George Washington says, in the musical Hamilton, “Can I be real a second? For just a millisecond? Let down my guard and tell the people how I feel a second?”
I try very hard not to let my sense of self, value, and worth be derived from how South Street Ministries is doing. It’s not easy. When there is staff tension, I feel it personally. When there is programmatic uncertainty, I feel it deeply. When our income statement is negative, I feel I’ve failed.
As a ministry, we live in the unique intersection of calling and purpose where we work passionately as people and also trust deeply in God as believers! We trust in His provision and plan a fundraiser. We trust in His way forward and simultaneously write that next grant. We trust in His good and send out the next newsletter, update, or appeal.
And when our prayers are answered, we pause and give praise.
- In 2023, South Street Ministries ended the year with a positive income (even though we projected a loss for the year).
- In 2023 — through your support and partnership — we raised the needed funding to empower the South Street staff into next levels of ministry, engagement, and community!!
- In 2023, beds and shoes were given to those who did not have them. Returning citizens were supported in identification, transportation, employment, housing, and more! More than 377 bikes were distributed to youth and adults!
And in it all — God moved. Ministry was made real by His love working in His people at South Street Ministries.
Thank you again for your dynamic support to help us move through 2024 supported and strong!
Come visit the South Street team at the Front Porch and get a special deal on Porchlight Coffee!
So whether you’re a regular there already or have been meaning to visit someday soon …
Go and show this coupon when you order — and you can buy one drink, get one free!
Porchlight loves serving as a gathering place for intersecting ideas and conversations. Hope to see you soon!
Monica and the Reentry team have been an absolute blessing in my life since the first day I walked through South Street Ministries doors and attended the Reentry meetings.
They helped me get my birth certificate and my ID so I could start getting my life back. I was then able to start finding a job, housing, etc. The whole Reentry team has been very welcoming — they have become like family to me.
My sober support, Monica, has been side by side with me since Day 1. She has helped me with everything from housing to being a listening ear when I needed to vent. When I was struggling to get through my day, I know I can always count on her and the Reentry team in both good and bad times.
I am truly grateful and blessed to have Monica and the Reentry team in my life.
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It’s through God’s grace and your partnership and prayers that people like Cassie — and so many others — are able to find a pathway to redirection and restoration within South Street’s Reentry Services. You help offer returning citizens support, guidance, and community engagement to pave the way toward a restored life of family, home, business, and faith. Thank you!
Duane Crabbs often speaks about “Divine Timing.” To this day, Duane still cites his occasional tardiness on the divine timing of God — he was at the right place at the right time to talk about the right thing for the right reasons!
It was in this spirit of divine timing, this God-orchestration of individuals, that South Street Ministries was able to work with Maria Duvuvuie and Curtis Minter, Jr. for strategic planning.
Maria had just finished her work running the successful campaign of now-Mayor Shammas Malik, and Curtis had left his dynamic season of leadership from The Well CDC to chart his own consulting and leadership path.
Through a God-blessed timing, they both were at The Front Porch at the right time to work with South Street in a needed season of strategy, sustainability, and change.
Maria and Curtis recently convened the full staff and the full board (and a few volunteers) together for a Saturday session to “open the hood” of South Street Ministries and perform a tune-up. We identified strategic areas of focus (deepening interconnectedness across our team and board, engaging and empowering our served communities, and more) and committed to the work ahead of us in 2024.
So in this coming year, South Street is going deeper and moving holistically — the whole team for the whole mission of South Street Ministries!
- RICH Kids is renovating spaces, revising missions, and continuing service to youth and families.
- Open Gym resumes with a newfound purpose and partnership amid some of the youth who need that connectivity the most.
- Reentry Services and Restoration House continue to grow and serve in the values of personal and community transformation.
- And South Street staff step toward community within Summit Lake and South Akron at clean-ups, park projects, community meetings, and more.
And it is God’s timing. Because it is God’s ministry in the first place!
“God’s will, done God’s way, won’t lack God’s provision” (another Duane Crabbs quote that still holds true for us in 2024!).
It’s such a privilege to know you’re on this journey forward with us — for God’s glory and for the community’s good. Thank you!
We’re pleased to introduce you to Danielle Taylor, South Street’s VISTA Volunteer.
She recently shared her heart about being involved in community outreach and what she’s bringing to our ministry team to strengthen our service to our neighbors!
I began my VISTA role here at South Street Ministries in the summer of 2023.
I pride myself on being mission-driven — I have worked on a variety of projects that have made a significant impact in our community. Last year I was a part of the building for Morgan Park, the grand opening for 801 Women’s Restoration House, and attended the CCDA conference in Cincinnati.
This ministry has added tremendous value to my leadership development, which has inspired me to complete the bachelor’s degree program at Walden University in social work, passing my first semester with excellence. I am excited to see the fruits of our labor in 2024 and all the amazing revisions of our programs. My tenacity fuels my desire to learn more about community outreach. My goals for this year will be to continue to work on capacity development, grant writing, data analysis, and Reentry programming.
One of the best parts of being a part of South Street Ministries is receiving amazing compliments about the ministries. It’s very inspiring to know how well-respected our executive director, Joe Tucker, is in our community. Having the chance to work among such an innovative group of individuals is rewarding. No matter what future endeavors wait for me after my term here at South Ministries, they will always welcome me with open arms. Just like every client who walks through our doors.
South Street is grateful for Danielle’s compassionate heart and her drive to make outreach to the community better with her skills and gifts.
For the second year now, South Street Ministries has held the Winter Blast Back-to-School event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
This event is crucial for many families in the community whose students’ pencils can barely qualify as nubs, erasers have been completely worn, and their backpacks have been put through the wringer twice. Furthermore, many families do not have adequate winter gear for our current weather.
Despite frigid temperatures, we provided school supplies and winter gear to over 100 individuals and families! I am grateful to be in a position at South Street to help bridge a gap in the communities we serve; however, this would not be possible without the support of community partners and individuals — and the generosity of friends like you.
- Thank you to AmeriHealth Caritas, Wedgewood and First UMC, First Congregational Church of Tallmadge, and everyone who donated supplies.
- Thank you, Summit Lake Community Center, for opening your doors to us to hold the event and allowing us to continue to utilize the space even when it opened as a warming center.
- Thank you to all the organizations and individuals who volunteered for the event. Without your support through donations and direct service, we would not have been able to assist the community in the same capacity as we did.
- And thank YOU for your support of Winter Blast — and all South Street’s outreaches to children and families around our community.
We are deeply grateful how, together, we can serve others so practically in Jesus’ name!
- Reach more children and families in our community …
- Spread hope in practical ways …
- Provide a path toward freedom and independence for returning citizens …
- Strengthen neighbors searching for help and hope …
- And much more …
By becoming a Bridge Builder today!
As a thank-you for becoming a Bridge Builder and signing up for automatic monthly giving, let us send you our book Free Rose Light: Stories Around South Street. The 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.
Through your generosity, we will continue to build bridges that connect us in a community of love and support in South Akron and Summit Lake that God has called us to provide!
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!