Breathe
by Al Tauber, Stories from the Streets Co-Director I’ve never tried scuba diving. Friends who do it say i would enjoy it, but the opportunity has never come up, and, you know – sharks. But lately an image of scuba…
Stuck Like Glue
by Heather Truex, Kaio Community Member I’m sitting in a diner on the outskirts of Chicago’s south suburbs. Al and I made the 45-minute drive to visit “Gary,” who is in the booth across from me. He has a warm…
Food and Friendship
by Mary Mayberry, Kaio Community Member “I’m just so lonely!” Craig blurted out as he approached Andrew and me. We were on Outreach on a chilly Sunday evening. You try not to pick favorites, but Craig has endeared himself to…
The Path through the Pain
by Joel Brown, Kaio Community Member I was cooking in the Ministry Center when Emilio burst into the room and snatched his belongings out of the cupboard. “This place is no damn different,” he muttered under his breath. As I…
The Nasty Things We Step In
by Heather Truex, Kaio Community Member I turn onto Halsted Street and immediately sidestep a chunky puddle of someone’s stomach contents. Half a block down, as we pass two men talking, one of them leans out to caution, “Careful…
Silence
by Ellen Aldridge, former Kaio Community Member A wood-burning stove, cozy blankets, snow that is actually white instead of greyish-brown, and my favorite thing in the world: SILENCE. This was the experience I was blessed with last year as the…
Go God!
by Mary Mayberry, Kaio Community Member “You know how you guys always pray for me before I leave? I am really looking forward to that prayer today. I need it!” Franklin said when he arrived at the Ministry Center. “We…
Sprinting for the Train
by Al Tauber, Stories from the Streets Co-Director On a recent night, I was watching my phone tick away precious minutes as my Amtrak train crawled into Union Station. With seven minutes to catch my Metra train, I shot…
Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Deodorant…
by Mary Mayberry, Kaio Community Member I was working in the Ministry Center when I saw Franklin sitting by himself, writing on a piece of paper. Grabbing a cup of coffee, I sat down nearby and peeked at the paper.…
The Vine & the Branches
by Heather Truex, Kaio Community Member I love being part of Emmaus, but what we do is hard. We’re only a handful of weeks in, but this new year has had a rough start. A couple of the men…