Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
2007-04-16
Section: Metro
Edition: Tarrant
Page: B1
Off the streets, on the payroll
ALEX BRANCH STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
FORT WORTH — On Saturdays, Neale Mansfield sometimes watches up to a dozen volunteer
groups flood East Lancaster Avenue with stacks of box lunches and hot meals for the homeless.
Soon, the road and sidewalk are littered with food and trash. Some homeless people carry away
cold pizzas or boxes of chicken to trade for crack.
It makes Mansfield, founder of the Feed by Grace Ministry, shake his head.
"It's a huge misconception that homeless people are starving," he said. "They are surrounded by
free food. All this really does is make it easier for homeless people to stay homeless."
Mansfield is now challenging good Samaritans to rethink their strategies. Through his ministry,
he's trying to start a job-training and mentoring program to help homeless people find, get and
keep steady jobs.
He's asking many of the same good-hearted people who converge on East Lancaster every
weekend to help him.
"Let's not just help people live on the streets," Mansfield said. "Let's help them get off the streets."
The program
This isn't the first time Mansfield, a former drug user who once bought crack on the streets around
the shelters, has advocated empowering the homeless rather than enabling them. In 2005, he
formed the nonprofit Feed by Grace and created Unity Park at Presido and Cedar streets, where
homeless people learn landscaping and gardening.
He now wants to teach other trades to those who want to work.
"Not all homeless people want to get off the streets," he said. "This program will focus on the ones
ready to improve themselves."
Under the program, his ministry will teach basic life skills, such as how to fill out a job application,
how to behave during an interview and how to balance a checkbook.
He's also recruiting faith-based groups willing to adopt and mentor a homeless person. He
imagines eight to 10 people in each church or organization teaming up to address a homeless
person's individual problems. "That could mean helping them get their GED," Mansfield said. "It
might mean encouraging them and helping to get back on track with their child support, maybe
even appearing with them as an advocate before a judge."
It would be a yearlong commitment, he said. For the first six months, the ministry would find
temporary employment for the homeless person, possibly in construction or a similar field.
During the second six months, the person would ideally transition into a steadier, five-day-a-week,
$8-$9-an-hour job, he said.
The ministry will regularly test each participant for drugs, he added.
"We won't give them people just out to make money so they can drink or use drugs the next day,"
Mansfield said. "We'll have people who want to do their jobs well. We'll have a better employee."
Steady jobs needed
Homeless advocates say programs like Mansfield's address two critical issues facing homeless
people: a lack of steady employment and housing.
It's a Catch-22 for many homeless people.
"It's hard to find housing without a steady job, and it's hard to find a steady job without housing,"
said Mike Doyle, president of the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition. "Makes it hard to improve
your situation."
Many homeless people do earn money in some capacity. In a January survey of Tarrant County's
homeless, 57 percent reported earning money in the last 30 days, whether it be by cleaning at the
Texas Motor Speedway or selling blood and plasma.
About 32 percent of those people said they earned less than $500, said Otis Thornton, Fort
Worth's homeless coordinator. About 37 percent said they earned less than $100.
"It's very hard for a homeless person to save up the money to even make the deposits required to
find a place to live," Thornton said.
Homeless people often work day labor, but some employers take advantage of them, Mansfield
said. Potential workers gather on street corners early in the morning, hoping to get selected by
work crews in pickups and vans.
If they're chosen, they might get driven around the city for two hours while other workers are
dropped off at different job sites. Then they work all day and ride around for another few hours, as
workers are picked back up and dropped off again.
"Then they might withhold money from you for the rides," Mansfield said. "Before you know it,
you've put in a 13- to 15-hour day and might have $20 or $30 cash in your pocket.
"You're not going to break your homeless cycle on that."
Getting involved
Several church groups have expressed interest in the program, Mansfield said. He and other
homeless advocates hope more will get involved because so many are already active in feeding
and clothing the homeless.
"The faith-based community has been a critical part of the response to the homeless population,"
Thornton said. "Their involvement in this would be both timely and welcome."
A rally called Project: Empowerment will be held April 28 at Unity Park. The event, featuring bands,
a jazz musician, food and several speakers will give volunteers interested in the program a chance
to meet people living in nearby shelters or on the street.
Homeless people will also hold a car wash, Mansfield said.
"I think it will be eye-opening for people," he said. "It's a chance to actually meet the homeless.
Hopefully, it will inspire some people to get involved and try to help one of them."
IN THE KNOW
Project: Empowerment
What: A gathering with live music and speakers that will allow people interested in volunteering for
the job training and mentoring program to meet the homeless.
When: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. April 28.
Where: Unity Park, Presido and Cedar streets.
Info: 817-300-0918 or www.feedbygrace.org
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
For information about the Feed by Grace job training and mentoring program, contact Neale
Mansfield, right, at 817-8300-0918
or visit feedbygrace.org.
