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Since my first day working at Porchlight Coffee, I have loved partnering with South Street in offering hospitality to anyone who walks through our front door.
It turns out that hot coffee and ministering to people’s places of need go hand-in-hand. The Front Porch has always been a gathering place for people who are committed to making real change in the city. When you walk into the coffee shop, you can see it happening — as policy-makers meet together over lunch, students drink lattes and study relevant topics to make the world a better place, and people from the neighborhood are welcomed in and treated with dignity and kindness.
It’s been an amazing opportunity to see connections and community flourish!
One favorite connection I’ve seen made through the South Street/Porchlight partnership has been a connection of my own. As a barista, I met David Shahata — who works with South Street’s youth and young adult programs and is Discipleship House Director … and we are getting married in the spring!
David embodies South Street’s values of joyful and faithful community engagement, peace, and hospitality, and I am so eager to build a life together with him … grateful for all the ways we get to see connections built here in this space, but excited for this one the most of all!
In addition, this fall I look forward to serving alongside the Discipleship House Fellowship with David and his co-leader, Terri. Before living in Akron, I served with an international non-profit running discipleship training schools for seven years. It’s so beautiful to see how the Lord has intertwined our lives and prepared us for this work together. Even before we met, God was setting the table in ways we could have never asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20-21).
If you know anyone who might be interested, Discipleship House is now accepting applications for August 2024 for its nine-month, life-on-life Christian discipleship program. Young adults in the fellowship can live, serve, and worship alongside our neighbors, learning to be a light, and seeing our neighborhood transformed from the inside out, rather than from the outside in.
We hope to have a full house come August. We’re looking for four to eight young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 who are curious and hungry for such a journey. For more information, visit www.southstreetministries.org/dhf — or contact David at dshahata@southstreetministries.org.
Thank you for partnering with South Street to see God’s plan for the people of South Akron and Summit Lake take shape. It’s such a joy to be on this journey together!
What’s one special way to kick off our winter season for youth? Take the middle school and high school boys to the Cavs/Bucks game downtown Cleveland last month!
Before heading to our seats at the top of the arena, we were invited to watch the players warm up before the game — giving us the up-close-and-personal experience on the floor! Not only was the entire night a first for most of the youth who attended, but it was exhilarating to be so close to each player, watching them shoot and get focused for the night.
I was reminded how special the Cavs are, and when I looked at this year’s team slogan — Let Em Know — I saw just how impactful these three words were. This statement brings pride and confidence not just to an individual player but to a team and a huge fanbase. At Open Gym, we strive to build leadership and confidence in our youth. This year’s Open Gym theme is “To Kill a Lion,” building off the biblical tradition of what stepping into adulthood means.
We look forward to the coming months as we dive into what it looks like today to not only have pride and confidence in oneself but also in Christ.
Please pray for our staff, youth, and speakers as we challenge what society speaks over our children … that as a staff we can remain present and lead in love … that the youth hear something that sparks individual excitement … and that our speakers lead in authenticity to their magnificent and unique stories.
Open Gym runs through the spring, and we welcome more meal providers for March and April. To sign up, email me at kenzie@southstreetministries.org.
God bless you for training up children in faith, hope, and love through your partnership with South Street. We appreciate your vision to reach others with God’s love!
Tuesdays are a full day at The Front Porch.
At 7 a.m.: Porchlight opens and a collection of individuals sit in the cafe enjoying coffee and conversation … a few transitional South Akron neighbors pass through to warm up and use the restroom … the South Street staff arrives to prepare for the day.
Furthermore, the details for the Reentry meal are confirmed — sometimes a church brings the meal, and other times the staff picks up pizza or chicken.
At 11: The full South Street team converges for an all-staff meeting. This includes program highlights, where one staff member or program lead will share what they do, why they do it, and how they can be supported. We are working toward a whole and thriving South Street team that supports everyone on staff in order to transform the whole community. Over the next few hours, meetings are held, projects are advanced, and the building is set up for the coming Reentry meeting.
Around 3:30 p.m.: Individuals begin to arrive — most walking to The Front Porch from neighboring community-based correctional facilities. By 3:50, the building is bustling with over 40 men and 30 women in various rooms throughout the building waiting for the meeting(s) to begin (some weeks we gather in a full group, other weeks we split between men and women).
For the next hour, returning citizens support returning citizens. Men share about mental health resources. Women share about employment opportunities. Housing options are discussed. And deeper still, the inner workings of transitioning home are explored — self-worth, relationships, trauma, spirituality, and hope. Sometimes it’s loud. Sometimes we swear. But at the core is the love of God for women and men to be their whole selves living in their fullest purposes as mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, partners, neighbors … restored citizens.
At 5 p.m.: Everyone at Reentry forms a quick line for food … a frenzy of paperwork (required by the many partnering facilities) begins, and a quick connection to needed services (gloves, bus passes, and other requests) is offered.
By 6:00: The activity around the building slows — a few volunteers stay to help clean and prepare for the ministry of the next day.
These are Tuesdays at The Front Porch. This is Reentry. This is community the way we envision it!
If you’d like to visit or learn more, check out www.southstreetministries.org/engage!
Thanks for supporting wholeness and transformation through your generosity.
For the last seven years, RICH Kids has committed to providing students with holistic enrichments with community partners.
- Chef Danni from Sip.Savor.Soul. has been a consistent partner over these years. Students have been introduced to a variety of new recipes, cooking/baking techniques, and healthier eating habits. We are excited to grow our partnership and enrichment with Chef Danni to launch RICH Kids Kitchen — where students will continue to grow their culinary skills and explore healthy eating through creative, fun recipes.
- In addition to healthy eating, this semester RICH Kids is working to stay physically active regardless of Ohio winter weather. To do so, we have partnered with The Academy of Self-Defense, so our students have a fun way to stay fit while learning valuable skills like self-defense, respect, and discipline. Our rambunctious students have loved expelling their energy and learning from Master C.
- We’ve also partnered with Akron Parks Collaborative this year to form a Friends of Marcy Park group. With the Nature in our Neighborhood grant, RICH Kids has been learning about the importance of nature and pollinators to plant our own pollinator garden. Students have learned about who the pollinators are, what they do, why pollinators are important, why the bee populations have been declining, and how they can help. Wes from Akron Honey allowed our students to interview him to learn about bees and honey … and Leo from LEOnARTi and Summit Lake Build Corps will work with our students to create informational signage that will be installed at Marcy Park to share what they’ve learned with the community!
- RICH Kids will also continue to participate in the beautification of Morgan Park by working with Dara Harper from Art Only Boutique to create a mural for the park.
Many community partners — both past and present — provide enrichment for our RICH Kids students to explore interests and hobbies in a safe, fun environment. We cannot thank these individuals and organizations enough for helping pour into the youth we serve. And we’re grateful to you for making it possible through your partnership!
Looking forward, we’re excited to continue providing holistic enrichments and opportunities to our students thanks to your support. They certainly deserve it!
Your prayerful support of South Street Ministries makes caring, compassionate Kingdom work possible.
Please pray that the South Street team’s capacity to love grows in God in the days and weeks ahead. And please give generously, as you feel led, to keep sharing that love with the neighbors and communities we serve!
Thank you again for your prayers and partnership.