This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles, click here.

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Beyond Our Wildest Dreams

Written by Amy Sorrells

Photos by Charlie Sorrells

“We measure our topsoil in inches. They measure theirs in feet.”

I listened to Dr. Ken Ney, Board Director of Mission to Ukraine, as he spoke about the land where their organization serves orphans and saves the lives of hundreds of unborn children every year.

At first it didn’t seem like the bags and shoeboxes held much potential. In a country where the average woman has six abortions, we were sending stuff to a place that doesn’t value life, let alone shoe boxes full of scarves and cards made by children.

MTU Volunteers hard at work.

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What could we possibly hope to accomplish?

Families here serving families there.

Weekend of Service started with a commissioning from Zechariah 4:10, “Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?”

I respected the verse, yet doubted how much our work would mean to the recipients. Like grass hides foot after foot of precious topsoil, my doubting heart veiled the power of the smallest things in the hands of a great, great God.

I took for granted the simple teachings of Jesus when He talked about planting Kingdom seeds: sometimes the places you expect the least return end up flourishing the most.

I took for granted Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:8 of The Message, when He said some seeds, “fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”

As the hours passed last weekend, I saw seeds take root.

New and pregnant mothers prepared layettes for babies born because of the work of Mission to Ukraine counselors who provided crisis pregnancy intervention.

Special needs children, part of Grace's "Special Friends" ministry, helped to make cards for disabled kids in Ukraine.

Mothers guided hands of special needs children, smiling and proud to stamp a piece of their hearts onto construction paper destined for the lap of a motherless, special needs orphan in Ukraine.

Fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers worked side-by-side sowing seeds of joy in cardboard boxes destined for a land rich in soil but destitute in families, faith and hope.

Slide shows played of Ukraine children opening shoe boxes brimming with variegated toys and cards and candy last year.

I watched all this and then I knew.

Layette bags for new infants saved from abortion in Ukraine.

I knew our work meant more than wrapping a scarf around an orphan’s neck.

Our work meant clothing a heart with worth and delight; embracing a body, oceans away, who’s never felt an embrace; giving color and texture to a life that’s known only white walls and wooden benches.

Mission to Ukraine plants seeds in soil considered by most to be unsowable. Yet the eyes of disabled orphans and volunteers attest to a coming harvest sure to overflow any earthly storehouse.

That’s what 35 shoe boxes and 125 shoe bags will do for 80 disabled boys.

That’s what 37 layette sets will do for 37 babies as they blink back the light of a day they would otherwise never have seen.

That’s God—beyond our wildest dreams—in the midst of Mission to Ukraine.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles, click here.

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Small Things

Written by Jane VanOsdol

Photos by Jack L’Heureux

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“For who has despised the day of small things?”
Zechariah 5:10

A crocus bulb is not a very big thing. It measures about an inch across. Four of them easily fit into the palm of your hand. Yet within it lies a germ of life determined enough to push upward through March snows at the first hint of spring. On the morning of October 17, five groups of people gathered around 5,000 crocus bulbs to help beautify the Windsor Park community on Indianapolis’s south side. But the story goes much deeper than outward beauty. It’s really about a neighborhood’s work and struggle to find community in a changing society.

Anja Saak planting crocus bulbs.

About five years ago Anja Saak settled in the Windsor Park area with her family. Originally from the Netherlands, she was happy in her new neighborhood, but could see some negative things that needed changing. Rather than “fighting bad things,” she and two friends wanted to do something “tangibly good” to help the neighborhood. Anja had wonderful memories of the prolific flowers in her homeland and was homesick, so she hit upon the idea of planting crocuses. They did. And the idea snowballed from there.

Fast forward to 2007 and 2009 and enter Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB). Windsor Park neighborhood received grants from KIB to plant 5,000 crocus bulbs. Anja happily took the bulbs, but with them came so much more. “Now what I didn’t expect was that whole aspect of how it would bond the community together,” says Anja. “It’s been a revelation really. It’s not just the springtime bang of the flowers blooming. But also just the event itself of getting together in the fall to plant. It’s fun. It’s magic!” she said. No matter the weather, neighbors come out of their houses to plant and talk. Everyone brings food.

