You will not believe this!

Over the last couple of months, our organization has been intentional about giving people experiencing homelessness untraditional housing to get them off of the streets, and provide a place to stay that’s safe.

If we can be honest, it’s been messy, hard, confusing, and fun all at the same time. We’ve laughed with them, have had the privilege of celebrating successes, and have talked through struggles.

Long story short, we’ve just taken what’s in front of us and have used it to serve those who are forgotten.

Little did we know that a family was watching our work with using trailers to provide housing.  Well, this same family reached out and donated our organization this RV trailer! Wow is all we can say!

We can’t wait to reveal what this will become for our next campaign. 

LBW Team

DAY 1 – Give Love Away Challenge

For the month of February, we’re posting a challenge everyday (29 days) encouraging our followers to intentionally ‪#‎giveloveaway‬ with an act of kindness. Today is DAY 1. We challenge you to post something positive and challenge the negative post(s) we see on our timelines.

LBW-GiveLoveAwayChallenge

LBW Team

Collaborate with us – Mobile Makeovers!

Hey, we are looking for people to collaborate with to provide makeovers for people in need in the city of Atlanta, College Park, East Point, & Hapeville! Every makeover could potentially lead to someone changing their life completely. If you are interested, please see the artwork below.

MobileMakeover-Graphic

LBW Team

IKEA & LBW

Help us to continue to make a difference. We’re participating in the 5th annual ‘IKEA Life Improvement Co-worker Challenge’ – a program that gives our charity the chance to win a makeover from IKEA (16th Street Location). This makeover will help us create a training space for those in the community that is functional, inviting and well-designed — a place our community can feel welcome and comfortable.

Participating is simple. All you have to do is go to www.IKEA-USA.com and vote for (‪#‎lovebeyondwalls‬). You can vote once a day from February 16th until March 2nd. It’s that easy! To vote, click the image below. Thanks for your support!

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LBW Team

Nights 13-14 – First Mobile Makeover

So far, we have raised about $8,000 toward our goal ($50,000), and still have a ways to go. But, we are passionate about doing our first makeover before we actually get the bus up and going! Why? Because we have a strong passion to model our vision of what we’d like to see happen all next year. Like my mentor always used to say, “start with what you have…”

Currently, my good friend Robert is staying the rest of the time with me and has not owned a suit in a number of years, and sometimes getting a haircut is a challenge.

This morning, Robert came up to relieve me (on the bus where I plan to stay 30 nights straight) so I could go and officiate a wedding of an old high school friend/sister… When I put on my suit, Robert brought it to my attention that it had been years since he owed a suit. Therefore, I saw it as an opportunity to tell his story and literally do our first #mobilemakesovers.

 

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So far, we have had someone pledge to get him a suit, but he still needs shoes, a dress shirt, and a tie. We also have had a barber step up and pledge to give the first free haircut.

Help us complete our first makeover before we get up and going!

Terence

 

Why Get on the Bus? – Mobile Makeovers!

About a month ago now, I had a conversation with my family. Specifically, my wife. She looked at me and asked me a very important question. She asked, “What are you going to do to take a stand for what you believe in?” I responded. “What do you mean?”

It short she was making a bold implication, “If you believe that God wants you to make over lives with this bus, then be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish that.” Thus we both agreed that I could live on top of the bus 30 nights in a row to bring awareness to several issues, and do whatever it took to help those we are seeking to help (Staying on top of the bus from Dec 14-Jan 14).

Therefore, yesterday I decided to publish the story and let the world know what I am attempting to do so #lovebeyondwalls can restore dignity back to more people through our makeover bus… I have gotten pretty negative responses, but I have also gotten some positive responses.  However, what matters most is that I take a stand for our cause, and what God has placed on my heart to do. 30 nights is a long time, but with support I can do it…

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My heart is filled with so much compassion for youth who live in single parent households (especially after the tragic events that have occurred recently), and families who struggle day to day in communities that are broken and often times lifeless. I know the makeover bus is not the full answer, but we could use it to start the process of helping/serving those we can touch and help, and mobilizing more compassionate people.

In fact, I overcame a number of odds myself and had a life makeover… I was once a high school dropout, juvenile delinquent, ex-gang member, grew up in a single parent household, was very misguided, and troubled in my teenage years and a portion of my early twenties. However, I beat the odds by God’s grace… (If you’d like to read some of my story, I wrote a book in my younger years called “U-TURN.” It’s the story of how my life was made over and how I turned my life around).

Therefore, this bus means more to me than lights and cameras or bells and whistles… It represents the power of life-change. It symbolizes that lives can change when people take interest in other people by helping them take a stand for their lives. It represents that hope is still near, and that dignity can restore brokenness. I don’t have a perfect story, but God used people to get me to where I am today.  Someone helped me so we (#lovebeyondwalls) want to help others.

Honestly, I am asking people to do four specific things… 1) Pray, 2) Share the story, 3) Give so we can reach our goal, and 4) Serve by coming out to help us when we start the process.

I truly solicit your prayers as I attempt to take a stand for homeless people, youth, and broken communities that need more that words… They need makeovers. Pray that God helps us change this bus so we can possibly change lives.

Terence