Blog Archives - Chippewa Valley/Plymouth Street Ministry

Chippewa Valley/Plymouth Street Ministry

Plymouth Street Journal Tuesday -- July 28, 2015

7/30/2015

This evening proved to be another busy day out on the street. Volunteering tonight were Barb, Jens, Pastor Mike and myself (Karen). The sun was blazing down when we arrived and there was no shade to be found, in the winter months we can use the van to provide a barrier to the weather but there is no evading the hot sun. We were grateful for the clouds that arrived and buffered the sun's rays.

    There were many, many visitors to the van this evening. I believe we served 50 + people, some simply wanted cold water and others took the bags as well as the water and juice. There were people waiting for us when we arrived a little before 5:30 pm and we were busy until 7:00pm, a steady flow of people in need.

    Along with the many people we saw, there were many stories we heard. I overheard a long term person saying that because of his chronic illness, his medical bills were reaching a quarter of a million dollars and he lamented that he'd never get out from under those bills or have what he would consider a normal life.  A woman shared to him that she had nothing but what she was carrying and didn't believe that she'd ever have anything beyond that. I thought about their conversation and thought how fortunate most of us are and how much emphasis is put on "things". I've learned a lot from the people on the street about wants vs. needs.

    Another long term person shared that the man we refer to as the white supremacist had been beaten in an altercation by two other people. The police had not been involved and our understanding was that no one went to the hospital. It is dangerous to take the law into your own hands, I hope they will all be safe.

      Shortly before we left, a woman who we had visited with early in the evening returned to talk to us. She wanted to inform us that a gentleman who is usually with the regulars was not there. It is of concern because he is in a wheelchair and quite vulnerable. I have always found it both fascinating and comforting to know that while there are many people wandering the streets, they look out for each others health and wellness and will advocate for one another if needed. It seems to me that it would be completely understandable if they were looking out only for themselves and just be selfish but that is not how it works. They have their own network and use it effectively to care for one another.

      We received a pair of 5x shorts and two shirts to fit the larger man on the street, please know that he was very grateful to receive those items. Thank you so very much!

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Street Ministry. Please continue to pray for our street family, they're very special people!

Karen

Followup comments from our last street journal date July 21 - 2015

7/27/2015

  On Tuesday, I wrote about a spunky little lady that we encountered who would be undergoing hip surgery this week. I went to visit her at the hospital and wanted to write an update on her status. Her surgery went well and she is pleased with the outcome, she's been up sitting in a recliner and has been able to ambulate with the use of her walker. Of course there's some pain but that is being managed. As I mentioned in Tuesday's journal, she was concerned about being discharged directly back to her home, which in the most recent past she has been unable to get into due to mobility issues and reports having been staying in her storage shed.  She advocated for herself with the hospital staff and will definitely be going to a rehab center, though she does not know which one as of yet.  While I assumed that she wouldn't be sent directly home, stranger things have happened to our street people!

    While our visit wasn't long, this tough little lady shared some of her history with me. She talked about being a part of demonstrations and riots, even while pregnant during the mid 1960's. She talked about being in Chicago, being in Milwaukee and a few other places. She's got quite a staunch political view on the world and was not shy in sharing her opinions.

    We discussed what will happen when she completes her rehab, that eventually she'll return home which means she's facing the constant struggle of getting up the few steps into her trailer with her walker. Once she gets into the trailer she says she can maneuver around safely but she is unsafe getting up and down the steps, there just isn't room for the walker, which she relies on for her safety. She admitted that sleeping in the shed may continue to be a possibility simply because of the steps. She agreed that ideally she would have a ramp, I don't know if that's a financial possibility for her or not. Our visit was cut short when a physical therapist arrived, she shook my hand and said that it was time for her to get to work.

    I'm so happy that her surgery went well and I pray for a full recovery for her. I admit that I'll kind of miss seeing her shuffling down the street with her wheeled walker, maybe her odd gait will have been repaired through the hip repair, although she said she'd been walking "like a duck" for so long that she didn't know anything else. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have met this kind woman.