Actually, this is exactly the result that KIB hopes for. Tammy Stevens of KIB says that building community is one of their main goals. “To get neighbors out, to meet each other, to work together toward a common cause  … and any type of beautification, whether its tree planting, planting flowers, helps reduce crime, because it shows that people are paying attention, that people have pride in their community” she said.

Duvall Work Release Center residents hard at work...

It became apparent on Saturday morning as the Grace group arrived to help with the planting that other groups were also volunteering time to help this neighborhood.

Several students from IUPUI were on hand to help with the planting after seeing the project on KIB’s online project calendar.

Residents of the Duvall Work Release Center arrived at 9 a.m. and planted many of the bulbs before the Grace team even arrived. Larry Keller, Ladre Jackson and Ray Peoples were happy to be able to help the neighborhood.   “We try to keep the neighborhood as clean as possible every weekend,” says Larry. “They appreciate us coming out and helping them.”

While many of the Windsor Park residents initially opposed the building of the work release center in their neighborhood (and still do), it is heartwarming to see the camaraderie that now exists between the two groups. Frank Watson, Windsor Park resident, was part of the community group that opposed the establishment of a work release center at Duvall.

Frank Watson.

Frank, however, was hired to be the first chief of security for the center. When he left that position, they hired him to help with transportation Monday through Friday. On weekends he is a neighbor volunteer at the center and supervises the work. “The guys are volunteers, I’m a volunteer; we’re out here because we want to be out here,” Frank said. Somewhere along the way, Frank and other Windsor Park residents realized they needed to shift focus from the center as an institution to the people in the center, who were, like it or not, a part of their community.

Chuck Coleman, president of the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association explains further. “It’s here. It’s not going away. Accept it and work with it,” he said. “The guys are human beings. They’ll do better on the outside if people show that they care about them.” The neighborhood supports the men by collecting clothes and toiletry items at a New Year’s Eve party, and the Duvall residents take pride in helping maintain the community.

Windsor Park. Now a place of community.

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What was palpable to the Grace crew Saturday morning was the love and pride of community and the shared desire to improve upon this that the Windsor Park residents share; this feeling, like a magnet, attracted all of us outsiders to it. British transplant and Windsor Park resident for the past 25 years Martin Morris summed it up: “This is where we want to be. We don’t want to leave … but, we’ve got to do something to make it better,” he said.

As the Grace crew worked to plant bulbs and pick up trash, the residents fed us, made us laugh with their wit and without knowing it, inspired us to rethink our own definitions of community, especially as we watched their concern for Anja, who is now battling cancer.

We were left to ponder Martin’s words, “Things that used to be natural in neighborhoods have become unnatural. Anything that gets strangers to come together and learn each others’ names is a good thing.”

Five thousand crocus bulbs did exactly that.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles, click here.

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Greasy Hands

Written by Don Litwiler

Photos by Don Litwiler and Casey Brown

During the Grace Weekend of Service, teams of Grace Community Church volunteers joined with Integrity Automotive owners Don, Nate, Randy, and their employees, and Grace Car Care Ministry members.  They teamed up to provide free car care services for families who are unable to pay for car maintenance.

There were 17 Grace volunteers, five Integrity Automotive Employee volunteers, three office volunteers, and four cook volunteers, all providing services to those needing basic car maintenance.

This tire needs repairing...

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Tire check. Good.

With continued dedication to service, the Grace Car Care Ministry serves to ease the stress that comes for many in these hard economic times.

Customers were scheduled by The Good Samaritan and Rebuilding the Wall organizations. Approximately 40 cars were serviced during this Weekend of Service.

In the Spring of 1997, Ruth was a single mom who had a Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon with 200,000 miles. Steve Newnam, an original Grace Car Care Ministry member, suggested that she consider donating the Cavalier so that it could be put to use helping those in need.

Good for another 3500 miles...

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Now in 2009, Ruth, along with others, has kept the Car Care Ministry alive to provide free auto services, oil changes, routine check-ups, and managing the processing of donated vehicles.

Mechanic in training...

Nate, a partner at Integrity Automotive, also has a vision of providing help to parents with at-risk youth who struggle to drive their children to events due to unreliable transportation. He hopes to begin a teaching program for at-risk youth to pass along the skills he has learned at Integrity Automotive.

Randy, also a partner at Integrity Automotive, noted that his favorite volunteers of the weekend were the ones grilling the hot dogs.

Ruth, who donated a car in the beginning of the Car Care Ministry, now has the privilege of passing the keys to the recipients of other donated vehicles.

