Homeless and Day Warming and Overflow Shelter Sites
Posted: Friday, December 12, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: cold weather, homeless, RVA, shelter Comments Off on Homeless and Day Warming and Overflow Shelter SitesIt’s the time of year when our friends who sleep outside need a warm place to lay their heads. Please note the following press release that came out earlier today and make notes for the future! Sorry that I didn’t read and post it sooner. PLEASE NOTE IN BOLD AND ITALICS BELOW… In order to sleep in the Cold Weather Overflow Shelter, you must have a referral. Note: There are NO services (that I know of…) on the weekends! Sigh.
City’s Day Warming Site Open ~~~ Saturday, December 13 Through Monday, December 15
The City’s Cold Weather Day Warming site will open on Saturday, December 13, Sunday, December 14, and Monday, December 15 from 6:30 a.m. to noon.
LOCATION:
- Saturday and Monday – shelter guests should enter through the doors at 9th and Clay streets, closest to the court building.
- Sunday – City’s Department of Social Services Marshall Plaza location, 900 East Marshall Street.
City’s Cold Weather Overflow Shelter (overnight) Open ~~~ December 12 through December 14
The City’s Cold Weather Overflow Shelter will open tonight, December 12, Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14 as overnight temperatures are forecast to remain at or below 40 degrees during this period.
The overflow shelter is located in the City’s Public Safety Building at 505 North 9th Street. The shelter entrance is the second entrance on the 9th Street side of the building closest to Leigh Street. The shelter opens at 7 p.m. and closes the following morning at 6 a.m. Shelter registration will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Food will not be provided and pets are not allowed.
Residents in need of overnight shelter are asked to report to Commonwealth Catholic Charities Homeless Point of Entry by 5 p.m. today for a comprehensive intake and referral to the appropriate shelter. Commonwealth Catholic Charities Homeless Point of Entry is located at 511 West Grace Street. A referral to the Cold Weather Overflow Shelter will be provided to individuals who are not eligible for an existing shelter or if all available beds have been filled.
Individuals seeking access to the Overflow Shelter must have a referral.
Other Cold Weather Notes:
The City’s Department of Social Services provides emergency assistance with gas and electric disconnection notices for residents who qualify. Residents may also call the Fuel Line at (804) 646-7046.
The elderly or residents with disabilities should contact Senior Connections for assistance at (804) 343-3000, Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Naps? Why, yes! Thank you!
Posted: Thursday, December 4, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: Birthday, cowboys, naps, redskins, vows Comments Off on Naps? Why, yes! Thank you!
YES! Honestly this is one of the best feelings…BEST EVER…. napping in the arms of the one who loves you… the one you love…. the one you fight with… the one you make up with… the one that you say “I Do” to… for better or worse… in sickness and in health… in rich and in poor… in JOY and sorrow… to love and cherish… in the good, the bad, the ugly… awake and asleep. 🙂
Grateful for my friend, Nicole, who caught this shot on Sunday after worshiping, eating, walking in the woods, and zip lining with friends. Nothing like a Cowboys/Redskins game to put you right to sleep. Sigh. zzzzZZZZZZ
Happy Birthday, today, to the Other Half of My Pair. To many more years of napping together! Love you, babe!
I’m Baaaack!
Posted: Monday, December 1, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: missional living, RVA, Southern Barton Heights, update 2 CommentsIt’s been while since I have written. Living life sometimes just gets in the way of writing. And writing sometimes gets in the way of living life. Life won out over writing. Many of you have asked why I’ve been radio silent lately. This will give you some insight into what we have been up to and why it’s been a bit quiet. So…here’s what’s been happening since I really spent some time putting words to paper.
I’m overwhelmed by the support of our ministry since we gathered together for Jen Hatmaker in mid-August. She was a true delight to spend time with and was a welcomed guest in our home. Thanks to all of you who have reached out and shared your experiences, thots and life changes since we heard from Jen, as well as our other friends…
- April Salvant – from New Hope Haiti Mission
- David Bailey (and the rockin’ worship band!!) from Arrabon and Making a Melody.
