Clients are engaging more with us!

 

   We are very proud of how clients are engaging with us in the new year!
   We've thrown a lot of change at them in order to expand our schedule. Housing and employment are the top achievements. Getting AND maintaining them are so important to stability.
   Given the holiday season, we are also very proud of the self-care, stability and family reconciliation achievements. Lots of other great progress here. In terms of expressed goals, the same ones appear but are joined by college. Education and growth are key to recovering from the special form of American poverty that we call being a "street youth."
   It's not about physical relief only -- that is important. It's not all about housing, though that is important, too, For young people who have found their way to the street, self-exploration and additional maturity, healing and growth are keys. We are proud to be part of these stories -- each and every one!

New art group lets clients be creative!

   We are excited to announce the first edition of “Word on the Street” — a newspaper created by street youth, for street youth. Each edition will feature creative work by SYMin clients, plus information intended to guide anyone in need to available resources.
   In our first edition, beautiful paintings, clever haikus and powerful prose illustrate two major themes -- death and hope of life after loss – as when the silence and cold of winter are succeeded by the beauty and new life of spring.
   This winter, like many winters, our community lost a beloved friend. One client writes about how losses affected her, influenced her recovery and ultimately led her to growth, change and new life after loss.
   The content is produced by SYMin’s new “Outside the Lines” Creative Group, which meets twice a week in our upstairs Learning Center. Many clients find it possible to process difficult thoughts and emotions through art, making room for healing. “This is therapy for me,” said one client. “Thank you for starting this group.”

Volunteers help new parents get skills they need.

 

In recent years, we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of clients who are retaining custody of their newborns. The need for better parenting began to surface increasingly among client goals, so we set out to discover how to help them.    We have a grant for consultants for new moms or those planning to be, so we enrolled parents at Christmas and invited volunteers to shop for modest gifts and development resources appropriate for children. The response has been very good.    A SYMin volunteer, Jen Harold, took a list of our clients and matched a mom volunteer at her church to each one. They purchased and wrapped gifts of a book and a toy for each child, along with a laminated insert containing ideas for parents to use in development help and play with their children, a support gift for each parent with words of encouragement, and a Starbucks gift card.    To be eligible, clients had to be active and have some type of regular contact with their children.    One client, new mother of the twins pictured here, gushed her appreciation: “Thank you, Terry Cole, Suzanne Zucca, Tondra Jade Daily, and Alan Richard, for being a part of Street Youth Ministry!” she wrote. “The girls love their gifts!!!! There are so many people I would love to thank for helping me become the person and mother I am today.    “Let’s start here: Without Street Youth Ministry, I probably wouldn’t have survived on the streets of Austin. These amazing people … loved me through my drug days, my sober days, my homelessness, my housed self, my sick days. One big thank you from my small little family to yours. I can’t wait for y’all to meet the girls in person instead of over video!!! I miss y’all dearly!”

How to Pray for Our Ministry

• Pray that each of our outreach events is safe and adequately supplied with volunteers, food, and non-food items helpful to clients. We are are ministry of relationship and not of "stuff." Help our clients to recognize this and and enjoy our relationship. Help Terry and volunteers to share an invitation to come to core events while reaching out on the street.
• Pray that our core events is safe and staffed properly with at leave one volunteer and provisioned with food and non-food items. Pray that the Gospel message is featured well at each event. Pray that Terry is well prepared for each event. Pray that many come inside from the street to these authentic, transparent and fun event.
• Pray that many clients seek out guidance from Terry. Pray that the Holy Spirit guides each session. Pray that we meet the client where they are and help activate gifts, strengths and talents inside each client.
• Pray for the development of lay volunteer leaders who co-lead each of our events periodically. Pray for good training with Terry and pray that they are able to lead the ministry at least once a quarter when Terry is away on strategic retreat.
• Pray for the financial provision of the ministry. Pray that each donor is blessed so they may bless the ministry. Pray that giving is a joy for each of them. Pray they might invite others into the support circle over time.
• Pray for wisdom and discernment of leaders. Pray for protection of daily staff and volunteers. Pray for strong relationship building with church, agency and community partners. Pray for good and clear communication all around the ministry.

