Shoulder The Cross

Latest update from Shoulder the Cross ... the past six months

It has been way too long since we have last blogged. It seems that life gets busy and the priority for blog writing is very low. Visitors from Minnesota helped since the last blog. One of our homeless friends admitted to having a crush on Diane. It was entertaining to say the least, to see his face turn red as cherry pie, when her name was mentioned in later weeks. Connie has been a great asset as well. Her kindness to our friends is always a welcomed site. Connie has taken a sabbatical from the weekly Shoulder the Cross endeavor due to her being a teacher at Austin’s Community College (ACC) and the new semester starting. She returns when she becomes available. Bryan is a new face to the ministry. Bryan lives in Bastrop. With the recent fires there, he has realized that there are many in need in Bastrop and all the surrounding cities. Bryan contacted us to see if he could help. Bryan is a frequent deputy for Shoulder the Cross now and is always there when his schedule permits it. Bryan found out quickly that apples are not a desired cuisine for our brothers and sisters on the street. Oral health is not a priority for most in need, so eating apples could do serious damage. We have had quite a few volunteer opportunities since the last blog as well. Volunteers from all walks of life have gathered to help sort through and organize donated clothing. The job of 2 taking more than 10 hours has been reduced to a mere 2 hours, thanks to volunteers and those who help Shoulder the Cross. Thanks to all who have helped in the past. Contact us if you would like to volunteer in the future. Thanks to the For the City Network, they have been providing the space for the clothes sorting. We are in talks with the Austin Stone Community Church to open up partnership opportunities with Shoulder the Cross.

We were surprised to see Christopher return to the streets of Austin. Christopher told us he has spent the past 3 years nursing his father back to health after a bout with cancer. He says his Dad is stronger now and is back to work at the age of 71. Christopher’s Boston accent is stronger than ever after his 3 year vacation in the Red Sox city. We heard from Gary and Rebecca at Christmas time. They have moved to Bastrop and say it is a nice place and a safe lifestyle. Tim still comes out to see us when he can. Ozzy is a nice site to see from time to time as well. Keith doesn’t come out as often as we would like, but he stays busy working odd and end jobs. Rudy has been a frequent face lately. He is always so quiet and polite, such a pleasure to see in the morning. Greg has been out helping with leaves and cleaning up on many occasions. Wayne is getting his teeth fixed. Scott, a great friend of Shoulder the Cross, is also a dentist. He does some pro-bono work for us and is giving Wayne a whole new set of teeth. Wayne had to raise just $500 for the procedure which normally costs $5000-$6000. It’s rare to see Wayne without a smile on his face lately. We can’t wait to see the final product.

On a sad note, we have lost several of our homeless friends since we last blogged. Dogman, one of the favorites, passed away recently. He will be remembered for his prototypical beard and the guitar he could never part from. We also lost Sam. Sam was always a friendly face to see. He was one of the most kind and gentle men you could ever meet. Unfortunately his addictions finally overwhelmed him. His death was shocking and very sad. Last but certainly not least, Mark Wolfe. I am consistently queried on Mark. “Make sure to tell him hello” they say. Mark was very technical and was the go-to guy for any technical questions or fixes. Mark hid his drinking from almost everyone. This is what eventually took him to the mighty kingdom. Had we found out he had this problem, we may have been able to help.

We hope to be better at blogging in the future.  Hope to see some of you real soon with our volunteer opportunities.

Dogman. -May he rest in peace.

Mark Wolfe - Mark hated his picture taken. This is the best I've got of him. Rest in peace Mark

Sam - Always smiling. Rest in peace Sam

 

 

God's work in all His Glory

I was blessed today to step in for Brian. I don't know what it is with these sweet people but I always feel so comfortable around them. They are so appreciative and after I have served them I feel so ashamed to complain about anything. Kimbra and Connie showed up. Connie handled the clothing orders and Kimbra was the Barista and I took care of their other needs with this extremely well equipped truck. My daughter Rachael who is 18, donated some clothing and shoes for the women as well. Everyone I talk to about Shoulder the Cross wants to be a part in it. They are so moved how one person can touch so many lives. Brian has an amazing heart and I am so proud to do the little that I can to help. What I walked away from this morning was love from these folks, a more appreciative attitude and a softer heart. In the midst of my own personal issues, being with them made me walk away remembering why I am really here and who I am really living for. God always shows up in the midst of those in need and today was no exception. I felt his presence and his calmness and his love the entire time.

We are growing!!