- Karen Rios – from The Dance Candle
- Marci and Matt Foote – from the West End of Richmond
We are so thankful for the planning team and all the volunteers who supported the effort! What a blessing!
Just as we were recovering from the weekend, Louis’s mom had several significant health issues that basically forced us to move her to Richmond (RVA) from Charlotte, NC. We are so grateful for her church family that have helped out over the years, but especially with her transition to RVA. 3 months later, we are attempting to settle into a rhythm again. Life hasn’t been easy for Mama Louise (Mama L, for short). In 3 months, she’s had a broken elbow, countless doctor’s appointments, 2 back surgeries with a total of 10 days in the hospital, multiple moves, and significant number of other changes including multiple diagnoses. We are soo glad that she was open to moving here where we can be closer to her and help provide for her care. I’m so grateful for the many friends (here and in Charlotte) who have come along side us as we continued to ‘do life’ in Southern Barton Heights and love on Mama L. I don’t know what we would have done without them. Seriously.
So, in a life where we intentionally live ‘on mission’ in our community, often times our family becomes our “mission”….our priority. This was much like last year (2013), when Louis had 3 joint replacements and I had an emergency gall bladder removal. We had to slow down significantly. Although it can be a difficult time for Mama L and for us, it is a blessing to serve her and those who take such good care of her.
Mama L, Louis and his sister, Angela, visiting from Lake Tahoe
Louis and Mama L
Dear friend, Noelle (fancy hair stylist!), Me and Mama L after she got a hair cut and style.
Mama L chillin’ with Louis and me as I finished a jig saw puzzle in her apartment.
Our friend, Cherie, stopped by sporting our ITN T-Shirt!!! (Nice Photo Bomb!)
Halloween, as always, is an OUTRAGEOUS time at Miss Marti’s House. We are grateful for our friends and neighbors who came by. We also are sorry we didn’t get many pictures, though.
We were thrilled to partner with Endorphin Fitness, who came out to hold a Bike Repair Clinic. We fixed up over 20 bikes in just 2 short hours. Not only that, we set up a circuit to got exercising as well. What a gift to the community! Truly. So thankful for our friends from Hope Church who continue to join us in a variety of ways!
We celebrated Louis’s 24 Years of Ministry as an Ordained Minster of the Gospel with food and fellowship with a side of prayer around the fire pit. We welcomed friends and stories from the past and present! Thanks to the many friends who showed up and made this possible! Mama L even made it to the celebration!
On Tuesdays at 4pm, we now host a kids club called H.I.S. Kids at Miss Marti’s House.
H = Hope Where we share the Hope in Jesus Christ.
I = Inspire Where we Inspire and Encourage the Kids in all they do – at home, at school in the present and the future.
S = Serve Where we look for opportunities to Serve our neighbors.
At our first meeting, they made a list of rules to live by…
And, we continue to meet together as a micro-expression of a missional church – Life Transformation Church – every Tuesday evening…as we fellowship together, study God’s Word together, pray together, and do life together. I love this group of friends and spiritual family!
Recently, new friends donated a minivan to our ministry! This is AWESOME news! It needs a little basic maintenance (a front end alignment and 2 new tires pretty soon), insurance, and other basic items before we can officially use it. But, we are thrilled to have an opportunity to provide tangible services to the community in the near future. We are calling this ministry – “Holy Rollers”, where we will be able to provide transportation to an affordable grocery store on a regular basis, doctors’ appointments, and jobs! We are in the very early stages of developing the plan with our community, and we are SUPER EXCITED!!! More to come!
We have some upcoming community building times coming up. Feel free to join us!
**Tuesday, 12/2 6p
Glorious Christmas Nights Christmas Program at WEAG (Limited tickets available and are required to attend)
**Wednesday, 12/17 evening
Christmas Caroling with Restoration Church Youth
**Saturday, 12/20 10a-12noon
Happy Birthday, Jesus Christmas Party for Children of ALL ages!
