Street Youth Ministry Uses Art to Reframe Conversation on Homelessness

Reposting an article from Reporting Texas published on December 19, 2019

Street Youth Ministry 

Uses Art to Reframe

Conversation on Homelessness

By NATALEAH SMALL

Reporting Texas

A collection of purple, orange and green stones appeared in front of the Congregational Church of Austin in early October. The stones were decorated to resemble pumpkins, and some were painted with words of affirmation such as “love” and “pride.”

A prayer garden made of painted rocks marks the entrance to the Street Youth Ministry’s facility in the basement of the Congregational Church on 23rd Street in Austin, Texas. The rocks are a way for the ministry to draw attention to the positive impact of its mission. Joshua Guenther/Reporting Texas

Throughout November and December, more art popped up: a face and scarf on the tree in front of the church, colorful chalk art messages on the sidewalk and hearts and peace symbols stenciled on planter pots.

The group responsible for the guerilla art was Street Youth Ministry, which wanted to draw attention to the ministry and positively impact the thousands of people who pass the building every day, said Terry Cole, the ministry’s founder. He said the ministry began creating the installations after the Austin City Council lifted a camping ban and made other changes in the city’s approach to homelessness, which sparked contentious debate.

An art installation created by Street Youth Ministry clients showcases their desire to send a positive message to the community. Joshua Guenther/Reporting Texas

“We really just wanted to say to the neighborhood: ‘We love you, and we want to be kind to you as well,’” said Suzanne Zucca, Street Youth Ministry staff member.

Nestled in the heart of West Campus, Street Youth Ministry is located in the basement of the Congregational Church of Austin. The faith-based ministry is a day center that assists young people experiencing homelessness. Staffers refer to them as clients.

Volunteers of Street Youth Ministry set up arts and crafts for clients to make nativity scenes and angels. The program offers  practical things like clothing, counseling and food, but its goal is “to know, love and serve street-dependent youth so they might come to know Christ,” according to its annual report. Alexander Thompson/Reporting Texas

According to its mission statement, the goal of the ministry is “to know, love and serve street-dependent youth so they might come to know Christ through the witnessing community we develop.” According to the ministry’s 2018 annual report, it provides clients with “practical things to help meet immediate needs.” Cole said the ministry is not an overnight facility.

Volunteers, such as Lorena Garza, a UT-Austin social work freshman, play a crucial role in the ministry by cleaning and organizing the basement of the Congregational Church, where the program is housed. Joshua Guenther/Reporting Texas

The ministry offers a variety of services: access to food, counseling, clothing and gear such as bicycles and sleeping bags. Founded in 2008, the ministry serves about 600 clients up to 28 years old every year.

According GuideStar, a service that reports on U.S. non-profits, the ministry reported $492,267 in gross receipts during its most recent fiscal year. According to the ministry’s 2018 year-end report, 45% of its income is from private individuals and 30% is from in-kind giving. Additional funding comes from grants, churches and other sources. According to the report, 94% of every dollar spent by the ministry goes toward program services with the remaining 6% allotted to administration and fundraising.

Cole said the ministry employs eight staffers as guidance counselors and resources on matters related to drugs, physical and mental health and safe sex practices.

Street Youth Ministry volunteer Lorena Garza, left, plays dominoes with Deon Watts, right, and another client of the Street Youth Ministry during a weekly game night on Nov. 19, 2019.  Joshua Guenther/Reporting Texas

The team is trained to handle difficult situations and deal with people in crisis, but Cole said team members are not doctors, social workers or licensed therapists. Nearly 1,000 individuals volunteer with the ministry every year, Cole said.

Patrick Hudson, left, removes a block from a giant Jenga set while volunteering at the Street Youth Ministry’s weekly game night with other UT-Austin students Shad Khan, center, and Nuvia Cruz. The ministry’s proximity to the University allows students to accumulate volunteer hours for class and service organizations. Joshua Guenther/Reporting Texas

Austin’s homeless population has remained relatively steady since the ministry began its work.

According to the Point In Time Count compiled annually by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, 2,087 people were counted in 2010. The lowest recorded number, 1,832, occurred in 2015. In 2019, the number of individuals increased to 2,255; 50% were between the ages of 18-44.

According to ECHO, the leading factors contributing to homelessness include inadequate access to health care, lack of engagement in school or employment and time spent in juvenile detention or jail.

Two members visit the Street Youth Ministry basement to have a meal and fill out paperwork on Dec 3, 2019. The ministry opens everyday at 12 p.m. and provides a safe space for people 28 years old and younger. Alexander Thompson/Reporting Texas

In July, when the city passed an ordinance that decriminalized sitting, lying and camping in public places, people who had been sleeping in the woods and other unsafe areas started sleeping on the streets, Cole said. A population that had been hidden became more visible.

