It was a special event for a special occasion, and the weather was beautiful. We had 86 community members in attendance as well as 53 street ministry community participants. The menu was fried chicken, hot dogs, spare ribs, hamburgers, sausages, fruit salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, and garden salad. Everyone was beaming with laughter, along with the perfect BBQ atmosphere. Glory be to God.
The LEFSA team would like to thank the Sisters of Charity of New York; Big John’s Moving Inc.; Catholic Charities; Barry Markman; St. James Church; St. Francis Xavier Church; Benevolence Trust; Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province; Blanche Walsh Charity Trust; The Cardinal’s Fund for Women and Children; Catholic Charities: Campaign for Charity and Justice; Charity Alive Fund; SC Halifax; Church of St. Joseph of Yorkville; Dominican Sisters of Illinois; Poverty, Peace and Justice Fund; The Koch Foundation; Ladies of Charity; Archdiocese of New York; The Cardinal’s Luncheon; McKeen Foundation; Our Sunday Visitor Institute; Racine Dominican Mission Fund; Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities; Sisters of Charity of Elizabeth; Ministry Grant Fund; Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange; Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia; The St. Francis Breadline of Holy Name Province; William C. Dowling Jr. Foundation, and all of our anonymous benefactors who unselfishly supported Life Experience and Faith Sharing Associates throughout the years.
35 Years of Service‚“Won’t He Do It”
JB: How did you enjoy the 35th Anniversary BBQ?
Donna McCoy: The barbecue was awesome, number one. The weather was really nice and that was so good. Y’all (LEFSA) have really been a blessing to all. I’ll never ever forget the very first time I met you, JB: March 3rd, 2018. I was sitting in Franklin Women’s Assessment Shelter. I was sitting in a corner at my lowest of lows, and all I could hear in the other room was the LEFSA team praising Him and lifting God up. It just made me come out of that shell of feeling that I was all alone, and no one cared about what I was going through or the pain that I felt being in the shelter system. It was raining that day; the weather was nasty, but LEFSA lifted me up and I’ve tried to attend all LEFSA events to this very day. To know that LEFSA was having a 35th Anniversary BBQ was awesome. I wish the news stations and community board leaders were there to really acknowledge how LEFSA has really been there for the community. I really enjoyed myself, the food was good, the company was good, and everything was good.
Arvernetta Henry: It has been a great pleasure for the past several years to be a participant of Life Experience and Faith Sharing Associates, and on October 12, 2021 I had the opportunity to participate in the 35th Anniversary Barbecue. Oh boy, the fellowship was magnificent. We had a game that we played, and the winners received prizes. We had people speaking about how important LEFSA is to them. I just really enjoyed myself immensely. After being away for so many months, it just felt so good to be in fellowship with people I hadn’t seen in such a long time. This was a real good experience for me, and the enjoyment of recreation gave me a little time to connect with Mother Nature in the park. We need to have more outdoor activities because it brings a connection with each other. Thank you.
Francina Bailey: The Anniversary was awesome. I enjoyed it and I got to see all my friends. I think I came to LEFSA five years ago. I was in a drop-in center downtown where you had to sleep in chairs. Then I went to Franklin Assessment Shelter. From Franklin, I went to Lenox Women’s Shelter where I met LEFSA. While I was in Lenox Shelter, LEFSA would come in every week to have meetings. That is where I met team members Diane and Deborah. They told me there was a women’s group that LEFSA has once a month. I enjoyed it. I wake up in the morning now and thank Jesus for having a meeting I can come to. A place that I can feel safe and be myself without being judged.
Candida Machado: What I like about this group is that you can express yourself without feeling different, and LEFSA makes you feel like family. They make you feel like they have known you for a long time, and they treat you with kindness and respect. They try to take care of things that you may need. JB will help you fill out applications for housing. I like to invite a lot of people to come to the meeting because it’s good. You get to establish new relationships with people. It’s like getting therapy for free. You can express yourself after you’ve been through a great deal of pain and uncertainty in your life. I love the food too. Thank you for your time and listening to me.