Karen

Plymouth Street Ministry Journal--Friday, July 24, 2015

7/27/2015

We had a big group of volunteers tonight. In addition to me, Barb, Brent, Michelle, Mike, Sandy H, Sandy M, and Tammy were all helping out. The temperature was in the 80s. It threatened to rain early but then cleared and became sunny and hot, I suspect pushing 90 in the parking lot where we were located. The occasional breeze was very welcome. It was wonderful to have some many volunteers, but the down side was that I didn't get to hear as many stories and therefore have less to write about. All-in-all that's a good problem to have and I hope we continue to have many volunteers when winter arrives.

It was a busy evening. We handed out 44 bags of food, and, since several people wanted only water, we helped 50 people tonight, perhaps more. We gave out extra water bottles to many. There were more children visiting us than any night I can recall. One woman with two young children was new in town--Barb and Sandy H wrote her out a list of places to visit to get help. There were also many familiar faces. YG stopped by. Thanks to another agency he has housing, at least for the time being, and is still looking for a job. CT and his girlfriend also visited. (I finally learned her name--I'll call here BK here from now on.) Both of them were down with some sort of bug that they said was spreading around the shelter. We gave them extra water and they headed across the street to sit in the shade and wait for the shelter to open. Our friend who has been living by the river also came by. He was looking very tan but said the mosquitoes finally got to him, and he had lost access to the shower facility he had been using, so he was returning to the shelter after more than a month away. TM came by on his bike. We hardly recognized him. He had a new haircut and looked great. He has been staying sober and has a new job operating industrial saws in Osseo. I think we all felt better after seeing him--he has a great attitude and lifts the spirits of others in his gentle, quiet way. Our philosophical friend who works at the car wash also came by but I didn't get a chance to talk with him. Toward the end of the evening we were visited by a white supremacist, who has the racist skinhead numbers "14/88" tattooed on his face. He has threatened many in our street congregation. Tonight he left us immediately without a confrontation.

I've mentioned only a fraction of our visitors. Most stayed only for a minute or two to pick up food and water, but some spent time with us and talked. A few gave us requests for certain sizes of shoes or clothing. We wrapped up at 7, about an hour and 15 minutes after I arrived.

Please offer special prayers for all the homeless children; there are many here in Eau Claire.

Please pray for, and care for, the poor.

George

Plymouth Street Ministry Journal - Tuesday, July 21, 2015

7/27/2015

It was a warm, clear Tuesday evening in Eau Claire and we -- Brent, Tammy, Michelle & Rachel, Pastor Mike and myself (Karen) -- served about 40 people.

I'd like to share a story of a newer visitor, not to request anything for her but simply to share her situation. I've mentioned her in a previous journal, she's in her 70's, I believe, and in my first mention of her, she was noted to be wearing shoes with laces in only 2 or 4 eyelets to allow for her swollen feet and she uses a walker. She hasn't been around for awhile and when we noticed her at the Sojourner House, I jumped at the chance to talk with her. She is scheduled to have hip surgery on Wednesday due to a degenerative condition, and while that may seem somewhat routine to many of us, the logistics of her care pre-op to post-op are challenging. She reports having a trailer home in Black River Falls, WI but for safety reasons with her ambulation and the walker, she cannot get inside to live in the trailer so she's been living and sleeping in her shed, an 8 x 8 basic wooden structure. She managed to get a ride to Eau Claire on Tuesday but has no one to stay with and she needed to stay at the shelter. She needs to be at the hospital by 6am but the buses don't start early enough for her to get there in time. Her plan was to sleep for a while at the shelter and then traverse through the darkness to the hospital sometime during the night and spend the rest of her time on a bench at the ER, waiting for her 6am registration and pre-op procedures. She was hoping that post-operatively she would stay for at least 3 days, and she would then qualify for rehab and would have a place to recuperate. If, for whatever reason, she was not able to stretch her stay to 3 days, she would have no where to go but back to Black River Falls and again, she cannot safely be in her trailer and she faces staying in her shed. She's a spunky little lady and says she's not afraid of living in a shed or tent, she has no personal safety concerns but she is worried about having to change bandages, decreased mobility, and hygiene needs. She has a neighbor that would possibly help her with some of her concerns but the first hurdle would be to get her into her home, not the shed. I hope she will be proactive and talk to the hospital staff and social workers to prevent a return to Black River Falls any too soon.

We met another newcomer to the area, once again due to a relationship ending badly. He reports he had been living in South Carolina with a woman for a few years, they were in the Eau Claire area enjoying the lakes and rivers and after a conflict, the woman left him with nothing. He is originally from Kansas City, MO but plans on staying in this area for awhile for a fresh start. He said that its completely different from South Carolina, Brent and I assured him that the differences would be even more apparent in about six months when the cold sets in. Or sooner, I guess.

