Yesterday, our founder Terence Lester gave a talk to graduating seniors about finding their niche and serving humanity with love! We were grateful that we got a chance to talk about LBW at Therrell High School.
LBW Team
We are excited! This Saturday, we are partnering with Sporty Gils, Inc. and their athletes to put on a pop-up fashion show to raise items for homeless teens. This is going to be really exciting because it will show the teens who are serving the importance of giving back to others, and the value of life. Check out the information below for details.
LBW Team
Next week, we will take a lot of principles we have learned (through experience) and pass them along to other leaders (about 5-7). We want to teach leaders some of lessons we’ve learned about social media, storytelling, and launching campaigns.
How will this help? I’m glad you asked. It will help other leaders start the process of thinking through ways to make an impact in the areas they feel called to. Everyone needs a little guidance and help!
Also, I’m excited about giving the talk! If you’d like to attend, click the image below. I think we only have 3 more seats available.
Terence
Yesterday (Labor Day), we recieved noticed that we won the September grant from the Awesome Foundation (Atlanta Chapter) for our #closetstrike campaign. We will use these resources to build closets for Title 1 students.
You can click the image below to read the story on their national site.
LBW Team
Today is literally the 59th DAY of me wearing one outfit! I can’t believe I’ve been able to go so long (as I miss my other clothes). That’s 1,416 hours… The hardest challenge about wearing the same outfit has been the embarrassment. People have literally seen me in this outfit everywhere…
Oh, and I have gotten some mean mugs, and cold stares. But, I have learned how to ignore them. I can only imagine how children feel who have to endure this treatment from their peers. Especially when they had no say in the poverty that they are faced with… You don’t believe me about the embarrassment, well here is a picture of my shoes that are starting to become busted…
So far, we have not met our goal, but I am confident that we will meet it. Starting tomorrow, I will release videos to share this story more to raise the last 170 uniforms needed to jumpstart the closets in four under resourced schools we are partnering with to build uniform closets.
If you would like to donate, I ask that you read the #closetstrike story [HERE]
Terence
Today is DAY 40 of #closetstike! And, it’s the day that we’ll come along side the Salvation Army and partner to serving the Pittsburgh Community in the heart of Atlanta, Ga.
Terence
Today is DAY 31 in one outfit!
For the last thirty days I have only worn one outfit… Why? Because I decided to give up my closet so four Title 1 Schools who have students who struggle with their closets can have one! This is not a stunt, or some type of gimmick… I’m doing this because I encountered tons of kids who wear the same thing every single day because their families live in poverty. Therefore, I vowed to myself that not only will I walk in the shoes of these kids, but I would do something that benefit the schools that have students who struggle with this issue.
Many people know that Title 1 Elementary Schools require their students to wear uniforms….Therefore, #lovebeyondwalls is going to do something about it…
I, Terence have not only given up every single article of clothing I own, but for the next 60 days, I am rallying people to help us collect tons of uniforms (new or slightly used) to help several Elementary Schools, and to build closets for these schools…
How can you get involved? Simple. You can drop off any of the items below at several of our drop-off locations, or you can give monetarily [HERE] — 100% of your giving goes directly to uniforms. Our goals is to furnish each of these schools with 50 uniforms a piece.
Below are the schools, there colors, sizes, and the drop-off locations you can bring them to:
SIZES
small (6-8)
medium (10-12)
large (14-16)
SCHOOLS
Mt Zion Primary
PreK- Yellow polo style shirts
K5-Green polo style shirts
1st grade-Red polo style shirts
2nd grade-Navy polo style shirts
Pants/Bottoms: Khaki, navy, or black
EJ Swint Elementary
Tops: button down or polo style-white,
Bottoms: Khaki or dress pants style, shorts or skirts-khaki, blue, black color
Fountain Elementary
Tops: Polo style or button down style—yellow, gold, blue, or white
Pants, shorts, skirts: khaki, blue
Riverdale Elementary
Tops: Polo style with collar–Red, black, white, navy blue
Pants, skirts, skorts, knee length shorts: Khaki, black, dark blue
Terence
I got a couple of text messages from a good friend this AM. It went something like this, “Bro, so you aren’t going to tell me the next awareness campaign?” I responded, “I thought I already told you…” Long story short, I didn’t…
Nonetheless, the text messaging conversation went back and forth for a while, and ended up inspiring me to go through with it even more… Honestly, the more I think about this particular campaign, I get even more nervous about doing it. I am normally a very adventurous person, but 90 DAYS is a long time. In fact, it will take 2,160 hours to complete!
I am literally 22 DAYS away, and it will not be easy! But, as I think about the possible impact it will have on impoverished families and children, the more God strengthens me. I am praying that God uses this next campaign to raise awareness, reach people, and mobilized people to love others the way that God loves people. I will release soon.