Some donated vehicles are sold at auction, the profits being used for car maintenance services like those provided during the Weekend of Service.

As for Ruth’s first donated car to the ministry, the Cavalier Wagon, it went on to serve a missionary family in Indianapolis, still running at 290,000 miles.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles, click here.

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Third Phase: Mind, Body and Soul

Written by Cyndi Simmons

Photos by Jack Jones

On a crisp autumn day with leaves dancing in the trees, tantilizing the eye in royal golds, earthy greens, and mocha browns, over 200 men, women, and children from Grace Community Church converged upon Third Phase in Nobelsville, for a day of worship in service.

Third Phase was birthed over 25 years ago as an organization meeting vital and necessary needs for women in crisis. Managed through on-site living and leadership by the two women who founded this ministry, it opens its arms to hurting people who come through the doors in homeless or abuse crisis, and at times, with a last chance to change.

Set on 10 acres is a 33-room historical home held in God’s palm; Third Phase provides not only “a cup of cold water,” in the form of a food pantry for community access; a resale shop for community needs; but under its roof is a ‘family’ that is flowing in love to fill up those in hurting need, directional pointing, and support in their lives. Third Phase operates a long term rehabilitation program for women who are victims of abuse or neglect and a short term emergency shelter for needy men or women. Over 5000 women have graduated from the program and 80% are now living productive lives. Third Phase, named for the core of its mission: mind, body, and soul.

Some teams were assigned to do landscape work to make this place of refuge, this place that clothes, feeds, shelters, and cares for others even more appealing.

Given the magnitude of undertaking in its mission, the need for helping hands, is great. Likely not many realized when the sun arose on this October Saturday of Grace Community Church’s Weekend of Service, the shelves in the Third Phase food pantry, called upon every day by 40 to 50 families in need of food, were, in essence, bare. As the day came to a close, and where the accomplishments were many, the shelves were filled to the brim for the hungry who will arrive and where needs will be met. This is but one act of worship, by the people of Grace Community Church, in lifting its hands to the Almighty God it loves.

The tasks were burdensome, from deep cleaning a resale store, and what amounted to removing every single item in a large pole barn, cleaning down to the bare floor, sorting items, and restocking in an organized plan; onto raking the grounds, chopping necessary wood for depended upon heat in the winter; through to repairs to the roof, attending to a pond needing dredging and clean up; and included trade gifts of service in the ministry’s newest addition, a “transition” home for women who have completed the Third Phase year-long rehabilitation program.

Surrounded by refrigerators, freezers, and boxes in desperate need of cleaning, defrosting, and organization - a job that is tedious and backbreaking - we still find smiles of joy, not for the camera, but for those that will benefit from the labor.

Tucked inside, while this day of worship was unfolding on the grounds of Third Phase, is Stephanie, a woman who resides amongst 15 other women dedicated to changing their lives. The long term rehabilitation program is designed so as not to tempt these women with canyons of substance abuse they have fallen into prior to their arrival. As such, during this year stay, instead of going to work off the grounds, work is done in the community of Third Phase. There are chores, including kitchen duties, laundry, house cleaning, attending to a food producing garden, and serving the community through the food pantry and resale shop. There is no television other than group-time movies and music is specifically chosen to nourish and heal these hurting souls. Bible study is foundational to daily lives and church is attended in family style – everyone goes.

Stephanie.

Stephanie arrived two years ago and came through the doors of Third Phase addicted to crack cocaine. A woman in her late 40′s, whose life has been filled with heartache, began with losing a child to sudden infant death syndrome as a young married new mother. Despair thrust her and her husband into a difficult relationship, although in time, they were blessed with a soon-to-arrive baby. However, 6-months into her pregnancy, Stephanie was informed that she had a grave sexually transmitted disease, compromising her womb (although she had been faithful in her marriage). In time, she delivered a premature baby, bringing about unfolding and mounting life stresses.  Added to that, she discovered that her husband had fallen prey to drugs and crime. Stephanie became a woman struggling alone through life’s pressures with a young child and a husband in prison.

Many who find shelter at Third Phase find time for reflection and renewal sitting by the pond that is on the grounds. Clearing away the overgrowth makes this feature an even greater comfort to those who seek comfort.