What a wonderful time it has been for Shoulder the Cross. It is very excited to see growth within the ministry. God's glory has shined as several volunteers have stepped up to help out. A trip to California kept one of us away for doing Jesus' work on the streets. As soon as word went out that we were canceling the Monday run, Rene Dorsey stepped up to fill in, preventing the cancelation. The Sandwiches for Monday's run were made by Hillarie Smith. It was amazing how heavy the bag was. There were 2 dozen eggs, 2 dozen cookies and about 3 dozen meat sandwiches. Rene plans to reorganize the truck for comfort and workability. Kimbra Wolf plans showing up on Monday morning to help distribute some of the socks and bus passes she donated to Shoulder the Cross. Connie Park will be there to help with coffee and chips. Even Tom Kopecky said he wanted to stop by to help. Just a few short months ago, Shoulder the Cross was a ministry of one. Today we have over 12 members. The next goal of the ministry will be to get a truck for distribution. If anyone reading this knows of a dealership wanting to donate a truck, please contact us through the website at http://shoulderthecross.org. Last week, shoulder the Cross was serving our brother and sisters in need on 3 different days. Monday was covered as it usually is. Friday, AlanMichael Luck distributed with his best friend Aaron Gonzalez. AlanMichael told stories about Marcus, a 32 year old machinist. He mentioned that Marcus has only been on the streets for about 7 days now. AlanMichael really liked Marcus and was impressed with positive outlook. It was evident that Marcus was scared, but doing what he needed to survive. On Saturday, Rene joined us to learn the ropes. Rene has such a comforting demeanor, all the friends on the street immediately warmed to her soft heart. We spoke with Gregory on Saturday, who was there with his 4 legged companion. Gregory told us how he had spent 32 sleepless hours recently. Not sure of why, we prayed for Gregory and his Diogee, as he called him. We also brought water out on Saturday. After 90 minutes with our homeless friends, almost 5 gallons of water were consumed. We served about 45 homeless friends in all. I know that God is doing some amazing things with this organization. Please be with us in prayer as we continue to do the work of Jesus, and grow as a ministry.

AMERICAN IDOL, KRIS ALEN, REAL REALITY OR JUST TV REALITY?

Saturday morning came snuck up on me very quickly. Dedicating my Saturday mornings to http://shoulderthecross.org can get very time consuming. I travel during the week and get back sometime Friday evening. I wake up about 7:30 Saturday morning to go downtown to help my homeless friends. Some wonder and ask, why? In response, I asked someone once, what is your favorite TV show? They immediately answered "American Idol, that Kris Alen guy from Conway Arkansas sure is a really nice guy." I was amazed at how quick they were to answer this question. I was also intrigued that their answer was a "Reality" TV show. Reality for me is the humbling service of helping Austin's Homeless. I follow other blogs on http://alphainventions.com/ and rarely see writings about the street reality.

I was loading empty boxes back into my truck on Saturday morning after serving the homeless, when Billy came running up the street. "Hey Brian" he screamed, "Do you have anymore coffee? I would hate for it to go to waste" As Billy approached my truck I said, "Anything for you Billy, how has your week gone?" I asked him. "It's been rough, and there is a long weekend ahead. I hope to stay out of trouble" "What kind of trouble" I inquired curiously. "I want to stay off the crystal meth this weekend. I don't want to be so tempted to get high. It is so easy to get drugs here is Austin. I just need to stay away from it all." I asked Billy if he needed help, I offered to take him to rehab. "Rehab didn't work the last 7 times I went, I am afraid it won't work for me this time either. I just need to get out of Austin. I think I will be leaving on Tuesday for Galveston. It is a new city and I will not know where to score the drugs there. It is too hard to stay clean in Austin and I hope will be a easier in a new environment." I quizzed Billy on whether finding drugs in Galveston would be just as easy as Austin. He explained "I will always be able to find the drugs. I won't have the friends I have here in Austin. My previous drug counselors, all 7 of them, called me "The Hopeless Variety" wanting a change in their life but just not having the will power to quit" I later googled this and learned that by hopeless, Billy meant what the progression of crystal meth leads to, death. Having a car gives Billy an advantage over most homeless men and women. Could this be more of a hindrance for him? "It's easier to find work" Billy says "It's harder to keep the job when you buy meth with your earnings. I have a problem I have tried to fix but just can't seem to get ahead of it. I caused my homelessness and in today's life and times it is even more difficult to lift yourself off the street. Please pray for me. Right now that is what will help me the most." Billy hugged me then wandered back up the street. He has never come to me when he was strung up on drugs and appears so normal and capable of anything. Some Americans have reality like Kris Alen, others have reality like daily struggles with drugs and alcohol. It's a disease of reality for Billy and many others on the streets of Austin.

 

Ireland anyone?