**Thursday, 1/1/2015 10a-2p
Annual New Years Day Open House and Pancake Brunch
Thanks for your continued support and partnership! We are full of THANKS for your GIVING! Your gifts and donations help us with these and other upcoming ministries we have planned in 2015!
Halloween Annual Front Yard Party – 2014
Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: halloween, missional, Party, RVA, Southern Barton Heights Comments Off on Halloween Annual Front Yard Party – 2014
10 Things to Think About Before You Give in the Amazing Raise 2014 (or anywhere else for that matter!)
Posted: Friday, August 22, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: amazingraise, giving, volunteer Comments Off on 10 Things to Think About Before You Give in the Amazing Raise 2014 (or anywhere else for that matter!)UPDATE: This was a really hard and painful post to write. I struggled with whether to write it or not, because I don’t have it all figured out. But, as I talked to some experienced nonprofit folks and community leaders, I felt compelled. And…I just know I/we need to think and pray more before we invest God’s money!
Amazing Raise season has arrived! In response to last year’s Raise, I wrote To Give…or Not to Give. Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE the energy around the Amazing Raise and have dear friends and organizations that I believe in and give to. In fact, giving is good for us. According to the book The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose by Smith and Davidson,
“More generous people are happier, suffer fewer illnesses and injuries, live with a greater sense of purpose, and experience less depression.” .
So, we benefit when we give. However, who we give to matters to others. So I implore you to think about…pray about…WHO you give to. I live in and love a community that receives a lot of ministry and non-profit focus. I’ve seen some good, some bad and some really ugly over the years. So, allow me to talk from the street level after living in and loving the inner city for the last 9 years. It behooves us all to do our homework. Please.
A group of us have bounced some ideas around…and came up with this list of 10 things to think about before giving or volunteering.
1st – PRAY a listening prayer. Ask God to speak to you, to show you where to invest HIS money. We are called to be good stewards of the money God has given us. He’s counting on us to make WISE decisions regarding who we support with our time, talent, resources and finances.
2nd – Don’t believe everything you read or hear! Do your research!
- Talk to the community. It’s important to get first hand information from the folks in the community – not just the ones being ‘supported’ by the organization.
- Talk to people who used to work for the organization. Why did they leave? What did they see on the inside?
- Review the 990s. Do the numbers add up? Is there a return on the investment?
- Ask questions.
- Look for ways that folks may be privately benefiting from the work being done. They may not get salaries, but there are other ways to benefit… using ‘the ends justify the means’.
- Talk with current and past partners. What does that partnership look like? Why are they not in partnership anymore?
- Talk with past recipients of their services, if you can. Where is the ‘poster child’ from a year or 2 ago that is no longer around?
3rd – Track what’s happening. Is the nonprofit sustainable? or do they jump from one project to another? to one part of town to another? Are they committed to their mission…or are the suffering from mission bleed…and find themselves all over the place..shifting with the tide? Pulling out before the job has done or pulling out too soon…pulling out just as trust is being built? Signs of going from one project to another and never fully completing what they started is a sign they are either chasing money and/or not building a sustainability plan after receiving a one-time grant. In addition, they just might be unfocused, suffer from ADD or just good ole impatience. This work takes time. CCDA folks say that you need to commit to at least 15 years in order to make a true difference. That’s a really, really long time. Sometimes it takes 5+ years just to gain trust.
4th – Stories are really compelling tool. But, those stories might NOT be all true…sins of omission and sins of commission. (See #1) Are they taking creative liberties to sell the ‘story”? Ask for data to back up those stories. Think about the pictures of poor starving children and abused dogs, etc. which are meant to tug on your heart strings. And we JUMP to give. We see the ‘poor inner-city child with too small clothes’ who needs a bed, a home, clothing, etc. We want to fix it…now.
5th – Are the community and the residents treated with respect and dignity? Are they being done TO? BAD! Are they being done WITH? GOOD! Are the residents/people/children being exploited just to raise funds? After speaking to one longtime community leader yesterday – this exploitation is considered particularly heinous. The ‘friend’ can’t say ‘No’ to having their picture taken because they are too beholden to the organization, and their livelihood, housing, and resources might depend on it. The community leader said that some may not know their pictures are being used to market the organizations, and they are being told what to say and how to say it…often written for them. YIKES!
