california

Hair Loving Life and Making his Way!

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I sat with this young man, with the street name of Hair, on a cold slab of concrete back in the waning days of 2013. He was homeless via poor choices that he was strong enough to admit were his own doing. Nevertheless, he was confused, hurt and wondering where it all was heading.

He began by reconciling with 6th Street Center for Youth and gave it another go, and what a go it has been. He’s housed, expecting a child and exudes the confidence of a man making his own way with the support of the love of his life and mother to be Bailey. When I asked him if he had seen any of the “open mic” at the center he playfully shrugged, “Nah I was working.” Indeed he was as one of the youth assisting with Butte Counties Homeless Point in Time Survey.

Stop, love and listen… it makes all the difference in the world. Power to the youth like Hair and many others who are making a difference in our world each and every day. Shalom.

Love a Homeless Youth Today

Sky, Hope and the “Law of Attraction”

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How’s this for the “Law of Attraction”… not 24-hours after posting about the Ron Toppi’s bike swap in our Facebook circles, Sky and his girlfriend Hope gift me two 24” bike tubes completely out of the blue… WORD

JB Epiphany on the streets of Chico…

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I rendezvous with Adam David Kurtz-DuBord at Has Beans just now to walk with him over to the Chico News and Review (CN&R) for an interview about the Poor People’s Film Festival.

Adam was a clear hug candidate nervously puffing a cigarette, sans having done so well in quitting. He said, “I need to be less intense.” I responded, “I get intense as well, it’s because we truly care about people.”

We acknowledged this bond, which was a much better answer than the one I gave 30-minutes prior to the CnR reporter about why I have connected so meaningfully with this always loving kid… he cares and it shows in the most loving way possible, action. He thinks of me as a mentor, on many counts, this one in particular, he is mine… as unconditional as John the Baptist.

A Humanist View of the California Foster Care System

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This piece is poignantly beautiful. It’s been shared by The I Have a Name Project and a half-dozen other people and groups including several in Kentucky.

“I was put into the Foster Care at the age of 15; taken from a home where my mom was an alcoholic whose main form of abuse was neglect. She would just isolate in her room and drink a lot. I learned to take care of myself and to become very self sufficient. I was actually really hopeful at first in Foster Care I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to be with people capable of taking care of me and showing me the love and affection I always thought I needed’. Instead Foster Care taught me to depend on a system that’s destructive, unjust, competitive and individualistic.” — Courtnie Burns

In the Face of Defeat, Former Foster Couple is Homeless, Not Hopeless

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Hannah Cain — Thought you’d like to see and read that my bf and I are doing better and actually moving to Fortuna in a few days for the CCC! >>> In the Face of Defeat, Former Foster Couple is Homeless, Not Hopeless

Without a Roof — Just now read the article with my full and undivided attention. Wow… it really hits on all cylinders and does a great job humanizing you and others in your situation… I wipe a tear, a tear of joy for your blessings at a fresh start in Fortuna. I was once 16 and homeless on the streets of Boston. It has gone on to mold me as a person and has attached me to the love and splendor of all youth in similar situations that is precious to me. Wouldn’t change a thing!

Without a Roof 2014 Chico Heroes

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We select Cynthia Gailey, Safe Space Emergency Shelter Coordinator, as our 2014 Chico hero. Cynthia’s tireless team continues to overcome daunting logistics amid spurious criticism from those choosing to throw stones rather than build rock walls. I give her encouraging hugs every chance I get.

Honorable mentions start with Mama Rose’s selfless dedication to feeding poverty stricken Chiconians, housed and un-housed, nearly every Sunday for almost 20-years.

Another honorable mention, Jenny Lowrey — Executive Director of From the Ground Up Farms – recently delivered two buckets of freshly picked tomatoes for Mama Rose’s Sunday dinner. Mama Rose smiled broadly when asked how she felt receiving the veggies. “You know how I feel.” Indeed we do!

The last honorable mention is Jill Lacefield and team from the 100th Monkey Community Café. Paid internship for housing challenged young adults to learn the trade of restaurant management and food preparation would make the Café front-runners for 2015. Have my fingers crosses foreseeing precociousness, armed with hope, serving love.

All these individuals, and their teams, share one handsome thing in common… they are changing lives one loveable soul at a time.