Category: Service

Cancer resources for a new friend

A friend of a friend was diagnosed with a small OM tumor recently.  They reached out to me since they knew I had the same thing and I tried to provide them with some information.  After I wrote the email I realized that others could benefit from this information so I included the email here on my blog.

If you ever have a question and want an authoritative answer, Renee Zalinsky at Jefferson is amazing.

Renee M. Zalinsky, RN, OCN 
Senior Cancer Care Coordinator
Jefferson Kimmel Cancer Center Network
1015 Chestnut Street, Suite 622
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Direct 215-955-3158
Fax 215-955-1020
E-Mail: Renee.M.Zalinsky@jeffersonhospital.org

The OM Blog is at this address: OCU-MEL@listserv.icors.org. Subscription information can be found here: http://www.lsoft.com/scripts/wl.exe?SL1=OCU-MEL&H=LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG. I have to warn you about the blog. It’s frequented by amazing wonderful angels and thank God they are in my life. They are however, as a rule, sicker than most and not a good sample of how people live with OM. If you are well, you are not really hanging around the cancer chat room! But, they are amazing and informative and helpful and can answer ANY question you might have, although the answer is often “call Renee!”.

Next is the link to the Will’s Eye Center in Philadelphia. They have lots of good information on their site. Also, this is the link to the OMF Meeting in a few weeks. My wife Julie and I plan on going so we can tell you anything we learn in a few weeks.

Finally, a few books for you:

Same Kind of Different as Me

Heaven is For Real

Crazy Love

I heard you were Christians so this is heavy with Jesus but He’s the Man so….!

Love you guys and thanks for reaching out.

Parting thought. How long would you have to live to have lived a good life? Longer than this I know!!! But still, how long? My father lived to be 74 so that’s what I expected I suppose, if I even recall thinking about it at all. I know people who lived very rich lives, and sadly died in their thirties. And people who are in their 80’s but who are bitter and lost and alone. So, I think we can say that a life is measured by it’s depth, not it’s length. How do you add depth to life? I think it’s through relationships with His children: friends and family, of course, but also others that don’t know me, and maybe don’t know Jesus either. I don’t start with Jesus, neither did He usually, I start with love. Love in the form of genuine interest in life of some stranger. This has led me into homeless camps in Huntsville and into the lives of a 1/2 dozen lost and broken addicts. Me (and a small group of crazy people) do genealogy for them, to connect them to their lost lives, We take them breakfast on Saturdays and give them rides to doctors appointments during the week etc. While there, we connect with them and learn their stories and where they’re from, we sometimes come in contact with their relatives and become a conduit for reunion and communication. Through them, I no longer live my life for myself. I live it (or try to live it) so I am used by Him to do his work. I think that’s what heaven is too, when we get to do that, or something like that, in praise of Him forever. How long will He allow me to do that? I don’t know. It does not really matter to be truthful, but I hope it’s a long time! If not, I KNOW that I have used my time well, showing love for my family and friends but also love for people who ignore my love or even disdain the attention.

Peace and Grace Jeff and Suzanne. I pray healing and comfort and peace for you and your family and friends.

Village Marketplace Inc is Open for Donations!!

We’ve been talking about this for a month but now we’re ready to get going on the new store.  The space is open and available to accept donations, just call me or post here and we’ll arrange to meet you at the store.  We have limited staff so the pickup and delivery schedule will be limited as well.  What do we need?  Let’s see…

  • Cleaning Supplies:  Mop bucket, brooms, paper towels, windex, swiffers, dusters, clorox, dishwashing liquid, laundry soap, dryer sheets, vacuum cleaner, 5-gallon buckets, wet vac, etc.
  • Small Appliances/Electronics:  Computer screens, iPads, iPods, iPhones, computers, kitchen equipment, stereo equipment, speakers, turntables, DVDs and DVD players, Victrolas, Walkmen, hairdryers, straighteners, boom boxes, vending machines, washers, dryers, refrigerators, etc.
  • Clothes:  Good condition pants, jeans, shirts, sweats, jackets, outerwear, sportswear, suits, pants, dresses, belts, ties (no underwear or swimwear).
  • Sporting Goods:  Balls, tarps, tents, stoves, lanterns, batteries, bats, hats, wickets, helmets, kurling stones, badminton rackets, darts, pogo sticks, swim boards, surfboards, bicycles, unicycles, bowling pins, shuttlecocks, tennis balls, etc.
  • Historic Huntsville:  Old photos, posters, vintage clothes, t-shirts, post cards, logo items, confederate material, evidence of yankee occupation, watercress, Von Braun’s neighbor’s memorabilia, shards of pre-NASA agrarian culture.
  • Housewares/ Furniture: Pots, pans, beds, dressers, tables, knick knacks, throw pillows, household items, lamps.
  • Jewelry: Costume, vintage, things you don’t think you’ll wear ever again, stuff you don’t want to the kids to get, anything gold or gold looking, or silver looking.

