Category Archives: Abandoned

His name is Bill…

23 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in Abandoned, charity, Christianity, Clearwater FL, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Homeless, homelessness, Philanthopy

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, ,

His name is Bill…

We met him tonight, Saturday 2/23/2013 at 8:00pm…

My wife and i were on our way home from Walmart with our groceries…

We stopped at Hess Gas Station for some items…

I was not looking for anyone, but Jesus & His Father had other plans…

Standing at the side of the building i noticed a tall thin man with a bag…

Standing and swaying back and forth…

Yes, he was intoxicated to say the least…..extremely….and very street homeless…..

He had urinated all over himself…..never a good sign…

He tried going towards the people at the gas pumps and asking for money…

They were uncomfortable and even afraid…they didn’t need to be…you don’t need to be.

That was the cue i was waiting for…

Jesus said…Get out of the van…see what you can do…

As he came back from the gas pump area i stepped up to him, identified myself and our organization and asked if i could be of any help.

He mentioned he needed just enough money for a cab. I asked a cab to where?  He stated Safe Harbor (the local shelter).

I told him we would be glad to take him anywhere he wants to go but that as he knows there was no way Safe Harbor would allow him in being as intoxicated as he was.

I stated we do not give cash, but we could help with blankets, toiletries, food, beverages, clothes etc.

Bill stated…”I will be honest…I just would like a beer, I am an alcoholic.”  I said…”no your not, you just like to drink too much and you choose to do it for any number of reasons….just like I eat too much and that’s why i have this fat gut!”  Bill busted out laughing….the stress of his night slipping away for a moment.  We laughed together.

I felt sad to my soul for him.  I could see he was a nice guy.

I told him i simply could not do that (get him a beer) and that he knew that. But i said i could do a number of other things for him if he like.

We went back over to the side of the Hess Gas station building and he sat down.  I sat down with him.

We talked a little bit.  Bill then asked if i had a lighter.  I said….Yep, i sure do!  Even have some smokes if you need some?!  He was surprised like crazy!  We recently had a lady donate about 10 packs of cigarettes that her stepmother could no longer use.

I went to the van and got him 5 smokes and a lighter.  We keep them single in plastic tubes…he couldn’t believe it!

He asked if i could sit and talk with him for a bit.  I had my wife in the van with me and our groceries.  I told him i really couldn’t because of that and would be glad to come find him again and sit and talk with him.

Welllll….an hour later…..

We had spoke about God and Jesus and how he had lost all his “stuff.”

He had prayed for help….

I said…we have “stuff”…. :-))!

He then asked…..”Did you mention you had a blanket?”  Yes i said.  We have brand new socks too.

“SOCKS!!!????”

Yes, new nice soft black ones! (like the white ones only black so they do not show the dirt)

Would you like them and the blanket?

“Yes, ohhh yes please”

“Do you have a shaver?”

Yes, would you like one?

“Yes please”

After and during all this Bill was telling me he had prayed to God asking him to have someone help him because he had lost or had stolen from him all his “stuff.”

Well, Jehovah God told Jesus where to send us and there we were, we were not there looking for anyone to help……we were once again “sent” as always….

THAT, is how it is done….THAT is how Jehovah God and His Son Jesus work together to get things done.

This intoxicated Street Homeless man that everyone was so turned off by, who turned away from him and shunned him….this man has a heart, a very warm heart….he is broken…

This man who had told me he “just wanted a beer”, now had accepted a cold drink of Powerade from us and now had asked for a hot cup of coffee.  I went into Hess and got the coffee for him with 2 sugars.

We talked and laughed hard, real hard.

He is a reader, he wanted a book….not too long ago we had two racks of books in the Mobile Crisis Outreach van….now tonight we had none.

Thats ok, that will give me an excuse to locate him again.

I know this…..this is a man God wants. He wants him to be ok.

I know this….if i am given enough time with him i can get him to manage his drinking to a reasonable level…..

I believe and know this….Bill may not know it yet…but i can see he would like that….it will just take a little time….a little patience….and more time…

I know he can do it…..I will try to see him again…and i will work on that…

Jesus, i know will be there to help me help Bill manage his drinking or stop all together…which ever proves to be best for him.  How ever Jesus and His Father Jehovah say it needs to be.