Many years later, Stephanie, hurting, lost, and damaged, stepped through the door of wanting to numb her pain, and found herself addicted to crack cocaine. In time, in a sister’s love for her, she was brought to Third Phase. A year in its program equipped her with sobriety and sure-footedness to step out into the world and continue life’s journey.

However, her story doesn’t end there.

In response to a broken heart in a relationship, and in a repeating pattern of falling prey to numbing pain that was difficult, she stepped, once again, through the door to crack cocaine. Following a binge, penniless, and in despair, she called her “family,” at Third Phase, and crying, remorseful, and needing help, she asked, “May I come back again? I didn’t get it right the first time.”

In a program run on love and rules, the answer with arms open wide was “Yes.” Stephanie, however, was miles from Third Phase, her tank was on empty, and she had no money.

Quite a large number were involved in helping to clean, sort, and organize the virtually empty shelves of the food pantry. Although, by the end of the day, the shelves were nearly full thanks to friends, neighbors, and strangers who opened their own cabinets and contributed to the needs of others.

She prayed, “Please Lord get me there.”

Stephanie arrived at Third Phase that night and the next time she went to start her car, it wouldn’t start; there was no gas.

On this Weekend of Service Saturday, as 200 volunteers were working diligently on the grounds of Third Phase, Stephanie, in completing a second year’s program, is preparing to be the first woman to live in the new “transition” house; a house designed to provide a leg-up in working off the grounds, while learning to immerse oneself into the world, step full of God’s filling, and not fall to tempting lures of deceit in drugs and alcohol.

Stephanie, however, as she is preparing to move across the lane into what is a beautiful brand new home, complete with large picture windows overlooking the woods and lake, a laundry room, and hardwood floors, is also preparing to come on board as a staff member of Third Phase.

Stephanie now has a hope for the future.

With a love for cooking, and what she was taught by her mother and grandmother, Stephanie is joining the staff as the Third Phase Cook.  She will lift her hands in worship to the One who has loved on her, through the ones that have shared His love with her, and nourish the ones that will cross through the doors of Third Phase, desperate, needy, hurting, and arriving into the open arms of love and restoration.

Setting aside a Saturday and in the enormous tasks that were accomplished, was a gift the people of Grace Community Church poured upon Third Phase; and in its acts of worship before the throne on October 17, 2009 in its Weekend of Service, it was, in simplicity, a raising of hands with a resounding cry, “We love you Lord.”

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles, click here.

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Trinity Free Clinic

Written by Bethany Ulrich

Photos by Justin Ulrich

The hum of busy contentment fills the air. A teenage girl cheerily wipes down some wooden toys, an older gentleman concentrates as his paint brush methodically moves up and down. A two year old shrieks “project… help!” as he once again interrupts the path of the vacuum.  The excitement of service mixed with camaraderie is contagious.

A clinic with a clear purpose.

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Dental care is one of the many services provided.

An eye chart for illiterate patients, a need for this exists even in Hamiliton County.

I continue to wander down the hall, as an elderly woman walks in. She shyly meets my gaze with a humble hello. We exchange pleasantries and she introduces herself as the volunteer coordinator for Trinity Free Clinic. She explains that their mission is to provide free medical, health, and dental support to the uninsured and low income residents of Hamilton County. She further explains that every Saturday from 9-12, 30 or 40 people will line up waiting to receive care. She adds that they also provide a Spanish interpreter, health education, and social service assistance to connect them to community resources. The clinic, she says, also offers additional services such as eye, foot, asthma, and even a women’s clinic.

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"Five branches of Care Tree" - Each leaf represents a wish list item that is needed for care in that field.

I am curious to know how her involvement with the clinic has affected her personally. She states “I think people think that Carmel equals wealthy which equals there is no need.” This simply isn’t true.  She adds “It certainly makes you appreciative of your own situation. “She is amazed at how grateful the patients are, and how willingly the volunteers give of their time. She believes God is truly at work when she sees the clinic, which takes 350-400 volunteers, run smoothly with little or no government assistance.  When I ask her how we can get involved, her warm smile broadens and her joy in me simply asking the question is apparent.  “There’s something for everyone…from doctors, to pharmacists, to interpreters, to administrative assistants, medical assistants, and even reading to children….we could use your help.”