Alex Branch, 817-390-7689 abranch@star-telegram.com
STAR-TELEGRAM/TOM PENNINGTON
2007-04-16
Section: Metro
Edition: Tarrant
Page: B1
Off the streets, on the payroll
ALEX BRANCH STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
FORT WORTH — On Saturdays, Neale Mansfield sometimes watches up to a dozen volunteer
groups flood East Lancaster Avenue with stacks of box lunches and hot meals for the homeless.
Soon, the road and sidewalk are littered with food and trash. Some homeless people carry away
cold pizzas or boxes of chicken to trade for crack.
It makes Mansfield, founder of the Feed by Grace Ministry, shake his head.
"It's a huge misconception that homeless people are starving," he said. "They are surrounded by
free food. All this really does is make it easier for homeless people to stay homeless."
Mansfield is now challenging good Samaritans to rethink their strategies. Through his ministry,
he's trying to start a job-training and mentoring program to help homeless people find, get and
keep steady jobs.
He's asking many of the same good-hearted people who converge on East Lancaster every
weekend to help him.
"Let's not just help people live on the streets," Mansfield said. "Let's help them get off the streets."
The program
This isn't the first time Mansfield, a former drug user who once bought crack on the streets around
the shelters, has advocated empowering the homeless rather than enabling them. In 2005, he
formed the nonprofit Feed by Grace and created Unity Park at Presido and Cedar streets, where
homeless people learn landscaping and gardening.
He now wants to teach other trades to those who want to work.
"Not all homeless people want to get off the streets," he said. "This program will focus on the ones
ready to improve themselves."
Under the program, his ministry will teach basic life skills, such as how to fill out a job application,
how to behave during an interview and how to balance a checkbook.
He's also recruiting faith-based groups willing to adopt and mentor a homeless person. He
imagines eight to 10 people in each church or organization teaming up to address a homeless
person's individual problems. "That could mean helping them get their GED," Mansfield said. "It
might mean encouraging them and helping to get back on track with their child support, maybe
even appearing with them as an advocate before a judge."
It would be a yearlong commitment, he said. For the first six months, the ministry would find
temporary employment for the homeless person, possibly in construction or a similar field.
During the second six months, the person would ideally transition into a steadier, five-day-a-week,
$8-$9-an-hour job, he said.
The ministry will regularly test each participant for drugs, he added.
"We won't give them people just out to make money so they can drink or use drugs the next day,"
Mansfield said. "We'll have people who want to do their jobs well. We'll have a better employee."
Steady jobs needed
Homeless advocates say programs like Mansfield's address two critical issues facing homeless
people: a lack of steady employment and housing.
It's a Catch-22 for many homeless people.
"It's hard to find housing without a steady job, and it's hard to find a steady job without housing,"
said Mike Doyle, president of the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition. "Makes it hard to improve
your situation."
Many homeless people do earn money in some capacity. In a January survey of Tarrant County's
homeless, 57 percent reported earning money in the last 30 days, whether it be by cleaning at the
Texas Motor Speedway or selling blood and plasma.
About 32 percent of those people said they earned less than $500, said Otis Thornton, Fort
Worth's homeless coordinator. About 37 percent said they earned less than $100.
"It's very hard for a homeless person to save up the money to even make the deposits required to
find a place to live," Thornton said.
Homeless people often work day labor, but some employers take advantage of them, Mansfield
said. Potential workers gather on street corners early in the morning, hoping to get selected by
work crews in pickups and vans.
If they're chosen, they might get driven around the city for two hours while other workers are
dropped off at different job sites. Then they work all day and ride around for another few hours, as
workers are picked back up and dropped off again.
"Then they might withhold money from you for the rides," Mansfield said. "Before you know it,
you've put in a 13- to 15-hour day and might have $20 or $30 cash in your pocket.
"You're not going to break your homeless cycle on that."
Getting involved
Several church groups have expressed interest in the program, Mansfield said. He and other
homeless advocates hope more will get involved because so many are already active in feeding
and clothing the homeless.
"The faith-based community has been a critical part of the response to the homeless population,"
Thornton said. "Their involvement in this would be both timely and welcome."
A rally called Project: Empowerment will be held April 28 at Unity Park. The event, featuring bands,
a jazz musician, food and several speakers will give volunteers interested in the program a chance
to meet people living in nearby shelters or on the street.
Homeless people will also hold a car wash, Mansfield said.
"I think it will be eye-opening for people," he said. "It's a chance to actually meet the homeless.
Hopefully, it will inspire some people to get involved and try to help one of them."
IN THE KNOW
Project: Empowerment
What: A gathering with live music and speakers that will allow people interested in volunteering for
the job training and mentoring program to meet the homeless.
When: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. April 28.
Where: Unity Park, Presido and Cedar streets.
Info: 817-300-0918 or www.feedbygrace.org
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
For information about the Feed by Grace job training and mentoring program, contact Neale
Mansfield, right, at 817-8300-0918
or visit feedbygrace.org.
Alex Branch, 817-390-7689 abranch@star-telegram.com
STAR-TELEGRAM/TOM PENNINGTON
 |
 |
| STAR TELEGRAM 04/16/07 ARTICLE |