As i got up to leave i told him i would find him again and sit and chat with him for another while…i know he wanted to talk about his drinking…i could feel it…he is there…right there….

***I know this…..Those of you…..all of you that were at the Hess station at Drew and Belcher in Clearwater, FL at approx 8:00pm tonight who came into contact with this homeless man who had approached you….I watched you, i seen you….I heard you….

Shame on you

Next time….it might be you in Bills shoes….

How would YOU want to be treated?

Treat a Person As They Are, and They Will Remain As They Are.

Treat Them As They Could Be, & They Will Become What They Should Be.

***If you see the van pictured below, it will be doing what you will not do….feel free to stop me and ask for any advice on how to help someone like this man or any others and i will be glad to help you help others easily and without fear.

Specific One In Need……

24 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by in 501c3, Abandoned, Christianity, Clearwater FL, donate, Emergency Shelter, homelessness, Housing, Incarcerated, Mobile Crisis Outreach, St. Petersburg FL

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

6/24/2012

Specific One In Need…..

Our desire is to raise funds for this One In Need.  Specifically Motel funds so i may keep in close contact.  I do not want this Lost Sheep to get away.  Will you help us today?  Now?  In Jesus’s name?  Please read on and you will see what is needed.  Thank you for reading today.

Yesterday at 4:30am i was at the Pinellas County Jail in Clearwater, FL. and picked up a 52 year old male (my age) being released from that jail for Time Served.  I waited for him and he was released at 5:30am.

As he came through the door he “profiled” me and i “profiled” him.   It is ALWAYS a two way street when it comes to profiling.   Do not let anyone fool you that it is only the police that profile people.   If you stop and think about it or care to admit it to yourself, each and everyone of us are “profiling” someone at any given time.  It is a necessary and instinctive tool God gives us to discern who we are getting ourselves involved with.

Once this man and i got done “profiling” each other we headed out the doors to his freedom laughing.   It was going to be good.  :-))!  

I took him to breakfast at The Country Skillet in Clearwater, FL where we could get to know each other a bit.   More profiling, he to me, me to him.  This profiling will go on until he trusts me.  Me?  I do not need to trust him.   Jesus has that covered for me already.   

From there we went to check out a couple shelters per his request which his Jail Counselor had given to him.  He thinks well of her by the way :-))!  I guess you could say she picks her Battles…. :-))!  

Shelters are always my last resort unless the one in need requests it.  

We drove for quite a while, spoke in length about many things including God, Jesus and satan, his family and some of his past.  i never really need to know a lot about the past.  It simply is not important to me.  There are things i look for as far as records etc, but for the most part once i know i do not need to hash it over and over.  I feel from experience it actually impedes the forward movement for the one in need.  Funny thing, he actually began the conversation about satan.   I love when that happens!  :-))!   So…yeah….i jumped in!  :-))! :-))!

This morning, Sunday 6/24/2012 i was up at  5:15am to go meet up with this one in need again.  I am trying to keep a hand on him and not let him give up on himself.  

He wants to go back to school and we are going to try and do whatever we can to make that possible.   I will be bringing him to Tomlinson Adult Learning Center in St. Petersburg, FL tomorrow morning by 9:00am to see about getting him back on course to completing his schooling.  

Yes, it will be work and it will take some time.  That is ok.  Jesus works in ways you and i cannot and in ways very specifically tailored by Him for each specific one in need.  This is one of His Lost Sheep He would like back in the fold.  Will you help us today please?

The Motel Funds we are praying for are as follows:

1) One Week = $200.00  We would like to give him a month (4 weeks) of shelter so we can keep him close to us, make sure he rests, has a shower, help him get a job, continue his schooling, continue one on one mentoring and more.   He is resourceful and not lazy.   If we can present him with this opportuniy i believe he will put it to good use.

He told me yesterday, that he had been out in the streets basically here in Florida for the last five years and has had no one to talk to properly out here in the streets until he met us.   

This man wants to work and wants to Take Back His Life to show his 17 year old son that he can and will change.  To quote him:  “So my son will feel i am worth talking to”.    Wow, that hurt.  I have been there.   Will you Help us Help him make sure he has the opportunity to do it?

