The Clown Car

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

TKJ-mobile

My 2004 Scion xB has been referred to as a clown car on more than one occasion, and for more than one reason. It is rather colorfully decorated with decals. For those of you who are not tech savvy, those checkered patterned splats on the four fenders and on the tailgate are called QR codes. They allow passengers (or drivers) in other cars to simply point their smart phones at the code and click and it takes them to this website. I added these to the TKJ-mobile after I observed someone typing the website into their smartphone as they were trying to match my speed, while reading the side of my car, going down Route 309. This is much safer.

The first time Fr. John Oliver rode in it, he called it the Tardis, because it is so much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. On more than one occasion, five adult men have travelled, more or less comfortably in it, along with a considerable amount of gear. Sometimes when we arrive to serve, I get out of the car. People keep getting out of the car. Then we unload the gear, and I get the clown car crack. Hey, it’s paid for and it has lasted eight and half years so far.

The decals have attracted some interest. We have had conversations with people in neighboring lanes, who say they want to donate or get involved as we are driving up North Broad St. in Phila. This week we received seven large bags of winter coats that the folks at Selas Fluid Processing Corp. gathered. An employee apparently saw the TKJ-mobile and shot the QR code. One thing led to another. Thanks! May God bless you. Now, thanks, in part, to the clown car, a whole bunch of men, women and children will be warmer this winter.

The week before Christmas, I pulled into a parking space at the bank. My cellphone was ringing. I had a conversation with an icon customer. While I was still on the phone, a woman stood outside of my window, waiting to talk to me. I ended my phone call and rolled down my window and asked if I could help her. She said, “Do you take in homeless children?” I said, “No. Why? What is the story? Maybe we can find someone to help.” She told me she was about to kick her 26 year old son out of the house. I told her that he wasn’t a child. We began to discuss alternatives. She felt this was God’s appointment. Since then, we have been working with this troubled young man, who is struggling with a heroin addiction, and his family. It has been intense at times. He has helped us serve on the street the last three weeks and made the beans and rice last week. The guys really liked it. He is a skilled chef. Please pray for Jonathan and Jacqueline and Bob. They have a long and rough road ahead of them. We see this part of the ministry as homelessness prevention.

The TKJ-mobile is used as sort of a community car. Various people have used it when they do not have a car or theirs is in the shop, or it is the appropriate vehicle for the task. It has been to Canada without me to help some poor, Vietnamese neighbors bless a baby. It has been to numerous court dates and to the county assistance office, with or without me. It has met countless buses and trains and a few planes. Yes, it’s funny looking. I put Mercedes stars on it, because the people we carry are worthy of high class treatment. Thank you all for helping me keeping it on the road with gas in the tank.

Oh, I forgot to mention the “Ah-OO-gah” horn that heralds our arrival at 1801 Vine at 8 pm each Thursday night where we serve between 150 and 200 tasty, nutritious, hot meals to homeless folks in Jesus’ Name.

We are movers and shakers.

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

You knew we are shakers because you read about how we took on City Hall and won, but did you know we are movers, too?

Last month we were given a refrigerator, a freezer, a washer, and a dryer by someone who had moved into a house that already had appliances. The washer and refrigerator went to households who have been experiencing hardship, but still manage to volunteer an amazing amount of time and energy to serve others in the community. The dryer and freezer went to another organization in Philadelphia who works primarily with new immigrants teaching English as a second language, but also serves the homeless. A toaster oven came along with this, as well. That went to a man who just moved off of the street into a room.

It has always been part of our vision that we want to move resources from the suburbs into the city. White flight, job flight, and church flight drained so many vital resources from the city. We need to see some of that flow back. This is the meaning of jubilee.

Right now, there are two other ministries in need of appliances. They don’t need to be brand new, but they need to have good life left in them. I don’t need to be moving junk. We need a good refrigerator, a freezer, an electric range, and a washer. If you have any of these, let me know. Or, if you want to bless a ministry with a new appliance, that would be gladly received as well.

Thank you.

Socks & Underwear for Christmas

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

For several years now, when asked what I want for Christmas, my standard reply has been, “Socks and underwear.” I mean, my life revolves around work and repairing the house. I buy the tools I need for that when I need them. (More likely these days, I borrow them from Uncle John.) New socks and underwear are kind of nice. I have four daughters. They let me buy my own socks and underwear. I am quite capable of doing so.

There are some folks who are quite happy to receive some new socks and underwear. You can have a part in giving it to them. We are going to be helping out in Tindley Temple United Methodist Church‘s soup kitchen’s annual Christmas party on Monday. Our part, in addition to Uncle John, Anthony and I helping serve, is to provide the socks and underwear in the gift baskets for the 75 women and 125 men who will be attending. Time is short. We already have the women’s things. We are gathering the men’s now. If you want to donate toward it, great! Use the Paypal or the donation page or mail a check. If you want to shop and deliver the items to our house on Saturday or Sunday, call and let me know what your plans are so I know how to plan. 267-497-0268

This is the first time we are working with Tindley Temple UMC. I think this is a good thing that those of us who are serving the homeless community are getting to know each other and working together.

Operation: Clean Start Bucket Delivered

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

Last night we delivered an Operation: Clean Start bucket full of cleaning supplies and equipment to a couple who has just moved into an apartment. We also were able to give them some dishes and pots and pans. There was too much for them to carry home, so we gave them a ride. Daniel and Sadie are very grateful and want to convey their thanks to all who participate in this ministry. Sadie said thank you for the book, too. They also are thankful that we didn’t just back down in the face of the mayor’s intimidating, unjust decrees.

Next week, we will be delivering another Clean Start bucket and hope to have dishes, silverware and pots and pans to go with that, as well. Let us know if you have items you wish to donate. Or if you want to put gas in the tank of the TKJ-mobile, so we can keep making the deliveries, the donate button is up there on the right. May God bless you as you bless the poor in Jesus’ Name.