How to Pray for Our Clients

Pregnancy:

Pray that pregnant moms take good care of themselves and the developing baby. Pray that they quickly begin to make plans for a stable home for themselves and the baby. Pray they feel they have many options and not at a dead-end. Pray for the fathers to make plans to become stable providers. Pray that mom and dad decide to form a stable relationship for the baby's sake. Two are much stronger than one. Pray that parents see God's provision for them constantly before their eyes.The following prayer points will help you pray for our clients anytime. These issues and needs almost always exist within our client base:

Addiction:

Pray that those who suffer from addiction to substances will take stock today in their lives and decide it's time for a positive change. Pray for those who don't yet want change to see how addiction affects them and those around them. Pray for those who want change to see that there are many options available for guidance and help. Pray for strength and perseverance for those making changes now. Pray for healing and wisdom for those who are working to maintain changes. Pray that those dealing with addiction see that God has never abandoned or left them.

Incarceration:

Pray for those currently incarcerated. Pray that justice will come in God's good timing. Pray for access to chaplains  to peer Bible studies and prayer groups, and to Bibles. Pray that our letters reach them and that the life-affirming messages on the back of our letters are circulated to inmates and help safe lives in the dangerous transition from incarceration to freedom, especially those who come right back to the street. Pray that jail-house conversion is real and that changes they promise God and themselves stick once they enjoy additional freedom outside jail.

Work:

Pray that those who desire work can find willing and gracious employers to give them a chance. Pray that interpersonal skills grow quickly on the job to allow clients to keep jobs and thrive in the workplace. Pray for those that have given up to see new options in job counseling, job training and job placement partnerships that we suggest. Pray for patience to wait for that first paycheck. Pray for wisdom to use paychecks wisely. 

School and College:

Pray for clients ready to start to invest in themselves through education. Pray that they can made necessary changes in living situation, hygiene, drug use and friends to navigate transition to an academic environment. Pray that none are taken advantage of by some poor-intentioned private schools and trade schools that are only out to garner big paychecks by getting students to take loans out to pay tuition. Pray that clients take advantage of our textbook program so we can stay in touch with them through school.

Health:

Pray for healing and restoration for clients struggling with health. Pray for protection from Hepatitis C or HIV among those who are at risk. Pray for protection from staph infections. Pray for healing of bruises, breaks and gashes. Pray for access to dental care through partner programs. Pray for help for those who suffer liver-related illnesses and a good understanding of how to manage. Pray for proper care and diet management for for diabetics.

Faith:

Pray that clients will keep an open mind about faith. Pray their past bad experiences with Christians, churches and religion will not block their ability to see God's provision for their life on a daily basis. Pray that their eyes will open to the value and benefits of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Faith Communities:

Pray that clients will have the courage to engage with local churches wherever they go. Pray that at each church, they meet someone who understands the value of faith and of personal relationship with Jesus. Pray that church members don't try to do too much but rather show the redemptive potential of the church and of community membership. Pray that boundaries and needs can be communicated clearly on both sides of the relationships.

Clients in Transition:

Pray for our clients who are in transition from street-dependence to stable living. Pray they make new friends, make new friends, and find new coping mechanisms. Pray they can honor old friends while not allowing street-friends to impose any habits or temptations on them that would drag them down. Pray that faith is a great strength for them.

Clients in Recovery:

Pray for our clients who are in recovery, having established stability and sobriety. Pray they continue to develop in faith. Pray they continue to put down deep roots into the community. Pray they develop many new assets to prevent an repetitive slip back into street-dependency. Pray they learn to use their new blessings to help others, giving back to help others. Pray they share their stories of recovery with us to we can share them with supporters and struggling clients as inspiration for all.

Prayer Letter

Prayer is the foundation of our ministry. Please sign-up to join our prayer ministry. It takes less than 60-seconds to complete.

Our prayer team is engaging and informative. We share a current prayer request from a specific client with members once a month. And you'll get our monthly prayer letter celebrating accomplishments by clients as well! Below are the words from one month of our clients' prayer requests.

Two Prayers from a Client

Heard From A Client Today

He's recovering from what drove him to the street. He and his fiancee expect a baby soon. He's employed, pays his rent, has a vehicle and pays insurance. He's sober and has a relationship with God. He and his fiancee go to a "small old-timey church down the road."

