Joe's Addiction: Community among the Least of These
This coffee shop/community center in Valley Brook/Oklahoma City has become a community of what might be considered “the least of these.” Daily we serve coffee and “hang out” with those experiencing homelessness, drug addicts, alcoholics, felons, prostitutes, and folks with mental health problems.
Joe’s Addiction sits in the middle of the row of strip clubs that are the main industry of this part of town and ministers to the people of the community of folks that live within walking distance. Most of the people in the area live way below the poverty line, as the latest census shows that the median income in Valley Brook is $11,000/yr.
Through Joe’s Addiction, we are inviting people to come into Community, to live in relationship with one another, and to follow the Way of Love. We run a Food Pantry and a Free Store (like a thrift store, only everything is free) to help meet practical needs. Each spring, we plant a community garden and we share the harvest with the community. We host regular Narcotics Anonymous meetings, and church meets in Joe’s on Sunday mornings and provides an opportunity for us as a community to encourage and learn together how to “love one another.”
14 years into this experience, we have realized that the issues that accompany generational poverty are many and complicated and cannot be treated by simply “meeting a particular need,” but require that we live alongside people for the long haul, teaching and modeling the Way of Love. Little by little, hatred is being changed to self-control, forgiveness, to love for enemies. Bit by bit, depression and hopelessness are being changed to encouragement, to vision, to the fullness of life.
Financial need: The sky is the limit on possible opportunities in the community around Joe’s. Creative ideas often come to our minds for how to help and bless but often are not carried out due to a lack of finances. Any money that is donated beyond our basic monthly needs, is used to creatively bless this community and open relationships that will give us the opportunity to introduce people to Love.
Volunteer Needs: Baristas: We are always in need of people who will commit to working at least one shift per week behind the counter. We will provide training in both barista skills and relationship evangelism.
Seasonal Events:
Thanksgiving Dinner: We serve 400+ meals to the community each year. Food and Servers needed.
Christmas Store: We provide toys for parents to give to their children and gifts for children to give to their parentseach year.
Skilled Volunteers:
Doctors to give free medical care.
Social Workers to provide counsel.
Hairstylists to give free hair cuts.
Chiropractors to “crack us up”
Lawyers to give free legal counsel.
Employers willing to take a risk on hiring inexperienced or people with felony records.
Project Volunteers: There are countless projects that can be done in Valley Brook and the surrounding area, from yard work, to home repair, to house cleaning, to neighborhood clean up, etc. Due to no discretionary budget, we cannot provide funding for materials at this time. Individuals or groups who would like to serve in a project would need to cover the cost of the project.
Fund Raisers: There are endless ideas for how to go about raising funds for ministry through Joe’s Addiction, from car washes, to benefit dinners, to raffles, etc. We are stretched thin in our own time and would love to see individuals or churches that would raise money for ministry to the poor through Joe’s.