“You are the way when there seems to be no way, we trust in you, God you have the final say” lyrics from song “Believe for It” by CeCe Winans

Today, we had the privilege of serving 36 people.

• There were a lot more new friends at the spot we see our regular friends.  One new friend (Latoia) was excited to meet us.  She was carrying a small portable speaker that was very loud.  We asked if she could turn it down so we could talk to her.  We fixed her up with snacks, winter coat, gloves, hat and our packet of $10 bill/$10 Dunkin Donuts card/prayer card.  We couldn’t get much information about her – she seemed to be on a mission.  This happens with some of our friends on the street.  Once they receive what we offer them they are off to either Dunkin Donuts or back to their safe area where all their worldly possessions are kept, maybe a doorway, a spot in the woods or under a bridge.  

• Some of our friends are still living in tents which are now visible since all the leaves are gone from the trees.  We gave our friend (Jessie) a tent because his was vandalized by teenagers.  We always try to stress to him that the really cold weather is coming, and this should only be a temporary solution.  You need to try again to get into treatment and off the streets.  He usually replies, “I will,” but he can’t seem to get beyond the fear and anxiety of making this leap.  We have many conversations with our friends like these only to see them the following Saturday more beaten down than the week before.  

• We especially speak to our friends with children being raised by relatives… that children need a mother and father to care for them.  This especially hits me hard because of what happened to my niece.  While in the Coast Guard she was severely injured in a van crash on base that nearly killed her.  She healed physically but not emotionally; she had a brain injury and became addicted to drugs.  She had a son with another addict, and the son was eventually taken from them.  An Aunt and Uncle got custody of the little boy. My niece eventually died and a year later the father of her son died.  Now here was this little boy who will never know his mother or father.  The reality we tell our friends is that this can happen to them.  We hope and pray that it doesn’t, but we never know.

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Thanks to all the people who support our ministry.

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PLEASE NOTE:    We have changed our location for donations for On the Street Ministry from Holy Cross Retreat House to My Brother’s Keeper.   We currently have a box in the main stairway on the 1^st floor of MBK. If you have recurring orders through Amazon or any other retail website, please change the delivery address to:

On the Street Ministry

C/o Shaun Teed

67 Turner Road

Scituate, MA 02066

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God Bless,

Kathy Flaherty

Shaun Teed and Tito

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“On the wounded faces of the poor we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore the suffering of Christ himself”.  Pope Leo

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