Open Door Community » Testimony from the ODC

“Why we love and work at the odc: streets and prisons” a note from volunteer Mary Catherine Johnson

Open Door Community — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:16:53 +0000

[Below is a note from Mary Catherine Johnson to Eduard Loring sharing her experience of volunteering at the ODC.]

You write the best love analogies – thank you!

I wish I could wash dishes on Saturday night, and spend time with you at Dayspring. With Marcus’s contact visit on Saturday and a family commitment on Sunday it’s just too much this weekend. But I really do wish I could be there, and will miss all of you.

Thank you for letting me be a part of Wednesday nights – they are very special. I used to cry a lot when I’d drive home after Wednesday house duty, so sad over the pain and suffering I had witnessed. I’m still sad but not so weepy anymore – now I feel more angry, more passionate about helping reduce the distance. What a gift last night to hear Linda read from her diary, to listen to Cordell talk about MLK, to witness Jason preparing the dining room for overnight guests, to send off a weary traveller to South Carolina with food and love, to provide some cold medicine to men and women with stuffy heads and sore throats, to welcome a newly homeless couple who desperately need help, to help a woman get free from her urine-soaked clothes before she slept in Open Door’s warm living room – and so much more that I did not see but God did.

Everything I know
I know only because I love.

-from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Looking forward to our dinner next Tuesday!

Mary Catherine

Troy Davis joins the cloud of witnesses

Kyle Lambelet — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:08:29 +0000

Troy Davis was killed by the State of Georgia last night at 11:06 p.m. Billy Moore, who spent 16 1/2 years on death row, led all of us at Open Door through the day until the final vigil at the State Capital. After the execution, the Eucharist was celebrated at the Open Door in Troy’s memory.

Homeless Take Over Imperial Hotel remembered on WABE

Kyle Lambelet — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:16:08 +0000

Listen here:

or at WABE’s site: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wabe/news.newsmain/article/0/1/1810763/Atlanta./Homeless.Take.Over.Downtown.Hotel.(‘This.Day.in.History’-1990

Ira Terrell featured in the AJC

Kyle Lambelet — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 21:52:50 +0000

The fading blue wall is covered in Ira Terrell’s love letters.
Dozens are stuck there. He looks at his homage and smiles. “I love the Peachtree,” he says, pointing to one of the “letters” — the runners bibs he has collected over the years.

Once a homeless alcoholic, the 64-year-old has a different kind of appreciation for the world’s largest 10K race…”

Holy Week and Easter with the Homeless: 2011 Schedule

Kyle Lambelet — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:36:12 +0000

We invite you to join us for worship with our friends on the street during Holy Week.
[Download a flyer]

Palm Sunday, April 17
Open Door Community, 910 Ponce de Leon Avenue
4:00 pm

Monday, April 18
Grady Hospital, Jessie Hill, Jr. Drive
5:00 pm

Tuesday, April 19
City Jail, Peachtree Street SW
5:00 pm

Wednesday, April 20
Woodruff Park, Five Points
5:00 pm

Maundy Thursday, April 21
City Hall, Trinity Avenue
5:00 pm
with celebration of the Eucharist

Good Friday, April 22
State Capitol, Washington Street
5:00 pm

Holy Saturday, April 23
Pine Street Shelter, Peachtree and Pine Streets
5:00 pm

Easter Morning, April 24
Open Door Community, 910 Ponce de Leon Avenue
8:00 am
Breakfast with our homeless friends
followed by Worship and Celebration
of Life Over Death and Oppression

Part 2 of Murphy and Eduard’s interview on jesusradicals.com

Kyle Lambelet — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:06:32 +0000

It can be found here: jesusradicals.com. Or you can listen to it here:

Sis. Mary Jude responds to community needs

guest — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:01:06 +0000

Dear Ed and Murphy,

Greetings from St. Louis. I hope both of you are doing well.

I got your wonderful newsletter and, as always, was inspired by all the articles.

When I looked at the things on your needs listings, I thought that I had several of those things right here in my room. We live in one room, not an apartment, and everything I need and love is here including a wonderful view from my west window to watch sunsets, a bed and toilet (some things your people do not have) clothes in my closet. I also have things like a long nail file, heavy toe clippers, 2 t-shirts and other things I could easily do without. We also have a little convenience store on the basement level where we can buy tooth paste, soap, etc. at good prices. I’m ordering some insoles and cough drops to include. I like these cough drops for they are Halls brand and vitamin C enriched.

So I’m fixing up a box to send to you. Also I found a pair of heavy walking shoes — not new but well taken care of and ready for use that are coming too. Is there a “best way” to mail? Like regular post office or another carrier that is responsible but cheaper?

It’s been fun to look around and find things I could go without and maybe help my favorite people at Open Door.

Love and prayers,
Mary Jude, OSU

We remember Curtis Osborne

Kyle Lambelet — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:57:34 +0000

Curtis Osborne was executed by the State of Georgia on June 4, 2008. View this film documenting the racism of Curtis’ public defender, who did not tell Curtis that the prosecution had offered a life sentence if Curtis would plead guilty. This film was presented to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole in an appeal for mercy prior to Curtis’ execution.

(This film and link are provided by the Death Penalty Information Center, www.deathpenaltyinfo.org.)