Word On The Street

JD started working at IMFK last week and has hit the ground running. Its been a deep introduction to street outreach and our Hire Ground program, its not just learning engagement with our friends but also the world of documentation and advocacy. JD has been doing intakes with our friends as well as sitting with someone for 3 hours to help make a police report with SPD on a assault. While waiting for SPD JD decided to pull out a deck of cards and play some rummy while waiting. The great thing about card playing is that it relaxes you and dialogue can begin. JD learned a lot about our friend while playing and was able to advocate with SPD and the agency that our friend was connected to. While working on Hire Ground one morning one of our participants asked JD if he remembered her? She recognized JD because she use to baby sit him when he was a child. What a small world at the end of the day I was able to see the both of them together talking and I could tell that JD was moved by the encounter. After the shift was over JD shared that he would have never thought that he would encounter one of his childhood babysitters  experiencing homelessness. One of the things that I have learned over the last 9 years if not for the Grace of God there go I. We must do whatever it takes to assist our friends outdoors and those living in our homeless shelters. Sous Chefs we at IMFK are making a difference thank you for your support.

John and Leigh Ann

Using your talents for others will always bring joy to your heart as well as a blessing to the person receiving your blessing. As a Chef there is no greater joy than to see someone enjoying a meal that you have prepared just for them. Today we made Kielbasa Sandwiches smothered with Onions, Peppers topped with Provolone Cheese and finished with LOVE. These Sandwiches were typical street food that you we would see sold on NYC street corners or sold in local delis through out our Country. As we delivered the meals today our friends would light up with excitement to receive one of these sandwiches. Very often our friends cant wait to dive in and eat, they will open the package right in front of us and chow down or bring it to their corner and start eating there. The great thing is that these awesome lunches are just a tool in our hands to continue dialogue as well as deepen our relationships with our friends outdoors. My talent is cooking and I love to feed our friends as well as get to know them better so we can truly understand what they need to get their lives back on track. If a meal brings us together for birthdays, holidays or other celebrations why not use it to bring our homeless friends to the Table were trust can take place. As we say in Italian ” Tuttia a tavola per Mangiare” translation ” Everyone to the Table to eat. Leigh Ann the Team and I appreciate your on going financial support together we are making a difference in our Community.

Using your talents for others will always bring joy to your heart as well as a blessing to the person receiving your blessing. As a Chef there is no greater joy than to see someone enjoying a meal that you have prepared just for them. Today we made Kielbasa Sandwiches smothered with Onions, Peppers topped with Provolone Cheese and finished with LOVE. These Sandwiches were typical street food that you we would see sold on NYC street corners or sold in local delis through out our Country. As we delivered the meals today our friends would light up with excitement to receive one of these sandwiches. Very often our friends cant wait to dive in and eat, they will open the package right in front of us and chow down or bring it to their corner and start eating there. The great thing is that these awesome lunches are just a tool in our hands to continue dialogue as well as deepen our relationships with our friends outdoors. My talent is cooking and I love to feed our friends as well as get to know them better so we can truly understand what they need to get their lives back on track. If a meal brings us together for birthdays, holidays or other celebrations why not use it to bring our homeless friends to the Table were trust can take place. As we say in Italian ” Tuttia a tavola per Mangiare” translation ” Everyone to the Table to eat. Leigh Ann the Team and I appreciate your on going financial support together we are making a difference in our Community.

Today was a scorcher during Hire Ground clean up around the community, the heat index was at 100 degrees! This crew of 6 awesome friends picked up over 900 Gallons of debris through out our community. Many have said that Panhandlers and Homeless individuals do not want to work but we have seen different. Week after week we go out and give those who our struggling and opportunity to obtain dignity through the sweat of their brow and the work of their hands. Our friends might not be to the point of obtaining regular employment because of many scenarios of brokenness but we encourage them and show them that if they can work a 5 hour shift with us during their struggles to imagine what could happen if they allow us to lead them to wholeness. Nothing is Impossible for anyone especially when you have someone standing in your corner encouraging you and advocating for your needs to be met. So after a hard days work Kevin and Carolyn treated our Crew to ICE CREAM, who doesn’t like ice cream? Together Sous Chefs with your support we are Building Hope and Changing Lives

John and Leigh Ann

Its never ceases to amazing me how a wonderful lunch can open a door for change to happen. Food becomes a real living tool for dialogue to begin and for Hope to arrive. Today we were able to connect with a young woman on the corner, we asked her if she needed anything else other than lunch because we were really concerned for her. She paused for a moment, looked up and said she wanted to go to a detox to get off Heroine. We let her know that we had connections to Helio Health and their Cody Team who could come right out to start the process. Our friend agreed we called our friend Jacob from Helio and he was over to our location within 25 minutes to do an intake. One of the things that starts to happen when the ball starts rolling is cold feet and a change of mind, our friend started to say that she was having a tooth issue and needed antibiotics before she could go. Our friend forgot that Dr. Lehmann was with us and I said Doc can take care of that right now, thats when Jacob pulled up from Helio. Doc assessed her tooth gave her some antibiotics to take for the rest of the week and then we introduced her to Jacob and made the connection. Jacob was assessing her and then going to see if there was a bed available today for her. This is just one of many out of the box scenarios that happen on the streets for our friends. I always tell them my connections are your connection my friends are your friends, Relationships Minimize Risk for our friends and with your continued support all these out of the box scenarios become possible. Thank You

John and Leigh Ann