6th – Organizations that are 5+ years or older should be transferring some organizational leadership to the indigenous people or the people they serve, especially if they focus on leadership development. Are they employing people from the community by now? Are community members consulted with, listened to, and heard before something is implemented?
7th – Look for meaningful results for sustainable change. Are there wrap-around services to go with the transitional housing for the homeless? How are they partnering with the larger movement within the city/county? Are there strong partnerships with other non-profits or churches in the geographical area or same focus (homelessness, sex-traffiking, education/tutoring, etc.)?
8th – If it is a faith-based organization, does it align with your theology? If not, then is it close enough for you?
9th – Before you give significantly or promote… volunteer with them for a length of time. Get to know the organization from the inside. Ask the hard questions from the inside. Observe. Listen.
10th – Asks yourself…Is the work for the common good of the community? Is there harm being done? This is a hard one. Hard to get to the root of it. Because it may look good and feel good, but after asking yourselves all these questions, you may learn that it is in fact doing more harm then good. Some ‘good’ work is actually a drain on the community, because work is done in a silo, and the whole community…or impacts on the whole community, are not considered. Partnering with the other nonprofits, the city, the community, etc. is a necessity.
Remember…It’s not about making us – the giver – feel good because we gave, although that’s an addictive feeling. It’s about implementing sustainable transformation, not enabling. Read about the differences between Mercy, Betterment and Development work in last year’s post >>> To Give…or Not to Give.
I know I missed some. I am still learning. What do YOU use to determine where to give and how to give and serve?
If you want to discuss more about any of these or others, happy to chat about it. Just contact us!
Becoming a White Ally to Black People in the Aftermath of the Michael Brown Murder
Posted: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 Comments Off on Becoming a White Ally to Black People in the Aftermath of the Michael Brown MurderI have been having lots of verbal discussions about the injustices that I have read and heard about out of Ferguson. I have prayed and lamented over issues of racial injustices over the last 9 years of living in our beloved community. However, I have not taken to online social media to discuss it. Honestly…because it is hard. Just dang hard. Comments digress so quickly. I digress so quickly. But, that is not a good enough excuse.
Over the last few weeks, what has been very noticeable, however, is the silence echoing from my many, many friends (white friends) in St Louis and in Richmond. We are busy videoing ourselves dumping ice water on our heads to bring awareness to ALS (which I also want to see a cure for ALS – hear my heart!!!). What are we willing to do to bring an end to Racial Injustice, Inequality, etc. Yes… it still exists.
So…I’ve decided to take it to the online streets to share this piece, which I found extremely beneficial and educational.
So, as written in this attached post, this post is for all the white folks who “aren’t speaking out publicly against the killing of Michael Brown because they don’t see a space for themselves to engage meaningfully in the conversation so that they can move to action against racism. It’s not so much that they have nothing to say but rather they don’t see an opportunity being opened up for them to say something or to do something that matters. Or they might not be sure what to say or how to do it. They might have a hard time seeing a role for themselves in the fight against racism because they aren’t racist, they don’t feel that racism affects them or their loved ones personally, they worry that talking about race and differences between cultures might make things worse, or they think they rarely see overt racism at play in their everyday lives. And, sometimes, they are afraid. There’s a real fear of saying the wrong thing even if the intention is pure, of being alienated socially and economically from other white people for standing in solidarity with black people, or of putting one’s self in harm’s way, whether the harm be physical or psychological. I’m not saying those aren’t valid fears but I am challenging white people to consider carefully whether failing to speak out or act because of those fears is justified when white silence and inaction mean the oppression and death of black people.”
Would love to have more discussion with “White people who are sick and tired of racism” and want to “work hard to become white allies.” and my black friends who would like to engage with us in the process. I come to you as a learner and a sponge…willing to do the hard work I need to do to become a better ‘white ally’.