Nahshea Davis: I enjoyed the 35th Anniversary Barbecue. I got a chance to be around other members from the LEFSA community and the EOP (Educational Outreach Program) that I graduated from, which is run by Catholic Charities. I keep in contact with a lot of my EOP classmates who are part of the LEFSA community. We talk about the future, we talk about current activities at LEFSA, and current events that are happening in the world today. We talk about what LEFSA means to us. We are constantly sharing information when it comes to employment and housing. I’m very thankful for JB for introducing me to the EOP program, and I’m happy to be an active member of LEFSA. I look forward to more barbecues in the future. Thank you.
Sheryl Walker: I loved the 35th Anniversary Barbecue. It was so beautiful to be with family. That’s how I feel about LEFSA. LEFSA is family, and it was a loving and caring atmosphere in the park. I invited my family and they loved it too. I got there a little late, but it was awesome that we were received with love. It was just so fantastic. I attend the women’s group too. The women’s group helped to build me up when I was down. I was like Humpty Dumpty who had the great fall, and LEFSA put me back together again. So now I smile everywhere I go. Again, my life is coming back together again and it’s all because of LEFSA. They helped me when I was down, and nobody wants to be bothered with you when you’re down. LEFSA receives you as you are. They challenge you to be the best person that you could be. When somebody loves hard enough, the healing process begins. So that’s what happened to me when I came to LEFSA. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I love it and you can’t get rid of me. Thank you.
Edna Humphrey: The 35th Anniversary Barbecue was very nice. A lot of people that we have not seen in a long time came to the event as well. I am a volunteer with the Street Ministry which goes out on Monday and Wednesday every week. We serve 300 people a day. I love coming here.
Jerry Smith: On Tuesday, October12, 2021, LEFSA celebrated their 35th Anniversary. They had a barbeque in Marcus Garvey Park which was well attended. A lot of people were able to meet in fellowship and discuss the different areas of the program that help empower us. In my case, I’ve been volunteering with their Street Ministry for almost a year now. I’ve also gotten housing through their housing coordinator James Butler. Before the pandemic, I was regularly filling out applications to get housing.
In August of this year, I was lucky enough to be contacted by a realtor organization called MODA and they set me up with a studio apartment that I am enjoying immensely today. In conjunction with the services that are available to me through the LEFSA organization, I’m eternally grateful for them every day. I attend their Team / Community Enrichment Group, which is held on Wednesday every week. There men and women get together to discuss themes which help us to empower ourselves and help us understand the role that they play in our lives. For example: Forgiveness, Relationships, Community, Self-Esteem, Addictions, Self-Control. They have a Men’s Group too that I attend, which is held every other Thursday. Men get together to discuss issues concerning men only that you can’t talk about in other places. I have made connections with men that are incorporated into my life now.
I am very happy to be associated with this organization, and the barbecue was a success in all areas—we had fun, we played games and we enjoyed each other’s company. The food was fabulous. Our housing coordinator JB handled the grill. It was a wonderful day. A lot of people came out from the community and were able to get some nourishment for their bodies. Their children were able to interact with us and learn about what the LEFSA organization does within the community to empower each other’s lives. Thank you.
Kendall Brown: Well hello JB, let me start off by saying I am so glad that I have an opportunity to be a part of the LEFSA community. It has been the best experience I have had in a long time. What I mean about that is that the door is always open for me—volunteering, doing Street Ministry or helping in the office. Now the barbecue was slamming; the food was awesome. I had a good time with the sisters. We women played a game in which I won two prizes! Yes, I did, but the barbeque again was outstanding. I was so happy to see so many people come out, and they were so grateful that they got a chance to come to the cookout and get a plate of food. That was the main thing. I had an awesome time. I can’t wait for the next cookout, so I can eat again! Won’t he do it. I also like to give a big shout-out to Pastor James and Pastor Carl, they are the best and I appreciate them for having the doors open for me. I almost forgot my main man, Mr. JB. I am so grateful for him for always listening to me when I was stressed out. I always could count on him and talk to him about anything. He’s the best, and he doesn’t judge me because he knows I am extra special. “Won’t He Do It.”
