community lunch happening from 11-12. Come join the crew and the fun. We’re at 7901 E Ben White Blvd 78741. For more info, call me at (512) 921-1632.

February 6th and 20th** Farmer’s Market ** We’ll be back at the City of Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market from 9-1pm. If you can’t make it but still want something, we can contact you afterward and deliver, for a small fee, any produce that is not sold at the market. We would ultimately like to set up Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) drop-off points, where one person becomes the hub where others in your network pick up their weekly produce and egg orders. Our ladies are laying by the way, but not enough yet for deliveries. You can also join the fun on the afternoon of Friday the 5th when KP teams will be tending and harvesting our garden farms throughout the city. We meet up at my house and then fan out. All ages are welcome to come.

February 8th ** Info Session ** Many of you have indicated an interest in hosting a Backyard Farm of your own. We will be providing a formal introduction to the Karpophoreō Project, the Backyard Farm program, and have a potluck brunch from 9:30-11:00am on Monday the 8th at the generous host-sight of our first Church Garden (Onioncreekbaptistchurch.com- 8214 E. Riverside Dr 78744). This is right behind our RV Park and, for those interested, we’ll be leading a tour next door to look through some trailers afterward. Austin’s very own Sustainable Food Center will also be on hand to talk about the many resources they provide for local foodies/gardeners as well as their Spread the Harvest program.

February 13th ** The Big Dig ** KP will be building a Backyard Farm at the Hardin household! Soil maintenance and food will be provided in the morning and Jeff and Melanie from Break It Down (BreakitdownAustin.org), a local non-profit composting business will lead an info session that afternoon on how to build and manage a compost bin in your own backyard. This event would be a great time for gardening novices to come and learn the ancient art of “getting your hands dirty.” We will be building a garden from start to finish while also teaching through everything from examining the soil to choosing which plants for which season. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Bring gloves and a fork or spoon if you can… (spading forks and shovels are also encouraged!)

February 27th ** Youth Workday Extravaganza ** Over the last month, the KP community and staff from Veritas Academy have been thinking through the unrealized possibilities of youth workdays. We like it when events have an opening bash, a closing party, and plenty for all skill levels in between. The result, the YWE, is an all day event for those serious about service. We will need servants (young and old) interested in designing and printing signs for our gardens across the city, servants with talents in making a music video advertisement for KP, and of course, servants who want to get their hands dirty in four Backyard farms we hope to build that day. Sprinkled throughout the day at all work sites, we will stop and listen to the amazing life stories of the men and women from the Habitat on Wheels community who will be carrying on the work at each garden. To cap the day, we hope to have a real pig roast, youth band (we’re counting on you!), and to watch the music video made throughout the day. Please invite your friends from far and wide for this most-outstanding of workday extravaganzas! More details about locations and work teams for this event are coming soon to a theatre near you!

Steven

--
Good Soil Developer
The Karpophoreō Project/MLF

http://kprojectmlf.wordpress.com

512 921 1632

Did I Wash the Feet of a Saint? Duane Severance Pastor to the #Homeless

On January 7th Duane Severance was killed in a single car single occupant accident. His untimely death provoked within the Austin community a lot of emotions.  Duane is married to Brandy and they have three children and another on the way due February 14th.  Duane was the pastor to the homeless on the streets of Austin, Texas. After reflecting on his death for some time I offer the following thoughts.

 Duane and I began to be aware of each other probably in 1999 or 2000 when Church Under the Bridge was getting started and my parish was contemplating taking on adopting CUB for one week per month.  That never came to fruition but as we were building Mobile Loaves & Fishes we frequently encountered Church Under the Bridge on our Sunday runs.  It was wonderful to watch such a diverse group of people all gather to worship the Lord; black, white, brown, male, female, rich, poor, homeless, mentally ill, addicts, disabled, trans gendered, gay you name it and it was there mostly in harmony.  Truly amazing to watch.  At the helm was Duane Severance, Pastor to these brothers and sisters each made in His image.  Makes me think of Acts 2:42 and on when the church was just getting off the ground after the death of Christ.