Anyone else?
2 Updates: Be sure to read the full article below on steps we can take to become a better ‘white ally’.
Moments after I first posted this article, I received an email about an event that could add to or begin your learning journey… check it out…and join me.
As we all know by now, Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenage boy, was gunned down by the police while walking to his grandmother’s house in the middle of the afternoon. For the past few days my Facebook newsfeed has been full of stories about the incidents unfolding in Ferguson, Missouri.
But then I realized something.
For the first couple of days, almost all of the status updates expressing anger and grief about yet another extrajudicial killing of an unarmed black boy, the news articles about the militarized police altercations with community members and the horrifying pictures of his dead body on the city concrete were posted by people of color. Outpourings of rage and demands for justice were voiced by black people, Latinos, Asian Americans, Arab American Muslims. But posts by white people were few at first and those that I saw were posted mostly by my white activist or…
View original post 2,086 more words
The harvest is plentiful…5 Things I Learned Planting My First Garden
Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: friends, gardening, harvest, Luke 10, missional, RVA 1 CommentLiving a life of mission can be really rewarding some days. But, many are just plain TOUGH! A constant struggle between the microwave, instantaneous society we live in, and the sometimes difficult, almost ALWAYS lengthy process of going deep and building relationships. Living a life of mission is to BE the church and DO the Bible. It’s not a drive-by, hit-and-run way of life. As a matter of fact, it is a way of life, not a one-time event or project. That’s what makes it so hard….and that’s what makes it so rewarding at the same time. With my new ‘eyes’, I can’t just go home and not see the challenges every. single. moment. of. every. single. day. On days where it’s more challenging than most, it’s a matter of pausing from my ‘Martha’ activities and spending time going deep in my relationship with Jesus….it’s time to ‘Mary’.
This morning has been a ‘Mary Morning’. For reasons left untold, the last 24 hours have been tough – mentally and emotionally – for me. My ‘Mary Morning’ consisted of…
- reading God’s Word
- sitting quietly
- cooking
- a few emails/texts with friends encouraging and praying
- gardening
Gardening…I recently learned that I really love gardening. I knew NOTHING about it. Yet, God has revealed a lot to me through this gardening process…and especially this morning when I was playing in my veggie garden.
When planting a garden…
1. It’s important to do a little research and take time to prepare. Friends would say – just throw it in the ground and see what happens….you can always dig it up, transplant it, throw it away when it dies. If you know me well enough, you would know that I’m not that person. I’m more thoughtful…doing research (ad nauseam)… trying to figure out the best way to do it…asking questions. Total fear of failure! Louis did research on the best way and size to build the raised beds. H learned what he needed to do before he got started. Measured 10x before he cut.
- Living a Life of Mission –
- Ask God questions like – where are you at work, God? how can I join you in what you are doing? what would you have me do in my community? where is my person of peace?
- Ask your self questions seeking your motivation. We must first prepare ourselves… Someone once said… You must be a changed agent in order to be an agent of change. Safety precautions are airplanes state to give yourself oxygen before you help someone else. We must first know who we are and whose we are before we can be sent out by God.
- Ask the community questions like – If I brought coffee tomorrow, would you be interested in hanging out during soccer practice/ballet class/etc? What are your dreams for your children, community, family, life? What keeps you up at night? Could you help me with….?
2. I actually had put off planting a vegetable garden, because it was something new…and I didn’t know where to start! I didn’t want to screw it up. I was afraid. I had to take a risk and just do it. After doing a little research and asking a few friends questions, Louis built me 2 4×10 beds (yeah…that’s not starting small….). We threw down some newspaper and some dirt, and planted a few seedlings from Lowe’s. Wasn’t going to even try starting from seeds!
- Living a Life of Mission –
- Talk to some friends who are doing it. Ask questions. Watch them. Be willing to share your fear. You will learn they were afraid initially, too!
