10 Years and $10,000

When I moved to Atlanta 10 years ago, I was: carless, homeless, and only had one contact in the whole city.  I say I moved here on faith, others say that I was stupid.  Whichever it was, I believed that I was following God's lead to come and serve in the city.  My desire was to help people living in impoverished neighborhoods to turn their neighborhoods around on their own.  I came up with this idea after reading John Perkins' book Beyond Charity and was ready to impact the world one neighborhood at a time!

Needless to say, God had amazing things in store for my life that had nothing to do with my original desire.  As many of you know, the first person I met helped me start my first job (DOOR).  The second person I met is currently my wife and mother of my children.  She in turn connected me to Bob Lupton and Leroy Barber, and my life has not been the same ever since.  What has transpired over the past 10 years is nothing short of miraculous.  When I left for Atlanta on July 7, 2001, I could not have envisioned a better place to be in my life than where I am today.

Where I am today is leading FCS Community Economic Development.  Remember that desire that I came to Atlanta with 10 years ago, well it fell onto my lap about 2 years ago.  After serving with DOOR & Mission Year since moving to Atlanta, I was asked to lead FCS Community Economic Development (CED).  At the time, CED was struggling to make it financially and they needed someone to come in and try to right the ship.  When I started, there was one store (South Atlanta Marketplace), it created 2 jobs, offered 80 hours of work a week, was $10,000 in debt, and was merely an after-thought in peoples mind in the community.

Today, CED employs 10 part-time and 1 full-time positions through 5 different programs (Refugee Beads, Community Grounds, Pride for Parents, South Atlanta Bike Shop, and South Atlanta Marketplace), offers over 200 hours of employment a week, has sent two employees off to college, and has become the heartbeat of our community.  Two years ago, if the stores closed the loss in the community would have been minimal.  Today, if the stores were to close, there would be a significant loss for our neighborhood to recover from.  

I am proud to say that with God's help, the transformation of the CED is almost complete.  Since I have started with CED, we have operated in the black - meaning we are no more behind than we were the day I started 2 years ago.  But we still maintain the same level of inherited debt and that has impeded our ability to take CED to the next level - sustainability.  

I believe strongly in the value and mission of what we do through each of our programs.  We are empowering individuals and families in South Atlanta to change their neighborhood from within- exactly what I felt called to 10 years ago. In order for us to succeed at this mission and become sustainable in what we do, the time has come to get rid of the "albatross" that hangs around our neck.   

I have made a pledge to raise $10,000 in the next 3 weeks, by November 25th, to help break free from what has been holding us back. Why the 25th?  1) It is my birthday (great birthday present idea) and 2) It is also Black Friday.  Black Friday gets its name because it is the day that retailers traditionally move from the "red" into the "black" for the year.  For us, when we raise $10,000 before November 25, we will eliminate any doubt that we will be able to continue to provide these jobs and services in South Atlanta through 2012 and can call it "Freedom Friday."  It would also be one of the best birthday presents I've ever received.

I am asking you to consider giving a special gift over the next 3 weeks to help propel us forward into 2012.    Please consider supporting us with a special one time gift.  Your gift will help ensure that we can continue with our mission to provide jobs, job training, positive community space, and hope in our neighbors that with their own hard work they can make it in life.

In order to give, you can do one of the following:

1) Give online at www.fcsministries.org/get-involved and choose FCS Community Economic Development from the drop down menu.

2) Write a check to:

FCS Community Economic Development

PO Box 17628

Atlanta, GA 30316

Thank you for supporting us and partnering with us over the past 2 years.  I would not be here without you.  From all of the people that you have helped impact over the past 2 years, I say thank you.  You have made a lasting difference in someone's life by supporting CED and I hope you will allow CED to continue to do so in 2012 by making a special one time gift!

Thanks,

Jeff

Oatmeal

Sam...Sam...Sam... We often shake our head and wonder what will become of him in utter amazement!

A few months ago, Sam was given the "street name" Oatmeal from our neighbors (this is his Oatmeal shirt given to him by Leroy).  For those that don't know, many kids in our neighborhood have a street name, something their friends call them on the street.  There are many neighborhood kids that we only know by their street name.  It is amazing to go with Sam anywhere in the neighborhood because you will hear people call him Oatmeal. If we are in the Marketplace, at the YMCA, on a bike ride or walk, at the bank, wherever, someone is bound to recognize Sam and call him Oatmeal!

Four years ago, Sam was known for being pushed in a double stroller all around the neighborhood by a goofy bearded man.  Today he is becoming to be known for himself and who he is.  There is a reason that people know Oatmeal and it is not just because of his nickname.  Sam really does navigate his world well and is comfortable in many situations.  We are absolutely in love with the fact that he can navigate this world that we have placed him in.  As he gets older and begins to move around the neighborhood on his own, we can have the confidence that he will be OK and best of all, will be known by his neighbors around him!

Pictures of Maya Biking

It did not take long for Maya to migrate from the back deck to the street out front on her bike.  In terms of trying things new, she has a little more of a thrill gene than many of her Delp counterparts.  With the lone exception of being able to stop (something that is pretty vital in the grand scheme of things) Maya did great on her bike.  When I tried to teach her how to stop, I would say "peddle backwards" or "peddle the other way" and she would just turn her bike around.  Smart move on her part, but not really what I was going for!

I do believe that Sam and Maya are going to have many great adventures on their bikes together.  As their age difference becomes less and less significant, it is beautiful to watch their friendship and fondness for each other grow.    I think Sam was just as happy for Maya to have a bike as any of us were!

I like this next picture because I love the idea of training Sam and Maya to one day go beyond this stop sign!  There is a huge world out there for them and it is an exciting thing as a parent to prepare your child for it.  I often wonder what this world will hold for them and what they will become and I am excited to see what that is!

Here is our very proud new bike rider Maya!  We like to say: "you never know what you are going to get with Maya."  But the truth is, she has brings an amazing amount of joy, laughter, creativity, and spontaneity to the Delp family (with a little bit of sass to go with it also)!   We love you Maya!

Maya Biking

The Delp family has turned into a biking family! Maya has decided she needed an upgrade from the tricycle which was entirely too slow! The other day when we were riding bikes at Stanton Park, Maya hopped on a friends bike and off she went. You'd think she had ridden a bike before. She has not wanted to go back since.

We had a bike donated to the Marketplace this week, so I decided to purchase it for her (yes, there are some perks to working at a Thrift Store). After she helped me make it Maya sized, she was off and biking on our back porch!

I can't wait to have biking days with the entire family!

First day of Pre-School

The kids have already been back in pre-school for a month already, but here they are on their first day.  Sam is in pre-K this year.  He is really enjoying it, and we are amazed at how much he is learning.  Maya is loving the 2 year old class and talks about the "babies" in the one year old class that she was in last year.

Labor Day Road Trip

For Labor Day weekend the Delp's hit the road.  We head to Kansas for my (Katie's) grandfather's birthday and some time with my aunties and cousins.  We had a fun celebration and it was great to catch up with family.  Then we headed to Kansas City to spend the weekend with our dear friends, the Tramel's.  It was a great time with great friends and the kids played non-stop. 

Sam and Jaelyn are such good buddies and instantly reunited their sweet friendship.  

A train ride at the farmer's market

The kids experienced their first carnival.  They absolutely loved the rides!

Day at the Aquarium

We scored some free tickets to the Georgia Aquarium, so we enjoyed a day of being tourist in our own city.  The kids loved the aquarium, and we had a great day as a family.