By Joe Tucker
January is a time of preparation at South Street.
- We are preparing for the start of Open Gym.
- We are preparing for our afterschool program, RICH Kids, to begin again.
- And this year, we are even preparing early on for the 2023 season of Bike Shop.
For over 25 years, South Street Ministries has worked with neighborhood youth to engage them in faith and flourishing. With the many challenges students have faced over the past few years (not to mention a potential strike within this present month!), our ministry and service are all the more relevant and needed for support, intervention, and ultimately fulfilling our faith commandment to love our neighbor.
Here, I want to share about two ministries that are close to my heart: Bike Shop and Open Gym …
- Open Gym will begin on January 26th and run on Thursday evenings through the spring. This is a simple, good, and deep time of shared meals, engaging/challenging speakers, and, of course, basketball! The core crew of Open Gym basketball are young men and women who have walked with South Street Ministries for years … and many are stepping into their own roles of leadership and service.
- One of the easiest ways to support the Open Gym program is to bring a meal on a specific Thursday night to serve the 25 to 30 adolescents who participate. To sign up for a meal, contact Joe Tucker at joe@southstreetministries.org.
- As for Bike Shop, stay tuned for some exciting announcements for the growth of this program! Over the past few years, Bike Shop has expanded to include Bike Sharing at Kenmore First Fridays and the Summit Lake Farmers Market. We are preparing for continued growth with the Bike Shop program this spring and summer with potential staff, additional trailers, and developmental programs for youth and young adults to step into functional bike repair!
Our garage is currently full, so we do not need donated bikes just yet, but we would value your prayer and support!
- Pray for the South Street team and the team to come.
- Pray for the youth and families with whom we engage, minister, and support.
- Pray for God’s good and direction as we prepare for another season of ministry and love.
Thank you for being part of South Street’s preparation for another full year of loving our neighbors. We couldn’t do it without you!
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, South Street Ministries enacted a day of generosity …
Backpacks, gloves, coats, and more were distributed in our first Winter Blast Back To School!
Many kids receive school supplies in August and September, but the South Street team decided to support our families and the community in the latter (and colder) spring semester too!
We had a celebratory day seeing many of the youth in our RICH Kids program, as well as many neighborhood families.
On the same day, Luch Griffin, South Street’s Youth Violence Prevention Lead, began to purchase beds for families he has worked with to support peace-making efforts in the City of Akron. Luch spoke passionately at a community gathering about truly engaging the neighborhood in order to really make a difference in the community, and an anonymous donor rallied behind his words with household support for Akron families!
At South Street Ministries, we regularly ask our participants and neighbors to put “some skin in the game” — that interactions are mutual, respectful, and transformative (as opposed to transactional and one-sided). However, there is often a time and season for generosity and benevolence … to act in solidarity and joyful support with our community and neighborhood.
We are thankful for the many partners who supported the Winter Blast Back To School event. Your generosity makes a difference!
We want to extend our deep gratitude to those who supported the South Street Christmas Store and 25th Anniversary Year-End!
The Christmas Store served more than 50 families (and through that, hundreds of youth). We always start the day with the RICH Kids youth going through the Store first, then open the Christmas Store up to our neighbors and community!
Likewise, the end of our 25th Anniversary year was a wonderful blessing of support from so many friends and partners like you. We are committed to completing renovations on Restoration House, advancing ministry to youth and adults, investing in Reentry, moving toward an equitable model of support and compensation for our staff, and more.
Standing on the shoulders and living in the support of so many individuals who care for and carry the mission of South Street Ministries forward — we say THANK YOU!
By Elizabeth Kargbo
Psalm 127:1 — “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”
I thank the Lord for the privilege to daily witness the rebuilding of the Restoration House, 801 Grant St. — the property directly across from The Front Porch! Over the last several months, I have observed the following work completed:
- New roof
- New siding and windows
- New plumbing
- New furnace
- Lead abatement completed
- Black mold and asbestos removed
- New drywall and walls remodeled
- New front and back steps
- New gas lines
- New toilet and shower
- New bathroom and kitchen cabinets
I am praying for the contractors and volunteers who have been laboring on Restoration House. I pray for them personally and that their work will withstand weather, time, and use for years to come.
I pray their efforts result in a renovated building that is a safe and sturdy shelter for the women returning from incarceration. I invite you to pray with me that the Lord makes this house a trusted, safe haven for all the women who will pass through the doors. I also ask you to join me in praying for their well-being — physically, emotionally, economically, relationally, and spiritually — as our staff and volunteers walk alongside them as they pursue life transformation.
We are currently planning groups of volunteers to help us paint Restoration House, and soon we will be reaching out to friends with an Amazon Wishlist of needs to furnish the home. We are also grateful for monetary donations to fund improving security (outdoor lighting and cameras), purchasing appliances and furniture, expanding the driveway for
parking, and beautifying the grounds (fence, trees, bushes, flowers).
Please prayerfully consider how the Lord might have you help us complete our Restoration House. Every gift matters and glorifies God in the process!
By Riley Alchier
The New Year is a time for renewing, and RICH Kids is no exception!
This upcoming semester we are returning to The Front Porch Fellowship location (1095 Edison St. in Summit Lake) to serve our students. While this isn’t a new location, the site is undergoing maintenance and redesigning. South Street has purchased inspiring and colorful décor to refresh the space.
We have also added a new enrichment to our roster, and the students will be partaking in line dance classes! We look forward to partnering with JustUs to keep our students active and moving during these cold winter months.
Additionally, we will continue our partnership with SipSavorSoul to provide our students with easy, healthy meal-prepping skills.
For our students, their emotional wellness has been at the top of our minds and planning. As a team, we have been strategizing many ways to incorporate emotional wellness skills into the heart of the program, including how we work with behavioral issues!
RICH Kids utilizes a green-yellow-red behavior system for participating youth. This system has been updated to include intentional self-awareness and emotional regulation. When a student displays inappropriate behavior, the student will be given an opportunity to reflect on the emotions behind the behavior and practice various techniques to practice self-regulation.
RICH Kids staff is excited to implement these strategies in a fun, safe environment with our students … and your partnership ensures every boy and girl gets to experience it all. God bless you for being part of it!We are wholeheartedly grateful for your support — and thankful for an amazing and full year of ministry, transformation, and growth. Celebrate with us as we close this hallmark year!
Bridge Builders is a group of dedicated friends who give monthly so that South Street Ministries can build bridges that connect the South Akron and Summit Lake community in a spirit of love and fellowship.
Please join us today! Your monthly contribution to South Street Ministries will support:
- Our community youth programs — offering young people the opportunity to choose health for their hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits.
- Teaching youth emotional wellness and practical life skills.
- Our volunteers and staff as they love, care for, and support our youth.
- And more!
As a thank-you for becoming a Bridge Builder, we would love to send you a copy of Free Rose Light: Stories Around South Street. This book illustrates the wide-range story of the people and community of South Street Ministries told in the style of the ministry — improvisational, risky, and present.
Thank you for your continued support of South Street and your investment in our young neighbors!
Your prayerful support of South Street Ministries makes caring, compassionate Kingdom work possible.
It is your generous giving that keeps us walking alongside children, families, and neighbors who need hope. Together, we’re making an impact alongside you to renew our community for the sake of Jesus Christ.
Thank you, and God bless you!