In reaction to the heightened visibility, Gov. Greg Abbott retweeted a video of a man attacking a car in downtown Austin. It was later revealed that the video was over a year old and the person recorded was not experiencing homelessness. Cole said the misleading post had a negative impact on public perception of homeless people and a “scarring” effect on the city.

A sign posted at the 23rd street Artist’s Market notifies visitors that the Street Youth Ministry cleans the area. The ministry’s staff hope the message will counter some negative perceptions of people experiencing homelessness. Joshua Guenther/Reporting Texas

The idea for the art installation emerged amid this conversation. Cole said he wanted people walking by their building to notice a positive change and reflect on how the ministry is serving its clients.

Two clients who worked on the installation agreed to talk to Reporting Texas but declined to give their full names.

Red said she painted a rock that resembles a “golden ghost” the day she was taken to jail for having too many unpaid tickets. By the time she got out of jail, other clients had added the face to the tree in front of the building.

Red, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, laughs as her friend pulls out a bullhorn while they sit near the entrance of the Street Youth Ministry basement on Dec 3, 2019. Alexander Thompson/Reporting Texas

Red, 28, said she has traveled through Austin six times over the past decade. A friend introduced her to the ministry three years ago, and since then she has utilized its services.

She participates in Girl’s Group, a peer support group that discusses topics such as toxic relationships and the difficulties that face women who live on the streets. If she hadn’t heard about the ministry, Red said, she would have died in Austin because she knew few people and didn’t know where to stay.

“I feel like we have a family, and that’s rare around here,” Red said. “Like we have our street family, but you can’t talk to your street family about certain things, you know, you’ve got to stay within the mindset of ‘I can survive.’”

Arthur also helped create the installation. He created a collection of rocks painted with single words of prayer like “love,” “pride,” and “joy.”

Halloween-themed prayer rocks that youth ministry client, Arthur, helped create, decorate the base of a tree outside the entrance to the Street Youth Ministry. Joshua Guenther/Reporting Texas

Arthur, 27, said he came to Austin four years ago with his former husband. When they divorced, he ended up on the streets. He said his “blood sister” told him Street Youth Ministry could help him, but he didn’t know if he would be accepted because of his sexual orientation. In other places he said he has felt out of place and unwelcome.

Street Youth Ministry client Arthur, whose nickname is Summer Rose, sings Carrie Underwood’s, “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” during the weekly talent night on Nov. 20, 2019. Arthur, said the ministry has come to feel like a family to him. Joshua Guenther/Reporting Texas

Earlier this year, he said he was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. Since the diagnosis, members of the ministry have prayed for him, Arthur said, and in return he has volunteered to prepare food, wash dishes and clean the space.

“It feels like I’m back at home with my own family,” Arthur said. “There’s no other place I would rather be than here. I don’t want to separate from the people that have taken care of me.”

Read it on Reporting Texas here

To The Homeless That Departed In 2014

We are known by our names, or nick names. We are known by our family, friends, and people we say hi to that we meet on the street.

We are seen by each other, the people that pass us by, and those that help us.

We are loved by others in the homeless community, the ministries (SYM), our families from a far, our friends near and dear to us, the person on the street that says hello (or offers a kind word or a smile), from former homeless people, and our pets with their unconditional love. And loved by churches, social agencies, and others that welcomes us and makes us feel loved. We are loved by God!

*Note: I use the term we, because the homeless is not an other, but still part of society.

John 3:16-17

16 “For God so loved the world 

that He gave His only begotten Son, 

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 

but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not His Son into the world 

to condemn the world, 

but that the world 

through Him might be saved.

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.

This is dedicated to all homeless people around the world in 2014.

Top Three Things I'd Do

I was asked recently a great question while speaking at All Saints' Episcopal Church while presenting the ministry there to a group of 45 interested people. These were largely not novices at serving homeless people because they have several ministries there that directly serve homeless. The question was "If money weren't an issue, what are the top three things you would do to help your clients."

First, I'm going to give a different answer that I often give to parents of street youth asking what they should do. Here are my top three things that I think a parent should do if they have a street-dependent youth living on the streets of the USA:

A) Get your son or daughter a low end phones with internet. They are regularly on sale for $50 to $80. They may have it stolen from them, so don't buy anything more. Purchase by the month a pre-paid plans ($35 or $40 per month gets unlimited texting, internet and calling). Don't do a contract. Just stick with month by month. Your child can now keep in touch with friends of their choosing. They may even choose to stay in touch with you. They can research places where they can get help and call them. They can stay active on social medias. It's a true lifeline. It's not really a luxury in the USA.

B) Offer to purchase a hotel room about two nights a month to give your child a break. Living in constant crisis with no breaks leads to all sorts of physical, mental and emotional problems. Pay by phone and tell them not to give any type of cash refund for early check-out.

