Full Transcript for Unconventional Methods Get Outsize Results

experience in community with other young people like themselves, and to reach out to the poor every day. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:30.160 In Denver, we have 30 missionaries, 30 full-time volunteers, and in Philadelphia, we have 20. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:40.879 So they form a very beautiful community of young men and women, and they grow together and they go out to the streets together. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:56.560 So they enjoy being part of this group of um people that want to have the same goals, the same uh desires to grow in their faith, and at the same time to reach out to the poor and help them. 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:03.040 So these are young people that come to you who are pretty much self-identified based on what you've said. 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:05.920 They identify themselves, they want to be a part of this. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:14.240 And then um they are used um in a um in a ministry to the poor. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:18.720 Um, and there was something there's another thing, I was gonna say something else about that. 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:21.920 Um, that these are what college-age kids? 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:24.319 Are they high school, uh older? 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:31.680 It's it's so the requirement would be 18 through 27. 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:50.959 Most of them are, I would say between 22 to 25, usually, usually when they finish college before starting to work or doing a master's degree or something, that's when they take this gap year to volunteer. 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:53.920 This is a street ministry, is what it is then. 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:56.800 You're you you go down right to the streets. 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:00.480 Um, and uh, do these people get any training? 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:03.120 Are there what kind of supervision do they get? 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:05.360 I'm just kind of curious is this organic? 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:06.319 How does it work? 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:13.439 Yes, at the beginning of the year, we have like almost three weeks to a full month of training. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:22.240 The training begins with building the community of friends, because that is going to be key. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:31.360 It's a it's a it's a part that we can't miss because once they start going out to the streets, they are going to see very tough situations. 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:36.879 So the support that they need is what we build at the beginning. 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:41.199 This is 30 people or 20 people coming from different states, different walks of life. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:44.959 And they we we emphasize a lot the friendship. 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:54.240 So they create a beautiful community that is going to become the support throughout the year for them to be able to go to the streets. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:08:00.000 We divide the community, let's say we have 30 missionaries in Philadelphia, in Denver. 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:07.680 We divide the community in small groups, and that group becomes a team, a street team. 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:12.639 So the same group walks the same route the whole year. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:15.839 So that has many uh advantages. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:37.600 One is that it's a small group that they really get to know each other, they really get to help each other, they walk the street together, and they meet the people living in the streets on those routes because homeless people usually live in the same area, even in the same street. 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:41.679 So that's what that's important for us, the consistency. 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:59.200 I'm going, we're going to share how we do our ministry later, but that that consistency of the same small community of people reaching out to a single person living in the streets every day, every month, and every year, it's very important for them. 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:04.480 So um, these people walk the same routes, they meet a lot of the same people. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:07.120 Is the goal simply to befriend these people? 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:09.519 Do they provide some sort of services? 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:12.399 Do they find out what they need and direct them in the right way? 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:14.240 Do they invite them to church? 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:16.720 What's the parameters of the ministry? 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:26.320 Yes, that's when it comes the to the interesting part because Mother Teresa had a very profound saying. 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:34.159 She said, Many people talk about the poor, but very few people talk to the poor. 00:09:35.759 --> 00:09:36.720 Let's say that again. 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:40.960 Repeat that very many people talk about the poor. 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:44.559 Very few talk to the poor exactly. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:46.080 That's a very big difference. 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:47.200 It is. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:55.279 And after walking the streets for these 12 years or so, we have found something that is important. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:02.559 At the root of homelessness, there are always broken relationships. 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:10.159 There are there is crime, addictions, financial struggles, mental issues, everything. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:14.399 But there is one common denominator, broken relationships. 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:26.159 Something happened at some point in the in their lives, and it could be one of the of the previous crime, it can be addiction or something, but at the end, there are broken relationships. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:32.960 These people that really don't have anybody in the world, anybody to reach out to. 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:39.840 And because of that, that's why we can understand that there are many resources. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:45.519 There is food, there is medicine, there are shelters, there is money, there are houses. 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:49.039 But at the same time, there are many people living in the streets. 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:59.039