- Start small. You don’t have to make it a big production….actually don’t make it big event. Work it into the everyday rhythms of your life…but yet it does require intentionality. Pray for opportunities to be a blessing to someone because God gave you new eyes to see.
tomatoes, green beans, peppers (5/30)
watermelon, cantaloupe, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber (5/30)
3. I got a late start at gardening. Louis and I didn’t plant our garden until the end of May. Friends have been reaping their harvest for weeks. Mine is just coming in. I came close to giving up and just waiting until the fall or even next year. Louis encouraged me by building them anyway…as my birthday gift. It was indeed a labor of love, because carpentry doesn’t come naturally to him. He’s a plumber, car mechanic, electrician….not a carpenter.
- Living a Life of Mission –
- You aren’t meant to do this alone. In Luke 10:1, Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs….2×2 to prepare the way for Jesus to visit. Pray for the other half of your pair.
- Call in reinforcements. I am grateful for my friends who join me in the journey.
- It’s never too late to get started. Plant where you are. Plant where you go. Plant in good soil…where God is moving. It doesn’t matter when you start – just start.
my first tomato… we missed the harvest because we were out of town… 😦 It’s all about the timing…
4. Things go wrong. Birds, deer, and bugs eat your potential bounty. Bees don’t come to pollinate your flowers, so you have to change your approach. Dogs dig up your plants… or in my case…eat my dirt. (Weird…I know…but Bella loves the rich, ‘meaty’ dirt!) so you build a fence. Storms and hail come and beat up your poor little plants. (I’m thankful that we planted late! The hail storm that came earlier wrecked some friends’ gardens.) And then…there’s the dreaded…ugly ‘dog vomit fungus’. Yes…true story…and it was GROSS! It required tender, loving care..and removal of the fungus and adjusting the soaker hose.
- Living a Life of Mission –
- The enemy…Satan…seeks to discourage, kill and destroy. Yes. It is true. Be prepared. Our God is ALL POWERFUL!
- Timing is everything. Sometimes it’s just not the right time. God’s timing is always right on time. Trust Him.
- Turn to the Lord. Trust that the Lord of the Harvest raises up laborers…He draws them near.
- Christian community is often the fence around your new seedlings. Build a fence of support and community to protect your upcoming fence. Sunday morning church service isn’t enough. It needs to be closer, more intimate discipleship…tending, sowing truth, etc.
Fungus Among-us
The creative fence Louis built to keep Bella out. Sunflowers and strawberries (5/30)
5. It takes time. Plants take time to grow…some grow faster than others. There were a few moments I just wanted to give up…and let the beds go to weed. Some start slow and then take off like crazy. Some are weaker than others..and aren’t producing anything at all…and are almost dead. No 2 plants are the same. 2 days ago I had a cucumber that was about 5 inches long. Today…it was about 9 inches, and I am eating it!
- Living a Life of Mission –
- Surround yourself with support and encouragement, too. You are not meant to be a lone ranger.
- Tend to the garden…and to the gardener. Go to the Master Gardener who will tend to you.
- Look for the little wins. Where God is at work.
- Praise God in the difficult challenging times….and for the fruit of your labor!
A few scriptures that often encourage me…
Galations 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Time to get busy… Want to join the conversation on living on mission?
Check out this opportunity!
click the link below…
Living On Mission
Enjoying the first fruits of our labor
Camp Splash 2014 – Tell a neighbor! Bring a friend!
Posted: Monday, July 21, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 | Tags: backyard VBS, being missional, Camp Splash, Hope Church Comments Off on Camp Splash 2014 – Tell a neighbor! Bring a friend!It’s our 3rd annual Camp Splash – in partnership with Hope Church! Hope to see all our neighbors and friends! Here’s the video from last year… And….keep reading for more info. Print the flyer to share with a neighbor, please! Thanks!
Camp Splash 2013 from Marti Williams on Vimeo.
RVA: Under Construction – Jen Hatmaker Speaks
Posted: Friday, July 18, 2014 Filed under: 2k14 Comments Off on RVA: Under Construction – Jen Hatmaker SpeaksSeriously… I Can’t Wait!!!! 4 weeks from today….
Miss Marti's House 