I’m so thankful for my friend, Alice Colegrove.
For nearly twenty years, Alice has worked on initiatives to help youth and young adults exit homelessness. She has worked on the issue of homelessness at nearly every level including local direct service, city and state policy initiatives, and national academic forums. Locally, she has over fifteen years of direct service experience, including street outreach with homeless youth and young adults in Boston and Cambridge, MA, and she is an active member of the advisory board for the Y2Y youth shelter in Harvard Square.
And today she came on the podcast to tell us her story and teach us about homelessness and what we can do to alleviate the suffering of so many people. This episode was particularly special for me because of the make up of our church, we're so close to Skid Row and oftentimes I feel out of my depth. I know I want to help and I'm moved by the need every time I drive downtown, but I don't know where to being.
Alice really spoke to those concerns and gave me the pep talk I need. If you've been wondering where you fit in to God's story of shalom for those experiencing homelessness, I know this is an episode you'll love.
I’m amazed at her story; as a young girl in D.C. she had a heart for persons experiencing homelessness. I loved her person-centered language in “say this not that” segment and how she encouraged us to learn the names of the homeless we meet.
I was so challenged by that!
Alice empowered us with the Shalom Steps of:
I also appreciated her thoughts on when you first start to volunteer at a homeless shelter that go along with Shalom Step #1:
Instead of thinking about what you're doing, think about but you're seeing and let that guide you on what to do next.
When I’m downtown L.A. I want to have courage and compassion to make eye contact and say hello.
On this Episode We Walk About
What a day in the life of a youth experiencing homelessness looks like.
The answer to the question, “Should I give change to a homeless person”
How she balances motherhood and ministry
The biggest needs and challenges for homeless youth.
It was a really important conversation for me, especially since I've been thinking about this putting together the homeless care packages from last episode with my kiddos, but didn't want to do it just to pat myself on the back, I wanted it to mean something. With Alice's advice to "check my heart" and funnel my desire to help alleviate the suffering of those experiencing homelessness through the lens of Micah 6:8, I feel to energized to seek shalom of homeless youth and young adults.
Shalom in your earbuds, Sistas!
~Osheta
