Walk for the Homeless

If you walked in the 2012 Walk for the Homeless and submitted your donations, but did not receive your 2012 t-shirt, you may pick one up at the Good Works Luhrig Road Property. Otherwise, you may purchase one for only $5. Please call 740-594-3336 or email us to make arrangements to pick up your t-shirt.

Walk Experiences for 2012 Walk for the Homeless

Sometimes Life Isn’t Fair – On this Walk we offered an experience designed to show children and their families how life often isn’t fair. Yet while life often isn’t fair for anyone, this experience showed that life is often even more unfair for people in poverty and homelessness than for those who have wealth. Several activities allowed children to visualize how wealth is distributed in our country, and how different advantages and privileges make life easier for those who “have” and more difficult for those who “have not.” Participants in this walk had an opportunity to hear how wealth gives advantages that are often overlooked, but that actually make it more likely that children of wealthy parents will remain wealthy, while children born to parents in poverty are likely to remain in poverty. These disadvantages make it more difficult for people in poverty to succeed, even though we often like to think of our country as a place where anyone can improve their circumstances, and the circumstances of their children, with hard work.
      Participants had an opportunity to hear how their involvement, and the caring involvement of others like them, can be the difference between generations of our neighbors being trapped in poverty and its unfair and destructive effects, and generations who are thriving. Far more than money, it is the caring friendship and generosity that neighbors can havefor one another that we believe will be the difference between a bountiful, thriving life, and one of despair. This walk culminated with a journey to view the first site of Good Works on Elliot Street. While this is just a house, the love and care that was extended from it to people without homes became the difference in countless live. We believe that every person on the walk, and every person in the world, can make a profound and lasting difference in the lives of those around them – they need only take the first step.

The Recovery Walk – This Walk focused on issues of addiction to drugs and alcohol and recovery in all parts of life. Walkers left First United Methodist Church and took a route that lead them to 3 Elliot Street, the location where Keith Wasserman first began welcoming people into his home. Seth Lundeen, a Care-giver at the Timothy House spoke at this location. He described how Good Works got its start and encouraged walkers to consider what they can do to help their neighbors with the resources that they already have. From there the walk continued on to the Children’s Services property off of East State Street. About 100 walkers gathered in a large meeting room there.
      Four people gave presentations: Andrea Horsch, Director of Care-Giving at the Timothy House lectured on the many layers that lead into substance abuse and the way that sharing stories and hearing testimonies brings hope and enables people with addictions to understand themselves, seek reconciliation, and begin taking responsibility for all areas of their lives.
      Andrea Reik, Director of Athens County Children’s Services presented on substance abuse and families. She hi-lighted their agency’s desire to see families get healthy and recover together.
      Richard Briggs of the John Clem Recovery House shared about the roots of alcoholism in his own life and the role of addiction in his family. He expressed gratitude over being clean and sober today and the opportunity that he has to help other men through his work at the Clem House, a twelve-step recovery house for men in Athens.
      Finally, Buddy Ballard shared his personal experience of dealing with alcoholism, legal problems and broken family relationships. Buddy described living at the Clem House and getting sober and then transitioning into the Timothy House from there. He spoke about the barriers that drinking had created in his life and the many people God provided to help him work, pay fines, gain stability and be a father again.
      Walkers asked questions for people who presented. The time at Children’s Services ended and we returned to First UMC for a discussion and rice and bean’s lunch.

The High Cost of Coal – On this Walk, we partnered with the Americorps VISTA’s from Rural Action to create a truly unique experience. The High Cost of Coal Walk created dramatic re-enactments of real-life situations that would have occurred for families in Appalachian Ohio involved in the coal industry in years past. The historic legacy of extractive industries in our region, including coal mining in particular, have played a major role in the generational poverty with which many families in southeast Ohio currently struggle. The dramatic portrayals of this walk helped to highlight how the injustices of the past can lead to the difficulties of today (and, sadly, of tomorrow as well).
       From the family shopping at the “company store,” to the struggles of miners to create and join a union, to major mine disasters such as the Millfield Mine Disaster, participants on this walk were presented with the opportunity to glimpse the struggles of families involved in the coal mining industry in southeastern Ohio. While these dramas represented the past, and while the forces creating hardships for the people of Appalachian Ohio have changed many times over the years, the reality of what it means to struggle with poverty and homelessness in our region today is still distinct. Thank you to our friends at Rural Action and to all of our Walk participants for joining together to learn about the struggles of our neighbors in need – whether they be those of yesterday or those of today.