As you can see we need most everything, you can also see that we are going to have a good time with this new venture.  So far the Village Marketplace consists of Dusty and Tristan Graham, me and Julie, Luddy and Kevin from the street (they would not mind me saying that about them) and of course the first of our wonderful partners: Nancy Martin from Village Outreach, she’s been painting all day!  The other partners are also ready, Bobby Bradley from Village of Promise, Mark Stearns from Lincoln Village and Ann Marie Lang and Sakaneeh Bowden from First Stop are each walking through their Board’s approval process and will be officially joining before we open.  Oh yeah!  When do we open?

Opening day is scheduled for around July 1 but we will fill you in as we get closer.  So, if you have kids out of school and they need some work to do, or if you have a garage or basement full of stuff you don’t need, or if you have some time yourself to give back to your community, come on down!  We’re really having too much fun but it’s because we know we’re about to really help some pretty great people!  Post a comment here if you have something to add, we’ll contact you and get you connected.  – Matt

 

The start of something big in Lincoln Village!

A new shopping experience is coming to Lincoln Village this fall. Julie and I have rented a building at 1000 Meridian Street just north of Brooks and Collier and on the other side of the street, at the corner of Meridian and King. The new shop will feature clothes and other goods for the neighborhood plus a wide array of gifts and other stuff you’ll want. And coffee.

The objective is to provide a sustatainable revenue stream for local antipoverty campaigns working in the area and it’s going to work.  It’s all going to work because of the HUGE army of people being this effort, Julie and I are just trying to be the catalyst to get it rolling… It’s also going to work because of the management team of Dusty and Tristan Graham who dropped into our lives (how’d that happen?) and turned out to have tons of experience just when we needed it. It’s going to work because of the GREAT partners we already have onboard, including:

  • The Village, a 501c3 focused on finding street people and connecting them with services.
  • Lincoln Village Ministries, a 501c3 focused on breaking the cycle of generational poverty in the Lincoln Mill neighborhood.
  • The Village of Promise, a 501c3 focused on breaking the cycle of generational poverty in the University Place neighborhood.
  • First Stop, a 501c3 focused on engaging with the homeless community in the area.

At the end of each quarter, we’ll be distributing income to these groups to help advance their critical work.  They are changing Huntsville one relationship at a time and we are committed to help them.  Watch for more information coming up!  We’ll start accepting items for donation in the next few weeks.  Thanks everyone!  This will be fun!!!

 

New Board Post: The Village, Inc

Hi all, I have again demonstrating my inability to say no buy joining another local non-profit’s Board of Directors.  The Village is a homeless outreach agency I’ve been working with for about three years both in the field with their outreach staff and volunteers and on their website.  I built them a WordPress site at www.villageoutreach.org.

The existing board members have all been there for years and have really done a great job keeping the organization going.  They were gracious enough to ask, and I think I can add to their group, so I agreed.  It is indeed an honor to serve.  I hope that in 2012 we can create a close partnership with the other agencies in our space.  Our goal is to fit ourselves into the existing continuum of care, filling in gaps where they exist.

If you are interested in the homeless, or in any aspect of working with the poor, please contact me or reply to this post!

 

Downtown Rescue Mission delivers the goods for the poor!

The Downtown Rescue Mission is not really downtown.  It’s actually at the old Westminster Christian Academy campus off of Evangel, near University Drive and Sparkman.  But wherever the place is located, its a big deal.  The campus is large, 80,000+ square feet housing an average of 200 people each night.  They have both transient and in-house treatment programs for men and women.  They also accept children up to 13, and they currently have about 40 kids.

I toured the facility with VillageOutreach.org‘s Melissa Hiley who has been hyper critical of the DRM.  In the 90’s she vividly recalls a person dying because the Mission closed and would not let people in after a certain time.  Now, the center has a 40 degree policy, it says that rules are suspended if the temps fall below 40 degrees.  That’s a logical compassionate policy and Melissa was impressed.

Overall, I think The Village can have a partnership with DRM, one that will benefit the street people of Huntsville greatly.  How cool is that?