Please, Help Us Provide Hope In The Midst of Crisis, now.

 THANK YOU!!

Lance Greene/Founder

Straight Ahead Outreach-Taking Back Your Life Inc. is an IRS Registered 501c3 Nonprofit Public Charity.  All Donations are tax deductible under the IRS 501c3 tax code. 

A Couple Things for you to know…..

12 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Abandoned, Christianity, Clearwater FL, Community, donations, Incarceration, Mobile Crisis Outreach, Nonprofits, St. Petersburg FL

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

6/12/2012

1)  It is always good to help where ever you can.  Not just in your own community, although please do.   It is good to help in other communities and states also because the people who are in need that are not getting help in another state may very well be placed on a bus to come to your community.  Literally.  Help anywhere you can, any time you can monetarily.  I realize you may not know how the money will be spent but leave that part up to God. 

2)  For Example:  We help wherever we go, it could even be your community one day.  Or, someone we are helping, it may prevent that person from having to come to your community.   The more of the people in need that have to move around the country, the more complicated and entrenched they get in the streets.

*** 3)  In many communities across the country, people are let out of jail at all hours of the night, including those who are classed as felons.  Both Men AND Women of all adult ages.   Many nonprofit  organizations, including ours,  help by picking these folks up and getting them to a safe location.  The problem is we all need the funds to do it and keep our vehicles on the road.   These in need individuals are being released from jail as i said at all hours of the night, every day.  They are stressed, scared and simply “lost” most times without a place to go or anyone to go to and nothing to their name and many times lack the personal faculties to “direct their own step” if you will.  They leave with very little if any money, the clothes on their back and no food.   BTW, just because they are classed as a felon does not mean they killed someone or anything of the sort.   Bottom line is…….they have served their time and are being let out to the streets.   Orgs like us that help them need your help to continue it in order to keep our streets safe from unnecessary trouble and strife.  

Prayers Please……

23 Saturday Jul 2011

Posted by in 501c3, Abandoned, charities, Clearwater FL, donations, Emergency, Families, Family, Help, Intervention, Jesus, Mobile Crisis, St. Petersburg FL, Straight Ahead Outreach, Tampa Bay, Urgency

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

7/23/2011

I will be meeting in about 1.5 hours with a family in Crisis in St. Petersburg, FL.  The adult son has Emotional Damage.  Some inflicted by others and some put on him by himself……………due to the Emotional Damage inflicted by others which has made him think adverse things about himself, questioning himself, over and over.  Not knowing which direction to go or how he should be or what others expect him to be or act like or live like or look like or sound like or move like or friend like or, or , or , or , or ………..he has been tied up into a pretzel and doesn’t know how to untie himself.  He isn’t sure even IF he needs to be untied. 

Treat a Person As They Are, and They Will Remain As They Are.

Treat Them As They Could Be, & They Will Become What They Should Be.

Does this person have some issues he needs to work on?  Sure does.  Don’t we all?   Don’t you?   

Today i will be speaking to and getting to know the Mother and the Sister.   They are both also in Crisis.  They do not know which way to turn either.  I am going to work on giving them some relief, some Hope, some direction.   We have spoke some already on a couple occasions.

Can this succeed?  I believe it can.  Is the person involved here worth it, even after all the hardship they are placing on others?   Hmmmmm…..wait a minute.  There isn’t just an individual involved here.  The Whole Family is involved……in Crisis.

Will they be ok?     Yes.   How can you help today at this moment?   Prayers, Prayers and thoughts of good for this Family please.

And in case the individual, i will call him a Friend In Need, is shown this writing, i would like to say to him………..  E.S., it is Time for you Sir, as the picture below is saying……. reach back, reach wayyyy back, it is Time, Time to reach back and Take Back Your Life.    Go For It!   E.S., Give me a call, lets get together.  No bull, no pressure (well maybe a little, lol), lots of laughter, and lots of Hope.  Will it be easy E.S.?  Nah, but you can trust me.   Give me a call Sir.  Today.  :-))!

Join us in preventing, Fighting Social Decay, Today.  Make a decision, a pledge if you will to Stop Emotional Damage.  Now, Right Now.