Three Days on the Streets-Homeless Simulation – This Walk is an experience designed (by the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless and modified by Good Works) to illustrate many of the difficult scenarios encountered by people who are without homes. Good Works has had the Three Days on the Streets-Homeless Simulation as one of the unique Walk experiences at the Walk for the Homeless for the last four years. This was a shorter walk and took participants and volunteers to the basement of First Christian Church in uptown Athens where a mock community was set up to assist the Walk participants who became people experiencing homelessness. This community had volunteers represent many of the possible resources available to someone who is homeless (such as: Bus system, Food Pantry, Hospital, Police Officers, Shelter, etc…) and how these resources either help or create barriers for each participant.
       Upon arriving at the church, each Walk participant was given a packet of information that contained: their individual profile (with three tasks they must complete), a resource guide, any personal resources they possess, and a copy of the Simulation instructions. Over the course of three-15 minute days and three-5 minute nights, participants tried to accomplish their specific tasks using the community resources available. The Homeless Simulation had about 60 volunteers and participants who sat down together at the end of the Simulation experience to talk through what each participant and volunteer felt during the course of the activity. Some of the individual profiles were derived from actual telephone interviews from the Good Works Timothy House, and as a group we talked about the difficulties this population faces within rural areas and how The Good Works Timothy House is trying to help.
       Our goal for the Homeless Simulation is for people (participants and volunteers) to build compassion for those without homes and to also gain a broader perspective on how to help the same people Good Works serves through The Timothy House. Many participants commented that they wish they could do more to help this population, and we talked as a group about what they can do in their own communities to help.

The Mini Walk – This Walk started at the United Methodist Church and continued down the block to the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of Court Street and Washington Street. We congregated in the basement of the church and discussed several topics.
       The first thing we did was to introduce statistics about poverty in this area, in the state, and in the nation. We discussed the scope of poverty and how it affects our community. We also went over the number of people we turned away this past year. Several people commented about the statistics in ways that were relevant to them. One man shared his opinion about how it is a shame that we as a society like to categorize people into the rich or the poor. He mentioned how we are all people; we just have different experiences.
       After the discussion, we moved on to talk about the Good Works philosophy: that we have a holistic approach to serving people in this community and at the Timothy House. The Timothy House is not just an “emergency shelter.” We provide much more than a bed and a meal. Participants were able to ask questions about the Timothy House at this time. Things like how we manage the house, how we do intakes, and how long the residents are able to stay were brought up and discussed.
       We moved on to read two articles about the Timothy House and our inability to expand in order to serve more of the people that we are forced to turn away due to a lack of space. We had a discussion about the problem, and some possible solutions. Many people asked about the legal or technical part of being granted a possible zoning variance.
       We then had our guest speaker give her testimony about her life. It was not only inspirational, but also really made people re-think their perspectives of what it means to live in poverty. She had a lot to say about how to properly care for people who are living in poverty.
       We ended the meeting by reading each walk ID that described real situations that people have experienced while asking for shelter at the Timothy House. They were shocked to hear what people experience right here in Athens. This segment really brought the talk home. It gave the participants real life situations we see on a daily basis here at the Timothy House.
       We left the church to go back to he United Methodist Church. We shared a meal of beans and rice and discussed experiences from participants involved in other walks.

The Employment Challenges Walk –This Walk was intended to highlight the obstacles and difficulties unemployed people face, especially those without homes, in Athens County and throughout the nation. We stopped at several places on the Walk, outside of City Hall, Donkey Coffee, Baker Center, and a field that once was the site of a prosperous restaurant. The most time was spent at Donkey Coffee, where Chris and Angie Pyle, the owners, provided the space for people to fill out applications for work, stage a mock employment interview, and hear a moving first-hand report from a former Timothy House resident about his struggles and how he was cared for by the staff and volunteers. At the other sites, we addressed issues that were pertinent to the place where we were standing. We talked about inequality of opportunity at Baker Center, and the loss of jobs based on the decisions of companies and other entities that cause businesses to fail at the site of the Oasis restaurant. Overall, the Employment Challenges Walk helped walkers to better understand the unique challenges faced by people struggling with poverty and homelessness in attempting to find and secure gainful employment.