Here's the deal. This client was as much a handful as any client ever was. One day close to us and cool, the next day pushing us away with all his might, emotions, words and actions. Drugs were involved. Anger was involved. Legal issues were involved. Some would say it was hopeless. But somehow, God's message of love got through anyway and changed everything.

One day he simply left the street. There was no celebration or goodbye or plan. He simply realized he had enough. He accepted help from places he said he would never accept help from. He turned to God in ways he said he would never be able to do. He grew in ways he believed impossible.

Today he called to pray for me. He prays that the ministry will always find a way to be there for people who need it. Hard people. Difficult people. People who are not sure about where they are or need to be going. And that we will have the right tools to be there for them.

I asked how I could be praying for him, he said, "I need focus." Focus to maintain what I've done and to do it for the right reasons--for God and for my baby coming in a few months. I'm not perfect and I get off track. I pray for focus so I can stay right.

Two awesome prayers from a young man that no one would even recognize today. May God bless him in his journey. May God use his past and his experiences in ways we cannot even begin to imagine, to make God's Kingdom on earth richer, more real, and more relevant here and now.

30 Days of Goals during Lent 2015

We want to give Jesus praise for the following: In the last 30 Days, these things have happened for our clients. We don't claim the credit. Only our clients and do that! There were 49 sub-goals related to adding more stability into client's lives! Wow!

• 18 clients have obtained jobs, 
• 18 people have moved into housing,
• 4 people have achieved new sobriety milestones,
• 4 people have openly accepted Jesus into their hearts and 2 now attend church regularly, and
• 0 clients are currently enrolled in school and studying!

Client often wonder and ask directly "What do you want from me," partly as a response to the acceptance they feel from us. There must be a catch, right? We answer without apology, "When you want it, we are praying for more stability in your life, more sobriety for you, reconnecting with God, and finding a faith community to call home."  These are the four areas of goals we monitor. We have each one broken down into many sub-goals that are common needs for our clients. It's so awesome to get to celebrate achievement and accomplishment. Some are small, one step-at-a-time changes, and others are huge accomplishments. We're proud of them all!

Please consider joining our prayer team. You can sign-up anytime. Team members receive one short prayer request made by a client about every 3 or 4 weeks. We try to share the prayer request within 24 hours of receiving it. It's an awesome way to help!

Why do clients pray for "small" things?

Prayer team members get a prayer request about once a month that comes from a specific client that day. Often the prayer request may seem small. "I want to eat a burger." You may wonder, "Why would a person pray for this thing that seems so small when there are so many thing upside down in their life?" That's a really good and insightful question.

First, I think it's theologically sound. God cares about the big stuff and the little stuff in our lives. He brought the little girl back to life (a big thing for sure) but then wanted to make sure she had something to eat (surely small in the face of resurrection). We are invited to share our lives intimately with God, and He cares about the details.

Second, we encourage clients to take change one little step at a time. This is part of our social work theory of practice. Big change is the goal, but what little thing can we effect today? So prayers for seemingly little things often represent the first steps of a big arc of change that the client has in mind.

Third, many clients are unsure what they want anymore. The street may have been the best place they have ever been when they arrived. So they are or perhaps were satisfied. Day to day demands of surviving on the street can be demanding. Daily drama from living in close quarters with a very large extended young "family" can grate. Toxins from daily stress frequently accumulate. Toxins and body chemistry issues can arise from possible substance use or abuse (not all--only about 40% of our clients). All of these tend to leave one numb and withdrawn. So when we ask what would you like us to pray for, there is often no answer at all. 

It's common to hear, "I'm good." Or "I have no idea." as the answer. When this happens, we don't give up. We engage and try to find out what they would like. We have lots of techniques, but our goal is to see if we can get them to take the risk of wanting something... anything. Often the seemingly small requests that they share are a result of this process of engagement. We cherish the little requests because it represents daring to name something that would help. Something that you trust us to know. Something that you dare to speak aloud in the hopes that God will hear. Often these a provision prayers... find what I need, get some food, get some drink, get some money. 

What should you do with these requests? Pray. And use your imagination. Talk to God about why this person might want this. Talk to God about what they might want next. Ask God to guide our clients to a next step and another. Pray that the client might start to get in touch with a possible future. Ask that our client find the energy and courage to hope in that future. Great and amazing things will happen!