MISSION
August 2016
WACO • WORLD
<www.missionwaco.org>
Order Up!
Mission Waco Youth Job Renovation Begins On
Training Program in the
Non-profit Grocery
Urban Edibles Food Trailer
On the corner of N. 15th St. and Colcord Ave,
you can get some of the most delicious and
unique food you ever ate in Mission Waco’s
“URBAN EDIBLES” food trailer, right there next
to the developing Jubilee Food Market. Behind
the ordering window, you will notice two sharp
young teens working hard in their first job. It’s
often tough for 16-year olds to find jobs. It is
even tougher when they are under-resourced.
But with an empowerment-based model of ministry driving their programs, this urban ministry
puts job readiness, training and finding at the
top of the list for both unemployed youth and
adults. Dewayne Weaver and Roderick Loyd,
Jr. completed the summer youth job training
program in mid-July. One is now working. Both
young men received their required food handlers certificates and learned to prep, cook and
clean. They also learned some business skills,
customer service and the basics of “soft skills,”
like workplace punctuality, resume writing, interviewing and application completion.
Since January, Mission Waco has trained thirty-three youth, ages 16-24, in pre-employment
job training skills. Almost one-half of these participants are from the 76707 zip code. Nine have
or almost have completed their paid work experience, getting 60 hours of on-site training in a
real job setting. Some of these will go on to full
or part-time employment, while others will return
to school to complete their education. With this
training, their resumes are growing and employability rises. Our goal is that living wage jobs will
be at their doorstep in the days ahead.
$428,850 raised to date
through OASIS shares ($25)
The dust is flying inside the old 1925
store as subcontractors and volunteers
do their magic to re-create the 6500sq’
food market that will finally provide
healthy and affordable groceries in
the lower-income neighborhood food
desert. To date, 91% of the $488,000
estimated project renovation has been
funded by donors from all over. While
individuals make up the huge majority of these generous givers, businesses
like Pepsico, Walmart and H.E.B. have
provided grants to help. The architect
volunteered his skills, as did the general contractor and painter. The new
Carrier HVAC units were donated from
Austin, TX. Many of the subcontractors
have discounted their fees for the project, which is expected to be completed
in 8-10 weeks, with a mid September
goal for the remodeling. A second fundraiser for the food inventory has begun
with a $30,000 match already committed by local Wacoans who hope others
will double their gift to fill the shelves
with fruit, vegetables and basic foods.
The twelve men, called the “Jubilee
Dream Team,” have guided the project
from it’s inception, using their professional grocery and design skills. The
hope is to open the grocery by mid-Octor or soon after. You are welcome to
drop by and see, donate or volunteer.
254.753.4900
“Shoes for the
Homeless” $45/pair
Annual Project Kicks Off
“Walk for the Homeless”
On Sunday, 9/18, 8:00am
When someone walks
miles and miles in old,
donated shoes, foot pain
is the norm, not the exception. Once a year,
Mission Waco offers
dignity to those in our
streets by raising funds
from the community that allow the homeless to pick out their choice of shoes in a
local retail store. Each year scores of these
men and women receive their new shoes at
the beginning of the “Walk for the Homeless.” The 1.2 mile walk is held this year on
Sunday, September 18, 8:00-10:30am, beginning at the Mission Waco Meyer Center,
1226 Washington. Individuals or groups
can attend the educational/prayer walk that
is a collaborative effort by many of the local churches and ministries and non-profit
organizations serving the poor. Participants
are encouraged to bring hygiene items for
the homeless. The casual walk stops at
Compassion Ministries, Caritas, My Brother’s Keeper, a local church, MHMR, the VA
Regional offices, and Salvation Army.
To purchase shoes:
Online through the website
<www.missionwaco.org> or send
your check to Mission Waco, 1315
N. 15th St, Waco, TX 76707 and
designate “shoes” $45.00 pair
To Walk: Just show up!
Strung Out, Unemployed,
Hopeless & Prison Bound
NOW RESTORED!
A STORY OF TRANSFORMATION
“My name is Steven Andrew Beal and I am a
recent graduate of TSTC WACO with an Associates Degree in Instrumentation Technology.
