Our work is hard, but it's some of the most rewarding stuff that I could imagine.
Last month we got to give away a house. It was better than reality TV…it was just real, honest life. At LOVEtheLOU we call it persistent neighboring. Here are the bullet points to the beginning of the story.
About 5-6 years ago a generous donor gave us a house that she no longer was able to keep as a landlord.
We were fixing up properties and added
this to our list.
The family living in the house had been there for something like 30 years. The house had originally been owned by them, but death and some addiction forced the house to be taken back from the bank.
The generous donor actually entered the story at that time and helped purchase the property so that a foreclosure from the bank was avoided.
The family has been renting ever since.
Although our team is consistently working on houses, rehabs, and even new construction we don't see ourselves as landlords. Internally we discussed giving the house away to the family at the end of the year. No strings attached.
I wish you could have been there. Words will not do it justice and even though it was a made-for-television moment, I am really glad that it just intimately unfolded without cameras. The next time you are down at LOVEtheLOU make sure to ask me, Tawana, or Kiesha the story. We got to experience it, but I wish you would have been there.
It's at this point that I need to thank you for your support. It allows us to be on the front lines of some very important work. Some of it is gut-wrenching and some of it unbelievably joyous. Thank you for being there with us every step of the way.
As an addict in recovery, it seems wise for me to avoid pastimes that could spawn fresh addictions. As a result, I have intentionally avoided placing sports bets despite my acumen and clairvoyance. I have even renounced giving sports betting recommendations to friends out of a desire to keep them gambling addiction-free. If we start, we might not be able to stop.
But I’m reconsidering all my fragile disciplines now ... I’ve got inside information on a sure thing.
Can I share this inside info with you?
(Glancing both ways to make sure no one else is listening in)
Jaylan Conway is launching Open Gym at The Block. This is a sure thing. Can’t miss.
Basketball. Sure thing.
Basketball in a safe environment. Sure thing.
Brotherhood being forged through basketball in a safe environment. Sure thing.
Leaders having a chance to flourish, brotherhood being forged through basketball in a safe environment. Sure thing.
Letting everybody have a turn to get on the court and play, leaders having a chance to flourish, brotherhood being forged through basketball in a safe environment. Sure thing.
Older teaching the younger, letting everybody have a chance to get on the court and play, brotherhood being forged through basketball in a safe environment. Sure thing.
If you have extra prayers or funds to invest in this sure thing, I recommend you do so.
Just please keep this sure thing to yourself. We cannot have all of the larger LOVEtheLOU community getting addicted to supporting young black men like Jaylan as they step up and give back to the community leading with their own vision and their own ideas. If others start supporting this effort, they might not be able to stop. Can you imagine that?
(Glancing both ways to make sure no one else is listening) So just between me and you ... would you be willing to say one prayer right now for Jaylan and to begin donating specifically toward this new effort?
Ok bet.
Support Brick City Supply Here!
One of the biggest ways we serve our North City community is through food! Food sustains and renews, gathers people together, and has a way of powerfully breaking down walls. This is exactly what we’ve experienced. We’ve seen families gather each week to break bread with other families and individuals they would never have known otherwise. We’ve seen people who are drastically different than one another sit together and share in each other’s lives. We’ve laughed and cried and laughed some more! Serving meals has become vital to our mission and something we do up to four times a week. This is where we need your help…check out our Meal Train and sign up to bring a meal! If you have any questions or want to know more reach out to Tawana Lawson at tawana@lovethelou.com!
Looking for a fun way to support our mission? Check out our Amazon wishlist! This is a collection of items we are asking for in order to enhance our programs. Click the link below!