Category Archives: Help

Family of 3…………….

03 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by in 501c3, Children, Clearwater FL, Disabled, Donors, Emergency, Families, Family, friends in need, Help, Homeless, homeless children, homelessness, Housing, Intervention, Jesus, Mobile Crisis, Shelters, Sheriff, St. Petersburg FL, Straight Ahead Outreach, Tampa Bay, Urgency

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

8/3/2011 – 10:10am

***UPDATE, 10:45pm:  Yep, been a long day.  As far as this Family of 3….yes.  We got them to a shelter here in Clearwater, FL. where at 10:45pm it is approx 90 degrees.  They will be sleeping outside under a carport style shelter on a narrow mattress placed on a hard plastic support pedestal much like the ones in this photo.  We have been involved with this family for almost  9 months now and it kills me to have to see them, including the 22-year-old female in the family sleeping outside inches away from strangers.  They are good people in bad times.  They are not allowed to use the restrooms inside and must use the outdoor ones.  They will be allowed 3 showers per week and will receive 3 meals per day.  We will continue to work on helping them to make this phase extremely short.  The photo above are of the style of mattresses they are sleeping on and the spacing.  Except this photo is of the sleeping area inside the shelter.  Theirs are outside as i stated already.  We will continue our Fight to end this episode of Social Decay as soon as possible.

I have not written for too long.  We have been simply too busy.  Plus, i simply do not have the “headroom” to really write.   It is 10:10am and i am scrambling to get to a Family of 3 who at 11:00am will be homeless and on the street.  Literally.  I have to get to them by 11:30 so we can make sure their belongings will be safe or else they will be discarded and stolen by staff onsite at the motel.  We are paying out of our personal funds to store their belongings and have done so for almost 9 months now.  We will transport them to a couple of shelters IF they have availability, but in this heat here in Florida like everywhere else, they are all pretty much full.  

The Family of 3 will be separated.   Wow, i am excited.  Aren’t you?

I know it is sarcastic.  No apologies.  I am pretty much over our people in our USA who could give a rats ass about our own.  Enough of us do not care except for our own pleasures and desires.

It takes more than a handful.  It takes more than a few dollars.  

Just a fact.

As always, i severely appreciate those of you who have helped us do what we do and i am not expecting you to give more.  You have given from Germany, Australia, Essex London, and the USA.  I expect more of the General Public to step it up and chip in.  I expect it yes, but i am not counting on it.  We will do what we can, if we can.  If we cannot, then we simply won’t.

I am on my way now to see what i can do for this Family of 3.  But yes, i am going to “try” to bring them to shelters.  Something STA is not fond of.   No matter what takes place today we will have worked our asses off for this family and we will have done all we can.  

IT will not have been enough.  

This is Social Decay at its very best.  

Lance Greene/Founder

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

2011 Financials Snapshot Update

22 Friday Jul 2011

Posted by in 501c3, charities, Chevrolet, Children, Clearwater FL, Diploma, disability, donations, Education, Families, Financial Statement, Financials, Ford, friends in need, Fundraising, GED, Health Care, Help, Homeless, homeless children, Homeless Veterans, Homelesscrisis, Housing, Intervention, Jesus, Knoxville TN, Mobile Crisis, Navy Veterans, Philanthropists, Police, Real Estate, Sheriff, St. Petersburg FL, Straight Ahead Outreach, Tampa Bay, Trucks, Uncategorized, Vans, Vehicle Repairs, Veterans

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

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

7/22/2011

Thank You for stopping by. 

We wanted to give everyone a brief snapshot of our year so far.  Our operating year is Jan – Dec.  

Total Donations received to date in 2011:   $1195.00

 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.  

If Not You, Then Who?

Since January of this year, we have assisted on a one on one basis over 100 people with a number of our services.  In addition, just this month we have placed two laptop computers on a “loaner” basis to two of our Friends In Need in order to provide them better access to look for jobs, housing and other needs rather than accessing the “Chronic Assistance Cycle”, we are showing them to do it on their own.  This weekend we plan spending time with two of them training them more on the use of the Internet, Microsoft Word and Excel.  The goal is to build them to self-reliance as soon as possible and get them Up&Out of the Chronic Assistance Cycle.  In addition, we will be meeting with 3 others this weekend for follow up interviews.  It all takes fuel and funds for meals at these meetings.  Remember, we are meeting and spending Time with those in need.  These are not Golf outings. 

We spend extensive time with all of those we encounter.  It takes money.  Plain and Simple Fact.