For a guy like myself it feels pretty awesome
to be able to say I have achieved such an accomplishment. You see not that long ago I was
driven to Waco with no intention of accomplishing this, the only thing I was concerned with
was finishing a 90 day treatment program that
I was court ordered to attend. This is where I
was first introduced to Mission Waco. I stood in
front of a two story house on 15th Street strung
out on a toxic drug that was ruining my life full
of fear of what a positive change might look like
but a greater fear of prison made the decision
for me. So I stayed and it ended up being the
best decision made thus far. Through Mission
Waco Manna House I was reintroduced to a
higher power that taught me a few traits which I
feel were crucial to success in overcoming what
seemed to be a no way out type of situation. I
learned to trust while being ambitious and never believe the myth that who I was determines
who I will be. With help of this higher power,
the staff, and close family members I began to
see the way out. An easy victory it was not, but
I’ve learned that anything worth having is worth
working hard for. I was approached by Carlton
Willis with the opportunity to attend TSTC with
a full ride scholarship to assist in turning what
seemed like a no way out situation into a new
way of life. I am very grateful for the opportunity
and took it very seriously in order to show appreciation. After lots of studying and listening to
instructors I am proud to say that the new way
of life I was wanting has been found. I couldn’t
have done it if not for making that one crucial
decision to STAY which I know was my God
guiding me down the path he intended for me
and placing Mission Waco on that path. Today I
am employed by MMR Constructors in Corpus
Christi Texas, living with my beautiful wife and
family members here. I am proud of my accomplishments, as well being here for others who
were there for me. In closing I would just like to
thank Mission Waco again for believing in me
and guiding me when I couldn’t and was lost.”
Note: While some of the AA Groups our participants
attend use the non-descript “higher power” language,
our residential program clearly claims that the “power” is the Creator God revealed through Jesus Christ
and the work of the Holy Spirit. We respect our residents right to use the language that is most comfortable to them as they grow to understand their faith.
Take the
“Other Side of
Waco” Tour
90 minutes can improve your perspective
of the whole city to guide your decisions
Fixer Upper, Magnolia Marketplace
and TV stars Chip & Joanna Gaines
have become household names around
here. Waco is back on the map! But
what many locals and certainly throngs
of visitors don’t know is that there is
another side of Waco that is worthy of
seeing. The unseen poor are still in the
shadows of our community and their
lives matter, too. For years, Mission
Waco has been offering free 90-minute
tours of the whole community, educating riders about the realities of poverty and offering ways to make a difference. You are welcome to join us. Call
254.753.4900 and arrange your tour.
Haiti School
Sponsorships
$228/year
tuition, uniform
& books
The poverty in Haiti is overwhelming. For
30 years folks from Mission Waco/Mission
World have been going to Ferrier in the
NE area of the country to drill water wells,
provide micro-loans, work in the churches
and sponsor hundreds of children to attend school. These sponsorships cost less
than $.80/day, but offer the poorest of the
poor a chance to get an education. Want
to make a difference in a child’s life? Contact us at <[email protected]>.
School starts in mid-September so don’t
wait too long. A child is waiting!
TRIP ADVISOR: 4.5 RATING
REVIEW: “Good place for a traditional breakfast. The prices are fantastic and
food was as expected- good. It’s a fair trade
restaurant so there is lots of fair trading
shopping in the back- that was a pleasant
surprise”.
Jerry Johnston
“Creative Arts
Memorial Fund”
Opens Window of Music
Training for Lower-Income
Children and Youth
Recent donation provides music
instruments and lessons
National Endowment of the Arts recognizes that poor kids are losing out in schools
when it comes to the high impact of the
arts. “Students should be exposed to a broad
and rich curriculum that includes not only
math and reading, but courses and clubs that
focus on dance, music, art, theater and other creative disciplines. The arts are important. They enrich our lives. They have always
offered ways to learn and express ideas.” A
recent donation of $10,000 from Barbara
Johnston was given because her own son
valued music and loved lower-income children. His tragic death has led to unforeseen
joy for Mission Waco children and youth
who will get their first cello, guitar, violin
or other instrument lesson this fall. Others
may get a voice or dance lesson. And based
on research, “These students who have access
to arts in or out of school tend to have better
academic results, better workforce opportunities, and more civic engagement, according
to the report.” Jerry’s legacy continues!
Mission Waco
Youth to D.C.
“We can can help change lives,
inspire their dreams, and
create more goal-oriented
leaders for tomorrow.”
Brian Townley
Fall Volunteer
Recruitment
2-3 hours a week
makes a difference!
Dorrell To
Invite Students
in Baylor Chapel
B.U. Orientations to Join Waco
Set for 8/30; 8/31; Community to
9/6; and Weekly
Address Poverty
in the office.
Donor & Author of “The Ripple Effect”
After weeks of selling candy and bake
goods and hot days of car washes, the Mission Waco’s youth program met a advocate
from Waco who wanted to meet them and
encourage their hard work and dream of
going to Washington, D.C. in early August.
Brian Townley is an author, speaker, real
estate entreprenuer and professional development specialist who believes investing
in others makes a difference for everyone.
He knew Mission Waco’s work through a
successful fundraising effort in the past
and believed in the “empowerment model” of impacting the lives of lower-income
folks. “Going to the nation’s capitol is a place
where everyone can feel part of something
bigger than themselves...recognizing the
work of our forefathers. History helps build
the connection between the past, present and
future. Nothing does that better than seeing
the sights that represent the people, ideas
and events that shaped the United States of
America,” says Townley. “I knew my family
and I had to be involved in this project.”
