Service Learning Issue 8 - Hope In The Warehouse

Thursday, March 11^th - pm

The vans were loaded and on the LA freeways again.   We were determined and 6 lanes of criss-crossing traffic during rush hour (with a bathroom break) was not going to stop us.  We did miss a turn off however and got a nice tour of East LA.  Left here, right there, and then park.  Okay.  Lookup and a long warehouse stretching into the horizon.  40,000 square feet of converted warehouse. 

We were greeted outside by our host who gave us a tour of this unique community.   He tells us that the Shelter opened in January 1988 with help from Judge Harry Pregerson, who recognized a critical need for emergency shelter who arranged for the shelter to be sold for $1.  It is the only program of its kind in California to fulfill the objectives of the 1987 Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, which encouraged the use of vacant Federal facilities as homeless shelters.

The place is a community.  It offers transitional care for 350 homeless men and women as well as vocational assistance, substance abuse rehab, case management, counseling, on-site health care & medical referrals, ESL classes, HIV/AIDS education, 12-step substance abuse recovery program, computer training, job training and referrals and life skills classes. The goal is to provide a one-stop solution to the homeless condition by addressing the problems and barriers that keep homeless men and women from achieving self-sufficiency. 

In a word, my response was WOW. 

At one point in the tour we were told that a person who comes through this program can have a guaranteed job.  My engineering mind saw the process of entry to graduation and all the steps in between.  I observed the security of the place, the video cameras, the staff, the professionalism and most importantly the hope that was in the air.  I noticed the 10 million dollar renovations, the clean floors, and the various classrooms, medical offices, and I could hear the music lessons in the background.   It was a village whose purpose was to address and provide solutions towards self-sufficiency and dignity. 

It was all based on process.  Get sober and you’ll get help with 12 step recovery.  Find the right meds to help your mental health issues and you can take a computer class.  Be sober and healthy and you can learn a trade – how about as a hairdresser?  When you are making progress within the warehouse living, you can move to a mobile home on the edge of the property – you can be there for up to 3 years to get further stablized.

Doesn’t matter if you were an addict, street worker, heroin dealer, or bi-polar, you have hope at the shelter.  Just get there (Jeff will give you a ride) and stick with it.  

The power of cross is evident and at work in the warehouse.  

Service Learning Issue 7 - The Three Crosses

Thursday, March 11, 2010

A later start to the day, meet Jeff at 10:30am at the school.  We are all going to a special place called the center that cares and trains people with mental illnesses.  Once a month they have an outdoor barbeque and today is the day. 

We are all getting pretty good at cooking hotdogs.  So far on this trip we have cooked about 250 of them, today would be another 150 with same amount of hamburgers. 

The setup and food was all taken care of by Jeff’s students and the center.  We had the opportunity to serve the food.  On the long table was condiments, trays of fruit, coolers of pop and bags of chips.   Don’t tell anyone I had the best hotdog of the trip right there.  Yumm.

The clients were out on the lawn eating, milling about.  They had looked forward to this day for a couple of weeks.  Most were interested in conversation.  I was drawn to guy who I’ll call Bill. 

Bill had the vibe of a biker and brawler and the conversation started with me saying, “Nice tattys.”   He had a sleeve and a few random ones here and there.  I probably could see only 50% of them.  Conversation at first was mostly about the occasions and story behind each tattoo until we got to the cross ones.  He hesitated a bit and began with, I don’t tell many about this, but when I was in the service, they gave us the wrong address and I killed the wrong people.  Each cross on my arm is for one of them.

He said that was the beginning of his problems, he started to drink and use to mask the pain.  He was eventually discharged because of his drinking and drug use even though he was special ops.  He entered civilian life confused and hurt and continuing to mask the pain of what he had to do as a soldier.  He is a big dude with a love for adrenaline, fighting was a daily occurrence.  Biker scene, surfing and partying was his life.  And it was taking him nowhere except down.  He is now on disability, with mental health struggles.  He hasn’t touched a drink in 10 years. 