Mezza Luna Fund/Friend Raiser a huge success

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the Fund/Friend Raiser last night!!!  We have a great turnout, extended cooperation between local poverty agencies, missions and ministries.  I saw the Village of Promise founder (Bobby Bradley) talking to a Downtown Rescue Mission board member (Scott Martin) and Lincoln Village founder (Mark Stearns).  I saw First Stop staff hugging The Village staff, and board members from both agencies coming together.  Maybe old rivalries and conflicts can become less relevant in the face of mutual love for the poor and homeless.

Altogether, our “friend raising” exceeded 100 new contacts and in dollars raised, we should be over $10,000.  Thanks again everyone for your help and show of support with your donations and your presence.  So here’s how to keep that mo going!

www.VillageOutreach.org – The Village Inc’s website, supporting Melissa and April and their Board with fund raising and marketing. The Village is a 501(3)(c) and is engaged in 24/7 monitoring of the camps.  Melissa and April and their host of volunteers physically visit an average of 2 or 3 camps per day, assessing disease states, mental function and simple physical needs like toiletries. I am proud to serve on the Board of Directors.

www.getcloaks.com – Mark Stearns homeless shelter project, I was wearing one during many of the announcements and drawings at the event.  Please donate to this cause!  We need more $$ to order more cloaks.  The first batch will be distributed in New Orleans during the BCS Championship game.

www.firststopinc.com – daytime homeless support on Stokes Street.  First Stop has housed dozens of homeless people just this year by walking them through the various hoops required to get housing from Section 8 and Huntsville Housing Authority.  They offer a Day Room, a washer and dryer, case management, a mailing address and a phone number the campers can use to keep in touch with family and a warm plate of food most mornings.  Their work is supported by a HUD grant, by the City of Huntsville and by donations from people like you!  First Stop is a 501(c)(3) organization.

www.downtownrescuemission.org –  The Downtown Rescue Mission is a nonprofit organization serving the homeless living throughout northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. For more than 30 years, we have saved numerous lives and have had a profound impact on thousands of others by providing Christ-filled, enriched and compassionate services to those in desperate need.

www.villagepromise.com – Bobby Bradley and Gloria Batts started Village of Promise in 2010 to begin a long-term effort to break the cycle of generational poverty in Huntsville.  Inspired by her experience working with Lincoln Village Ministries and the Lincoln Village Preservation Corp for years, Bobby is initially focusing on University Place Elementary School with a Harlem Children Zone style “full-wrapper” program. I am proud to serve on Bobby’s Board of Directors.

Thanks again so much for your support and friendship.

Please Don’t Feed the Homeless!

Maybe you’ve seen our new bumper stickers around town that say “Please Don’t Feed the Homeless!” If they made you come to our website then they worked as intended!! Welcome!  First we want you to know that we DO NOT want the homeless to be hungry.  Thankfully, in Huntsville, we have very few really hungry homeless people.  There are plenty of missions and churches and food kitchens for people to find food.  But, what we really need is relationships.  If you have any desire to actually get to know someone who lives in a tent under a bridge, not just toss them food from the curb, then we need to know you, and vice versa.

Mezza Luna Fundraiser coming up December 18

Save the Date!  Sunday night December 18 we are gathering at Mezza Luna in Jones Valley for a fund raiser.  You know you’d go to Mezza Luna anyway so check out  www.villageoutreach.org and see what your donations will help to support.  Melissa calls me alot, to tell me what she did out in the camps.  I also follow her tweets @villageoutreach and you should read them.  Just last week there was a stabbing, a prostitute pushed into a fire, a prostitute cutting herself, several new campers and 3+ inches of rain!

So, if you’d like to learn more, or if you’d just like to go to Mezza Luna on a Sunday, stay tuned for more information!!!

Help Village Outreach!

One of the most important measure of the civility of any society is how it treats the lowest in our midst, the people who are so sick or so weak or so broken that they cannot even manage to live Fortunately for them, and for our salvation, there are organizations in Huntsville focused on helping these people. To learn more browse to www.villageoutreach.org and follow Melissa Hiley on Twitter at this address.  http://twitter.com/#!/villageoutreach.