C) When your child decides to get a job and move from the street, help with deposit and living expenses for the first two weeks until they get paid. I would setup a bank account that you can both access and another that only you can access. Put money into the latter and setup a daily automatic transfer for a small amount into the first. Don't' micro-manage but don't provide additional moneys beyond what you agree. They have to learn to make it but deposits and those first two weeks can be giant obstacles.

Now back to the question asked by the audience member. What would SYM do with unlimited funding? We are a faith-based organization. So first, we would make sure Christian volunteers and churches are used throughout the programs described below. We'd be an excellent employer of a volunteer coordinator and a communications coordinator. Together, volunteer and coordinators would:

1) Run a hostel with a kitchen. Active clients who attend indoor events at least three times this month, would get one room night (or something like that) and the option to exchange working at reception, kitchen, garden, or cleaning for additional room nights. All management and supervision jobs would be given to recovering street youth. Day labor jobs would be available in exchange for a room-night. This would be a legitimate hostile and we would welcome paying guests as well.

2) Operate a training center that works with some recognizable names in training to provide computer skills for real life (running a computer base cash register, waitress station, receptionist stations, etc.) and training in customer service. We'd operate a doggie day care offering grooming, walking and boarding services to the local neighborhood using clients who have been trained. They would compete for a set of "management" positions but all graduates of training classes could get overnight security, reception, advertising, crate cleaning, dog walking, and dog washing jobs.​

3) Augment government grants for school. FAFSA and governments grants do a great job for most homeless youth willing to attend community college. We'd only pick up certain outliers: felons, people who refused to register for draft, people who can't satisfy residency, etc. We'd continue to buy college books for all clients who go to school and continue to qualify for government aid.

4) (a bonus) Form a hiring agency "co-op." Clients join by paying a small amount each week (possibly even as low as $0.50). In return they can be selected by the membership as the "candidate." All members work hard to get the "candidate" a job, pooling knowledge, networks, and talking straight to the "candidate" about clothing, hygiene, interview skills, attitude, presentation, habits, etc. The candidate signs a contract with the co-op to direct deposit 10% of paycheck for 3 months back to the co-op. Weekly paid members receive published job resources as well as snacks and access to meetings. The co-op pays other members of the group to watch pets or belongs of candidates.

5) (a double bonus) Form a detox facility for substance abuse. We would be a place willing to take in street youth client (attending at least 3 SYM indoor events in the month) for the purpose of detoxing from drugs or alcohol. They would stay there until a bed can be found in a longer term program. The goal of the detox facility is to always be able to get a spot open within 3 days. This would form a bridge buffer to rehab facilities that typically can only free a bed in 2-3 weeks. Two to three weeks is an eternity for a street-dependent youth.

Join our efforts to support Austin street youth. 

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Never Done Learning and Never Too Careful

I was attacked.  I wasn't hurt but it could have been serious. It reminds me that I'm not bluffing when I tell volunteers that street youth can be dangerous when those very most extreme conditions come along. It also reminded me to never become too complacent. Most of the time (99.99%), it's not going to happen. But it IS going to happen sometimes.

 

Here's what happened. I saw one of my clients passed out on the sidewalk. My first duty was to make sure he was breathing. He was. After thinking things through for a minute, my next duty was to VERY carefully try to wake him. Even well rested and well adjusted people sometimes wake up wrong. I nudged his foot from a distance and called his name. No response. I shook his foot, carefully out of range of any likely response. No response. I gently shook his shoulder and called his name very loudly, telling him who I was. No response.

 

After some additional observation, I decided to call the police.  Someone would do it anyway, and probably better that I do it than I just walk away. I had my phone out, when a passerby not previously involved flagged down a patrol car. The same passerby also grabbed water from someone walking by and suddenly tossed it into the face of the sleeping man. I didn't expect that and would NEVER have suggested it! It was a dangerous thing to do. The client woke up and came out swinging. I was the closest victim. Fortunately,  the "scared white man" dodged faster than the groggy man, even in his drug-crazed state. He only connected with my shoulder.

 

The police officer ran over and quickly pinned the client down. I declined to press charges. I accept responsibility for putting myself into a potentially risky situation. However, I urge everyone to NEVER throw water in the face of someone passed out who is breathing. You don't know what sort of reaction you might trigger, but you can expect a strong one.

 

Today’s incident will not deter me.  I will put myself in this predicament again. It's just part of what I know how to do and am called to do. However, the next time a stranger offers to help, I will advise them to step back.  I will step back also.  Even if a police officer is close enough to see the client, I think I will step back anyway. I am grateful that the officers were so helpful and prompt. They had a pretty big job subduing him.   