I could see myself in him.  I resonated with him and his story and wanted to talk more.  He was in a place that I couldn’t help him except to listen and care and be next to him for a bit.  He talked about his hurt accumulated from churches that misunderstood him.  We talked briefly about the power of the cross for forgiveness. 

Jeff reminded us before we came to the center, that we are all a bit crazy, all a little damaged and disturbed and in that sense not much different than the people at the center.  We can be the Christ presence for people and bring hope and value to them. 

I’m sure glad we came that morning.  Bill did all that for me.  

Service Learning Issue 6 - Being Rescued

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 pm

We are getting used to the routine by now - meeting Jeff at the school, loading up the vans and driving as a caravan to our next place of learning and service.   And tonight we were on our way to a rescue mission -  a place that offers food, shelter and spiritual guidance to homeless men, women and children.  

We arrive safely and Jeff is greeted at the front desk like a long time long awaited friend.  He and his students have favor there, if not all over the city.  Our role with his students is to help the kitchen staff get ready for supper, take part in a chapel service, and most importantly mingle with the people who call the shelter their home, their refuge.

I enter the atrium and realize there are two groups of people, those off the street looking for a meal and those in the one year program.  The people in the program are open for conversation.  They were once living on the street, addicted, alone, but now are in a community of believers and are entering a new life of freedom and purpose – the program is even called New Life.

This is a well run shelter.  There is order, routine, purpose and a sense of being in an oasis.  There exists a delicate balance between structure and grace.  High structure and direction is needed in shelters to keep order and accountability, but it’s the grace and love that takes people toward the new life. 

Jeff comes to a place like this to learn.  Here is a seasoned teacher, with multiple degrees, above average intelligence, reads at least 5 books a month and comes to learn from people on the street.  It shows in his ability to listen and value anyone.  He is asked to lead the chapel talk and instead of giving a 10-15 talk, he engages the street people people.  Asking questions, clarify answers, drawing connections, and affirming the profoundness of the moment. 

You get the sense if you are sitting there that you are valued and valuable.   And to Jeff that is the whole point.   The learning for me continues.

Service Learning Issue 5 - 8 Foot Burrito

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

I’ve known Ryan for a number of years and he has always stuck to one thing – helping marginalized people.  At first, when he moved into town, there was a job here and a job here, but the same heart.  Now he has roots planted and the agency he runs is favored in the city and he is making some wonderful progress building partnerships with others.  Our group was just one group that was going to partner with him.

We met at his strip mall office called the “Community Resource Center.”  I know Ryan is busy, short staffed, and short on budget so I was reluctant to have us take up his time.  But he seemed genuinely grateful to have us.  He gave an orientation to what their stragedy is:  building relationships with food distribution and service projects; with that trust work towards community development by helping people retool for work (good soil), address housing needs, and the latest is starting a school. 

I wanted our team to hear his heart and how he was putting his vision into action.  I wanted us to be exposed to the sacrifices needed to help people, the intentionality and the creative thinking required to truly make a difference in a community.  He was about helping people yes, but more than that developing a community.  And that takes careful thinking and planning. 

He had a project for us.  I told him we want to leave town broke and tired so put us to work.  There was a lady who has made wonderful progress from living in a garage, one step from homelessness, to now living in a donated trailer in a trailer park.  The trailer has had a lot of work done to it, and needed some more.  The lady loved to cook.  She lived on food stamps, designed to feed one person, but she learned to be resourceful enough that she often fed her trailer park neighbors meals too. 

Her trailer had an old condenser on the roof that was chronically leaking and needed to be removed and the hole patched.  Ryan also suggested a raised garden bed so she could grow peppers and vegetables. 

We got to work.  Materials list in hand we went to Home Depot and returned with bags of soil, bucket of tar, lumber and some lovely plants.  We had our mandate.  Fix the roof and make the garden.  It was fun work and the team had a blast.

