Families First?

Some of you may realize this already but the former welfare system is now called Families First in Tennessee.  Great name, isn't it?  Trouble is families aren't always first.  Let me explain. 

You see in the new welfare system there is a time limit on the services you receive.  A person benefiting from the system can not use services for more than 5 total years in a lifetime.   This was the big change when the old system was overhauled.  That part I love.  It encourages people to move toward self-sufficiency if they have the capacity. 

Another piece of this new puzzle is that now, if a person is capable, he or she has to be working, looking for work through a program provide by ETSU, or be doing community service at least 30 hours per week. 

Now don't get me wrong, I understand why this is in place.  If people are capable they should be working.  God always intended us to work.  It wasn't a part of the curse it was a part of the plan from the beginning.

My problem is that if a mother is working toward self-sufficiency with The Restoration House but is not yet working full-time, participating in ETSU's 4 week full time job search program, or doing 30 hours of community service assigned by the state then they can't receive benefits.  And the benefits are substantial. 

The greatest benefit for single mother's is the childcare subsidy.  This subsidy provides the means for a mother to get childcare while she is getting back on her feet. 

Our mother is working to be self-sufficient.  She has a part-time job, has received a scholarship to a CNA training program she is starting in May, is applying for a second part-time job, and is now stuck because her Families First runs out in March and she won't have access to a child care subsidy to take advantage of the opportunities mentioned above. 

Tell me how that is putting "Families First"?

Gettin' on a Jet Plane...

Have you just ever needed to rest?  Rest is one of the things that escapes most of us and at the same time is something most needed by all of us.  God designed it that way.  For us to truly rest is to take Sabbath and Sabbath leads to restoration.  How can we ever fully be restored if we're killing ourselves trying? 

My wife knows this and that is what makes her the greatest wife ever.  That and she bought me a plane ticket to go to Chicago on an overnight trip with two of my friends.  All that just 'cus she loves me and know that if she doesn't help me with Sabbath, I may not take it.

Honey, you're the greatest!!!

Incarnational...

So I've really been struggling with something.  Since about October of 2006 we have been searching for an apartment complex to purchase in order to expand our capacity and to have place to build a sense of community among the single mother families we work with.  In December of '07 a good friend of mine made us aware of the building in the center of the map below.

The address is 2510 E. 5th Ave and it is located in the historic Parkridge Community right outside of downtown.  The neighborhood has a tremendous association with a lot of renewed interest in the community.  The property is just what we have been looking for.  It is 8 units for $119,000 with around another $300,000 to rehab.  It's history is rich and was originally used as rental property for women who's husbands had died in the war during the '40s.  It is 5 feet from 5th Avenue Baptist Church which has a 3 star state recognized childcare rate for 60 kids.  This would be a huge asset for our family's.  Also the same friend who told us about the property is putting an offer in on the house right beside it and a friend of their's just purchased the house right across the street.   So you may be asking, "What's the problem?"

Well, although Parkridge is on the upswing, the southeastern corner of the neighborhood (where this building is located) is way behind.  It has the most criminal activity including drugs and prostitution.  Also this district has the worst schools in the whole county. 

So here's my issue.  Even though I could make the decision for my family to live their can I really make that decision for the single mother families we work with?  When we say God is restoring all things we really believe that.  He is restoring us, the families we work with, our schools, our communities, our world, everything.  So we know he is at work in that community and we would love to join him there, BUT how is it ok for us to expect the families of The Restoration House to be working toward their own restoration in that environment?  Is this an opportunity to be incarnational or is this when you say this is for someone else at another time?  I'm not scared but I want to do what's best for our families on their journey of restoration.  What would you do???

Creative Ways to Give...#3

Just the other day, I heard about this exciting new way to support your favorite cause.  It is called Giveness.com. By shopping your favorite online stores like Amazon, Ebay, Itunes, and many others you can have a portion of the purchase price donated back to your favorite charity.  For instance every time you buy a song at Itunes for $0.99 they will donate $0.05 to The Restoration House.  Or let's say you buy a new Mac at Apple.com for $1,000 they will donate $10 to The Restoration House.  Get start by going to www.giveness.com or by shopping below.  Have fun!