Refugees face many challenges when they arrive to the US. The cultural, linguistic, and institutional differences can create significant barriers for them, but as Christians, we can help them overcome those barriers and adjust to their new lives. Welcoming refugees in our city is the first step, but here are some tips for communication and compassion for those looking to get more involved.
Continue reading “7 Things to Know About Working with Refugees”
“I knew it. I just knew you were going to be here today!”I couldn’t help but smile as the fourth grader who I had been mentoring for several months exclaimed those words when I showed up at his classroom to pick him up. He was so excited to see me. I admittedly had been having a busy day, and I wasn’t as excited about the prospects of carving out a couple hours in a local elementary school. But, I committed to showing up every week as a mentor no matter what. So, that’s what I did. I just showed up.
Questions, questions, and more questions.When you step into the world of foster care, you’re stepping into the great unknown. You don’t know when the phone will ring asking you to take a placement. You don’t know how much time you’ll have to prepare for that placement. You don’t know the child, the case, the issues, or the outcome. You just don’t know. And for those of us who have said yes to being foster parents, we’ve learned this is a part of our journey.
Continue reading “Supporting Foster Families: Act Instead of Ask”
Arguably, the most powerful word in existence, and even more so in action. Love is a force like no other. It covers a multitude of sins and darkness, including hatred, racism, fear, and indifference. Love gets so watered down, as we use it to describe our emotions about one thing or another, but true, pure, unconditional love comes from the Father and can only be felt when we give ourselves over to the Creator (who Himself is love) and made us in His image. Continue reading “L-O-V-E”
Urban Impact Foundation is a Christian community development organization that has worked with youth and families on the North Side of Pittsburgh for the past 20 years.
By working to meet the needs of the whole person through holistic community outreach, we can bring transformative hope to Pittsburgh one person, one family, one block at a time. Continue reading “Impacting Lives Through Literacy”
I really did. I was raised in a very safe suburban environment with a stable family, good schools, big houses that gained value over time, plentiful food, and lots of churches to choose from. We had a high employment rate with living wages, nice places to shop, and a stable local governance. Most of the children who grew up in the upwardly mobile, homogenous neighborhood with me were expected to go on to college and become the next great contributors to our society. I was surrounded by people who looked like me and thought like me. There weren’t many problems to speak of. There just wasn’t a whole lot of diversity, ethnicity or socioeconomic status where I grew up. Continue reading “How Does Mentoring Transform the Lives of Volunteer Mentors?”
Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
James 2:14-17, The Message
Get your clicking finger ready: It’s time to test that “fake news IQ” you’ve spent the past year developing. Sure, you can spot a click-bait headline a mile away—“Joanna Gaines is Leaving ‘Fixer Upper’ to Become a Scuba Diving Instructor!”—but can you figure out what’s missing from the following real-news headlines? Hint: It has to do with where they happened. Go ahead and Google them; I’ll wait. Continue reading “Human Trafficking Awareness Month”
On Sunday, January 21 churches across the country will acknowledge the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. This is a day set aside each year for the Christian community to celebrate the incredible gift of life, and acknowledge and advocate for all of those still struggling in the margins. Continue reading “10 Simple Ways to Build a Culture of Life”
I’m immediately struck by the crushing sadness and anger that is around me. People in Family Court are immersed in brokenness. There are parents there who are angry that their children have been taken away. There are spouses there who are fearful that they might have to face an abusive partner. There are foster parents there who are feeling overwhelmed in their role for the day. There is just so much hurt and sadness. Continue reading “Building Bridges in Foster Care”