Because of their hard work and Townley’s
generous donation ($20,000), thirteen
middle-school youth and six sponsors will
spend three and a half days visiting the hallmarks of the Capitol, including the Washington Monument, Lincoln and Jefferson
Memorials, the war memorials, MLK, Jr.
Memorial, the Smithsonian, the White
House and Congress, and other sites along
the National Mall. It will be a life-changing
trip for these Waco kids and open their eyes
to the world in many ways.
Pray for them during their journey and
maybe in a decade they can return to D.C.
to make a difference for our nation.
From playing chess with urban children
to leading a “chapel” devotional at “My
Brother’s Keeper” homeless shelter to volunteer construction work in the developing Jubilee Food Market, there is a place
for you this fall. Volunteers are significant
contributors to the overall effort of Mission Waco to address various issues of
poverty in Waco and around the world.
If you or your group is interested in giving a few hours a week, go to <http://
missionwaco.org/volunteer/> for more
details or email us at <[email protected]>. If you want to schedule a
single event, visit the website at <http://
missionwaco.org/groups/> or contact us
at <[email protected]>. An application and brief orientation are required
of single volunteers. Call 254.753.4900 for
more information.
Local Churches Make a Difference
Western Heights Baptist Church
~Tutor a child
~Lead a King’s Club
~Help with mailouts
~Volunteer at the cafe
~Lead group recreation
~Provide refreshments
~Lead a shelter chapel
~Help with art class
~Help with theatre
~Host a party
~Teach job skills
~Mow yards
It Must Be Providence!
Poverty Simulation
Draws Local CEO &
French TV Station
Brett Esrock, CEO
Providence Healthcare
“I’m still recovering from the weekend, but I
can tell you this…it was an amazing experience. I am still processing it all, but this sure
has made me think differently about a lot of
things. Thank you for encouraging me to
do this for my project. Although it started as
a project, for Ascension Leadership Academy, it sure ended with a much bigger and
broader impact. I thank you and the staff at
Mission Waco for making this a memorable
weekend. I’m even thinking about a trip to
Haiti in the future and would never have
considered it before this experience.”
Laura Aguirre
France 2 TV
Paris, France
“My name is Laura Aguirre. I am a French
TV journalist. I work for the public tv channel called France 2, on a program called
Envoyé Spécial that could be compared to
PBS’s 60 minutes. I am working on a topic
about poverty, and I am very interested in
your actions and program. September 1618 seems to be perfect for us to attend your
Poverty Simulation in Waco.”
Poverty
Simulation
Dates
September 16-18
September 30-October 2
October 21-23
November 11-13
January 27-29, 2017
February 17-19 Friday 8:00pm March 24-26
Sunday 2:30pm
April 7-9
SEE DETAILS
April 21-23
HERE
http://missionwaco.org/poverty-simulation/
One weekend can
change your life!
MISSION
WACO • WORLD
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 74
1315 N. 15th Street
Waco, TX 76707
Change Service Requested
“Caring
Cup”
Golf
Thursday, Oct 13
Cottonwood Creek Scramble
Mission Waco’s annual fundraiser includes
a pre-scramble “Pastor/Partner Shootout”
at 11:30 in this popular community event
which begins at 1:00 for four-person teams.
Cost per team is $500 . Register soon. Contact Joyce at <[email protected]>
or call 254.753.4900 for more information.
You Can Trust
Us With Your
Donations!
Approximately 70% of Mission Waco’s
budget comes from donors just like
you! And because financial integrity is
part of our core ethics, we celebrate our
highest 4-star rating for transparency
and accountability that assures you the
funds you donate are used for what you
give them for. Check out their website
<https://www.charitynavigator.org> and
enter Mission Waco to see.
Champions of
Christian Service
Breakfast
Thursday, Sept 8, 6:45am
features NFL All- American Bill Glass & MCC
Golf Coach Vince Clark The 2016 No Need Among You (NNAY)
Waco Convention Center
Tables $325 (8 person)
Call 254.753.4900
Manna House
Recovery Program
Mission Waco’s Residential
Substance Abuse Rehab
voted #1 faith-based
program in Texas by
<testcountry.org>
Christian drug rehab centers and programs
recognize that addicts who seek a new life of
sobriety need the strength and love of Jesus
Christ. These programs usually conduct Bible study sessions and counseling.
Conference will take place October 5-7 at
Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. We hope you’ll make plans to join us
there. This year’s conference includes 55
workshops offering training, education &
best practices in Christian community development approaches to help and empower the poor and marginalized in Texas.
Special sessions this year include a hunger
tract organized by the Texas Hunger Initiative, as well as sessions on education,
poverty, race, economic development, social justice & advocacy. We’ll also have a
tract focused on nonprofit organizational
development & management. REGISTER
NOW at <http://txccdn.wildapricot.org/
event-2145870>. Early bird rates available
through Sept. 2! Register now to take advantage of the savings.