Inappropriate
John’s dark, pain-filled eyes pierced my heart. He stood on Lafayette Square facing the White House. His back was to St. John’s Episcopal Church, a quaint but elegant yellow building. He asked the usual questions homeless people ask us when we start conversations with them. Where are you from? How long does it take […]
Adventure!
I’m getting long in the tooth. Every year the age gap between me and the youth we serve grows. I realized this even more at Impact the Valley this year. I’m staring down the barrel at my 70th birthday in a few months. Most of the youth were middle schoolers. As I gave the message […]
Dignity and Respect
I hadn’t been to Washington, DC for our Street Ministry with homeless people for a while. It’s not necessary because William Daniels, our DC director, does an outstanding job of leading groups. But on March 8th, I took Dave Thompson, our Program Director, on his first trip to see the Street Ministry in action. We […]
The Walkabout
After our youth groups with The Street (our homeless ministry in DC) serve everyone who lines up for food, volunteers walk around the park handing out the food that’s left. I call it “The Walkabout”. It’s where most of the impactful relationships between teens and homeless people take place. It can be as simple as […]
Don’t Worry
One heart attack. Two strokes. Five stents. Advanced diabetes. Limited mobility. Ricky’s life isn’t easy. Home is a trailer with a deck and a ramp. The ramp has no rails, so he and his mobility scooter fell off of it a few times. The need was great, and we had four days during Impact the […]
George and the Sandwich
It was a beautiful afternoon on Father’s Day. The youth from the Society of Saint Andrew’s Harvest of Hope descended on Franklin Park, just four blocks from the White House. As they got out their bags of sandwiches and drinks, about 50 homeless men quietly lined up for something to eat. When I asked how many of them […]
Burdened
That was a busy day! I bought and delivered air mattresses to a homeless couple and another man who were living in tents. Then I gave Walmart gift cards to a homeless man recovering from surgery and another homeless man in his 70s. Finally, I gave a grocery store gift card to an elderly couple […]
It’s Personal
November 2025 marks 38 years since I took a group of youth into Washington DC for our first “TOP Trip”. I know we have impacted some (I hope many) lives through our ministries through The Street, Impact the Valley, and senior ministry throughout the years. We have opened the eyes of our volunteers to another […]
It’s All I Remember
Even when you devote your life to serving the poor, your priorities sometimes get skewed. The true story that follows is in part a confession, but it’s also a lesson I learned. Never sacrifice the important things on the altar of the urgent. My cell phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number and debated whether […]
The Guy on the Grate
We were serving homeless people through TOP’s Street Ministry in a little plaza at 21st St and Virginia Avenue in DC. It was directly across the street from the State Department. The plaza was surrounded by a low wall with some bushes on the Virginia Avenue side. The bushes made the little plaza a desirable […]
Look at My Collection
Gerald had a crack cocaine habit. It ruined his life and dumped him on the streets with only the clothes on his back. For over two years he struggled valiantly against his addiction until he finally beat it. He said the key to overcoming a crack addiction is to hate what it does to your […]
3 Things Homeless People Need to Break Free
Preview in new tab It’s not easy to “beat the street.” The road to a better life is full of obstacles and setbacks. I know dozens of people who have succeeded in moving out of the homeless life. They faced the same setbacks as others, but they never gave up. Lots of people throw up […]
Miranda
When I initially approached Miranda, the 34-year old sat alone on a bench. She greeted me with a cold stare and refused to introduce herself. Headphones intentionally shut her away from any interactions with the strangers surrounding her in Monroe Park. After an unsuccessful attempt to start conversation, I sat quietly next to her for […]