If you do the math, assisting over 100 people with food, clothing, transportation, extensive time and more, while funds raised is $1195.00. This breaks down to available funds of $11.95 for each person we have assisted.  It simply is not enough.  The money needs to come from somewhere.   When needed monetary donations do not come in, we are placed in a situation where we must use our personal funds.  When our personal funds are depleted as they are now…….then what?

We provide the communities in which we operate an extremely valuable service.  We need your help to continue this service. 

Help STA Fight Social decay.  Donate Today. 

Please Donate anything you can right now.  Please, even $1.00 will help as it all adds up together.  We are a 501c3 nonprofit and your donations are tax deductible under the full extent of the law.

**Mobile Crisis van update.  It is running and we are driving it, but the transmission still will not shift into high gear.  Still needing to replace the van as it has over 235,000 miles and is beginning to nickle and dime us.

We Thank You for taking the time today to read and visit our site.  We Thank You in advance for making a Monetary Donation today.

Lance Greene/Founder

A Wonderful Donation of IT Equipment

06 Wednesday Jul 2011

Posted by in 501c3, charities, Computers, Donors, Help, Homeless Crisis, homelessness, Intervention, Mobile Crisis, Tampa Bay, Trucks

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

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

For the last Two years Pat and i have been using computers that just did not work well.   They were extremely slow and would crash continually no matter what we did to clean them and speed them up.   We are a Mobile Crisis/Intervention Unit and most of what we do is exactly that…..Mobile.  STA has been needing computers to do our business, badly.   

Recently,  we/STA, received an overwhelmingly awesome Donation of IT Computer Equipment from the local office in Largo, FL of a National company headquartered in PA. 

TEN (10),  yes 10 computers and two docking stations.  

WOW!  We were stunned!  

It consisted of  -  6 Dell Laptops, two docking stations, 4 Dell Desktop Computers, each with 19″ Monitors ( 6 monitors in all) , keyboard and mouse.  They are all excellent computers.  They are used, but oh so awesome  :-))!

We are so deeply Thankful.

We will use the two docking stations along with two of the laptops and two of the 19″ monitors here at STA in order to conduct business.  I am using one right now as i write this and it is extremely helpful.

That will leave 4 laptops, and 4 desktop computers with 19″monitors left.  We will keep two of the computers in order to allow our Friends In Need to utilize them to look for work, seek housing, create resumes, make appointments, apply for benefits such as food stamps, learn how to use the internet and what it means and involves to them and society and to communicate with family and friends and more.

To STA, at this time, this is priceless.   In all honestly, anything given whether it be funds or usable items to STA, we regard as priceless.   We are a small 501c3 nonprofit Public Charity who truly needs your help to help us continue helping others.

Our next goal is a new/replacement  Mobile Crisis/Intervention van as our current one is on its way out.  :-(    It has served us well.  It is a 1995 Chevy Cargo van and we are hoping to obtain a replacement GMC maybe.  Shameless plug!  :-))! 

If you can help, please Donate Today, Now.   If you are unable to help financially, will you please pass the word on of those we help and the work we do?  That, would be a huge help.

What Can We Do For You in return?

Again, Thank You Thank You to the local company who donated the much-needed computers!  They will help us to continue our Fight against Social Decay!

Lance Greene/Founder

If Not You, Then Who?

WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

WOW! Purpose revealed! Jesus at Work!

27 Monday Jun 2011

Posted by in 501c3, Change, charity, Clearwater FL, disability, Education, Family, GED, Help, Homeless, Housing, Intervention, Jesus, Learning, Mobile Crisis, Police, St. Petersburg FL, Straight Ahead Outreach, Suicide Intervention

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

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

6/27/2011

WOW!  Yes, a young womans purpose is revealed and Jesus is at work!  She is moving Straight Ahead and Taking Back Her Life!  Gotta Love it!

 Ok, so sit back, this may be a long-winded story.  I will try to trim it but i make no promises :-))!

We, Patricia and i are so dang excited we just cannot stand it!  :-))!

I have written about this lady before on here.  She is a young black woman, approx 24 years of age with a difficult history shall we say.  Difficult for her that is.  She grew up fast, way too fast.  When she explains her past, you would think she was 45 as she always states she has been doing this or that “for many years”.    She is 24 and was tossed out at 18, began her deep decent withdrawing within herself in order to shelter herself from the pain and anguish which was her life as a child.

We were referred to her by Tomlinson Adult Learning Center here in St. Petersburg, FL.  in February of this year 2011.   

She was being “terminated” from a local multi-million dollar Domestic Violence program.  She had gone there due to an assault on her in roughly August 2010.

She was tough yet innocent.   Damaged, fragile, yet strong deep inside, we could see it.