But it was in May of 2003 when I REALLY met Duane.  I had organized Mobile Loaves & Fishes' first Street Retreat (www.mlfnow.org/streetretreat). This retreat was 72 hours and is a one on one retreat between the retreatant and God with our retreat center being the wall-less streets of downtown Austin.  We had heard while out on the streets that there was a bible study held in East Austin on Tuesday nights where one could grab a meal and a place to sleep while also entering into some powerful praise and worship.  When asked where this place was no one knew; all they could tell us is that if you go to the corner of Congress Avenue and 7th street at around 5:30 a little pickup truck would come and pick you up.  Several of us decided to go.  Standing on the corner kind of felt like Pinocchio waiting to go to Pleasure Island.

The evening was phenomenal to say the least!  I will never forget it.  The music, the bible study, the teaching, the fellowship and the community of broken brothers and sisters all worshiping together.  It was transforming to say the least.  Duane and I grew in solidarity to our missions but clearly on differing paths.  There was a mutual respect for each other.

Since that time I have facilitated a whole bunch of Street Retreats.  Nearly 200 people have participated and now we always do our 72 hour retreat beginning at 5:00 on Palm Sunday and ending on Wednesday.  Almost always we end up at the Tuesday night bible study which since its inception has been moved to the New York Avenue Christian Center near 12th and Chicon.  As of about six months ago because Duane needed a change of pace and moved to West Texas the bible studies ended.

Well, a few years ago one of our veteran retreatants Judy Knotts (read this article in the American Statesman) had the idea that we should wash the feet of the homeless while at the Tuesday night bible study.  Since we are out during Holy Week it makes sense to do this.  In the Catholic Church we celebrate Holy Thursday and the institution of the priesthood.  This institution begins with Jesus' washing the feet of the disciples.  Very powerful!  Now Judy wants to bring this celebration to the homeless.  Quietly, I am reluctant as I try not have any "agenda" while out on the streets; only doing what God calls us to do at any given time.  I am glad I was quiet on this; not normal for me.

So here we are at the New York Avenue Christian Center on a Tuesday evening of Holy Week praising the Lord and the time came for the ceremonial washing of the feet.  The crowd was stunned that we wanted to do this and some were ashamed.  Ashamed because the condition of their feet was something that we did not anticipate.  Our feet for the most part were nice and soft and free of callouses and crevices.  We could afford quality foot care; a fresh clean pair of socks everyday; a bath everyday.  Heck some of us (women particularly) could afford regular pedicures. Not the homeless.  No siree! As anyone involved in going out on a Mobile Loaves & Fishes truck knows socks are the single most popular item on the trucks.

It is hard to describe the condition of these feet.  Some were so injured that you questioned the sanity of even touching them.  But here we were girding ourselves as Jesus did and committing to something that we had to fulfill.  For all of us this was a powerful moment.  People were weeping and crying.  The presence of the Holy Spirit in that room that night was palpable.  Emotions were running on high.

The plan was to wash the feet of those who were homeless; to let them know that we were, as Jesus, there to serve them. We did not understand that it would be important for them to wash our feet but that is precisely what happened.  More weeping and crying!

What was remarkable and providential was that I was about to wash the feet of Duane's and he mine.  At the time I weighed nearly 330 pounds so getting down much less back up was difficult.  As I went down on a knee I gently needed to support myself by leaning onto his knee.  As I came closer to the ground his feet began to come into focus.  Now understand that Duane rarely was seen wearing anything but flip flops; no socks and no supportive shoes.  I on the other hand always wore socks and I am disciplined about having a high quality supportive tennis shoe.  I, because of my weight, battled diabetes.  Foot care was essential.  My feet were soft and without callouses. Duane's feet on the other hand were the feet of a true servant; the feet of someone who lived simply and with profound Gospel focused purpose.  Duane's feet were heavily calloused with crevices running through the callouses as the Grand Canyon slices through the landscape.  Was I holding in my hands the feet of a Saint?  The feet of Jesus?  I hearkened back to Jesus washing the feet of the disciples.  Knowing that their feet too had many unprotected miles of servant love embedded deep in their landscapes.