We saw many of our same long term friends. Some had the same routine tales to tell, others had new information to share. There was concern for the safety of one of the regulars who had been taking a new medication as prescribed but it was apparently too much for her. She was fortunate to have a companion with her to look out for her, we encouraged her to speak to a physician to change the medication or change the directions.

I'm including an item in our wish list but want to make a special note of it in hopes someone can locate it. We have a man in desperate need of clothing that we've been unable to find. He needs shorts 5XL, or pants we can turn into cut-offs, his waist size is 62. Any other clothing associated with this size would be appreciated, we haven't discussed underwear but I imagine that would be a need, as well. I think T-shirts would be 4-5XL +, tank tops would be best as I think that he cuts the T- shirt sleeves off for comfort. Thank you in advance for considering helping this man.

Please feel free to contact us if you're interested in volunteering. Hearing the stories firsthand and meeting these gentle souls is much more meaningful sometimes than reading our words. Please know any time, donations or prayers are so greatly appreciated by us and those we all are serving. Your kindness does not go unnoticed by the people who come to us, they are very grateful.

Karen

Plymouth Street Ministry Journal—Tuesday, July 14, 2015

7/27/2015

Tonight was an interesting night for our ministry. For the last several weeks I have been communicating and meeting with a group called Sarah and Abraham from Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls, WI. They had heard about what our ministry has been doing and wanted to learn more about it. So Sanders (Sandy), Marge, and retired Lutheran Pastor Earl joined us Tuesday night from Sarah and Abraham. We also had Mike, Michelle, Barb, and myself (Jens).

The night started off busy, being visited by several regular members of our street congregation. However, we soon were surprised both with joy and concern at a new arrival to the streets. Baby Lori Ann was born last Saturday weighing in at about 5 lbs. Though we can celebrate at the birth of a new child of GOD, we know deep in our hearts the difficult times that may be ahead for this child and her mother. Currently the mother is staying at the house of a friend, but we do not know how long this arrangement will last.

Not too long after, one of our regular men rode up on his bicycle with a large classic boom-box on the front. This man has recently been the target of a white supremacist, also homeless, that showed up on the streets of Eau Claire a couple of months ago. Sandy, a retired corrections and probation officer, talked for some time with this man about this situation.

A family we see routinely pulled up in their car next and stayed to chat for some time. The woman talked to both Michelle and Pastor Earl about a group of people at Positive Avenues that were hoping to pull together a small group to sing at Sojourner House. The woman also brought up concerns about one of our long time street members, a middle aged woman who has been on the street for several years. This woman has been in and out of the hospital several times in recent weeks. She has been having respiratory issues that have only complicated her chronic heart issues. If her current health issues continue to get worse, there is a good chance that she may not make it through winter.

Another man who is becoming a regular came up to the van tonight for a short time, as well. He and I have really started for form a connection with each other over the past several weeks . Though he is employed, he continues to live in poverty and is struggling in his battle to maintain sobriety. I prayed with him for several minutes before he left for the evening.

The evening was different, however, in that the ministry had more people at the beginning then at the end of our time that we normally spend on the street. Overall we had over 30 people come to the van, though lower than it has been in some time, we were glad we could be of service to these often neglected and forgotten members of our community.

As we closed up for the evening,we decided to debrief with the members of Sarah and Abraham and talk about what they had seen this evening. We went to the Café just down the street and talked about various situations members of our street congregation were in, what it means to help our neighbor, how the church is changing, and various other topics. Just as we were thinking about heading home for the night, things got busy again. Mike received a phone call saying there had been an incident at the shelter. The man who considers himself a white supremacist had threatened one of the men we know. The man who was threatened confronted him and told him to back off in defense of himself. Both were kicked out for the evening because of this incident. The victim was able to get away, but was in fear of being found and was looking for help. Later on I took the red ministry van and went out looking for the man to see if he was safe. I was able to find him and talked to him about his situation and made some suggestions of where he could go to be safe for the night.

