College Prep

Hello Loves,

I hope everyone is doing famously on this lovely day. So...I've got some good stuff to update you on :)

A few weeks ago the other HB intern (Kim) and I were dreaming out loud. We really want to make sure our time at TLP is as beneficial as possible for the kids. We came up with the idea that the staff dubbed as the "College Prep" program. For right now it is specifically for the youth living at TLP. The idea is that we will help the kids walk thru the process of getting in to college. I know from my own experience it can be pretty overwhelming. You have to figure out what you want to do, where you want to go, how to pay for it, where to live, how to avoid the freshman 15, seriously, the list goes on and on and on and on... ; ) Many of the kids haven't even considered college as an option because they simply don't know where to start. Hopefully CP (yep, already has its own acronym and everything, that’s how official it is) will help the kids get pointed in the right direction. Everyone is really excited about the program. It’s an area the staff wish they could put more in to, but don't have the time to give it the proper attention. The idea is that Kim and I will be the "college girls" and every Tuesday (me) and Thursday (Kim) we will be available to help the kids with College "stuff".

So, on Tuesday night I got to do my most favorite thing ever, public speaking (yes that was sarcasm). I introduced the idea at TLP. Some of the kids loved the idea, and others reminded me that I had gone 2 minutes over my allotted 5 minute presentation time. Regardless, I had some takers that were really excited about it. All of them really want to go to school they just have some roadblocks to work through, and didn't know where to start. Some of the roadblocks were in regard to financial aid and others are concerned their "records" could make them ineligible. All of these issues are things we can try and work through, for the most part, so I can’t wait to see what happens.

All in all the response was way better than we could have hoped, and it confirmed the need for a program like this. We're all really excited to see what comes from it :)

"Funo" (fun-uno)

So I have to share this story because I'm pretty sure it will be one of my favorites from TLP.
Last Tuesday the staff took the youth to the Mercury game. Well, they took most of them anyway. Six of the guys had to stay back because they were either a) too cool, or b) they were on probation of some sort and not allowed to go. So basically, all the troublemakers were left back at the ranch. Since they were the only ones left on campus they were in Christmas vacation mode (aka, bouncing off the walls like spider monkeys all hopped up on Mt. Dew).

To give them something to do Leslie suggested they pull out some games, and they did. She had hoped they would take the games outside and leave us to get our work done, yeah...not so much the case. They "suckered" me in to playing Uno. I thought we could put a spin on things, so I taught them how to play fun-Uno (btw, if you've never played you should probably do that right after you're done reading this. Its fab....wait for it.......ulous). The boys loved the game. It's like they were 6 year olds again, teasing each other and trying to win. It was hilarious to see these big "thug" guys trying to get each other to giggle during "silent 7". It was awesome. I could see that they were just having a great time, and so was I. We must've played it for a couple of hours because before I knew it the sun was setting and it was time for me to leave. It was soooo much fun!

Ahh, the simple joys in life.

Art & Coffee Nite

Hey all, well I thought I'd catch you up on what has been going on at HB. I'm a little behind, so again, I'm sorry about that, but I promise I'll bring you up to speed! Ok, so last Friday night HB hosted "Off the Beaten Path, Art & Coffee Nite". We basically turned the day center into a little coffee shop/art gallery. The youth were able to showcase their art. It was a great turnout, lots of the youth showed up, and other supporters from the community as well. You could tell the youth really enjoyed it and were having a great time.

One of the TLP residents was brave enough to get on the mic and share her story with us. She shared how she had ended up at TLP. So many times I have heard people say that many Americans are only a few paychecks away from being on the streets. That is exactly what happened to this young woman. She wasn't a bad child with no goals and just floating thru life. She just landed in a rough patch and didn't have any family that could help her get back on her feet. Her story was absolutely inspiring. To hear how she has come back from ending up on the streets. She is now in school and working two jobs trying to get back on her feet. Its times like this I am reminded of what a great thing TLP does. I also have to add that this young lady is one of the most outgoing, friendly and happy young women at TLP right now. She always greets you with a smile. I say this because I have had the privilege of working one on one with her for several weeks and have always been amazed at how driven she is. So you can imagine the surprise when she was sharing her story at the art & coffee nite and she told us that her twin sister had recently died. My heart just broke for her. To be dealing with being homeless and having to mourn the loss of her twin sister and still keep a smile on her face takes strength that I cannot imagine. This young woman is truly an inspiration and I am so incredibly excited to see what God has in store for her.

The rest of the night was very entertaining, filled with paintings, drawings, poetry readings, narratives, and even a stand up comedy routine. The night closed out with "Ms. Beats" (as she is well known) singing "I praise you for who you are". It was absolutely beautiful, and a brave if you ask me. Remember, HB is not a Christian organization. She unashamedly shared a brief version of her testimony before she sang her solo. I'm not gonna lie, I totally teared up. It was beautiful. Time and time again these kids are a reminder of what unwavering faith looks like.

Well, I think those are most of the highlights from art & coffee nite. If you're in Phoenix you should really do yourself a favor and come out to the next one. It will be in November, I'll let you know when we've confirmed the date :)