Mac Update

Great news about Tim, or Mack as we know him. He’s been awarded housing and has moved into Johnson Towers on Seminole near The Sally. He has a couch, a TV (thanks to Andrew) and some kitchen stuff. He needs a bed, a twin I think, and some company. He had been living in a communal camp environment with about a dozen friends for three years. Sitting on the couch and watching movies by himself will drive him nuts and fast. He has walked back to camp every day so far, just to hangout and see his buddies. I’d rather he left all that behind him but he has nothing else to engage in really. We hope that we can find him a good situation, maybe that he could walk to, about three days a week. If he could get into a pattern, maybe he will stick in housing and stay off the streets for good. Hopes and prayers that it ends that way, In the mean time, congratulations Mack and welcome to the rest of your life as the New Mack!!!

Pete Update, back in the hospital

Last Thursday Pete was admitted to Huntsville Main with a high fever and cuts to his tounge. He was put on a ventilator and was believed to have a neurological issue. Were still not sure what happened almost a week later but the best guess is seizures related to coming off of alcohol. Please go by and visit him. Also pray that it works out for him to enter treatment straight from the hospital. Bill and Tom from The Way are trying to work that out. More later…

Featured Education Rock Star: Jessica Martin

Jessica Martin graduated from Lee High School last year where she won the “I Dare You” Award given to the kid who outperformed the staff’s expectations.  Jessica has a brother who’s a gymnast and was involved with Lincoln Village Ministry at Chapman Middle and Lincoln School.

This year, she’s the first in her big family to go to college and Julie and I were excited to be able to take her down to Wallace State last Friday.  She has a great roommate from Decatur named Treasure, they are both turning 19 in the next couple of weeks so they already have lots in common.

Jessica is studying to be a dental tech or some other medical kind of career.  She’s a smart, funny young lady and we know she’ll do great.

If you’d like to help out with Jessica just post here and let me know.  I’ll be posting her mailing address when I get it in the next week of two.  I’d be great for you guys to write her a note of encouragement, especially around exams.  She’s by herself and until she met Treasure, didn’t know a single person.

We’re proud of you Jessica!

Helping a Seminary Student: Noah Roberts

Hello! My name is Noah D. Roberts, and I am a seminary student at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. I am pursuing a Master of Divinity degree to prepare me for full-time ministry either here in the U.S. or abroad, and I am about 3/4 of the way through. God has taught me so much!
My wife, Julie, and I have 2 children: Magdalena Grace whom God used to change many lives around the world even though she was with us for a short time, and Walter Douglas who was born 28 September 2009. He is an amazingly cute, funny little guy and a huge blessing to us.
In 2006, Julie and I moved to Mississippi from Merida, Mexico where we had been missionaries for several years (where we met and where I met Matt Fowler!). Our return to the U.S. has certainly been eventful, but God has been faithful throughout.

Coming off of the mission field, we knew that finances would be a struggle as we adjusted to life in the States. Julie and I both have worked full-time as we have become parents and pursued graduate degrees (Julie has a Master of Arts of Teaching Foreign Languages). This school year, God provided Julie with an online Spanish teaching position for two community colleges which has allowed her to stay home more to raise Walt, which is an enormous answer to prayer! Along with an internship, driving a school bus and my studies, I have recently begun preaching regularly at small area churches which has provided some additional but small income. Even with our various jobs, we have had to trust God more fully to provide for us so that I may be able to continue my seminary studies.

The seminary has graciously awarded me a 50% scholarship for tuition so that the average cost of a semester for us is about $2400, plus about $800 per month for housing. With some money still owed from last semester, we need to raise most or all of $6000 before the Spring semester begins on 2 February 2011.

We would be honored to have you partner with us if you feel God is leading you to support us through this amazing journey of following God’s will!

Thank you and may God bless you richly and satisfy you most deeply!

Noah D. Roberts

Tent City Saturday

Hi folks. We’re headed out to Tent City again this Saturday morning. If you’d like to tag along please meet me at 113 Clinton Street downtown at 8AM and we can carpool, or you can follow me. It’s easy and a fun way to start your Saturday. Seriously, I know it does not seem like it would be but strangely, it is! If you’d like to bring something we could use C batteries, blankets, water (always), and any functional tents or tarps or other camping stuff would be great. We meet earlier in the morning at the Church and make breakfast so we’ll bring all that stuff. Let me know you’ll be there so I can tell the rest of the group.

Oh and there are a few safety rules. No kids younger than high school. Do not leave the group without an escort. Do not give out your last name and do not give anyone money. Do not give out your cell phone number or your home address. If someone asks for help, there are multiple agencies and ministries that already do a great job. See someone in the group for a list of local phone numbers and addresses. Women please dress modestly. That’s about all, it’s not as scary as it sounds. We’ll be done about 9 or 9:30AM.