Operation: Clean Start

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

When I moved into my first apartment, what was the first thing I did to make it mine?

Cleaned it.

When we bought our first old fixer-upper house, what was the first thing that we did to make it ours (before we did any demolition or painting)?

Cleaned it.

We would like to provide something to encourage people who are transitioning off the street to their own space to make it theirs right away. We would like to be able to provide a kit with basic cleaning supplies and tools to every person who is moving into a place of their own off of the street, in Jesus’ Name. We are calling this program Operation: Clean Start.

We will provide a list of items that you can purchase or some you can make and assemble in a kit. Each kit will include some sort of personal touch from the family or individual that is giving it and a note saying that it is given in Jesus’ Name and that it was assembled by people who are praying for his or her success. A suggested donation of $10 for delivery costs should accompany each kit.

More details will follow.

Poverty Doesn’t Take a Vacation

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

I say it every year: Summer is our busiest time of year. More people are looking to us for meals on the street, because fewer shelters are serving food and the college based outreach programs are not active over summer vacation. Please include The King’s Jubilee in your summer plans. Make some sandwiches. Buy and chill some cases of bottles of water. Make a donation to help buy the added cups, spoons, produce, spices and hot sauce we need this time of year.

We can use more volunteers to help maintain order with the larger crowds, as well.

Remember you don’t have to leave the country to have a cross cultural experience. You just need to come out of your comfort zone. Come broaden your horizons with us.

Make an Ugly Quilt to Save a Life

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

You may not think this is the season to be thinking about blankets for the homeless, but it is still freezing at night and will be cool at night for some time yet. If you sew, or would like a basic project to work on to learn how to sew, this is something you can do. You can make a roll up sleeping bag for us to distribute on the street. The pattern is here: http://www.uglyquilts.org/ and below.

Happy stitching!

THE UGLY QUILT

AN EMERGENCY SLEEPING BAG

WHY THE NAME ‘UGLY QUILT’

a.The Sleeping Bag is a utility quilt made from clean used or no-cost fabrics.
b. This simple sleeping bag should not have a market value to assure the homeless are beneficiaries.
c. The name indicates the skill level needed for this tied quilt.
d. The Ugly Quilt can be made in less than a day.
e. A group can make one in an hour.

THE OUTER SHELL OF THE SLEEPING BAG IS MADE BY CUTTING SCRAP MATERIAL, BEDSPREADS, DRAPES OR RUMMAGE INTO THE LARGEST SQUARE OR RECTANGLE THE PIECE WILL ALLOW.

1. Sew enough pieces together to form a seven foot by seven foot (7′ x 7′) square.

2. Sew two, 7′ by 7′ squares together to form the sleeping bag cover. 7′ by 14′ finished length.

3. Stitch two sets of three foot straps to a 7′ edge, approximately 15 and 30 inches in. Straps are made of neckties, dress belts, etc.

4. On three eight foot (8′) church tables, fill one half of the 14′ x 7′ piece with clean old blankets, mattress pads, fiberfill or light-weight rummage. Leave a threeinch (3″) seam allowance on the three open edges.

5. Cover with remaining 7′ length. 6. Tie knots through all three layers with a double crochet cotton every eight inches (8″), to secure the covers to the fill layer.

7. Lay the 3′ straps up onto the tied quilt.

8. Fold the tied 7′ x 7′ in half, R to L forming a 7′ x 3 1/2′ sleeping bag shape. * Triple knot with crochet cotton the remaining side and bottom edges every three inches catching only the four cover layers. Raw edges will insulate the seams when turned * The top edge and folded side are finished.

9. Turn right side out.

10. Roll up and tie straps tightly to secure. Feel free to implement your ideas but keep it simple, quick and cost free.

You are personally saving lives!

PREVENTING HYPOTHERMIA ON THE STREETS

OPTIONAL

Ask a blessing for those who suffer from the cold.
Add a hat, gloves, a scarf socks, underwear, soap, etc.
Homeless women are warmer in men’s clothes.
With a Magic Marker, sign and date Sleeping Bag with:
My Brothers’ Keeper Quilt Group / The King’s Jubilee and your zip code.
Add a message of “HOPE”, Non-judgmental
e.g. – a page from an old hymnal, daily paper, prayer book.

Univest – Line Lexington Branch Adopted TKJ for Thanksgiving

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

Every year, each branch of Univest National Bank adopts a local charity to support for a Thanksgiving project. This year, the Line Lexington branch chose The King’s Jubilee. They are accepting donations of canned vegetables, tomato sauce, pasta, quinoa, brown rice, dried beans and used men’s clothing on behalf of The King’s Jubilee through November 19, at a display in their lobby.

If you wish to drop something off there, they are located at: 990 Bethlehem Pike, Line Lexington, PA 18932

Thanks! May God bless you.

Who We Are

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Cranford Joseph Coulter

The King’s Jubilee is incorporated as a charitable, religious organization. We currently serve about 150 people on the streets of Philadelphia with a hot meal, some food to take for the next day, clothes, blankets and toiletries, every Thursday night and the last Tuesday of the month. We also provide household goods, furniture and cleaning supplies to those who ask for it who are transitioning off of the street into permanent housing.

We are pan-Orthodox with support and volunteers coming from Antiochian, OCA, Albanian, Serbian and Greek churches. We operate with the blessings of Metropolitan PHILIP and Bishop THOMAS with our home parish being St. Phlip’s in Souderton. We also have strong participation from a Roman Catholic church, as well as occasional involvement from people who are Pentecostal, Mennonite, Muslim and Jewish. Every one understands and agrees that we are serving in Jesus’ Name.

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