When we picked her up from the back alley of the facility she was being asked to leave in February, she was scared.  Real scared, as i would be too and actually was for her because i had no idea what we were going to do for her or where we would bring her.  I scrambled big time for approx 5 hours before Patricia and i  were to pick her up.   Our first try is always to attempt to place someone with a family member, even if they say “ohhhhh there is just no way because they hate me” etc etc.  Usually when we speak to the family member and let them see that someone else is helping and has the Friend In Needs back, it helps to calm the situation.   We spend TIME, lots and lots of time and traveling all over the place to help our Friends In Need accomplish what they are needing to do.  To Take Back Their Life.

So, this young lady was scrambling in her head also.  She also was not sure what or where she would end up.  Above all, we did not want her to become “street homeless”, which the “program” she was being asked to leave was prepared to let her do.   We ended up placing her in a motel for the night to give her a chance to calm down a bit and to give me a chance to think.

The next morning we took her to her sisters in Tampa.   She agreed to let her stay.  It was difficult and trying.  But she stuck it out.  

We spoke extensively.  She did not like what i had to say, BUT, she listened, she responded, and she did what i told her to do.   She tried.  She stuck her neck out one more time.

Now please keep in mind, this young lady was no innocent angel, of course neither am i.  

She was to move to another part of Florida to go live in a possibly very stressful environment with someone she feared.   It would again keep her from being “street homeless”.  I drove to Tampa, over 25 miles one way and we spoke in length of the pros and cons of this move.   I wondered and wanted to know why she was going to go.  I did not agree with it.  I did not like the idea.  The exact reason i do not feel i can share here.  However, bottom line is i was concerned.  So, as i do many, pretty much every time i am speaking to our Friends In Need, i had a conversation with Jesus as the young lady and i also spoke.  I asked Jesus to direct me more specifically and to give me a “feel” as He always does for this specific situation.  

What happened was i went from not liking the idea of the young lady moving away to be with this relative who had done damage to her as a child and young adult to giving her ideas and tools on how to approach it and handle the situations she could find herself in.  Some of it was not easy to say to her and she pushed back on me.  She was upset with some of my thoughts and one in particular, but she knew why i had to say it to her.  She listened, she tried, she got mad……..and then she did what i told her to do.   WOW!

Yes, there are a number of parts of this story missing and there always will be as they are much too private and sensitive in nature.  BUT, i believe you have enough to go on.   Besides, this is not entertainment.  This is reality, this is Life as we know it.  SO, i will skip to the present…………………….>>>>>>>>>

This young black lady is succeeding!   BIG TIME!

She was able to listen, see her strengths, and keep on a path  Straight Ahead to Taking Back Her Life.

She, has found her Purpose!   Jesus was at work in her and still is!

1)  She now is helping in the office of her local Mission.  VICTORY!

2)  She was instrumental in bringing a lady to Jesus at her church and to her salvation.  VICTORY!

3)  She is now been trying to help a family of 7 who has been living in a van.  SHE, is now trying to help others instead of letting satan keep her trapped!  VICTORY!  BIG TIME!

4)  Her calls and emails are now filled with positives and clarity.  I am in awe once again.

5)  She actually called and asked how WE were doing?  She is putting us in touch with HER Pastor.  She is thinking of us and what she can do to help us further our cause.  She now has the ability to focus on other things, rather than just her pain.  Rather than what satan would like to see her focus on.  WOW!  VICTORY!

6)  She now has Her PURPOSE!   Yes, another VICTORY!

7)  She is now Taking back Her Life!     Massive VICTORY!!

I cannot begin to describe our feelings of awe.  In Jesus and in this young lady.  Once again, Jesus came through for us.   Once again Jesus showed a young lady, a Friend In Need who He was and how He would help!  

Recently, we received a donation from a large corporation of computers.  We are considering, driving 80 miles to deliver one of the laptops to her so she may further her forward motion and journey to Taking Back Her Life.   If you would like to help us with fuel costs please Donate below.   

What more can i say.   Oh yeah………

Gotta Love It!  :-))!

Lance Greene/Founder  

If Not You, Then Who?

WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!


What Can We Do For You In Return?

20 Monday Jun 2011

Posted by in 501c3, charities, donations, Gift Cards, Help, Intervention, Jesus

≈ Leave a Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,



6/20/2011

Yes, seriously, What Can We Do For You In Return for your assistance now?  

We have many needs as do all other nonprofits.  It is difficult for sure.  All Donations are tax-deductible under the IRS 501c3 code.

Our immediate needs in order to operate are:

1)  Gift Cards:  Gift Cards are a perfect way to help for most all our supplies and needs including fuel, food, toiletries, clothing, supplies, safe-motel stays and more. 

We Thank You In Advance.

Lance Greene/Founder & Pat Mishler/VP

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,545 other followers