So why people living in the streets don't reach out to the many resources and money that is being offered to them in different ways? 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:13.279 Because for many of them, I wouldn't say everybody, but for many of them, they don't have this someone or some people with them to help them to overcome their situation. 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:20.320 So what we provide, uh, when we see this broken relationship, we provide healthy relationships. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.480 We provide friendship in Christ. 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:26.879 We we reach out to them to get to know them. 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:33.519 We don't offer food, we don't offer anything, we just offer friendship. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:42.159 You know, and uh let's talk about that because this you know, homelessness is in in some places an epidemic. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:48.320 Um, and uh there's all this hand-wringing about what it is and what causes it. 00:11:48.559 --> 00:12:00.159 And generally speaking, the uh the public or uh our government answer, the civil answer is to throw money at it, either through facilities or or drug rehab programs or something. 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:08.399 But what you're saying is at the root of all of this is a lack of a relationship, the lack of human contact. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:15.600 And so there's no amount of material or social programming that's gonna make up the difference for that. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.039 That's not gonna compensate. 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:30.559 So you're you what you say is that you are providing that, and as you're providing it within a Christian setting, so you're offering them the love of Christ, which enables them to connect, to reach out. 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:37.440 Um, and then uh if if they need some sort of quote unquote services, you can direct them to the right place. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.519 But that's not what you really you're providing. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:42.000 You're providing friendship to these people, correct? 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:52.960 Yes, that's that's exactly because I would say many people living in the streets, they have lost the desire to overcome their situation. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:13:00.159 They they have already assumed that they're going to be living like that and die like that. 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:01.840 Nothing is going to change. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:08.080 So they've come to they've come to accept their situation, they've become passive in their situation. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:15.200 So even if there are if there are resources, I don't need them, I don't want them, I can't. 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:16.639 It's very difficult. 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:19.039 So why is that happening? 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:25.519 Because they they see themselves, they don't want to see themselves as a problem to be fixed. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:33.919 What we what we say, one of our mottoes is a homeless person is not a problem to be fixed, it's a person to be loved. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:46.960 So once they we respect their dignity, we see them as they are, where they are at, where we see them in the in the in the uh streets and start talking to them. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:47.679 Yes. 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:48.720 How are you doing? 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:49.840 How is your day going? 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.559 Tell me about your family, what are your desires? 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:58.240 And we can at the beginning, of course, they are like a little bit uh surprised. 00:13:58.399 --> 00:13:59.919 And why are you coming? 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:00.799 Why are you here? 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:07.039 Okay, there's no there's a degree of suspicion, there's a degree of being closed. 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:12.639 Um, they're afraid of being either uh hurt or to be uh what's the word? 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:21.200 Um taking advantage of, sort of taking advantage of, um, either materially or spiritually, either one or both. 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:25.200 Um that you know that explains a lot, Eduardo. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:26.879 That explains a lot. 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:40.480 We see now that you bring the the faith aspect, one of the things that they reject very soon is people that come and want to fix their situation. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:50.159 That's why many case workers don't have much success because they come with a mentality, let me fix you, let me let me fix your problem, let me solve your problem. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:51.360 Let me fix you. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:52.000 I love it. 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:53.279 Let me fix you. 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:54.639 You know, I will solve this. 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:56.480 You know, I'll just let me fix you. 00:14:57.039 --> 00:15:02.559 And on the other side, they they need many what they say preachers. 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:12.320 So they don't want to be preached because they feel that it's it's another form of trying to fix me because I have I have something that is broken. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:16.159 It's either fix me materially or save me spiritually. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:17.039 Exactly. 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:18.159 That's what they're saying. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:26.320 So when we approach them, we just approach as friends, as opening our friendship to them. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:34.480 Of course, the conversation about our faith, beginning with the name of our organization, they have their t-shirts, it says Christ in the city. 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:43.279 The conversation about faith and God and Christ and what that comes up naturally, probably in the first, in the first conversation. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.240 That's very natural, but we don't come with that mentality. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.159 We just explain what we do. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:58.080 What we try to be, Christ in the city, the name is beautiful because we we aspire, we we want to be Christ, walk in the streets. 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:01.840 We want them

to see Christ in our missionaries, in us. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:07.679 We want them to see Christ extending their hand to them, smiling to them. 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:12.639 But at the same time, we see Christ in the suffering. 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:17.840 We see Christ in them that are in our friends in the streets, that's how we call them. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:19.440 We see Christ suffering. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:28.639 So we it's an encounter in which they see Christ coming to them, and we see Christ in them waiting for us to come to him. 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:40.000 And and that's why that's why the name Christ in the city, Christ is walking the city, and we encounter Christ in the people suffering in the city. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:57.519 Now, um, do these um do you have um uh well I'm sure they are, but I'd be I'm I'm sure that they're invited to formal worship services at some point, uh, invited to sit to to uh either take the can the elements or whatever is needed there. 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:03.840 Um is there a particular parish they're invited to, or is it in the street, or how is it all set up? 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:16.960 What we usually do is we have a beautiful story of one of our friends in the streets that he was not Catholic or Christian or anything, but he got to know the a group of missionaries. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:23.599 And at some point, the missionaries told him that, okay, goodbye, we are going to Mass at the cathedral. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:25.680 And he said, Well, what's the cathedral? 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:29.039 Well, the cathedral is this beautiful church, it's big. 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:30.720 Okay, can I come with you? 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:31.759 Sure, come with us. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:34.960 And they and he and he came to Mass with them. 00:17:35.200 --> 00:17:43.200 And the cathedral in Denver, it's beautiful because it has these amazing stain glasses that are beautiful. 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:46.880 So he came into the cathedral and just saw this. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.559 He had never been inside. 00:17:49.039 --> 00:18:05.920 He was in awe, contemplating the beauty of the stain glasses, and then the missionary started explaining to him what were the stain glasses about, the story behind, and that was a very natural process to him to get closer to the church. 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:07.680 Finally, he became Catholic. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:22.160 He came into the Catholic Church, but as this natural process, it was not an indoctrination process, it was just sharing the beauty of the faith that the missionaries uh live. 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:24.480 And that's how he became. 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:31.279 So we don't have um, we don't try to bring them to a service or to a mass or to an event. 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:34.240 If it happens naturally, that's going to happen. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:43.200 Another beautiful story, one of our friends, uh Roy, he became sick, very, very, very sick. 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:47.519 He was living in the streets uh because he had some alcohol issues. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:50.240 And one day he was about to die. 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:57.039 And he he was admitted into the hospital, and the doctors asked him, okay, let me call your family, your friends. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.119 Probably you're not going to make it. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:04.079 And he said, Well, my only friends are the Christian city missionaries. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:13.920 So the the hospital called the missionaries and they came and they prayed with him, and they prayed for him throughout the night, the whole night. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:24.480 And Roy says that he was almost unconscious, and he felt the prayer of this group of young people praying for him. 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:32.720 And he asked God, he suddenly had this desire to pray, and he prayed, God, give me one more chance. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:36.640 And if I make it through the night, I'm really going to recover. 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:39.200 So he prayed with them. 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:41.279 They prayed with him, and he prayed. 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:44.079 Finally, he recovered, thanks be to God. 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:49.440 And that began his process of coming out of the streets. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:55.759 He reconnected with his daughters, uh, and he finally had that desire. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:00.319 That's what I was telling you, that desire to overcome his situation. 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:11.119 Because with friendship, one of the things that happened is once you start you become friend with someone, then you start trusting someone. 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:12.799 So trust appears. 00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:18.400 And with trust, you become like, okay, I trust in you. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:24.480 If you think that I can recover and you help me, I will do it. 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:25.839 I I can do it. 00:20:26.079 --> 00:20:30.000 And that's when the missionaries start, accompany them. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:41.440 Sometimes it's a very practical step, like getting an ID, because many people in the streets have have lost their documents, IDs, and social security many years ago. 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:57.279 So start recovering the ID, going into a detox session or a court hearing, whatever they need, that's when the missionaries start accompanying these people to in the process, even housing, of course. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:19.200 So I think it's beautiful to see that uh friendship uh becomes into trust, and trust becomes into this desire to break the shell that is covering them, that it's not allowing them to recover uh and start the path to recover. 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:27.440 You know, um I'm sitting here listening to this, and this is very sincere, it's very serious. 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:30.079 That kind of thing takes time, Eduardo. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:32.799 So what is the tenure of these people? 00:21:32.960 -->

00:21:35.200 Are they a year, two years, three years? 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:36.640 What sort of tenure do they have? 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:38.640 Your your your field staff? 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:55.599 The missionaries they do one year, which is 11 months, and if they desire, which is about 50 percent desire to do a second year, one more year, after that they have to just move on and do something else. 00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:56.079 Okay. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:22:11.920 We think that one year is or two years, it's It's a perfect time for them to grow personally and then to be able to do this very demanding ministry because it is difficult. 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:13.440 It is it is very difficult. 00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:28.799 I can only imagine because um now do you I presume that you have relationships with um uh medical providers, with law enforcement, uh, with these kinds of things where it becomes necessary to involve these people, correct? 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:30.160 Yes, yes. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:37.359 We have partnerships and connections with all kinds of organizations, beginning with law enforcement, of course. 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:54.319 Uh we organize, so our ministry is about going into the streets, but once a week we open, um we invite them to come to a lunch that we organize in a Central Park uh in Denver and Philadelphia and downtown. 00:22:54.720 --> 00:23:00.160 So we we bring them to have a meal, and it's not a food line. 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:07.599 Of course, there is a food line for them to get their food, but then we have chairs and tables and we sit at the park. 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:27.039 And that's when uh we invite the bigger community, the bigger Catholic community to come and join us in this lunch, which is that's when we connect to the third goal of President City, which is about sharing what we are doing with as many people as possible. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:38.160 So every Wednesday when we do the lunch in the park, a different parish organizes the meal, they prepare the meal, and they come with their volunteers from each parish. 00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:48.319 Okay, and the missionaries who we already know, our homeless friends, that we we introduce them to our homeless friends to have a meal with them. 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:53.839 Because, of course, it is intimidating to talk to a homeless person just like that. 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:55.279 It's difficult. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:59.920 So, and are these held outside, inside the park, the church? 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:09.680 Okay, outside, yes, and I'm sure that's on purpose so that there's the uh the homeless person doesn't feel threatened or maybe they're being herded into a building or whatever. 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:15.119 Yes, many many of them feel uncomfortable in a closed space. 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:15.680 Uh-huh. 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:23.759 So that's why I was I was saying that um I was connecting up through law enforcement. 00:24:23.839

--> 00:24:33.279 Every now and then we have to call the police because of course if someone comes and it's like making some troubles, we have to call them. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:40.640 But they already know Crest in the city, they come and they are very welcoming and slowly try to help us. 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:59.039 And that's why we partner with them, with hospitals, with shelters, with um psychologists and different people, because at some point, when the time comes, we can start accompanying our friends in the streets to all of these resources. 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:01.839 It can take some time. 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:05.119 We have uh another story, another beautiful story. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:11.599 We have uh uh uh one of our friends who was homeless for 46 years. 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:17.279 He ran out of his house uh 12 years old. 00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:20.000 And he as a child, as a child. 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:25.519 As a child as a child, and of course, so everything nothing worked with him. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:29.839 He tried working, he tried caseworkers, he tried everything, nothing worked. 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:36.240 At some point, he decided, okay, this is my life, and he lived many, many years like that. 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:41.359 So one day, this group of young people came to his uh tent. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:45.759 He was not even a tent, he was living inside a little thing close to the river. 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:49.599 And uh they, hey, how are you doing? 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:51.599 And the conversation started. 00:25:51.839 --> 00:26:02.160 And then uh after a while, he started saying, Hey, go away because the police is going to come, and because and they are going to kick me out of my space. 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:18.400 So then the friendship started to uh develop, and after a while, after probably eight months, finally he decided to overcome his situation. 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:29.039 He applied for an ID, and he finally now he lives in a very beautiful um apartment because he was able to overcome this with the friendship. 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:33.759 So it took him about eight months. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:35.519 So it takes time. 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:49.599 Oh that's why the missionaries they spend the whole year and then they when they are moving out, the new class of missionaries come and they overlap and they share the friendship that they have in the streets with a new group. 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:55.039 Okay, and that's why they are never never abandoned, and we keep the friendship going. 00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:56.799 So there's this continuity. 00:26:57.039 --> 00:27:03.599 So you're talking about the same route, the same people, continuity over time. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:04.160 Yes. 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:10.480 So we're looking, you probably have people that you work with, what, five years, six years, seven years? 00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:25.039 Yes, because of course there is a number of people living in the streets that are not necessarily going to get out of the streets because of their mental struggles, because of many, many different situations. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:29.759 That doesn't mean that they can't have a better life. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:49.599 They can have a better life even if they keep living in the streets, because there are so many complicated situations and even mental situations, that we we estimate that about 19% of homeless people are going to be chronically homeless. 00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:52.640 Let's say stay in the streets for a number of years. 00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:58.559 Most of homeless people become homeless because something happened and then they recover. 00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:01.519 They find a job, they find someone and they recover. 00:28:01.599 --> 00:28:08.160 But there is this percentage of people that are not going to be able to recover easily or never. 00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:14.799 We don't know exactly how many finally are going to live in the streets, probably for many, many years. 00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:19.839 Those are the people that we usually uh try to help the most. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:20.559 Okay. 00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:22.240 All right. 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:24.640 This is fascinating. 00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:32.160 So at any given time, uh, how many how many volunteers do you have in your program at any given time on average? 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:37.920 Um, well, we have the the 50 full-time missionaries. 00:28:38.079 --> 00:28:38.480 Yes. 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:47.599 We have for the summer, we have another just the summer is a three-week program, about I would say 200. 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:54.079 And then we have a short spring program for college-age students, about 300 more. 00:28:54.799 --> 00:29:07.839 And from these parishes that I was telling you, and schools and different organizations, we train about 1,000 volunteers per year in this way to approach the poor. 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:26.160 Because not necessarily not everybody can do this ministry and go out to the streets for a year, but everybody can really discover this relational approach to homeless people more than just a transactional approach. 00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:34.720 For example, a very typical question that we get is do we give money to that homeless person in the traffic light or not? 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:45.119 And it's a tricky question because it's first of all, it's up to every uh each one of us to decide if we give money. 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:54.000 But I what we recommend, what I do, is first of all acknowledge the person that it's in the in this in the corner in the traffic light. 00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:58.640 And just see at that person and smile and wave if you can. 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:07.440 That makes a big difference because people in the in the corner with a little sign that says anything help, they become invisible. 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:09.759 And nobody

sees them. 00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:12.640 And of course, we many times we feel uncomfortable. 00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:15.359 Do I see this person is going to come or not? 00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:22.000 So the first step is to acknowledge the person that you see in the traffic light. 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:23.920 Just say hi. 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:26.960 That's going to change their day. 00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:30.799 Even if it's just one car throughout the whole day that say, Hey, hi. 00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:33.359 That is very, very significant. 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:41.039 The next step is to, if if possible, if if if you feel comfortable, just say, How are you doing? 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:41.759 How is your day going? 00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:42.720 I am Eduardo. 00:30:42.799 --> 00:30:43.759 What's your name? 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:45.440 And they would say your name. 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:48.960 And if you can repeat their name, hey Tom, very nice to meet you. 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:54.720 Because they many times they don't hear their name, never, not in a month or in a week. 00:30:54.880 --> 00:30:56.480 Nobody, nobody knows their name. 00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:04.960 So you're saying the way to deal with a panhandler at an intersection is to get their attention and say hello. 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:10.480 Um, they're gonna come over and they're gonna ask you for a for a handout. 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:11.759 How do you handle that? 00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:17.599 What I usually say, hey, I don't have any money right now, but I just wanted to say hi and I'm going to pray for you. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:19.119 Have a great day. 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:24.960 If I feel comfortable, I would even extend my hand and give them a handshake. 00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:26.960 Uh I think that's beautiful. 00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:39.440 Another thing that we is very useful is to have a small bag, we call it the curkey, uh curk kit, with something that is going to be useful for them, but not necessarily money. 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:49.440 It can be like a pair of socks and a soft granola bar, a bottle of water, uh, an apple or something, something soft in general. 00:31:49.759 --> 00:31:57.519 So that we try to keep in our cars uh something to that is going to be useful more than money. 00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:04.000 I would say in many cases, money is not the most important need that they have. 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:11.519 The most important need for them is, first of all, to be for them to be acknowledging their dignity. 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:12.640 I see you. 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:18.319 You are there, you are suffering, I acknowledge you, I say hi, I offer my name. 00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:29.039 So you're saying um that someone might approach you and ask you for food, but perhaps food isn't what they're really looking for, not fundamentally, correct? 00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:34.240 Well, in that in the intersection, they they are expecting money, of course. 00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:36.480 They are there to get money. 00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:42.480 It's not up to us to judge what they are going to do with their money, because we never know. 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:47.920 Sometimes they really need the money, sometimes they are going to use the money in the wrong way, of course. 00:32:48.319 --> 00:32:49.119 Drugs and alcohol. 00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:50.559 Yeah, yes. 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:57.440 So that's why giving money or not, it depends on not on the judgment that we can do. 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:01.839 I think you're going to use the money whether or not it's it's it's up to us to give money. 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:07.599 But what we know for sure is they need their dignity to be respected. 00:33:07.759 --> 00:33:12.880 They need attention, they need someone to acknowledge that they are there, they are not invisible. 00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:15.200 That's independent of their situation. 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:21.359 If they are alcoholics or addicts, whatever, they are still human people, human persons. 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:25.440 And they they are longing for this connection. 00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:32.480 And that connection can be a 10 seconds, even less, exchange of, hey, how are you doing? 00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:33.279 Have a great day. 00:33:33.359 --> 00:33:34.240 I'm going to pray for you. 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:35.200 Goodbye. 00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:37.279 That is very significant. 00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:40.160 That really changes the lives of them. 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:45.759 We have missionaries that have been standing in the corner with them in the intersection. 00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:53.599 And they were stuck and they were really shocked to see how many people don't see them. 00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:55.359 So they are really invisible. 00:33:55.599 --> 00:34:01.519 And at the at the beginning, it was surprising, but then it became, they became shocked. 00:34:02.480 --> 00:34:03.200 We are here. 00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:08.639 So that's that's what I would say. 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:16.960 I think the natural inclination is to is to avert your eyes, um is to avoid making eye contact. 00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:20.880 Um this person will come over and they'll want something from you. 00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:22.480 How do you handle that? 00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:28.320 Um Eduardo, when I was growing up, um my father had a rule. 00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:32.079 Um, is what I've sort of come to look for. 00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:38.000 He would never give anyone money, but he would offer them a meal. 00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:49.920 And if they took him up on it, he would go out of his way to take them to a restaurant or someplace with or a sandwich shop, wherever, where they can get a meal. 00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:51.599 Now, I have done that. 00:34:51.679 --> 00:35:04.079 I've done that when I was in younger, and then in college when I was in Pittsburgh once when this uh was a busy day, right downtown,

um, you know, busy, you know, business people everywhere. 00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:06.559 And this man approaches me. 00:35:06.719 --> 00:35:13.679 Um, he didn't look homeless, but he approached me and asked me for money for food or something. 00:35:14.239 --> 00:35:18.000 I forgot what the story it was he gave me, but it sounded plausible at the time. 00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:22.159 And I said, Well, I won't give you money, but I'll give you food. 00:35:22.320 --> 00:35:23.280 He said, Sure. 00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:25.760 So we went to a local sandwich shop. 00:35:25.920 --> 00:35:31.280 I went to the cashier, I gave the cashier enough money that he could buy pretty much what he wanted. 00:35:31.519 --> 00:35:38.639 And then I then I and I think as I think back on that, you see, I was in a rush to get out of there, go back to the office. 00:35:38.880 --> 00:35:44.719 I think it would have probably been better for me to just sit with him while he had his meal, correct? 00:35:45.920 --> 00:36:01.519 If you could, yes, it's I would I wouldn't say there is a one way, because of course if you are busy or if you don't feel safe or uh it's not the right time, you can do as much as you can, and that's I think that's fine. 00:36:01.760 --> 00:36:09.039 Especially for women, for example, they yeah, it's a different for a woman, and it's a different because they it could be dangerous. 00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:25.760 So that's why I always say if you feel safe, um even if you just say this was in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week on a busy street, and he went into a sandwich shop with me, people sitting there eating, and I ordered for him. 00:36:25.920 --> 00:36:28.239 Well, no, I gave her the money and she and he ordered. 00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:32.159 So in that case, I could have sat there and and and had lunch with him. 00:36:32.239 --> 00:36:37.360 It was this wasn't in the middle of the night or a shady street or uh something else, you know. 00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:43.360 And um, but I can understand if it's if it's a if it's a female, there's a whole different set of problems, issues there. 00:36:43.599 --> 00:36:45.760 Um, and I can see that, yeah. 00:36:45.920 --> 00:37:09.280 Um I would say in general would be to uh in it, even if the in the biggest uh sense, we it's easy to give something in terms of it can be food, it can be money, it can be medical attention, it could we and the and the city and the state and the organizations can give a lot of things, which is and that is needed. 00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:19.519 Of course, they need those things that are provided, but something is still missing, which is this relational approach, this encounter, this contact. 00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:22.559 And this contact can have many different expressions. 00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:26.320 Like in our case, is we go out and sit with them in the streets. 00:37:26.559 --> 00:37:32.719 Volunteers, they come come to a lunch with at the park in an open space and they share a meal with them. 00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:37.599 It can be at the traffic light, it can be even beyond homelessness. 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:45.679 It can be, let's say, if we have uh a grandmother that is we know she's lonely and far away and she's grumpy. 00:37:46.239 --> 00:38:15.199 I can call her, I can call her, and I can I can I can take upon me the uncomfortable moment of talking to my grumpy uncle or or friend because I want to I want to offer an encounter, I want to offer this friendship that and I think that that's why the approach is not necessarily to homeless people, but people in need that many times are around us. 00:38:15.679 --> 00:38:23.519 Who in my family, in my group of friends, in my community, in my neighborhood, needs accompaniment. 00:38:23.679 --> 00:38:27.840 They need this relational approach, this encounter. 00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:33.039 That's something I can give, and I can face rejection. 00:38:33.199 --> 00:38:35.760 Of course, in the streets, we face rejection many times. 00:38:35.920 --> 00:38:36.960 Yeah, no, I don't want. 00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:38.239 Well, goodbye. 00:38:38.480 --> 00:38:39.199 That's fine. 00:38:39.360 --> 00:38:41.519 That's part of the that's part of charity. 00:38:41.599 --> 00:38:46.559 That's part of we know that we are doing this for their own good. 00:38:46.800 --> 00:38:50.079 In our case, we do this for our faith as well. 00:38:50.239 --> 00:38:57.679 So we take upon ourselves the rejection and the uncomfortable moment of starting an awkward conversation. 00:38:58.159 --> 00:39:09.440 But everybody in our lives, we can take upon ourselves the awkward conversation with this person that it's annoying but needs help. 00:39:10.159 --> 00:39:11.119 And I can do it. 00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:12.400 I love when you said that. 00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:17.280 That's annoying because you know, you just feel that, oh, I really want to do this. 00:39:17.360 --> 00:39:19.280 I mean, do you really want to get involved with this? 00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:20.880 And there's that, yeah. 00:39:21.039 --> 00:39:30.320 And then the other thing I was thinking of when you were describing this is when Jesus says, um, when you do it to the least of these, you've done it to me. 00:39:30.559 --> 00:39:33.760 And he talks about that, what that really means. 00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:37.199 Um, and he's talking about a relationship of some kind. 00:39:37.519 --> 00:39:40.239 Uh, he's not talking about just a handout. 00:39:40.400 --> 00:39:42.079 I mean, it's easy to hand money to people. 00:39:42.159 --> 00:39:48.480 Well, we live in a very wealthy society where giving money or giving things is actually the easiest thing you can do. 00:39:48.719 --> 00:39:51.039 It's the most effortless thing you can do. 00:39:51.119 --> 00:39:52.159 It's always there. 00:39:52.400 --> 00:40:00.639 But to give them time, uh, which is uh that's the key thing, is giving them time, that that contact. 00:40:00.719 -->

00:40:02.800 You know, I never thought of it that way, Eduardo. 00:40:02.880 --> 00:40:08.800 I mean, this isn't something that is really a very occurrent subject of the homeless. 00:40:08.960 --> 00:40:14.320 And yeah, and these people are in some way disenfranchised. 00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:19.760 They might be hungry, they may not be hungry, but they are disenfranchised. 00:40:20.320 --> 00:40:24.480 And how you manage to make that reconnection. 00:40:24.639 --> 00:40:31.840 Um, either you're you you're not just feeding them or saving their soul or whatever it is that your your goal is. 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:37.440 Uh, and it for Christ in the city, the goal is to make that contact and to make that friendship. 00:40:37.599 --> 00:40:40.000 And from wherever that leads, it leads. 00:40:40.159 --> 00:40:47.519 Um, for example, now we we have so many volunteers that we can bring them, all of them, to the lunch in the park. 00:40:47.599 --> 00:40:50.239 So this not the missionaries, but the volunteers. 00:40:50.320 --> 00:41:07.760 So we now we have opened our night ministries and we go to jails, we go to nursing houses, we go to um uh shelters as well, to places where people are just being alone and in need because, or they don't have other people. 00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:20.880 Of course, many times they they suffer some kind of poverty or or challenge, but we bring this connection, this friendship, which is come in our case, it comes out of the love of Christ. 00:41:21.199 --> 00:41:24.639 And I would say the transformation, it's amazing. 00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:40.960 It's it's it's very beautiful to see how people light up when they see these people coming and just to talk to me, just to encounter and have a conversation, a 30-minute conversation that we all have throughout the day all the time. 00:41:41.199 --> 00:41:42.079 They don't. 00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:50.719 They don't have that 30-minute conversation with someone that is really caring about me, sharing about soccer or football or something. 00:41:50.880 --> 00:41:53.440 They they they are longing for this. 00:41:54.320 --> 00:42:04.800 And it's amazing to see how these small connections become the missing piece for them to recover, to start a new life. 00:42:05.039 --> 00:42:11.039 And that is very difficult to quantify and to explain because you see how long it takes me to explain to you. 00:42:11.599 --> 00:42:20.320 Well, actually, it's pretty easy, but what you're dealing with is a lot of preconceptions that you're having to get beyond. 00:42:20.559 --> 00:42:27.039 Now, I want to move to uh this, of course, is a you're an independent lay ministry, correct? 00:42:27.199 --> 00:42:27.519 Yes. 00:42:27.679 --> 00:42:28.000 Uh-huh. 00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:31.199 It's a normal 54163, a nonprofit organization. 00:42:31.519 --> 00:42:37.440 So is this you're supported 100% by uh charity, by individual donations? 00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:38.400 Yes. 00:42:38.719 --> 00:42:54.880 So about 25%

of our fundraising is done by the missionaries, which they they um reach out to their friends and family to pay for a quarter of their participation uh cost. 00:42:55.440 --> 00:42:57.840 And we fundraise the other 75%. 00:42:58.320 --> 00:43:05.280 So we do events, we have one-on-one encounters of uh ask for donors to support us. 00:43:09.360 --> 00:43:10.079 I like that. 00:43:10.239 --> 00:43:18.559 Um so um are you the head executive and the head fundraiser, or do you have somebody else that does that, or how is it set up? 00:43:19.119 --> 00:43:28.480 We have uh a development director in Denver, which is our senior development director, and another we just hired a new development director in Philadelphia. 00:43:28.559 --> 00:43:34.800 So they are they have the development and fundraising as their main goal. 00:43:35.039 --> 00:43:46.320 Of course, I have to help as many as everybody in the nonprofit world, all the the executive director, the CEO have to be very involved in the fundraising part. 00:43:46.559 --> 00:43:49.440 But we have a we have a team that is helping us with that. 00:43:50.880 --> 00:43:56.239 I like what you just said that executive directors have to have a part. 00:43:56.480 --> 00:43:59.760 There are plenty of executive directors in this world at Wardale that. 00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:02.079 Think fundraising is not their job. 00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:03.920 And it is their job. 00:44:04.239 --> 00:44:08.480 And because fundraising, you're gonna you're gonna appreciate this. 00:44:08.719 --> 00:44:24.079 As you know, the most effective fundraising is really building relationships with those who are your benefactors, your patrons, as opposed to executing a transaction of writing me a check or doing a stock transfer or whatever it is it might be. 00:44:24.239 --> 00:44:27.119 You are very much relational, and that's where you're focused. 00:44:27.199 --> 00:44:27.679 I love it. 00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:34.639 So then you are both the executive director for the one in Philadelphia and Denver at the same time? 00:44:34.960 --> 00:44:35.599 Yes, yes. 00:44:35.760 --> 00:44:35.920 Okay. 00:44:36.320 --> 00:44:39.280 So your but your residence is actually in Colorado? 00:44:39.599 --> 00:44:40.719 It's in Denver, yes. 00:44:40.800 --> 00:44:41.039 Uh-huh. 00:44:41.280 --> 00:44:41.599 Okay. 00:44:41.760 --> 00:44:42.079 Okay. 00:44:42.480 --> 00:44:45.840 Um, how often do you get out to to Pennsylvania? 00:44:46.159 --> 00:44:53.119 I try to go, it depends on the year, but I usually three or four times I try to go to Philadelphia. 00:44:53.280 --> 00:45:18.400 And I think that going back to the development part, at the very beginning, when we were starting, one of our benefactors told us that one of the things he it was tough to him because he was helping many organizations, is that many nonprofits um approach him like if he was an ATM, just giving money away. 00:45:19.119 --> 00:45:26.960 And that's that really make uh that really shocked me because yes, he's not an ATM, he's a friend of mine. 00:45:27.119 --> 00:45:31.760 He's a friend of mine, and what we want to do is come and join our mission. 00:45:31.920 --> 00:45:42.000 You can't go into the streets every day, but you can join our mission with what you can, which is your financial support, your prayers, your company, your friendship. 00:45:42.159 --> 00:46:02.719 So I think that's and for that, the the leader, the executive director or CEO has this um broad picture of the organization that it's it's important for them to welcome benefactors into joining the mission, which is what we are trying to do. 00:46:03.039 --> 00:46:07.119 Well, of course, Eduardo, you are the poster boy for this. 00:46:07.199 --> 00:46:08.159 Let me tell you. 00:46:08.320 --> 00:46:17.920 Um that uh I hate I have to admit to you, however, though, that your point of view is not at all common. 00:46:18.079 --> 00:46:27.280 Uh, more common is the transactional world, the uh uh the um I need money, I've got a good uh mission, give me money. 00:46:27.760 --> 00:46:39.679 And then um, you see, you've already mastered the fact that your patrons are people, and your patrons have a flesh and blood interest in what you do. 00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:42.800 It's just not, let me give you a check and move on. 00:46:42.960 --> 00:46:52.320 Now, I mean, I'm sure there are a few people like that, but that's not the way you approach them, and you give them the opportunity to really be a part of whatever level they want to be a part. 00:46:53.039 --> 00:46:57.039 Um, so this is I've I've really enjoyed this, Eduardo. 00:46:57.119 --> 00:46:59.199 I've gotten to know you so much better at what you do. 00:46:59.280 --> 00:47:03.119 Uh I mean I mean, I thought I knew, and now I really know. 00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:11.440 Um, so now and you said all of your missionaries each are responsible for wage raising a portion of their own personal support. 00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:18.880 Yes, they do it through Christ in the seed, of course, because that that comes to help them do the year. 00:47:19.039 --> 00:47:19.280 Right. 00:47:19.920 --> 00:47:33.039 Um, and then we do the rest of the of the fundraising because we don't want them to have to fundraise everything because then the money would become a limitation for who can apply. 00:47:33.440 --> 00:47:33.760 Oh, absolutely. 00:47:33.920 --> 00:47:40.559 And we don't want to limit the applications to the ones who have a big connection of friends or a lot of money. 00:47:40.719 --> 00:47:44.000 So that's perfect the way you do this. 00:47:44.239 --> 00:47:45.760 I really like this a lot. 00:47:45.920 --> 00:47:50.239 I want to thank you for taking your time to do this. 00:47:50.400 --> 00:47:55.280 I'm so glad that I introduced myself to you when we were in Solana Beach. 00:47:55.440 --> 00:47:56.480 That was so much fun. 00:47:56.559 --> 00:47:58.480 And I think we're gonna do this again. 00:47:58.719 --> 00:48:02.480 Um, but um um God bless you, Eduardo. 00:48:02.559 --> 00:48:03.679 You're gonna write a book soon? 00:48:03.920 --> 00:48:05.360 You're gonna write a book soon? 00:48:06.159 --> 00:48:08.079 Not yet, but maybe at some point. 00:48:08.320 --> 00:48:09.519 I think you should. 00:48:09.760 --> 00:48:10.719 I really do. 00:48:10.960 --> 00:48:16.159 Um, you know, uh, ladies and gentlemen, we've been really enjoying just getting to know Eduardo today. 00:48:16.239 --> 00:48:18.239 I have for sure, in the work that he's doing. 00:48:18.400 --> 00:48:21.199 And we're probably gonna speak to him again at some point. 00:48:21.280 --> 00:48:24.320 And I just want to thank him again for his time. 00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:28.480 And I want to thank you for taking your time to listen today. 00:48:28.639 --> 00:48:29.440 Thank you. 00:48:30.159 --> 00:48:31.440 Thank you, Larry. 00:48:33.599 --> 00:48:35.599 Thank you for listening today. 00:48:35.840 --> 00:48:41.280 Join us for our next episode when I'll have another thought provoking leader as my guest. 00:48:41.519 --> 00:48:44.079 Guest comments and opinions are their own. 00:48:44.239 --> 00:48:48.880 The recording is copyright by the eight principles, all rights reserved.