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 […]
Marcell
We had to weave around a lot of traffic to get to Franklin Park in Washington, DC on a chilly Saturday morning. The youth group from Bethany Community Church was making its first trip with Teens Opposing Poverty’s Street Ministry. When we arrived, the crowd was relatively small, which we expected. It was a better […]
Divine Amnesia
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in March. We had so many clothes for the TOP trip that one of our older youth, Mike, drove his car in addition to the minivan I rented. We arrived at Lafayette Square, across the street from the White House, a little before the meal truck arrived. By the […]
First Time
“Oh, no! Where are we going to park?” It’s almost always our biggest problem when TOP heads to DC to serve homeless people. Drive around the block. It will be OK. Well, OK enough. Each of the four vehicles soon ended up with a place to park. Fifteen junior and senior high teens carried coolers to […]
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 […]
The Joyful Sacrifice
The cold wind blew right through our coats on a late winter day in Washington, DC. The youth volunteers with Teens Opposing Poverty were handing out clothes at LaFayette Square. The White House stood right in front of us. We had just packed away the few remaining articles of clothing. I think all of us […]
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 […]
And Yet
The drive to DC on was pleasant that seasonably cold December night. I didn’t have to fight traffic, and the Christmas lights were a joy to see. I went there to take some winter clothes to the guys who stayed around New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Five men were sitting in a small plaza beside […]
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 […]
Linwood’s Smile
Every time I saw Linwood he was drunk. Most of the homeless people we serve through TOP on Sunday afternoons stay sober. They don’t want to put off the people who are serving them. Linwood didn’t care. He wasn’t obnoxious or threatening, but you could tell he felt no pain. On a chilly Sunday […]
The World in a Backpack
When you’re homeless, chances are you carry all of your worldly possessions in a backpack. If you’re lucky, you have a place to store or stash some extra things. All too often, everything you own gets stolen, ruined by foul weather, or thrown away by city or park employees. After over 37 years in ministry, […]
What It’s All About
The youth group from a Methodist Church in Forest, Virginia served about 50 homeless and low income people at Miller Park in Lynchburg. It was a beautiful afternoon. Little did I know it would become a day I’ll never forget. We served Bethany (name changed) almost every time we had done ministry. She was a […]
Fire Through My Fingers
It was one of those prayers that makes the earth shake and sends chills up your spine.
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 […]
White Socks, Shoes & Underwear
It was a beautiful, sunny day in 1988. Our dedicated group of TOP’s founders and I parked our van at a corner of Lafayette Square behind McKenna’s Wagon, the food truck for homeless people. The White House was across Pennsylvania Avenue from the park. When we started unloading bags of clothes, some of the people […]