As I reflect on the death of Duane I am always drawn to this moment in our ministries where we had the opportunity to wash each others feet.  I am drawn back to the servant life he lived.  I am drawn to his feet.  I am drawn to the landscape of the good servant who girded himself with a towel and washed their feet everyday. 

I believe I washed the feet of a Saint!

-Alan

Ending #Homelessness from a Socio-economic Perspective

Ending Homelessness from a Socio-economic Perspective
Guest blogger -  Richard R. Troxell
President House the Homeless
Livable Incomes Coordinator
National Coalition for the Homeless

Richard is a personal friend of mine and one of the strongest advocates for the homeless I have ever met.

-Alan

News Flash; If you think that we can just put homeless people back into a broken socio-economic system ...think again.

As we look at the socio-economic condition of homelessness, we recognize that we can view homelessness into two major categories, those who can work and those who cannot work. 

Hard working people are falling out of our work force. They are ending up homeless on our streets.  We see these people as broken individuals standing on our street corners, painfully visible and asking for help; some call it begging, others know it as panhandling.  In any event, they are no longer seen as members of a family that they once were.  Now, she lives in a shelter and he stands on a street corner...broken and pleading for help from his fellow human beings.

We respond as best we know how.  We, “the community,” brush these individuals off, detoxify, them, teach them the art of resume writing and interview talking and place them into jobs and point them to the general housing market.  Well done!  Bravo!  Everyone pitched in to help.  The entire community rallied behind our needy...our homeless.  But what has really occurred?  Who knows?  Without follow-up evaluation one year later, we won’t learn if the minimum wage job or even the $10.00 per hour job into which they were placed was or wasn’t enough to sustain them through the economic bumps ahead.  However, we do know that the minimum dollar amount needed to sustain them can be simply stated with the phrase: “Living Wage.”   A “Living Wage” is the base amount necessary for a person to afford basic food, clothing and shelter...no more no less.  This is the same vision and understanding embraced by the U.S. Congress following the Crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression in the 1930s.  Then, in 1938, in response to the wage problem, the U.S. Congress created the Federal Minimum Wage.  This worked fairly well until the 1980s when because the wage was not indexed to the cost of living, or anything for that matter, our nation’s housing rents outstripped the wage being earned.  So now we must “reset” the wage just like a clock and index the wage to the local cost of housing throughout the entire United States.  Therefore, that is what we have done.  Using existing Government Guidelines, we have devised a single national formula that ensures that if a person works 40 hours in a week, they will be able to afford basic food, clothing, and shelter (including utilities).  In other words, a roof over their heads...other than a bridge.

But in further examining the idea of simply putting people back into the work force, we must explore what that looks like. Minimum wage workers work 5-6 days a week, fifty-two weeks a year.  They are only assured (hopefully) of a day off to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Additionally, the rigorous demands of daily work are ever accelerating and continue to expand exponentially.  Think about the technological advances in the last ten years alone that range from desk top computers to laptops, cell phones, camera phones, Blackberries and i-phones with Apps.  Think of the world as a merry-go-round full of a dozen kids spinning like crazy and holding on for dear life.  As the merry-go-round accelerates, regardless of the strength of their white knuckle grips, some can’t hold on and they go flying off as the speed continues to increase.  It’s the same in the work place.  Minimum wage workers don’t get two weeks paid vacation.  They don’t get vacation time, personal time or even the luxury of getting sick.  Minimum wage workers are subject to endless stress.  As the stress demands increase, so does the pressure on the individual worker.  They must show up day in and day out regardless of their problems at home, their energy levels, or routine bouts of depression.  The instant they say, “I can’t go in tomorrow, I’m calling in sick,” they get replaced. They spin off the merry go-round of life and end up homeless on the streets of America.