While this was going on we looked out the windows of the café and saw one of our other street members walking down the sidewalk crying. In the past she had been the victim of domestic violence. She carried what few possessions she had in her bag and in a black wooden box. She was on the street because she had broken one of the rules at the shelter several days back by leaving the shelter after signing in and was told not to come back for a week. She has been sleeping outside for several days now but is fearful of trying to sleep at night because other people frequent the same area where she is staying, so she was totally exhausted. We brought her into the cafe, bought her some food and Marge talked with her. Later on we took her to a motel so she could get some sleep and Michelle came by to reassure her. By the time the three of us left the motel, it was about 11pm.

After a night like this, it is hard to summarize the feelings and the emotions that were experienced. But if I had to pick one word, that word would be grateful. I am grateful that I am able to be a part of this ministry, grateful for people like Pastor Mike, and grateful that we were able to make a difference in people’s lives. But I think it also reminds us to be grateful for what we have, for where we live, and that we have a safety net to catch us if we fall. Nights like these, make that ever so clear.

Please continue to pray for the poor and disadvantaged in our community.

Jens

Plymouth Street Ministry Journal--Friday, July 10, 2015

7/27/2015

A busy evening. I arrived at a few minutes to six and found Brent, Jenny, Michelle, Mike, and Sandy M. already there. It was a bit warm--in the upper 80s--but overall very pleasant weather-wise. We had two vans full of supplies tonight.

As I got out of my car I saw FB just leaving on his bike. As I walked up to the two vans Mike waved me over and introduced me to a gentleman who will be spending his first night in the shelter tonight. He had come to Eau Claire three weeks ago for rehab; previously he had lived an hour and a half north of here. He had lost everything--his job, his possessions, and his housing--and since his insurance only covered three weeks in treatment, out on the street he went. He had been given much information--go to this agency for this, then that agency for that, and so on, but he but looked quite overwhelmed. He stayed around the van for about an hour. Although we had just met the man, I sensed that he was far more comfortable around us than across the street with those waiting to get into the shelter. We gave him a map with many of those agencies, and others, marked on it, and also a backpack and some other necessities. We mostly just listened to him--he had already been given the factual information he required and now needed emotional support.

Fortunately, TM rode up on his bike. He looked better than I had ever seen him. He has been using his new bike to ride to and from his work at the dump, which is about seven or eight miles away with lots of ups and downs on the route. It was good to see him fit and smiling. TM is one of the kindest, gentlest souls you will ever meet when his is sober--and from the look of him he has kept sober for some time. TM started talking to the newcomer, and we indicated to him that TM was someone he should listen to. The man seemed to relax. We try to be kind and caring, but we will be leaving when the shelter opens. The man could see in TM someone who knows how to survive on the street and would be there in the shelter tonight. He could hardly ask for a better person to show him how to navigate the next few days.

Many others came by: a woman with three small children, another woman with a young child, a young couple, a young exhausted-looking man who just got off his factory shift, an older gentleman in a wheelchair, another elderly man looking for socks and underwear (which we provided), and many others. To each we gave a bag with food, a cold bottle of water, and a cold juice pouch. To many we also gave out needed clothing. We handed out all the water bottles and juice pouches in our large cooler. Fortunately were prepared with a second cooler tonight. In all we served around three dozen people. Toward the end the white supremacist who has been staying at the shelter (and intimidating many of the other residents) showed up, but he left immediately.

The shelter opened at seven and we left a few minutes after.

Please pray for, and care for, the poor.

George

Shoe Donation!

7/27/2015

We just received this donation of two large boxes of almost new steel toe boots and shoes from the workers at a local business. Thank you, anonymous donor!!

Plymouth Street Notes--Other Organizations Need Help To!

7/6/2015

The two programs listed below, "Housing First" and "Feed My People Food Bank" help to alleviate poverty, which in turn helps the people we serve on the street. The Plymouth Street Ministry highly recommends "Housing First" and Feed My People and any support you can give to them would be greatly appreciated.