Mental Health Walk –This Walk focused on challenging common misunderstandings about the relationship between mental health, poverty and homelessness, through providing participants an educational experience designed to convey the complex relationship between mental health and poverty.
       At the beginning of the mental health walk every walker was encouraged to read the story on their “ I am a real person” Walk I.D. and share it with two other people while on the walk. This component is meant to help the participants begin to understand the ways in which mental illness can exacerbate problems connected to living in poverty, and how living in poverty can also exacerbate mental illness.
       We walked to Baker Student Center on the Ohio University campus. While in front of Baker Canter, the walk leader shared information about mental illness and college-aged students. This information included the resources available to full time students – mainly 20 sessions of counseling per quarter. Additionally, the participants learned that almost 30% of college students surveyed nationally in 2009 felt so depressed that it was a struggle to get through daily living at some point that academic year.
       From there we walked to the Gathering Place where Mary Kneier, the executive director, shared with the walkers the history and purpose of the Gathering Place. Mary explained that the Gathering Place is focused on providing peer support as a means of recovery for people with mental illness by fostering community development. This community development provides validation through personal development and well being. The Gathering Place offers a homelike atmosphere that promotes friendship and conversation.
       From the Gathering Place we walked to Christ Lutheran church where we came in from the cold and enjoyed warm hospitality from members of Christ Lutheran Church. Our first guest speaker was Nadia Mitchell from the local branch of NAMI. She led us in discussing the different costs connected to having a mental illness such as needing a payee to handle the payment of medication and the challenge of keeping employment. Nadia also emphasized the toll living with a mental illness can have on self-esteem.
       Afterward we heard from Beth Strassman from Integrated Services of Appalachian Ohio sharing ways in which members of the general population can help. Beth started off by defining poverty and the government resources meant to help everyone living in poverty. She highlighted some of the community resources we can connect people we know to; such as Tri-County Mental Health, Integrated Services and the Salvation Army.
       Both Beth and Nadia emphasized the importance intentional relationships can play in the life of someone with a mental illness. These relationships are often the bridge to the supportive services best suited to help the mentally ill. We also read a letter from an individual who has experienced poverty and homelessness while living with a mental illness.

Into the Neighborhood – Jesus came to earth, embracing the poverty and pain of humanity. For those who desire to follow Jesus with all of their lives, what are the implications of his example?
       This Walk explored, via a van ride to the nearby Village of Chauncey, what it means to become a community who embodies the living presence of Jesus in our immediate contexts. Donning an identification tag titled “Learner,” each of the Walkers were challenged to consider what it would look like to walk with, live with, to move into the neighborhood alongside people who are struggling with poverty.
       On the 15-minute drive to Chauncey, participants read a brief history of the community. Once there, we took a short driving tour of the village, seeking to appreciate its beauty. Along the way we stopped to view a large, abandoned house. Walk Leaders explained that Good Works is exploring the possibility of buying property like this and renovating it for the purpose of creating a presence in the community, not through services or programs, but through ordinary people living there together and committing to love their neighbor in Jesus’ name.
       Soon after, we arrived at the nearby Chauncey-Dover Lion’s Club building. Participants were greeted with coffee and cookies: a conversation was to commence! Walk Leaders had invited several members of the Chauncey community to come and share from their experiences of life in the Village. In small circles, participants listened and spoke of the history, beauty, values and needs of the Chauncey community. We heard memories of what Chauncey was like as a child, of wartime stories and God’s faithfulness…of passion for the children and youth of Chauncey, and frustrated hope for how life may get better…of revival meetings in the old days, and good work accomplished. After warm goodbyes, participants headed back to Athens with questions to consider: “What did you see, observe, hear?” and to ask themselves: “What does what we just did have to do with the incarnation?” Once back, we gathered for a short time of reflection and teaching, considering together how listening to people, hearing their stories, and gaining respect for their history and community may be the first step towards Christ-like love. Participants were challenged to approach relationships with people in need by choosing a lifestyle of servanthood and sacrifice—perhaps by relocating to a community that struggles. “Now you are the body of Christ,” the Walkers were commissioned. “Love, together!”

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Walk Experiences for 2012 Walk for the Homeless