It makes little or no difference what kind of worker you’ve been.  To the employer, what matters is that you show up day in and day out...no matter what.  Failure to show up every single day will get the minimum wage worker the instant boot.  Someone else is waiting in the wings who is desperate to fill the worker’s vacant slot.  Clearly, the employer must have workers present everyday to accomplish what needs to be done to advance the business.

But, what if we start “thinking outside the box with both employer and employee’s welfare in mind?  Example:  Employer with financial means purchases production equipment beyond the means of the individual workers such as a $5,000 hot dog stand.  The employer leases the use of the equipment to an individual worker or workers.  The worker operates the equipment on a daily basis as one would expect.  However, to address the employee needs for time-off, another (swing) worker is tapped to come to work and fill in the vacant times so that the equipment is used to its fullest. This is referred to as “flex” work  (please see www.mlfnow.org/Jobs fo learn about about micro economic business model to employ the homeless). In this fashion, both the employer and the employee attain what they need and want: job stability and economic growth.  This is one simple example of the kind of change and flexibility needed to enhance our chances of successfully ending homelessness for workers. 

For those who cannot work, the U.S. Congress established a government based financial support system, Supplemental Security Income, SSI, designed to provide a small monthly monetary stipend.  This is presently set at $674 nationwide.

However, ours is a nation of thousands of local economies ranging from poverty in Clay, West Virginia to the opulence of New York City. And yet, the current approach is to award a single uniform dollar amount to every individual with disabilities no matter where they live throughout America. Clearly, this “one size fits all” approach is an illogical response that has the result of leaving millions of recipients susceptible to the economic forces of homelessness.

This solution is simple.  We must index this stipend to the local cost of housing throughout the United States.  As with the Universal Living Wage, we can use the Housing and Urban Development, HUD, Section 8 Fair Market Rents to ensure that we properly index the SSI stipend to local economies across America.  This will ensure that whether someone is working forty hours in a week or struggling with disabilities, they will be able to afford the basics of life: food, clothing, shelter (utilities included) and have access to the emergency room.  And finally, if others are working by utilizing  flex work days of an unlimited nature, they will be able to re-enter the work force in a calm, productive, stress free manner, that provides them a living and the employer the work performance required for a successful business. 

We are committed to creating the systemic and attitudinal changes necessary to prevent and end homelessness.

Girls Got Eggs

KP Farms now has eggs! Thats, right, our first Backyard Farm with Chicken is now an egg-bearing enterprise. Check out Alan's video of a recent check-in on his ladies-a-layin:

If any of you are interested in KP and the Habitat on Wheels community building you a Backyard Chicken house (and/or garden!), send a note to the KP Farmer in residence: [email protected]

KP Farms Survived the Cold!

Friends of KP,

When was the last time your hopes relied on a candle successfully burning through the night? What, you’ve never depended on the warmth of candles to ensure the survival of your livelihood? No? Well, you must not be running an Ex-homeless #farming project on a shoestring budget. But you know what: it’s glorious!

Yes, we made it through the recent horrendous weather. And with a few exceptions, we made it through remarkably unaffected. This was not what I expected when I was told last week that record cold temperatures were going to settle in our area for a multi-day period.