The Housing First program is a program new to the Eau Claire area. We were recently awarded a grant to house 15 of the most chronically homeless individuals and families in the area. In order to qualify a person must be chronically homeless and have a disability of some kind. This does not mean they have to be on SSI and/or SSDI. The wonderful thing about this program is that people are not disqualified based upon their past such as evictions and criminal record. The program has an 82% success rate after four years. The goal is to help people become self-sufficient, which may or may not apply to every situation. The stress that comes from being chronically homeless allows only for concentration on surviving each day. There is no time to address other issues like mental health, substance use and/or medical problems. Housing First allows people to finally address those types of issues because they will no longer have the stress and business of trying to get through the day. The grant that we were awarded includes rent along with utility payments. This grant does not include anything else. We are in need of donations that are listed below. One of the major items we are currently in need of are air conditioners and/or fans. There are several apartments that did not come with an air conditioning unit, which has made these past couple of days pretty miserable for a few of those recently housed. It would be amazing to see some of those items come in, as we do have plenty of other house hold items at this time. It looks like the last three slots for individuals are opening up so the storage units will become more empty shortly. By September 1st we will have all 15 units filled with people in the area and that will be 15 less people out there on the streets struggling! That in itself will be a miracle!!!

Wish List:

We are currently in need of:

o   Monetary contributions

o   Gift cards (Dollar Tree, Walmart, ect.)

o   Air Conditioners/Fans

o   Personal care items (soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, ect.)

o   Bedroom pillows and blankest

o   Linens (sheets, mattress pads)

o   Bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths

o   Cleaning supplies

o   Brooms & mops

o   Dishes, utensils, silverware, glasses

o   Pots, pans, bakeware

o   Kitchen appliances (toaster, can opener, ect.)

o   Coffee Maker

o   Furniture (couch, love seat, chairs, tables)

o   Rugs

o   Microwaves

o   Vacuum cleaners

o   TV’s, radios, alarm clocks

Sara Dutter BSW, SAC-IT

Western Dairyland

Housing First Case Manager

Work: (715) 836-7511 ext: 1142

Work Cell: (715) 530-4043

[email protected]

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Mahatma Gandhi

FEED MY PEOPLE FOOD BANK

As a food bank, Feed My People is a crucial link between donors and food suppliers and hunger-relief programs such as food pantries, shelters, meal and backpack programs. As the only food bank in west central Wisconsin, we provide food to more than 120 hunger-relief organizations in 14 counties including over 25 in the city of Eau Claire.
To reach children, seniors, families and other individuals who face hunger, we rely on donations of money, food and time from generous groups and individuals. We also depend on the willingness of others to help share the message of food insecurity struggles in our community and how Feed My People and our partner agencies are working to increase access to more nutritious food every day. If you can help please call Maggie at 715-835-941

"It's amazing how many people are being fed because of this crazy little thing we started. We're feeding millions and it is not costing anyone anything."

John Van Hengel, "Father of Foodbanking"

Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd Helps Out!

7/6/2015

The crew from "The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd" served Chili to our street congregation on Wednesday night. It was a big hit and the chili was delicious! Pictured is a mom and some of the kids from Beacon House about to enjoy this tasty meal.

Plymouth Street Journal--Tuesday, June 30, 2015

7/6/2015

Plymouth Street Journal Tuesday, June 30 2015

It was a beautiful summer evening for Jens, Barb, Pastor Mike and I to serve the homeless. We were grateful for a slight breeze and the clear skies.
All in all, we served approximately 54 people! It is concerning that the number is growing and I wonder why the number is growing. Many we talk to describe failed relationships with either significant others, family, recent releases from jail or prison or they have come to Eau Claire from smaller communities that cannot provide shelter or services while they are homeless. Regardless of the cause, too many people are without a home.

A new arrival to Eau Claire is a woman that I would estimate is in her 70s. She tells us that she came from Black River Falls, was dropped off and no one has returned to pick her up. She uses one of those walkers equipped with a small platform for her to turn around and use as a seat and appears somewhat frail. I noticed that her feet were swollen and her shoes had been altered so that the laces went through only two or four eyelets near the top of the shoe to allow for the necessary expansion of her foot. She declined any shoes from us saying that those shoes were her "outdoor" shoes and that they were comfortable. I don't know of her plans, there were enough other people around that I did not get to spend much time with her.

We were visited by 3-4 families from the Beacon House and provided kids and adult clothing to them. An additional Beacon mom and daughter that we've come to know came near the end of our visit telling us that on Wednesday, they would be moving into their own apartment. They came not so much to tell us that but to thank us and all of you for helping them get through a difficult time. We invited them to stop by and keep us up to date on their progress, I pray for their success.

