National Good Neighbor Day

How did we not know that was a holiday!???

Well, we do now.  And what perfect timing, because we are launching the Good Neighbor Cohort this Fall.  We believe a healthy city is full of thriving neighborhoods.  The Good Neighbor Cohort will train neighbors across the city in the areas of basic emergency preparedness, family-friendly neighborhood event planning (like a front-yard ice cream social), understanding existing resources (like Neighborhood Watch and NextDoor.com), and how to be a good neighbor without being too creepy.

Want to learn more?  Come to our kick off meeting on Monday, October 19th at Kingdom Causes Bellflower.  Email admin@kcbellflower.org for more info!

The homeless hands and feet of Jesus

Last Wednesday Gerardo* stumbled into our community center reeking of alcohol and unable to stand up straight.  We struggled to complete our typical homeless assessment with him, even though it took twice as long due to the state of intoxication.  He stumbled back out of our office an hour later.  (Just a normal day at Kingdom Causes.)

Friday morning, I walked into our community center and found Gerardo, along with a few other homeless neighbors, helping April stuff the Fall newsletter mailer.  He proudly announced, "I've been sober for 1 day!"  I could tell by the severe body shakes.  It actually seemed unfair to have him stuffing envelopes with such trembling hands, but he wanted nothing else but to volunteer alongside his friends.

Mark, our newest staff member, recognized the need for detox for Gerardo and spent the morning calling around to find a program that would take him.  After several frustrating calls, he was able to find one place that would take Gerardo, but unfortunately they couldn't take him until Monday morning... and he had to be sober.

Now, for an alcoholic with decades of constant drinking, staying sober for three days is almost impossible (and even dangerous).  Most people wouldn't be able to survive that long without treatment.  But, when Gerardo's friends learned that he had a place to go on Monday, they rallied around him and swore to us that they would do everything in their power to help him stay safe and sober over the weekend.

One person promised: "We'll take him with us to dinner and Celebrate Recovery tonight"

Another person promised: "I'll make sure he gets breakfast and showers at Calvary Baptist in the morning."

Another person promised: "We'll stay with him to make sure he's sleeping okay throughout the night."

This morning, Gerardo was dressed in his best clothes and waiting at the door of Kingdom Causes for his ride to the residential program in LA.  As promised, his friends had stayed with him 24-7 over the weekend making sure he was safe, fed, and most importantly, sober.

All too often we forget that our homeless neighbors *can* give back to the community.  We see them as "needy" and keep them categorized as the focus of our charity and good deeds.  But, you'd be surprised how many of them are starving for the opportunity to help others and serve the community.  I am so moved by this particular group of homeless friends and how they cared for their friend.

They were the hands and feet of Jesus to Gerardo.

*Name changed to protect his privacy

Feels like Hope

You do you work the best that you can
You put one foot in front of the other
Life comes in waves and makes its demands
You hold on as well as you're able
You've been here for a long long time

But Hope has a way of turning its face to you just when you least expect it
You walk in a room you look out a window and something there leaves you breathless
You say to yourself it's been a while since I've felt this
But it feels like it might be Hope.

It's hard to recall what blew out the flame
It's been dark here since you can remember
You talk it all through to find it a name
As days go on by without number

-Sara Groves "It Might Be Hope"

If you've read our Fall newsletter, you know that it's been a hard season for us at KCB.  Some of the neighbors we've been working with for months (even years!) have experienced major setbacks.  Our hearts break when hope seems so far away even after so much hard work.  These people are not *just* our clients--they are our friends and neighbors.  The summer was full of holding back tears while we tried to remain hopeful and positive on behalf of them.

But, this morning.  Something feels different.

I walked in this morning to an office full of staff buzzing around with hope.  They were excited because a homeless neighbor we've been working intensely with for months got the thumbs up to move into his home this afternoon.  They were moved because they witnessed a group of homeless neighbors surround a vulnerable friend, also homeless, as he fought to stay sober over the weekend so he could get into a medical detox program this morning.

I'm now holding back tears of joy and gratefulness.  As much as my selfish and messed up heart breaks for the struggle of my neighbors, I know that God cares and hurts even more.  It's an honor to serve and believe in such a compassionate and loving God.

We invite you to join us in this beautiful work of walking alongside our neighbors.  It hurts, but it's worth it.  If you'd like to learn more about how you can get involved, please fill out this volunteer form and we will get back to you with the current opportunities.

(If you would like to receive our quarterly newsletter, please email us or call 562-804-2189.  You can listen to Sara Groves' song here.)