Living the gospel in the parking lot

I recently visited with a group of clients in the CCSC parking lot. They found our ministry from a nonprofit that helps people with multiple diagnoses to become self-sufficient. CCSC complements their work by providing food and clothing through the Emergency Services program and employment assistance through the JobNet program.

I visited with one of the men about his experience with us, and not surprisingly, he was grateful for our help. He had a bag of food and a JobNet flyer showing upcoming workshops. He planned to attend the Linked-In workshop because he thought it would better position his employment chances. The man next to him received a suit, tie and shirt so he can start his new job appropriately-attired.

Each of these people have hardships that are difficult to imagine living with on a daily basis. The woman near the edge of the group looked forlorn. I wondered what her story was.

Our clients are Jesus's people. By that, I mean that Jesus reached out to people who were downtrodden and forgotten by society. He showed compassion. In the last parable before his death (Matthew 25:31-46), he told his disciples that when you feed the hungry and clothe the naked, you are actually serving him. I hope Jesus would find us serving him well at CCSC.

This is Holy Week: a time to focus on the passion, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. My personal spiritual walk is rich because of this time in the church calendar. But I have to continually remind myself that dedication to spirituality is meaningless if I don't apply the tenets of faith to my ordinary, daily life. I need to remember that stopping to talk in the parking lot keeps my faith grounded.

Life is like a cup of coffee

A few months ago I spoke at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. The pastor, The Reverend David Browder, began his sermon with a discussion on how society has changed over time, just like coffee. He noted that we used to all drink from one pot of coffee, but now individualize our choices and no longer share a coffee pot.

This analogy has stayed with me: a community coffee pot vs. a non-fat, soy latte for one person, a regular, no-foam latte for another, etc..., etc...

I don't want to make anyone feel guilty about all the coffee choices we have now...I have my favorite coffee drinks also.

But returning to the sermon's point: I wonder if we have less of a sense of community than we did a generation or two ago. Do we know our neighbors? Do we know the people who sit in our pews at church or shop beside us at the grocery store? I ask these questions because I think the less we know, the more we can become detached from others' problems.

CCSC is not a neighborhood, but is a community for volunteers, staff and clients. Most of our volunteers have not undergone the crises that the clients have: their background and life stories are different. But the volunteers listen patiently, taking in all the clients have to share, and then determining how we can best help. I rarely observe judgement, but instead see compassion and sadness at how hard some people's live are.

Understanding others, especially those who have different backgrounds, is akin (I think) to drinking from the same coffee pot.

 

Sometimes you don't ask but just thank

I was giving a “moment for mission” at a church , thanking the congregation for its support, updating them on the ministry, and sharing a recent client story. After the service, one of CCSC's volunteers came over and asked why I didn't use the time to also request donations of men’s and children’s clothing. She thought I missed a great opportunity to share this need. I was taken aback by her gentle scolding and fumbled a response.

I thought about her comment for several days. Yes, she was right: we do need those clothing items. We also need food donations, more volunteers, and increased financial support.

In the nonprofit world, we ask and ask and ask. We are efficient in processing donations. But I wonder if we could do a better job in saying "thank you", with no strings attached.

So I wish I had responded to our concerned volunteer that my talk at her church was only to say thank you. And to reassure her that we do also ask for the resources we need to keep CCSC moving along.

CCSC's Endowment Board gets an A+

CCSC has an endowment, and it helps cover some of our operating costs each year. We have a special board who oversees the funds, and today's meeting was the one in which they review the investment strategy to ensure the funds are properly invested.

We have a dedicated group. This year Gordon Arnold, Beth Bruce, Brian Grove, Don Miller, and Frank Wozencraft serve on this board, and they were thorough in analyzing, discussing and determining the best investment strategy, given today's economic climate. They made good decisions today and consistently do so, taking good care of these assets that are so important to the ministry.

Essentially, these assets translate into investments into human lives. For example, while the Endowment Board met, the food pantry next door was open and helping the community:

• We provided food for an elderly woman living on $958/month.
• We helped a mother who works for a major retailer, earning about $1,200/month to provide for her family of four. Her oldest son is currently studying to join the Marines.
• A disabled man came in asking for a new shirt because he only had one: the one he was wearing. He happily found four shirts that fit him.
• And then we helped a man who works for a well-known Houston restaurant who lives with a chronic disease. He was hospitalized last week for a flare-up, but is back at work now. He lives on about $1,000/month.

There were many others who came through the ministry today, at the other food pantry as well as the two employment programs.

These client stories illustrate our mission. And backing up our mission are lots of people serving on committees, overseeing resources, and helping to make decisions that propel the agency forward. Today I'm grateful to the Endowment Board, for their outstanding stewardship of CCSC's assets and commitment to our work.

See who we helped recently

Before CCSC’s Annual Meeting last month, our new Board President, Chris Martin, decided to immerse himself in our mission. Within 48 hours, he had visited JobNet, met with a group of current Martha’s Way students, sat through a client interview at one food pantry, and toured the other pantry, all while asking thoughtful questions.

From these field trips, he shared the following impactful stories at the Annual Meeting: 

At the food pantry, a gentleman came to us immediately after his chemotherapy appointment, understandably not feeling great. He had recently received custody of his eight-year old daughter who is the center of his life. During the interview process, he shared that finally having his daughter back with him is what keeps him going during these tough times. However, with the addition of his daughter and the medical expenses, he is struggling on his limited income.  CCSC helped this family with rental assistance and food.

At Martha’s Way, one of the students shared that she is starting her house-cleaning business to increase her income. Her daughter is currently a student at Baylor and plans to attend medical school, so she wants to make sure her daughter can pursue her dreams.

In the latter story, Chris noted that it’s a wonderful example of how CCSC’s assistance can be a long-term investment in a family.

Do you want to see how we helped other families in 2015? Click here to see a summary of last year’s work: https://www.ccschouston.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2015_CCSC_YiR1.pdf

 

 

 

Be careful with signage

I saw several signs similar to this one posted around the perimeter of a church parking lot. The signs also stated  "church parking only, violators will be towed".  The signage was sizeable and numerous.

(NOTE: This is not a CCSC church.)

While churches and ministries need to protect their properties, these signs made me uncomfortable. I'd prefer wording that was more diplomatic and didn't have an unwritten "go away" message communicated. 

I'm more drawn to hospitality because Jesus offered it so generously. For this reason, we are intentional in creating it at CCSC, especially in our communication style, even when we need to say "no".

The most important way to measure our success is to ask for feedback, both formally and informally. Below are comments we received in 2015 from those we served: 

• Thank you, I was treated with courtesy and respect.
• You showed sincere concern for me.
• This program has changed my life and my children's lives.
• This was the first time I needed assistance, and you were so helpful.
• I thank God every day for the peace and love in this place. (from a volunteer)
• Y'all showed me there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I started a job last week!

The unwritten sign we strive for at CCSC is "you are welcome here". I hope you feel it too.

No resolutions for me

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions, mainly because they tend to evaporate by February. Instead, I like to set goals (both big and small) on an ongoing basis. Don't laugh, but one of my recent goals is to read War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. I'm on page 265 (out of about 1,100 pages) and am loving the book.

Our students in the Martha's Way program also set goals, and when I was at a recent graduation, one of the graduates shared her story. She is the single mother to a 3-year old boy and works in a factory to pay the bills. The hours are not ideal, and they limit the time she has with her son. She said the job also takes "energy from her", which negatively impacts all aspects of her life.

Then she heard about our vocational training program and enrolled. This has meant in the short-term that she is away from her son more. But in the long-term, she believes the program will enhance not only her financial security but her ability to be a present and engaged mother.

As she shared her story, she also named some goals:

• To start her own business and increase her overall income
• To make sure her schedule will be flexible so she has more time with her child
• To share her success with her family

I share her goals to inspire you. There's a mom out there trying hard to be the best she can be for her son, and CCSC is fortunate to be able to help her. For those of you who invest in our ministry, this is someone you are investing in.

So back to your New Year's resolutions: I say forget about them. Instead, think about some of the small and significant things you'd like to do in the next few months and work to achieve those.