One of our regular younger men spoke with us about a recent situation at the shelter that has him barred from the facility. He was involved in an altercation that he did not provoke, he was removed from the shelter and the other participant has been allowed to remain. He now faces the challenges of living in his car until he can appeal his case or find other means of shelter. My perception of him is that he's always been very mellow and subdued, while its possible that there's more to the story, after watching the behavior of the other man, its hard to believe that this individual instigated the situation. The loss of the shelter to this individual also means a loss of a daily meal, loss of a shower, and a loss of safety.

Another of our regulars has had a job for quite some time but due to child support payments, his wages are not enough to provide the required deposits for an apartment or the monthly costs associated with supporting himself -- which he wants more than anything. He works long hours and has been in need of steel-toed work boots for quite some time. If you have such an item, please help this man out.

I cannot take the time to share all of the stories we encounter, while all of our homeless family's stories are different and important, these were a few that I think need to be shared. Please contact us if you are interested in hearing the stories for yourselves and spend some time on the street with serving those in need.

Karen

Plymouth Street Journal--Tuesday, June 26, 2015

7/6/2015

Plymouth Street Ministry Journal - Tuesday, 6-23-2015

It was a very busy evening for us, I believe we served 40+. Months ago, I had thought that the warmer weather would slow down the encounters we have had but that is far from the truth. We have, in fact, have had more visitors than during some of the winter months.

I met with one woman with two young daughters staying at the Beacon House, they'd heard about us from another family staying at that shelter. The girls were about 2 yo and 8 yo, very polite but curious little girls. Their mother requested clothing, "anything summer-like" and we will attempt to locate that for them.

Another new visitor came along with one of our regulars. This young woman was very obviously pregnant, she reports her due date is in approximately two weeks. Aside from her pregnancy, she appears to be a very slender woman, almost gaunt. My assessment is that she's had experience with substance abuse based on her appearance and her stories. She has two other children that she is attempting to gain custody of but because she is currently unable to obtain housing, those children live with their father. This young woman is not staying at the shelter but rather going place to place and staying with whomever will take her in for a period of time. She tearfully requested children's clothing, diapers and shoes for her children. We noted that her shoes were sandals with 3-4 inch heels. She admitted to being uncomfortable in them but having no choice and was grateful for receiving some tennis shoes in her size as well as clean socks. I am concerned about the current children as well and the baby that's on the way. Their future looks challenging.

There were a few men that stopped by that I hadn't seen before, all needing clothing and shoes, it seemed. Some people have reported that they have been harassed by another homeless person based on their race. The authorities have been notified to ensure safety for all.

All in all, it was a peaceful but busy evening. Throughout the evening while locating items, I thought about all of the clothing and shoes and hygiene items that have been donated. It truly is amazing to me that so many of you are willing to clean out your closets or purchase an extra item for this ministry. Everything we hand out is so appreciated, and for some people, the act of kindness you share and that we pass out is really the only kindness that they've experience in years. Pat yourselves on the back, we're all doing a great job!

If you're interested in volunteering in some capacity, contact us! We can always use the help.

-Karen

Plymouth Street Journal--Friday June 19th, 2015

7/6/2015

Plymouth Street Ministry Journal - Friday, 6-19-2015

Served on the street tonight prior to the Father's Day weekend. Unfortunately not everybody is able to
celebrate Father's Day with their family. One young man asked if we would buy him a Father's Day card so he could give it to his father later in the week. There is a certain amount of sadness during the various holidays throughout the year. That is why it is important for us to be there with our street family during these times.

There has been a little tension on the street for the past few weeks. A "White Supremacist" has appeared in town after recently being released from prison. Several people have reported to us several incidents that he has provoked. We notified the proper authorities at law enforcement and they have assured us that they are monitoring him closely. The police seem to know who he is. I let people on the street know that the police were on top of it and it seemed to help their mood some.

The Plymouth Street Ministry, "Fierce Freedom", the local anti-trafficking group and an officer from the Eau Claire Police Department are collaborating together regarding local sex-trafficking occurrences. We have discovered a second person that we have known for sometime and have been keeping in touch with her. She has not felt confident enough to talk about it until now. She has an incredible story to tell beginning when she was trafficked as a child. This is not an uncommon story having worked in Chicago for many years with the sex worker community and hearing many similar stories. Please keep this young woman and the other victims in your prayers.

Served over 40 people tonight. Please keep our street family in your prayers and thanks for your support.

Mike
Plymouth Church Street Pastor