When a typical farmer hears this kind of news, it’s terrible. But they get to work, taking down massive bundles of row cover that have been carefully stowed away for just such occasions. When a distributed-farming project, run by the formerly homeless, spread across multiple climate zones hears such news... well, I didn’t go up into the loft, I went down on my knees. And then I did what the #homeless always do when they face such emergencies: I got creative! By last Wednesday evening, our gardens across Central Austin and the Hill Country were being protected from the brutal cold with everything from garbage bags, to tent covers, to a patchwork quilt of stock piled sheets and blankets, and more! I even tried – albeit unsuccessfully– to make my water-filled crock pot a portable heater for our garden in the RV park. Alas, the extension chords wouldn't reach. I settled instead for a ceramic bowl of boiling hot water (100% ice the next morning). But “The Most Innovative Heating Arrangement” award went to our “simple-tech-horticulturist-in-residence, Sam, who valiantly weathered three consecutive 10-15 degree nights in long johns and a camping tent to ensure the survival of three of our community’s gardens in East Austin.

A native son of the freezing cold, Sam comes to the Habitat on Wheels community from Maine where he helped run a nursery before his long journey onto and off of the streets here in Austin. Sam is the kind of guy who grows his own citronella plants for mosquito repellant and constructed a cow-rumen out of two buckets and the right combinationof natural acids to create an artificial manured fertilizer for his #gardens. After exhausting every heating and covering contraption in a multi-household search, it was to Sam I turned. His response to my enquiry surprised me. “Use candles!” He instructed me to place glass enclosed candles [the kind that have religious pictures on the sides of them] underneath overturned clay pots. And then, he instructed me to put those underneath what row-cover we could muster up. He said this would create a miniature infrared oven next to the plants that would keep the temperatures above freezing and the humidity high. That is, so long as the candles kept burning. I felt unsafe about the arrangement until he amazed me by saying he would camp out to keep an eye on the candles throughout the entire cold stretch. He even volunteered– when temp dropped to their nighttime lowest– to spray a layer of water on the plants we weren’t able to find cover for.

Friends, with the help of Sam and God’s grace we made it! The Karpophoreō Project will be letting the plants rest an extra week this cycle but we will be back at the Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market next Saturday (January 23rd). You might even get a chance to ask Sam about his experience as he has begun to join us, selling his awe-inspiring matted photographs taken on bicycle trips across our city and state (Check out this link for examples of Sam's work). If you’re really into biology, and ready to talk for a while, you might also ask him how his rumen works;)

Grace upon grace continues to abound for KP as we are also currently prepping for our first, of what we hope to be many, Backyard Farms in the coming weeks and months. Upcoming events include the Big Dig and Planting for this BF, an info session for those interested in the BF Program, and a live taping of our first KP Podcast featuring our own Mississippi Stiffit. Contact me for more information about these events.

Until then, check out the pictures below, and keep it green and growing...

Steven

P.S. the candles burned out sometime on the third night. Just long enough, Sam informs me, to keep the air temperature ever dropping lower than 34 degrees... ;)

Duane Severance Pastor to the #Homeless Has Gone Home

This past Thursday January 7th Pastor Duane Severance went home to be with the Lord.  I have known Brother Duane for over ten years and served with him to serve the homeless.  I call him our modern day St. Francis of Assisi.  Words can't describe the impact he had on the lives of the homeless here in Austin, Texas.  He will be missed.  Below is an email from his wife Brandy with details of his funeral.

-Alan

This is Duane's wife Brandy and for those of you who have not yet heard the news, Duane has departed this life to be with the lord following a car accident yesterday.

We are holding a funeral service for him on Monday January 11th at St Lukes Episcopal Church, (www.stlukesonthelake.org) 5600 Ranch Road 620 North, Austin TX  overlooking Lake Travis at 11:00 am. All friends are invited and welcome. There will be a reception afterwards at the church followed by a burial service at Cook-Walden in Pflugerville at 4501 IH-35. Their number is 512-251-4118.

If you need to get hold of us, please call or send a note to Peter Lloyd at [email protected]. I will be staying with the Peter & Debbie through the weekend. We have  set up a memorial web site for Duane where you can read and leave messages and photos at http://duane-severence.memory-of.com.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Thank you all for your prayers and support in this difficult time.

God Bless you,

Brandy
[email protected]