As I thank her for her time my mind is rapidly churning. I stare at an empty dental chair, as I ponder how insular I can be and what excuses I have used to foster this mindset.  “I don‘t have time to volunteer on a regular basis.”, “I need to spend more quality time with my family”… “I don’t want to have to drive so far to serve”, “I don’t feel safe having to drive downtown”, and the list continues… My guilt laden thoughts are interrupted by our youngest volunteer. “Helping!” he shouts as he shines a flashlight he’s found onto the carpet floor. It reminds me that Christ commands us, great or small, young or old, to help those in need.  “There’s something for everyone…” she said.

There’s something for me.

This is one of those stories.

To read all of the Weekend of Service articles, click here.

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Outreach, Inc.

Written by Holly Hochstedler

Photos by Jerrold Hochstedler

Close your eyes for a just a moment.  Picture a homeless person in Indianapolis.  Got the image in your mind? Is it a middle-aged man, unshaven, with rumpled clothing, carrying a tin cup? You might be right.  Now picture the typical teenager down the street. Is it a young girl or boy wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, carrying a backpack? Very likely it is. Did you ever stop to think that the teenager may be the one who is homeless?

On Sunday, October 18^th, a group from Grace Community Church volunteered to provide a variety of services at the home of Outreach, Inc. in downtown Indianapolis as a part of the Grace Weekend of Service. Outreach, Inc. reaches out with the love of Christ to help homeless and runaway youth ages 14 to 24 find a safer and more stable life. Kim Luppino, the lovely, intelligent, caring, full-of-life Director of Stewardship, warmly welcomed the Grace volunteers and told them the story of Outreach, Inc.  The home of Outreach, Inc. is literally a house with a living room, a game room, dining room, and kitchen. The Grace volunteers jumped in to “deep clean” that home (vacuuming floors, washing windows, scrubbing bathrooms, polishing woodwork) and caring for the surrounding yard (cutting the grass, pulling weeds, picking up trash.)

Kent Sadler washes the windows at Outreach, Inc. hoping to provide homeless teenagers with a clearer vision of a brighter tomorrow.

Outreach, Inc. is one of the Frontline Ministries of GCC which means that the church is committed to support Covenant Community members who lead ministries that extend God’s Kingdom in the community and around the world. Mark and Melinda Cecil are two members of Grace who have committed themselves to Outreach, Inc. Mark serves as a member of the Board charged with overseeing the operations of the project. Melinda is a hands-on worker every week.  She cleans and does laundry allowing the staff to concentrate more time on working directly with and for the young people.

The Outreach, Inc. mission statement is short and simple: “Equipping and empowering homeless teens and young adults to exit street life.” How do they accomplish that? They reach out to homeless and at-risk young adults with the compassion of Jesus Christ. They provide street outreach, a drop-in center, holistic social services, case management and emergency referral services. They strive to do all these things in an environment of God’s love.

Karen King, Melinda Cecil, and Mary Kay Krambeer sort and inventory clothing donations in order to wrap God’s love around homeless young people.

Kids may be homeless for a variety of reasons—far different from homeless adults.  They often come from single-parent homes with several siblings. If their parent loses a job they may see themselves as “old enough” to be out on their own and therefore less of a burden to their struggling parent. Perhaps their parents are abusive or addicted to drugs or alcohol or even deceased. They may be at odds with their families or guardians and currently “couch surfing” which means staying with one friend for awhile and then moving on to the home of another.  One was found to be living in an abandoned car.

Sometimes kids are referred to Outreach by a teacher or school counselor who discovered their secret. In Marion and Hamilton counties there are hundreds of young people in need.  At Outreach, approximately 52% of the homeless aged 14 to 24 are female which in opposition to popular national statistics (which indicate more homeless males). With respect to ethnicity, as of 10/15/09, 45% are African-American, 46% are Caucasian, and the remaining 9% come from a variety of cultures.

Jack Morgan and his father, Mitch, work to make the Outreach, Inc. home as welcoming on the outside as the staff inside.

Outreach, Inc. is not a “sit-back and wait to see who comes through the door” kind of agency. Every week trained staff and volunteers search for youth in abandoned buildings, parks, wooded areas and under bridges to offer practical assistance like food, clothing, bottled water and first aid. They listen to each story and build the trust necessary to bring change to the lives of the young person. This is the “Street Outreach” portion of the program and those who desire to come off the streets are referred to partner shelters because Outreach is not a live-in facility. Through this combination of listening and meeting physical needs, relationships built on trust are established.