 

It will be interesting to see the reaction of my client when he finds out he attacked me. He knew me, but he was crazed by drugs. I anticipate a very guilty reaction. But that's another day and perhaps another blog.

 

"To know, love and serve street dependent youth."
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Social Work and the Church -- By Jordan Treuter

After I observed the work of Terry and the ministry he leads, I asked if he wasn't a social worker in addition to a missionary. Terry replied, “I think social work and the church need to reconcile their differences and get married.”

 

“I can’t solve poverty. Jesus made it really clear; if I tried, I’d fail,” Terry says as he holdsa tattered blue bag filled with military and Doc Martin boots. They will be given out in ministry today.

 

It would be a tall task for Terry to solve poverty, let alone homelessness, even inAustin alone. The University of Texas School of Social Work estimates that Austinis home to at least 4,000 homeless, from a wide assortment of backgrounds involving varied disorders and ailments. 

 

Most of their problems stem from a lack of connectedness, according to Rebecca’s Community, an organization that raises awareness for the homeless, specifically in Australia, but with connections to the United States.

 

Without connectedness “specifically to family and friends”people lack theresources and community to provide support and assistance necessary to keep them off the streets. Combine this with eroding work opportunities and a decline in public assistance since 2000, according to National Coalition for the Homeless, and many people wind up living on the streets.

 

The Conference of Mayors recently released a report saying that in every state more than minimum wage was necessary to afford a one or two bedroom apartment that was decent, safe, sanitary and affixed with basic amenities. To afford adequate housing, people would need to make $9.50 per hour.

 

All this is occurring while the price of housing continues to increase.  Since 2000, the price of a one or two bedroom apartment has risen by 43 percent, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. However,  minimum wage has only increased by 29 percent.

 

Additionally,  homeless youth have a difficult time finding a job. In 2007, a survey performed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that only 13 percent of street youth had a job.

 

But the problems aren’t only housing and job related. Fifty percent of homelessness comes as the result of domestic violence and 63 percent of homeless women have experienced domestic violence during their adult lives. While sixteen percent of homeless people suffer from severe or persistent mental illness, according to the U.S.Conference of Mayors.

 

Homeless people also face the very real threat of starting or relapsing into alcohol and drug addiction.  Thirty-eight percent of homeless people reported alcohol dependency and 26 percent reported drug abuse, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless.

 

But Terry’s ultimate goal isn’t to fix these problems. He does want to see the youth come off the street, but more importantly he wants to see them enter into a relationship with Jesus. He also recognizes that if he started to try to answer these needs,he would be placed in a difficult spot.

 

“Boundaries are important. If I just gave them what they wanted, they would chew me up and spit me out,” he says about the goods he hands out. "It's important to borrow and blend as many good social work practices as possible." SYM bases its work on sound and strong theories from social work that seem to work with our clients. We've studied and applied change theory and processes, strengths based brief therapy, harm reduction, narrative therapy, crisis intervention, formation of groups for therapy, detachment and support, drug counseling, mental health assessment, suicide assessment, trauma informed care, and more. It only makes sense. And we teach these concept to our interns to help prepare them to lead poverty-informed urban ministries in the future. We believe "this is where it's at!"

 

Do you have toughts on Social work and the Church?

 

"To know, love and serve street dependent youth."
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Light Bulb Moment

Help is not always simple.

 

One of our board members had a light bulb moment the other day. In something fairly unrelated to Street Youth Ministry, he found himself face to face with a 26 year old homeless youth. It was an informal church setting. After worship, the board member invited the youth to go eat out. During dinner, he listened to the young man describe the multiple steps that led to street-dependency: losing support of family, losing job, losing apartment, losing car, losing all belongs, losing his ID, etc. It's a slow slide that doesn't happen overnight.

 

Then the board member listened to the young man (who doesn't currently receive SYM services) describe what his life is like now. He still wants all the things he lost... including a job. But now in order to survive, he spends all his time in lines or moving wherever the next line is. For food, for shelter, for bus passes, for help with ID, for job training or referrals. There isn't any time or energy left over. The young man feels so hopeless.

 

The light bulb moment for the board member came when he saw that help isn't always help. It's not so simple. I like to say, "it took a hundred steps to get into this situation and it might take a hundred to get out, but I know you can do it! And it matters!"

 

There are many ways you can help.  Check out our web site: www.StreetYouthMinistry.org

 

"To know, love and serve street dependent youth."
Who We Serve   What We Do   Get Involved  Support Us   News  Publications  Ministry Needs   Speaking   Service Projects   Sign-up

Become a fan on Facebook!
Mobile? No problem: m.StreetYouthMinistry.org.
I'm a notary for benefit of clients and supporters. Ph: (512) 553-3796
Volunteer or donate (tax deductible) online
Arrange a meeting with me: tungle.me/terrycole

Follow SYM: