Oct 2011 Newsletter
Content
On the
STREET
Newark Warehouses.
Someone recently lived here. A fellow Relief Bus-er met the homeless man who lived in this abandoned warehouse at our nearby Relief Bus site. He, along with a friend, decided to see for themselves the conditions in which the man (and his 4 kids!) were living. They ended up finding him and in the end helping him find alternative housing in a drug rehab program. I recently took a look around the building (and another in the area) and was seriously disturbed that a place like this was anybody’s home. It was a bright sunny day, but the sense of stillness and abandonment was written all over the place, in physical graffiti and in the items tossed aside from previous inhabitants. My coworker told me about a pregnant woman who had been living around the corner on the third floor of a building. No one was home when we stepped inside the second warehouse, but as we left we came upon a gentleman who was dragging away a copper pipe he had scavenged. Other than that, there was nothing left in the shell of the building. -From my blog: http://laaatchodrom.wordpress.com.
Friends in the Bronx.
I met my friend *Renee* last week in the South Bronx. I was eating some soup when a volunteer asked me if I could help a woman with housing. I walked over to Renee and she told me that she had gotten some of our housing info sheet before, but had lost it and needed another copy. We started to talk and I found out that her husband was in jail and she was looking for a place to stay with him when he was released. *Renee* started to share how lonely she felt and how hard it was for her right now. She stepped away to get some clothing from our donation table and then when she came back I asked if I could pray for her. She agreed, we prayed, and she began to cry. *Renee* half stepped away to try to hide her tears, but I followed and gently told her to give me a hug. She turned and grasped me real tight, tears flowing for a few moments before she wiped them away and said she had to go. I hope to see her again next time she comes, and give her a follow-up hug.
Caitlin Stiefel / urban missionary to the poor & homeless in NYC / www.reliefbus.org
Subway-themed Men’s Bathroom & Times Square Hallway
Improved Office Space!
Harlem-themed Women’s Dorm
UPDATES.
NEW RELIEF BASE: On Sept 17th we had an Open House to show off the completed Relief Base. The new facility enables us to host teams of 24 in dorm accomodations (see photos above.) If you are interested in what we are offering click HERE! NEW ROOMMATE: Katie Morris, a returning Short Term Missionary from Indiana, has moved out to NJ to work with the bus for at least a year. She is living with Johanna and I, and so far doesn’t seem to mind our crazy evening antics or close quarters! We are glad she is here and part of the crew! MEDIA: I am just putting the finishing touches on the photos from the couple of weddings I shot last month. I’ve gotten a couple bites as far as upcoming wedding jobs, so we’ll see if they lead anywhere. Also, recently I took a weeeknd intensive course on Adobe Illustrator (a graphic design program) that was highly educational and gave me a lot more tools in my arsenal for future Relief Bus projects! Click HERE to see some recent wedding images.
NEEDS.
#1 need right now is for NEW SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS! As an urban missionary I live by the generosity of others who give towards my support so that I can serve others! Thank you so much to those who have given and who are part of the long chain of people who make it possible for people like *Renee* to find housing and to feel loved in the midst of their loneliness on the street.
Also - pray for grace and plenty of patience in living with many different people (for them more than me!) - pray for energy for me in general - pray for *Renee* and her situation- that she would find everything she needs in a God who loves her, and that may be exhibited to her through The Relief Bus and others who cross her path.
TO JOIN THE TEAM AND SUPPORT MY WORK WITH THE POOR & HOMELESS: - Send CHECKS to New York City Relief, 295 Walnut Street, Elizabeth NJ 07201 with my name on a note - You can also set up a monthly EFT, monthly credit card donations, or donate with paypal using [email protected] (make sure to designate to Caitlin Stiefel)! -
[email protected]
908.414.9843
facebook.com/caitlinstiefel
STREET
Newark Warehouses.
Someone recently lived here. A fellow Relief Bus-er met the homeless man who lived in this abandoned warehouse at our nearby Relief Bus site. He, along with a friend, decided to see for themselves the conditions in which the man (and his 4 kids!) were living. They ended up finding him and in the end helping him find alternative housing in a drug rehab program. I recently took a look around the building (and another in the area) and was seriously disturbed that a place like this was anybody’s home. It was a bright sunny day, but the sense of stillness and abandonment was written all over the place, in physical graffiti and in the items tossed aside from previous inhabitants. My coworker told me about a pregnant woman who had been living around the corner on the third floor of a building. No one was home when we stepped inside the second warehouse, but as we left we came upon a gentleman who was dragging away a copper pipe he had scavenged. Other than that, there was nothing left in the shell of the building. -From my blog: http://laaatchodrom.wordpress.com.
Friends in the Bronx.
I met my friend *Renee* last week in the South Bronx. I was eating some soup when a volunteer asked me if I could help a woman with housing. I walked over to Renee and she told me that she had gotten some of our housing info sheet before, but had lost it and needed another copy. We started to talk and I found out that her husband was in jail and she was looking for a place to stay with him when he was released. *Renee* started to share how lonely she felt and how hard it was for her right now. She stepped away to get some clothing from our donation table and then when she came back I asked if I could pray for her. She agreed, we prayed, and she began to cry. *Renee* half stepped away to try to hide her tears, but I followed and gently told her to give me a hug. She turned and grasped me real tight, tears flowing for a few moments before she wiped them away and said she had to go. I hope to see her again next time she comes, and give her a follow-up hug.
Caitlin Stiefel / urban missionary to the poor & homeless in NYC / www.reliefbus.org
Subway-themed Men’s Bathroom & Times Square Hallway
Improved Office Space!
Harlem-themed Women’s Dorm
UPDATES.
NEW RELIEF BASE: On Sept 17th we had an Open House to show off the completed Relief Base. The new facility enables us to host teams of 24 in dorm accomodations (see photos above.) If you are interested in what we are offering click HERE! NEW ROOMMATE: Katie Morris, a returning Short Term Missionary from Indiana, has moved out to NJ to work with the bus for at least a year. She is living with Johanna and I, and so far doesn’t seem to mind our crazy evening antics or close quarters! We are glad she is here and part of the crew! MEDIA: I am just putting the finishing touches on the photos from the couple of weddings I shot last month. I’ve gotten a couple bites as far as upcoming wedding jobs, so we’ll see if they lead anywhere. Also, recently I took a weeeknd intensive course on Adobe Illustrator (a graphic design program) that was highly educational and gave me a lot more tools in my arsenal for future Relief Bus projects! Click HERE to see some recent wedding images.
NEEDS.
#1 need right now is for NEW SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS! As an urban missionary I live by the generosity of others who give towards my support so that I can serve others! Thank you so much to those who have given and who are part of the long chain of people who make it possible for people like *Renee* to find housing and to feel loved in the midst of their loneliness on the street.
Also - pray for grace and plenty of patience in living with many different people (for them more than me!) - pray for energy for me in general - pray for *Renee* and her situation- that she would find everything she needs in a God who loves her, and that may be exhibited to her through The Relief Bus and others who cross her path.
TO JOIN THE TEAM AND SUPPORT MY WORK WITH THE POOR & HOMELESS: - Send CHECKS to New York City Relief, 295 Walnut Street, Elizabeth NJ 07201 with my name on a note - You can also set up a monthly EFT, monthly credit card donations, or donate with paypal using [email protected] (make sure to designate to Caitlin Stiefel)! -
[email protected]
908.414.9843
facebook.com/caitlinstiefel