Lance Greene/Founder

Current Friends In Need

11 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by in 501c3, Abandoned, charities, charity, Children, Clearwater FL, disability, Disabled, donate, donations, Donors, Education, Emergency, Families, Family, friends in need, Fundraising, GED, Health Care, Homeless, homeless children, homelessness, Housing, Infants, Intervention, Jesus, Knoxville TN, Mobile Crisis, Newborn, Philanthropists, Police, Real Estate, Showers, St. Petersburg FL, Straight Ahead Outreach, Suicide Intervention, Tampa Bay

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Please do not ever forget – You or I could be homeless, a Friend In Need at any moment

How would YOU want to be treated?

Below are a list of our current Friends In Need and their locations.  Please Donate Today to help us help them move Straight Ahead to Taking Back Their Lives.   Maybe even Sponsor one.  Each one we consider to be a Fruitful Investment.  The best way for you to help us help them is to give monetarily.  If you would like to know why we prefer monetary donations or to discuss any concerns, you may call me on my cell phone personally as shown below.  I realize what our website looks like.  It looks like we are always asking for money and you are absolutely right.  It is one of the things i dislike most about our work.  However, we provide extensive services to each of our Friends In Need  that we help and to each of them listed below. You may see a list of those services by going to our WHAT? page here on our website.  Knoxville, TN please call me at:  865-964-1461 and for St. Petersburg, FL./Clearwater, FL areas, please call me at:  727-723-4656.   I personally will be the one answering your calls.  We Thank You in advance, Lance Greene/Founder.

Plain and Simple Fact.

We need to rely on folks like You for funds.  Folks like You need to rely on folks like us to do the work.  

Is there something we can do for you in return?

Make the decision to Help us Fight and Prevent Social Decay Today! 

Will YOU Sponsor one today?  

1)  Brad – 51  - Clearwater, FL -  Brad is homeless and living in his car.  He also drives taxi.   So he tries and continues to try to get out of his situation.  But, without money it is simply difficult to obtain a roof over his head, well one that isn’t his cars roof that is.  You see, here he can drive taxi all day, 12 – 14 hours and make after lease and fuel etc maybe $30 on most days.

2)  George  - 62 – St. Petersbug, FL - We were just contacted by Tomlinson Adult Learning Center of St. Petersburg, FL this morning 7/11/11 on possibly helping George.   He is 62 and homeless, has one week left in the Salvation Army here in St. Petersburg, FL and is scared and depressed.  We will be meeting him tomorrow morning 7/12/11.  He cannot read well enough to fill out an application.    George is going to need a place to live, clothing, food, personal care items and extensive ongoing back-up/follow-up support for approx 12 months and possibly more.  Our support consists of a long list of services we offer to all our Friends In Need.  Can you help us Help George today?

3) Kristine  - 62 – Clearwater, FL.  - We met Kristine in this June.  She is a very able bodied, smart female with some issues which need attention.  She is aware of them and is currently working on them.  She currently is staying with a friend of the family but needs our guidance and support to see her through to success.  We are currently helping her look for work and coaching her through some of the issues she feels she needs to work on.   Can you Help us Help Kristine today? 

4)  Rubin – 21 – St. Petersburg, FL - Rubin is a new Father as of this May 2011.  He, his wife and newborn child are in need of housing and other very basic necessities.  They are young,  new parents as this is their first child.  We have been assisting this family since February of this year and we are in need of your assistance to help this family succeed.            

Please Donate Now>>>

 

5)  Earl – Knoxville, TN -  Earl is a talented household repairman who found himself living in his car unexpectedly about 9 months ago.  He has since had success in finding a home, but still needs some help getting stabilized.  He is very driven and does not like asking for help, in fact we are the ones usually calling him, not him calling us  :-))!   He needs work.  The best way you can help us help him is to give him some repair/renovation work at your home or business in Knoxville, TN.  Contact us for Earls contact information.  If you want you may also donate and we will help him with his rent or utilities to prevent him from losing his home.

