Tag

Uniform Campaign

Terence Lester
In 90 Days, Blogging Journey, Campaigns, Collaboration, Diversity, DRIVES, Education, Fighting for the Hopeless, Global, Gospel, Great Commission, Homelessness, Journey, LBW Home, Life-dares, Mission, Missions, Movement of Doers, Needs, Plant Love, Poverty, Project THIRST, Purpose, Raising Awareness, Reflective, Resources, Serve, , Transform, Uncategorized, Vision

Days 12-14 Serving water

This AM was amazing! Why? We went out and passed out tons of water we collected during our #projectTHIRST campaign! This morning we encountered several people who said that they have experienced dehydration before while living on the streets, and were grateful for the water.

While serving, I got a chance to help some people on 14th day of #closetstrike… It was humbling…I’ve been wearing one outfit for 14 DAYS straight, and I still can’t believe it…

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Now, some may say that it is pointless to go out and distribute bottles of water, but I beg to differ… Our goal was to collect tons of water to encounter people who are subject to dehydration, and build relationships with them, learn their stories, and see how we can get them the resources needed to transition off of the streets (while making sure they are hydrated during Summer months).

Well, while serving we encountered this 28 year young man named Lamar! By passing out one bottle of water, it sparked a conversation that ended up with me driving him to Atlanta Crisis Center to check himself in… He told me he hadn’t slept in three days because of the hard drugs he was doing…But for some reason he wanted to try to leave the streets this AM…

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So, was it the water, or was it the conversation that mattered. I believe it was the conversation! I believe it was the relationship, and I believe it was because we chose to go beyond a hand out…

Hand outs do nothing, but hearing stories and building relationships can be used by God to do wonders!

Below is the bottle of water that sparked the conversation. Pray that we reach more people, hydrate more people, and pray that I stay committed to the #closetstrike journey.

Terence

Terence Lester
In 90 Days, Blogging Journey, Campaigns, Collaboration, Diversity, DRIVES, Education, Fighting for the Hopeless, Global, Gospel, Great Commission, Journey, LBW Begins, LBW Home, Life Change, Life-dares, Mission, Missions, Movement of Doers, Needs, Passion, Plant Love, Purpose, Raising Awareness, Resources, Serve, , Sociology, The Local Church, Transform, Uniforms of Hope, Vision

Days 10-11 with #closetstrike

Today is DAY 11 of me wearing one outfit! It has been extremely hard wearing only one outfit. The thought that I have 79 more days to go frightens me. It frightens me because I don’t know if my closet will be restored at the end of my journey, I don’t know if people will be impacted, and I don’t know if it will even matter! Those are my true thoughts at this present moment! But, there are a few thoughts that are greater than those!

I wonder what it would be like to resources low income schools to help students who struggle with “family poverty…”

I wonder what it would be like to see families who will lack this coming school year be encouraged that they have support from their school and organization that cares…

I wonder what it would be like to help children who literally have no closets get a closet and adaquate clothing to survive…

I wonder what it will be like to teach students how to use technology and campaigns to solve societal ills by inviting people to get involved on the ground level…

I wonder how God’s love will inspire those through this sacrifice….

These wonders and my faith is what is driving me right now!

They are the fuel that God is using to push me forward… And guess what???? I’m not stopping until I see people reached for good. Therefore, I solicit your prayers as I continue to walk this road for those who do not have. Pray that #lovebeyondwalls continues to raise awareness, and move people to provide solutions!

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Terence

 

Terence Lester
In 90 Days, Blogging Journey, Collaboration, Diversity, DRIVES, Education, Fighting for the Hopeless, Gospel, Great Commission, Homelessness, Journey, LBW Home, Life Change, Life-dares, Mission, Missions, Movement of Doers, Needs, Passion, Purpose, Raising Awareness, Resources, Serve, , Transform, Vision

Days 7-9 #closetstrike

This morning makes 9 DAYS in one outfit. That’s 216 hours straight. When I woke up this morning, all I could think about is surviving day to day. As a matter of fact, when you have no other options survival is all you have. Lord, give me the strength to continue this journey to help children who have little in their closets.

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Terence

Terence Lester
In 90 Days, Blogging Journey, Campaigns, Collaboration, Diversity, DRIVES, Education, Engagements, Fighting for the Hopeless, Global, Gospel, Great Commission, Homelessness, Journey, LBW Begins, LBW Home, Life Change, Life-dares, Mission, Missions, Movement of Doers, Needs, Passion, Plant Love, Poverty, Purpose, Raising Awareness, Resources, Serve, , Story, The Local Church, Transform, Vision

Days 5&6… #closetstrike

This morning had to have been the rough morning for me! Why? Because for the last six days, I have literally had on the same outfit every single day. I have done everything in it. I have gone to meetings, done work around the office, and have used this one outfit for every single thing. If I can be honest, it hurts knowing I cannot wear anything else …Also, it hurts knowing that I am confined to one outfit for every single event that I will partake in over the next 84 days (I can only imagine how students feel who go through this struggle).

In fact, this morning I visited a school in Douglas County (Chapel Hill High) because a student did a campaign to raise awareness about homelessness and partner with students and teachers on behalf of our organization #lovebeyondwalls. The news paper showed up (Douglasville Sentinel), and I was in the same outfit again. Below is a picture on Kamara (student), Jeff (editor), and myself (same outfit) discussing how students rallied around our efforts to reach the less fortunate.

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Nonetheless, while on this journey I have been humbled, and extremely appreciative of every single thing that I have had the privilege to own.

Being on this journey has shown me how ungrateful we can sometimes be when we have many options at our disposal. I encourage any/every/one to cherish anything God has entrusted them with (no matter if they do not think it is a lot).
Terence

Terence Lester
In 90 Days, Blogging Journey, Campaigns, Collaboration, Diversity, DRIVES, Education, Fighting for the Hopeless, Gospel, Great Commission, Journey, Life Change, Life-dares, Mission, Missions, Movement of Doers, Needs, Passion, Poverty, Purpose, Raising Awareness, Resources, Serve, , The Local Church, Transform, Uniforms of Hope, Vision

4 days down 86 to go…

This morning, I was determined to continue this #closetstrike journey! I am four days into the journey, and was pushed to continue by reading a stat posted by NCCP on children and poverty:

More than 16 million children in the United States – 22% of all children – live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level – $23,550 a year for a family of four. Research shows that, on average, families need an income of about twice that level to cover basic expenses. Using this standard, 45% of children live in low-income families.

Most of these children have parents who work, but low wages and unstable employment leave their families struggling to make ends meet. Poverty can impede children’s ability to learn and contribute to social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Poverty also can contribute to poor health and mental health. Risks are greatest for children who experience poverty when they are young and/or experience deep and persistent poverty.

Research is clear that poverty is the single greatest threat to children’s well-being. But effective public policies – to make work pay for low-income parents and to provide high-quality early care and learning experiences for their children – can make a difference. Investments in the most vulnerable children are also critical.

This stat alone is motivation to work to build closets on behalf of students that #lovebeyondwalls will encounter in the next school term.

Terence

Terence Lester
In Education, Raising Awareness, Uniforms of Hope

Uniforms of Hope!

Love Beyond Walls is partnering with a major uniform supplier to design a uniform to resource ten Elementary Schools in Georgia that need extra help with uniforms. We are developing a one-for-one system simalar to TOMS.

Over the weekend, we received the first mock up from one of our designers! We are aiming to launch our first crowd-funding campaign to initiate 100 uniforms to be shipped to multiple schools the first of the year. Below is an example of the uniform that will be shipped.

LBW Team

LBW-Uniform-Mockup