Email: Joshua Peck

Hey Ya’ll!

Things are still going well here in the ATL. Finally, the leaves are turning and the nights are cool. In my last letter, I promised to talk more about Central Presbyterian Church and what I do there.  Here goes nothin’….

Central has one of the most beautiful sanctuaries that I have ever been in; it looks almost like a something out of one of the Harry Potter movies! It is a congregation with a history similar to that of First Allegheny—it’s in the midst of a neighborhood that, in some sense, followed a similar trajectory as the Northside. I feel very much at home here; that said, however, I am getting a little homesick and am looking forward to being back in Pittsburgh over Thanksgiving!

In addition to the night shelter, Central operates a Child Development Center and an Outreach Center, where I work. Compelled by faith in Jesus Christ and God’s call to “do justice,” the Central Outreach and Advocacy Center (OAC) works in partnership with individuals and families to assist them to avoid and recover from homelessness and to advocate on their behalf. The OAC seeks to be a passionate and well-respected voice in the community on behalf of the homeless and is committed to collaborating with area service providers to significantly reduce the risk and prevalence of homelessness in Atlanta.

The outreach program operates each weekday, offering services to men, women, and children in need of temporary assistance. These services include providing Georgia State ID and birth certificates from around the world, helping with public transportation for work opportunities and medical appointments, emergency grocery assistance, and myriad other services aimed at addressing immediate quotidian needs. The advocacy program selects issues based on our mission and then takes public policy positions and engages public officials on them. In addition to this larger scale “systemic advocacy” work, much of our effort, and indeed what I do on a daily basis, revolves around “individual advocacy.”

One such program is called “The Exodus Journey,” the goal of which is to serve guests in moving out of homelessness and to make a lasting change in their lives. The program is designed for those who are experiencing homelessness and just need a jump-start in order to get back on their feet. The guiding principle for the program is that its goal can best be achieved by serving the whole person—body, mind and spirit. The program is flexible so that if other needs become apparent, they can be incorporated into the guest’s individualized plan. By removing the worries of shelter, food, clothing, and transportation, the guests will be able to focus on their goals of recovery, employment, and housing.

So far, I have been trained in shorter-term case management. However, soon I will begin working with two guests, as their case manager for the next nine months as they transition out of homelessness. I am really looking forward to starting this journey with them.

I’m loving my time here, but I’m also really looking forward to coming home to the Burgh for Thanksgiving. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see as many folks as possible while I’m there. I arrive late Wednesday night and fly back down here on Sunday afternoon, so it’ll be a busy few days!

In Christ,