6)  Rufus – St. Petersburg, FL - Rufus is a 50 year old Father of two adult children.  He is staying along with them in a local motel here.  He is a hard worker.  He works through a temp agency currently but is looking and wanting full-time employment.  The two adult children attend school, one is 18 and will graduate this June and the other is 21 and is going to school for her GED.  They are all struggling.  We have been involved with them since last October.  We have done a lot with and for them and they have done a lot to work on themselves.   What we here at STA are trying to do is help keep them afloat, moving Straight Ahead until they are stable and in their own apartment.  We are trying to prevent another and further situation of Social Decay.  Will you please help us Today?  Please Donate Now >>>  

7) John – Knoxville, TN - John’s story breaks my heart.  Like ALL the folks we help, there is a great deal to his story of which some of it we are unable to share.   John is a 47 ear old example of our system making a very massive mistake.  He has been trapped and caught up in the system.  No, he is not 100% without blame but he has not deserved to be where he is at this time.  He is from a very rural area of Tennessee and has not had the opportunities he needed to advance in day to day life and thus has been on the streets for most of his adult life.  We have been involved with John since 2008 and he is a very tragic story.  However, John is a great guy who is hungry for guidance and takes it.  He has housing, but you and i would not want to live there, trust me.  That in itself is not acceptable to us here at STA.  The “system” has placed him there.  That is also not acceptable.  He gets Social Security yes.     We want to obtain a better housing situation for John most importantly.  He has had housing now since late 2008 so he has gotten past the shock now of going from the streets to housing.  It was not an easy transition for John.  The problem is we need to be able to spend a great deal more time with John and when you spend as much time as we do with our Friends In Need, it takes more funds, more $$$.  Plain and Simple Fact.  No getting around it.  Will You Help us do more for John?  Will you help right now please?  


 

8)  Tiara – 21 – St. Petersburg, FL - Tiara is the 21 year old daughter of Rufus listed above.  She is struggling/fighting to find her “place” in this world.  We feel she has the potential and capabilities.  We are working on helping her discover those capabilities.  We have been focusing on keeping her Father afloat in order for him to keep Tiara and her brother safe.  Now it is time for us to shift into second gear and focus more on Tiara as she is displaying hunger for assistance.  The thing is….yes, we need funds to continue furthering our success with this entire family.  Will you Please Help right now?

9)  Donna – Oak Ridge, TN -  DONNA as seen here on our website is one of our severely disabled Friends In Need in the Knoxville/Oak Ridge TN are.  After her monthly SSI check of $674.00 she typically has about $25-$40 left to live on.  She is in ongoing need.  Can you help us help Donna today?  

  

10)  Brian – 18 – St. Petersburg, FL. –  Brian just graduated from High School.  Brian, although fairly able bodied, needs to be on disability.  Disability alone, will not sustain Brian.  He lives with his father, Rufus mentioned above.  They are struggling, and living in a motel of which none of you would ever want to stay at.  Can You Help us Help Brian today?

11)  Daphnie – 24 – Tampa, FL -  Daphnie was abused as a child and carries this with her through her daily life.  She is trying very hard and has made great strides in finding and developing her spirituality and inner self.  She is staying with a family member but it is not the most ideal environment.  For all intents and purposes Daphnie is still homeless or Couch Homeless and has been since approx 18.  We need your help to keep her on track and moving Straight Ahead.  Can you help us help Daphnie today?

12)  Edna – 70+ Knoxville, TN - Miss Edna is 70+ years old and just should not be on the streets of Knoxville or anywhere else for that matter.  She actually lived evidently within blocks of where we now live in Clearwater, FL.   She has been on the streets a very long time.  I personally do not know how she does it.  We have known of Miss Edna since approx 2007 in Knoxville.  She needs ongoing help as she does have multiple issues and only an org like ours can and will address those which are many.  We need your help to help Miss Edna long-term.  We would obtain a place for her to live and we would also maintain it.  We have volunteers in place and ready when we have the proper funds to address her living situation.  Can you help today please?  Now?  We would provide Miss Edna with all of our services.  

 Help us FIGHT SOCIAL DECAY TODAY!

 As of 7/11/11 – This Page is under construction and more info will be added to the following Friends In Need soon.  Please bear with us.  

Thank you! 

13)  Annise – 24 -St. Petersburg, FL -

14)  Gracie – 2 months (Infant/Newborn) – St. Petersburg, FL -

15)  James – Knoxville, TN -

16)  Dusty – Knoxville, TN -

17)  Darrell – St. Petersburg, FL -

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 106 other followers