Hello to my friends. I regret to inform all of you that work is sending me to Ireland on Sunday. All who read this blog please spread the word for me!!  I fly out at 2 and will arrive in Cork Ireland on Monday around 3 or so in the afternoon. I will fly back to Vegas for a conference on the 17th so I will not return back to TX until the 23rd of May. This is truly unfortunate because I will miss all of you. I have the dog food for Ed and Pocahontas, I will bring it out when I return. I do not have Richard's 8 D wide shoes yet, but have not forgotten him. I have Mark's pad locks.  I have Gary's bag, I will get it to him some how. Gary, I will get linked up with Jeff, so he can get you the bag. Be safe in Florida and keep me posted on how things go for you. Sheila, hold out on that baby until I return. Uncle Brian wants to be around when that Godson of his is born "wink wink". I will see everyone real soon. See the feature "Meet the Blogger" for my email address. It is spelled out, so for those who don't understand it, Chris, dot com means ".com" hehehe. Be safe and I will see everyone when I return.

Hello to my friends. I regret to inform all of you that work is sending me to Ireland on Sunday. All who read this blog please spread the word for me!!  I fly out at 2 and will arrive in Cork Ireland on Monday around 3 or so in the afternoon. I will fly back to Vegas for a conference on the 17th so I will not return back to TX until the 23rd of May. This is truly unfortunate because I will miss all of you. I have the dog food for Ed and Pocahontas, I will bring it out when I return. I do not have Richard's 8 D wide shoes yet, but have not forgotten him. I have Mark's pad locks.  I have Gary's bag, I will get it to him some how. Gary, I will get linked up with Jeff, so he can get you the bag. Be safe in Florida and keep me posted on how things go for you. Sheila, hold out on that baby until I return. Uncle Brian wants to be around when that Godson of his is born "wink wink". I will see everyone real soon. See the feature "Meet the Blogger" for my email address. It is spelled out, so for those who don't understand it, Chris, dot com means ".com" hehehe. Be safe and I will see everyone when I return.

Back in town

It got back to me that there are some folks who think I have moved to Boston.  I went for just 1 week to get some training. I have NO plans of moving away any time soon. Iwould never leave without saying goodbye.  I really hope to see everyone bright and early Tuesday morning.  Sorry for any confusion.  See you all real soon

It got back to me that there are some folks who think I have moved to Boston.  I went for just 1 week to get some training. I have NO plans of moving away any time soon. Iwould never leave without saying goodbye.  I really hope to see everyone bright and early Tuesday morning.  Sorry for any confusion.  See you all real soon

Spread the word for me please

Hey there.  It has been a while since I blogged.  I wanted to send an update that I will not be coming downtown this Tuesday.  Work is sending me North East to the Boston area for some training.  Hopefully some of the guys will read this and spread the word for me.  This is unfortunate too.  I really was looking forward to coming out this week.  I went to Kyle for some clothing donations and I picked up a bunch of new snacks and food from the Capitol Area Food Bank.  I will also miss seeing my friends.  I hope that umbrella Dogman is carrying around doesn't take .22 caliber rounds.  I know this was the hope of the policewoman who almost drew her gun one dark moring right before he came to see me.  Derrik told me how great my radios are.  I wanted to bring him a new radio this week, I guess he will have to wait another week for it.  I will miss Stephen too.  He always waits so patiently and always has a smile on his face.  I hope Mark is feeling better and finally kicked his cold.  I heard rumors that Avon will get his new pad very soon, great news for him!!  Santa wanted to give a shout out to Wolf.  He told me last week to holler at Wolf and tell him things are fine here.  I haven't heard from kevin for a while, which means he is doing well at Spring Terrace, blessings go out to his son who is serving in Iraq.  I hope to see everyone a week from Tuesday, April 8th, at the normal spot.

Hey there.  It has been a while since I blogged.  I wanted to send an update that I will not be coming downtown this Tuesday.  Work is sending me North East to the Boston area for some training.  Hopefully some of the guys will read this and spread the word for me.  This is unfortunate too.  I really was looking forward to coming out this week.  I went to Kyle for some clothing donations and I picked up a bunch of new snacks and food from the Capitol Area Food Bank.  I will also miss seeing my friends.  I hope that umbrella Dogman is carrying around doesn't take .22 caliber rounds.  I know this was the hope of the policewoman who almost drew her gun one dark moring right before he came to see me.  Derrik told me how great my radios are.  I wanted to bring him a new radio this week, I guess he will have to wait another week for it.  I will miss Stephen too.  He always waits so patiently and always has a smile on his face.  I hope Mark is feeling better and finally kicked his cold.  I heard rumors that Avon will get his new pad very soon, great news for him!!  Santa wanted to give a shout out to Wolf.  He told me last week to holler at Wolf and tell him things are fine here.  I haven't heard from kevin for a while, which means he is doing well at Spring Terrace, blessings go out to his son who is serving in Iraq.  I hope to see everyone a week from Tuesday, April 8th, at the normal spot.