Kids on the Street
Sometimes people talk to me about how they came to be on the streets, and there are as many reasons as there are people. Whether young or old, all the circumstances surrounding a life are different.
Kids on the street, for example, might find themselves there for many reasons. A seasoned leader of a youth street outreach agency told me this: on average 1/3 of the kids come from broken and disfunctional homes; another 1/3 come from regular homes; and about 1/3 come from homes where the kids have everything they need. But on the street there is a very level playing ground.
Pimps, drug dealers, con artists, pedophiles and other exploiters really do not care where the kids come from! They are quick to befriend, deceive, and use for their own purposes.
We are there on the streets. We meet the kids where they are and offer support, help and friendship. Sometimes it’s a small beginning, but it’s something to build on. We look for the strengths that the kids have, but maybe do not even recognize themselves. It is one of the hardest things we have done, and at the same time, brings a satisfaction and a sense of thankfulness when we see the kids make positive life choices.
Thanks for your support!
Come as you ART – AMAZING SUCCESS
Imagine: You have lived your whole life thinking you are a ‘zero without the rim’. Violence in your ‘home’ has forced you to leave. The streets are as bad as your worst imaginations, but at least better than the mean drunk of a step father who beat you with a hockey stick.
Then: You become a part of a safe enviornment where you do art. You certainly are not an artist by any stretch of anyone’s imagination, but guess what? People you don’t even know, talk to you about how interesting your creations are, how they stir their imaginations, ask what the story is behind the art… and you are launched into a new realm of existence where suddenly, you are a person.
This is not a far stretch of the imagination! One of the kids in the show came up to me and with absolute amazement in her eyes, told me that someone bid $100 for one of her paintings. Low and behold, that person was right beside me at the time! It’s enough to change a life!
Unexpected outcomes: Relatives of the kids came and bid on the art pieces! People spoke highly of the program and congratulated the kids! People lingered and spoke with the young artists. It was a good day and a great show.
Thanks to the many who made this happen! Want to learn more? Call us!
COME AS YOU ART, Art Auction & Coffee House
We wish to invite you to our next PASSION 4 YOUTH ART AUCTION showcasing the artwork and musical talents of street-engaged youth this THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10 from 7pm to 9pm @ Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper St.
Why an ART PROGRAM for STREET-ENGAGED KIDS?
Imagine growing up with no support, friends, security or encouragement. Running away from home because of domestic violence and abuse. You hit the streets with all its darkness, but it’s better than what you left.
It’s like stepping up to the batter’s plate with three strikes already against you.
Then you find there is a safe, clean, dry, welcoming space where you are able to let your creativity flow, join with other people just like you, and find freedom to do whatever you like with paint, canvas and brush.
A volunteer comes along and looks at your art, and you hear words you have never, ever heard in your entire life: “That is beautiful. Did you do that? I would love to have that in my living room. Can you tell me more about it? What inspired you?” And they listen to your story.
Can you imagine what that would be like? To have someone you just met show that kind of interest in your life? When you’ve lived your entire 19 years ‘learning’ you will never amount to anything, never get a job, finish school or make any kind of positive contribution to anyone, anywhere?
Or maybe it’s someone who wants to buy your art, not because they are doing an act of charity, but because they really like your work. They think it’s great! And you tell them.
A few words of encouragement, just those, might just be enough to turn a life around!
Out in the Cold – but just a taste
Thanksgiving weekend this year was perhaps the nicest ever – weather was perfect, leaves at their prime and the roads dry and clear of traffic – at least where we were. Three days of back to back beauty!
Our family tradition is to have Thanksgiving at a ‘hunt camp’ on a private pristine lake in Quebec. Somewhat ‘rustic’ but worth the cost by anyone’s standards! Imagine with me for a moment: no sounds except the wind in the pines, the call of the loon and the calm of the lake mirroring the emblazoned hues of the maples of the mountain. Truly amazing.
Seventeen people for an overnight at a camp that comfortable sleeps 14 – so we brought our tent trailer and set it up. I left the bonfire a little earlier than the others and snuggled down under four layers of bedding: a blanket, a quilt, a wool ‘Kenwood’ blanket, and a down sleeping bag over top.
It wasn’t really even cold, relatively speaking, certainly not below nine or ten degrees, but I was uncomfortably cold. It just didn’t work for me, and I spent some time thinking about the cold and my plight. One consolation: the dawn was comin’.
I thought about my friends who sleep outside, not only at Thanksgiving time, but in the midst of the coldest blasts of winter. If I was cold under the protection of the tent trailer and with several layers of dry bedding in tepid temperatures - I just could not imagine what it is to sleep outside with maybe a sleeping bag.
What if we didn’t have any choices about where we would sleep – for whatever reason? What if we had to ‘make do’ alone in the elements? What would that be like?
Here’s an experiment: take some time outside with clothing appropriate to our current weather, and force yourself to stay outside on the deck or back yard for two or three hours. You can’t go inside to get warm, can’t have coffee or hot chocolate on hand, and you can’t add any more clothing as the time goes on.
Then think: people on the street can’t go inside when they’ve ‘reached the limit’.
Wrongs turning out Right!
Mich and his mother came to be friends of OIM first through our outreach teams and then started coming to the drop in. Mich is 19 and Candace, his mom is in her early thirties. We developed relationship over several months and Mich joined our Passion 4 Youth art program. There is a story here that I want to share:
Mich came home to their small apartment and saw his mom lying on the kitchen floor – her third suicide attempt! He called 911 immediately and after the paramedics came, they told him that if he called just 5 minutes earlier, his mom would not be here. The next time he came to the art program, he asked if he could speak with our youth outreach worker in the hallway for a few minutes.
When they were alone, he said, “We’ve been talking about spiritual stuff for a while now. I’m ready. I need to have Jesus in my life.” Mich prayed and so began his spiritual journey with Jesus.
Fast track a few weeks later and Candace asks to speak with me at the drop in. In the adjoining garden we take a bench and she tells me about some of the things happending in her life and she asks for some advice. She is scared and doesn’t know what to do. We talk and conversation comes around to the change in life that Jesus can bring. Mich joins us and the conversation about spiritual things continues.
“Did I tell you what happened a few weeks ago at the art program?” Mich queried. I nodded yes. “How’s it going with you?” I ask.
“I don’t really understand it all – but I sleep each night with my bible right beside me in bed.”
“You know, we have a great program just about to start here at the drop in – it’s called Alpha. There is a video each week, you ask questions and we talk about the Bible. Would you guys like to attend?”
To make a long story short, both Mich and Candace have indicated interest in our Alpha course. Until then we will work with both mother and son, to help them in their spiritual journeys.
God can take the very worst of situations and turn things around to make good. If we can be there to be a part of what He is doing, it is a privelege and blessing!
I just started back to school – well adult high school to make up two classes, and then college.”
Street Outreach: An Encounter!
The Street Outreach team met Bess and Ken near Confederation Park near the first of September. They came up to us asking for sleeping bags because they were sleeping outside. Since we were on the way back to the office anyhow, we asked them if they would like to come and we could help them. The tent they had was stolen the night before and for various reasons, they were having difficulty accessing resources. They were from southern Ontario and moved to Ottawa with hopes of finding work and an apartment. Before they left, we invited them to keep in touch.
The next week we met them on outreach again, and first saw Bess panhandling with a sign that said, “Need $ for a ticket to Owen Sound”. A quick glance around saw Ken across the street keeping an eye on her. We sat and chatted. The sleeping bags were working out great, they were both doing well and did not need any outreach items. We said goodbye and then went across the street and chatted with Ken. He mentioned that they were still having trouble finding a place because rent was much more expensive than they had anticipated. He told us that Bess had been pan handling with a sign asking for money for first and last month’s rent, but that it had not made very much money. He said that he was feeling guilty about the new sign because it is dishonest, but that it is making them much more money. We told him that the important thing was that the money was going to be spent on something positive, like an apartment. After a brief conversation we offered outreach items and then said goodbye.
We were well on our way back to the OIM office about ten minutes later when I heard someone calling for us. It was Bess and Ken. They were running to catch up with us. Bess handed me something and asked me to return it to Karen, one of our outreach workers. Opening the envelope we saw five twenty dollar bills. Bess explained that she had met Karen the night before on outreach. Karen returned the next day and gave Bess the money and a sandwich. Bess and Ken were feeling very guilty that Karen had given the money thinking that it was going towards a ticket to Owen Sound. Ken added that he felt that Karen might get discouraged if she found out that they had been lying on their sign.
We were speechless! We promised that we would return the money to Karen so that she could decide what to do with it. They seemed relieved. My fellow outreach worker told them “God will bless you for your honesty”. Ken replied “We already feel so blessed. He’s already blessed us so much.”
Bringing you up to date: Bess and Ken have become our friends. They have entrusted us with $1,000 to hold for them so they can pay their first and last month’s rent. Last Friday, September 16th, they got their place!! Now that they are set up, Ken is actively looking for work, and Bess is planning to finish her high school. She is sixteen.
Eddy turns himself in!
Our youth outreach worker recounted this story of last Monday’s events, and I thought you would be interested.
Eddy was one of the first members of our Passion 4 youth art program. He enjoyed coming every week and worked on building model cars and also a model of a mountain with a stream running from the side. After the first art show he and his girlfriend Sue stopped coming to the group. I caught up with him a few times on outreach and he told me that he was selling too much crack now and could not afford to take a night off. So we just kept telling him that we loved him and that he was welcome to come back whenever he wanted to. Then we stopped hearing from him all together for a few months. At one point his girlfriend Sue contacted me and told me that he had been arrested for selling drugs. A few more months went by and I got a facebook message from Eddy. He told me that he had served 7 months in Jail and then was released to serve the rest of his sentence at a rehab facility in Quebec. He was allowed to go home for a weekend and while at home he used heroin again. When he came back to rehab and failed a drug test and was dismissed from the facility.
At his next court appearance Eddy was informed that he would have to serve a few more months in jail because he failed the drug test. He asked if he could go and call his mother. When he left the room, Eddy got scared and decided to run from the court room. He later called his lawyer who told him that he needed to turn himself in to the authorities. He knew that he should do the right thing but he was very scared to turn himself in.
Eddy asked me what I thought he should do and I told him that he needed to listen to his lawyer. He said that he has never willingly put himself in Jail. It was just too crazy to think about. So over the next few weeks Eddy would contact me and tell me that he was going to turn himself in. But the next day he would not follow through. He called me again and said that he was thinking about turning himself over to authorities in the morning. I told him that if he wanted I would meet him I would meet with him at the Rideau center in the morning and we could go together. That way he could have a friend with him in case he got scared and wanted to run away again. Eddy said that he would like that so we arranged a time to meet. When I arrived at our meeting spot he was already there waiting for me. We hugged and I told him that I was proud of him. I got him some breakfast and sat and talked for a while. I asked him why he felt that he was ready now. He told me that he had just found out that our mutual friend Roni had died of a drug overdose last week. Roni was a good friend to him and her death had a profound effect on him. He decided that if he didn’t want to end up the same way he needed to make some changes in his life. We talked about how this was an opportunity for him to face some of the things that he has been running from. We walked over to the court house together. Along the way Eddy noticed a man sitting on the Mackenzie King Bridge pan handling. Eddy walked over and gave him all but 4 of the cigarettes from his pack, as well as all of the money in his pocket. We went into the court and called his lawyer. The lawyer agreed to meet him there. When the lawyer came we approached one of the police officers stationed at the court house and told him that Eddy was turning himself in. He filled out some paper work gave up his wallet and shoe laces. He looked very scared and started to cry. The officer told him that he was going to process the paper work and be back in about fifteen minutes. In the mean time Eddy was allowed to go outside and have one last smoke.
We walked out to the patio in the back and he lit his cigarette. At this point I reminded him of all the times we had talked about the difference that Jesus could make in his life. We talked about how God’s love for him is unconditional, and that he was going to need Gods strength to overcome the things that were controlling his life. Usually an agnostic, Eddy told me that this time he really believed that what I was saying was true. So I asked if he would like to ask the Lord to be his Savior and give his life to Christ he said that he did. I sat next to him and we prayed together. When we were done praying we looked up and the police officer was waiting in front of us to take him to the cells. We stood up and walked together with the officer to the elevator.
The officer agreed not to handcuff him until they were downstairs so as not to embarrass him in front of the public. Eddy teared up again and then gave me a hug. I left him my number so that he can continue to call me while he is in jail. He thanked me for staying with him and then asked if I would call his dad and let him know what happened. As I left the court I thought about how proud of Eddy I was. This was very hard for him but he did it anyway. I thanked God for taking what the devil would want to use for harm and turning it into an opportunity to bring my friend into a relationship with him.
It’s a new beginning for Eddy, a fresh start. Let’s pray that he continues to make good decisions and plans for his future.
It happened at the drop in: a Miracle??
Greg Payne is our volunteer chiropractor at the drop in. He told me a story about an encounter he had with one of our guests, and I asked him to document it. Here is his story. (Name changed, naturally).
Jenny (mid forties) came to the drop-in for her chiropractic adjustment. She complained about a bloated feeling that her Crohns was making a rather symptomatic episode. The day before someone had given her a free lunch at Tim Hortons, but she could not hold it down. She further said she was suffering from intense bleeding and was afraid to leave her house. She had to wear disposable diapers. Her GI MD <gastro intestinal doctor> did an X-ray and told her she had a small bowl obstruction and the bowl had shifted out of place. They admitted her and “stuck tubes in her nose and everywhere” Jenny reported.
I prayed for her, and told her she would do well with her adjustment and that she would be healing.
Two weeks later she returned for another chiropractic adjustment and told me that the day after her adjustment she felt only a little better. But, on the second day following the adjustment she was A LOT better! She returned to the GI MD. He retook the X-rays and said that her small bowl obstruction had gone, that her bowl was in the correct place and “that her Crohn’s or evidence of her Crohn’s had disappeared”!
To this her MD mentioned that it must have been ‘that guy there at the drop-in’, that chiropractor that did it! I told her that it was Jesus who brings the power to heal, but he does work through his people. It certainly was not me.
Jenny clearly needed and received immediate aid – the kind her doctors were unable to tend to without invasive strategies. The Lord’s timing is fascinating!
Jenny is still in need of prayer and support – and whereas her symptoms did disappear as confirmed by her physician, she still suffers physically.
However you try to understand the dynamics of this story, it is an amazing testament to the healing power of God.