We decided to put together lunch for the lady and the team, but Ryan knew a place that made killer Burritos.  Then someone had the idea of getting enough food to feed the whole trailer park.  We made a plan and Ryan ordered an 8 foot burrito, 5 gallons of lemon aid,  some salsa and corn chips.  It was awesome.  The lady went around the trailer park and knocked on people’s doors inviting them over for lunch.  And they came.  We all ate and laughed and had good conversation with some new friends.  

Hopefully one day we can see them again and check in on the peppers.

Service Learning Issue 4 - Charles and The Coat

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 - pm

We had an hour and a half to get ready for the next part of the day – a trip to downtown LA skid row.   We met at Jeff’s school with his students and he prepared us for what we would walk into. 

We viewed a short film of a young middle class family man who was killed in a car crash and what occurred in the afterlife.  He found himself on a train to go met the “Judge.”  He was placed next to an over weight, undesirable looking women who was in no way someone he would have associated himself with.  But there he was stuck next to her as he waited his turn with the Judge. 

She was cold and he had a jacket, but didn’t think of giving it to her.  She was hungry and he had a granola bar but didn’t offer it to her.  He had more important things to do.  He didn’t really want to talk with her.  When the train stopped he ran off following directions to the Judge.  When he rounded the corner there was the Judge standing there – it was the lady in the train.  The credits rolled.

Jeff said we are going to meet some people on the street tonight and you may want to take along some extra granola bars or an extra jacket, you may meet Jesus tonight. 

Some of our team with Jeff’s students prepared hot dogs meals and the rest of us went out on the streets in teams to meet and talk with people.  We took granola bars, socks, and we were ready to part with our coats. 

Our team was very close to the area of town where part of the Soloist took place.  We ran into a guy whose name was Charles.  He was bitter, impatient yet open to conversation.   The conversation turned theological.  Most of what he said didn’t follow logic – multiple threads of thought coming out all jumbled.  But in the middle of it he said something with clarity that left its mark on me.  “How can you say God loves me, when you come here and leave?  Is that love?  Does God say he loves me and then leaves me?  What about tomorrow?” 

The team inside put together plates with hot dogs, buns, chips and fruit and we went outside and handed them out.  

Jeff and I were standing next to each other and a hunched over young man received one of the plates of food from Jeff.  He was shivering.  It was very cold that night.    He was struggling.  Jeff started conversation with him.  He looked as if he had a stroke or something as his right arm didn’t seem to work well.  Jeff got a jacket and offered it to him.  I just stood there watching Jeff care for him - slowly putting the jacket on the man who was unable to do it himself – one sleeve then the next, straighten out the collar, pull down the hem and draw the zipper to the chin.  The man was off into the dark night.  I still had a granola bar in my pocket.

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Service Learning Issue 3 - Heros

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

The team slept last night in church classrooms. I use the term sleep loosely. It seems the anticipation of the past 10 months was all coming down to right now and my mind would not let me forget it. Every possible thought was occurring at once – a curse of ADD. I laid awake most of the night wrestling each rudderless notion into prayer leaving them at the cross. I finally fell asleep, only for my alarm to wake me up 2 hrs later.

I made the trek to Starbucks to get coffee for my leaders. I had learned a long time ago you need to take care of your leaders and if that means Starbucks in the morning, so be it. Might as well get one for me to. Good idea.

We meet Jeff and his students at the school at 8:30am and followed the school bus to a nearby city. We were on our way to a pre-school. Not just any pre-school, it was for young kids whose parents were in a shelter, homeless or in rehab. These young kids have seen more than most of us will in a lifetime, and yes that has shaped them. They are adorable yet very challenging for the staff.

Jeff introduced us to the teacher who takes care of the preschool. He said you may want to get your picture taken with her, because she is a hero. After we leave, she will be putting in long hours caring for kids with unimaginable emotional needs. She is there not because she needs a job, but because it is her calling, her passion. God does that, he prepares and gifts people to care for the uncareable. I got my picture taken with her.