Outreach, Inc. is proud of its G.O.A.L. program which supports homeless and at-risk students with a case manager who focuses on specific needs. Homeless students with no support system usually drop out of high school and stay trapped in the cycle of homelessness. Outreach specifically developed a program to help homeless students Graduate, find an Occupation, an Address and change their Lifestyle. They work with partnering agencies including Indianapolis Public Schools to provide practical and necessary resources like transportation to school, school lunches, textbooks, tutoring, a GED satellite classroom, even caps and gowns — everything necessary for students to earn their diploma.  But the G.O.A.L. services do not stop there because gaps could put the client back at-risk again.  Instead they also train youth how to get a job and keep it. That includes helping them find job openings and getting transportation to interviews. They assist in finding suitable housing and teaching life-skills including budgeting and healthy living. As a result of G.O.A.L., over half of those graduating go on to post-secondary education including college, vocational school and military service.

Tom King imparts his life lesson of the day—Windex cleans anything and that’s the truth!—to Kate Cecil and Grace Krambeer.

Life changes can begin with very specific needs such as assistance in obtaining ID’s, birth certificates, Social Security cards, transportation passes, receiving leads for jobs or housing, and referrals for medical prenatal programs. Through these initial services, the trained staffers begin to build relationships with the youth. Working through emotional and spiritual struggles they help to develop a more comprehensive, long-term service plan with goals and objectives.

Outreach maintains and staffs a “Drop-In Center” which includes a clothing and hygiene product pantry, a food pantry, laundry facilities, shower facilities, and meals. The youth can come to the Drop-In Center to access services, have a safe place to hang out, and to work with staff and volunteers on the issues that will help them remove themselves from street life. Many youth come just to talk. A Bible study group provides a casual forum for kids who are asking questions about God, Christianity, and their own personal spiritual beliefs.

Youth are classified along a continuum of services.  The initial group includes the “browsers”—the kids who are not quite ready to commit to doing all that is necessary to change their current situation in a positive direction. They often just come for the basic necessities—food, clothing, a shower, a safe place to hang out. The second group makes up the “subscribers”—those who have plugged into the process and are willing to learn new skills and accept the responsibilities necessary to pursue a better future.  The third level is for the “champions”—those who have done well and are beginning to be more stable. They are in school or vocational training, possibly living in a group home or something similar.  The final stage is referred to as the “alumni”—those who are now stable, employed and nearly off the client roll.  The classifications are fluid though and many of the young people make it to a new level only to regress again to a lower one.

Kim Luppino, Director of Stewardship, welcomes Grace volunteers to a day of service at Outreach, Inc. in downtown Indianapolis.

Outreach has a staff of nine besides Kim including Eric Howard, Executive Director/Founder, and Megan Hershey, MSW, Director of Client Services, as well as five case managers and two Outreach Street Workers, one of who is Grace’s own, Johnny Teater. Kim explained that all Outreach staffers are passionate about their work, feel called to the work by God, and have a “fire in their belly” that keeps them going.

All potential staff members are subjected to a very comprehensive interview process consisting of four to five interviews, each one beginning with a prayer.  Though staff salaries are relatively low, Kim explained that there are many benefits that all staffers at Outreach, Inc. are blessed with.  A core value of Outreach is that such stressful work demands that to keep its staff mentally and spiritually healthy the givers need support, meaningful relationships, and time off.  Therefore all staffers are provided with four weeks of vacation the first year, a family attitude and atmosphere among the staffers is encouraged and cultivated, and all staffers receive mandatory “spiritual reformation time” one hour every week and one full day every other month.  This is time in which the staff is required to spend time with God, possibly alone in a park reading the Bible or with their pastor seeking guidance.

All staffers at Outreach, Inc. feel called to this work when clearly their experience and education could place them in financially more rewarding positions.  They are dedicated to introducing these teens and young adults to a relationship with Jesus Christ and helping them to mature in that relationship.

Kim often referred to the outreach services as “wraparound” both in the spirit of wrapping the young people in the love of God and in the reality of wrapping them in comfort of food, clothing, and medical care. Thanks to a caring and dedicated staff and a faithful and responsive referral and partner network, Outreach serves over 300 youth each year with wraparound services and programs.