Below is a fun fact about the campaign:
Terence
I’m up… I’m thinking… I’m filled with compassion… My heart is racing really fast as I think about the next awareness campaign… It’s literally 5AM, and the prayer request I received 48 hours ago now is pushing me to go through with it!
The prayer request came from a mother in another state that is battling domestic violence, verbal abuse, and little support for her children. And guess what? She wrote this email from a hospital… Why? Because she is pregnant and is close to delivering another child (did I mention she’s married?)
In fact, her and her children are without many items and is being overtaken by abuse, poverty, and lack. This breaks my heart knowing this… This breaks my heart knowing that she thought enough of #lovebeyondwalls to reach out for prayer…And, I DID JUST THAT… I prayed that God grants her and her children safety!
Do I know this lady? No. BUT, I do know the pain the children may feel. I know what it feels like to have been around this type of brokenness. Can you relate?
Nonetheless, as I read her prayer request in the form of questions, I was moved to tears. Imagine getting this type of email over the weekend. You don’t believe me it brought me to tears? You read her words below (PLEASE EXCUSE THE EXPLICIT WORDS):
Courage: how many times have you verbally abused your pregnant wife? Called her b*tches, hoes, dumb mother f*ckers? How about in front of company? Ever had sex so rough that she ended up in hospital or weeping uncontrollably? What about promised her you’d never work if it meant paying bills instead of buying beer? Oh what about pulled her hair? Maybe calling her seven year old son a bastard or bi*ch as$ m.f. to his face was hurtful enough? Maybe you ran off unannounced for two or three days with the house and car keys? Those girls were just useful for the money they could give you, right? You didn’t want them for sex though? Hickies in your 30’s, but who gave u those? What about the ‘line or two’ order cocaine habit that keeps you from working and constantly falling urine tests? Did her dad suggest they work it out when she told him all about it? Well, this wife has had all that and more, but is too broken to leave. At the end of my rope. Pray for me as many church folk advise me to stick through this. My pregnancy caused me to not be able to work out pay my own bills. unemployment has run out, and with 9.5 weeks left, my cervix is shortening, I’m on bed rest, and baby may come early. All this while my husband constantly leaves me alone with no car and we have not paid any bills so eviction is eminent. Lord, I need Your help just as You’ve come through before. Said, You’d never leave me nor forsake me.
You may be asking, why would you share this? Firstly, I shared it in a way not to reveal the person’s identity. Second and last, I shared it because it is reality, it is what people are going through in this broken world, and I am saddened by the advise that was given to her by “church folk.” She stated that she was at the end of her emotional rope from being abused, cheated on, and some people told her to stay…………… Does this make you cringe?
Of course we have been able to connect this lady with one of our partners to recuse her from this situation, but I am still left with the question, “Who else?”
“What other women and children are experiencing this type of mistreatment and lack?”
“How many more children are suffering with this type of poverty and brokenness?”
Better yet, “What will I do?”
For the last 48 hours, I have read the above prayer more than 100 times… And, it bothers enough to act. Can I save the world? No. But I can zero in on children, and help to give children a voice who experience the residue of brokenness? Yes.
In another email the lady expressed that her children were without clothes, necessities, and other items that kids should have. This broke my heart even more because children never ask to be in situations like this, and still deserve to have their basic needs met.
Therefore, on behalf of this lady, her children, and many other families that I have encountered being plagued by dysfunction, life circumstances, and poverty– I am going to do something.
In 25 days, we are launching our third awareness campaign to raise resources for children who battle brokenness and poverty. Pray for this lady, her children, and the many other children out there battling…
Terence
We are approaching a historic month for #lovebeyondwalls! Why? Because in the month of April we will occupy our first office/slash storage space. Below is a picture if you have seen it yet:
Of course it is not a gigantic building, but it will be something we call a headquarters & home.
It will be a “launchpad” for the work we would like to continue doing in our city (ATL), country, and world.
It will be a place where we can get planted and grow as an organization. We ask that you do four specific things to help us get planted into our new office/storage space in the month of April (whole month).
1) Pray – I ask that you pray that God allows us to get planted, and immediately continue to reach people who do not have any hope.
2) Give – I ask that you look at our simple “wish list” and contribute in of the items on it that we need. This is ALL from scratch, so we will need your help. But, if we have to spend the first month on the floor with laptops working, we are cool with that too. LOL. Simply click [HERE] to visit our “wish list” page.
3) Volunteer – We will post the days that we will start working on the building to clean it, and make minor repairs to it. We ask that you volunteer to help get our building together. We will need help getting organized, painting, etc. Why? As we get planted, we can help more people.
4) Share our story – If you know someone who could help us move forward, share our story. You never know who “you know” that we can help, or could help us.
Thank you for reading this blog. Pray for #lovebeyondwalls as we aim to “PLANT LOVE” in the city of Atlanta! Below is the graphic for the new campaign #plantlove
Terence