The agenda for the morning was to pile the kids in the school bus and take them on a field trip. Our team’s role was to feed the kids, Jeff’s students and preschool staff lunch. We had to find a place where we could setup our stoves and tables without getting asked to move along. We cooked 140 hotdogs, distributed salad, fruit, cookies and juice boxes. We had a blast. The team worked well together.

It was a small thing for us, but Jeff put the perspective right. He said, “We come to honor the staff and give them a break and encouragement. They are at it 24/7 and for someone to think of them, take them on a field trip, take care of the logistics and spend time with their little 4-5 year olds can be a big deal to them.”

Service Learning Issue 2 - Out Of Control

Monday, March 8th, 2010

The alarm went off at 5:45am - didn’t sleep very well last night – too much on my mind. I have led teams on trips like this a handful of times in the past, enough to know that anything can happen and the best one can do is be as prepared as possible. I felt we were well prepared. The trip itinerary was set and the paperwork was all in order (I thought).

We drove to the US border in two vehicles on our way to Seattle airport. Our vehicle got through okay, I anticipated a bit of delay for the second vehicle – one tripper had a foreign passport and needed a travel visa for the US. As predicted, they were pulled over and brought into the building. I was waiting up the road. I got a call – they needed a letter.

I took the binder of documentation with me, sprinted to the border building and noticed right away that something was wrong. I walked over to the desk and the first words the border agent said to me was, “Where is it?” Of course I had no idea was “it” was, so I asked for clarification. He was agitated and impatient. He said we needed a letter stating purpose of trip, the name of the contact person, all on letter head etc..

So, I got on the phone to Jeff, and he produced a letter and faxed it in. Everything good, right? Nope. Supervisor gets involved. The trippers are praying (with eyes open) and my stress levels are in the red zone. It seems they interpreted our trip within the category of “work” and we needed documentation to clarify what type of work we will be doing. It seems when it was said we were on a mission trip to do service work in LA, we were needing a whole new level of documentation and permissions.

The supervisor is running out of patience. He starts reading us the regulations off his computer screen. This all takes about an hour now. He then says, “I need the correct documentation in 1 minute and if I don’t I’m sending you all back home.”

I felt out of control. All our preparations didn’t include this scenario. Mind you, next trip it will. I started to imagine what it would be like to go back home and one by one drop off all the trippers at their homes and having to explain what happened and why our 10 months of preparations and fund raising was out the window.

What was God doing? I resolved that if we did not get permission to cross into the US, that it was within His purposes and I may never know why, but I would have to accept it.

The supervisor looked at his watch – the minute was up. He looked at me and said, “You can cross as an exception, but next time I need the correct letter.”

In disbelief we all quietly and quickly gathered our stuff, didn’t look back, got in our vehicles and drove through Sumas on our way to Seattle. I thought, wow, that is grace. We were granted a favor without having it all together.

We made the flight and the plane landed in LAX at 4:00pm.

My heart rate was still above 120, and it didn’t change much the whole week.

Service Learning Issue 1 - The Idea

Jeff and I were talking last summer and the idea formed to take a team to see and experience what he has gleaned in over 10 years of service work.

Jeff is the service/mission coordinator at his school and he has friends that provide services and programs to marginalized people in the Los Angeles area. A true teacher, Jeff takes his students out of the classroom for them to be involved in the problems of modern society - mental illness, homelessness, addictions, urban poverty.

Why? To learn, to be changed, to serve, and to honor those who give their lives for the betterment of others. His approach and heart, as we experienced, is very contagious.

The project became known as Crossing Borders. The idea is to cross economic, social, class and international borders to learn and serve.

We left on March 8th and arrived home on March 14th.

There was 4 adults and 6 youth - affectionately known as "The Trippers."