Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY210071A
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00:02 As you're well aware,
00:03 we're living in unprecedented times. 00:06 Join us now for Today special program. 00:13 I want to spend my life 00:18 Mending broken people 00:23 I want to spend my life 00:29 Removing pain 00:34 Lord, let my words 00:40 Heal a heart that hurts 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:50 Mending broken people 00:55 I want to spend my life 01:01 Mending broken people 01:15 Hello and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 01:18 Thank you for joining us as you do each and every day. 01:22 I am excited to interview my guest today, 01:26 Eric Camarillo, he is the President 01:29 of SALT Outreach Incorporated and he is no stranger to 3ABN. 01:35 Eric, welcome to the program. 01:37 Yeah, thanks for having me again. 01:39 Glad to be here. 01:40 It's great to have you here, man. 01:42 I just want to share these verses with you 01:45 because I think that your ministry 01:47 truly embodies this, 01:49 and I'm going to share it with you right now. 01:51 So Matthew Chapter 25 verse, we'll begin in verse 34. 01:56 "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 01:59 'Come, you blessed of My Father, 02:01 inherit the kingdom prepared for you 02:03 from the foundation of the world: 02:05 for I was hungry and you gave Me food, 02:07 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, 02:10 I was a stranger and you took Me in, 02:12 I was naked and you clothed Me, 02:14 I was sick and you visited Me, 02:16 I was in prison and you came to Me.' 02:19 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, 02:21 when did we see You hungry and feed You, 02:23 or thirsty and give You drink? 02:25 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, 02:28 or naked and clothe You? 02:30 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 02:34 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, 02:36 I say to you, 02:38 inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these 02:41 My brethren, you did it to Me.'" 02:43 Amen. Amen. You know what? 02:46 I love those verses because I truly feel, 02:48 you know, 'cause we work with the homeless 02:50 in the Orlando area. 02:52 And I truly feel like that, 02:56 like the people experiencing homelessness are experiencing 02:59 all those things. 03:01 They're lacking food, water, 03:04 shelter, clothing, 03:07 you know, some of them are just coming out of prison. 03:11 You know, some of them are sick, you know? 03:13 I truly believe that verse encompasses, 03:18 yeah, I think it does encompass what we do with SALT 03:21 and what we're trying to aspire to, 03:22 you know, 03:24 to really be an impact in the community, so... 03:25 Absolutely, and it's at a point in time 03:29 where it is so needed. 03:32 I want to go to a song first 03:35 and then we'll dive deeper into what SALT is all about. 03:39 But the song we're going to go to is with Stephanie Dawn 03:43 and Pastor John Lomacang and it's entitled, 03:46 In Times Like These. 04:08 In times like these 04:14 You need a Savior 04:19 In times like these 04:23 You need an anchor 04:28 Be very sure, 04:34 Be very sure 04:39 Your anchor holds and grips 04:44 The Solid Rock! 04:49 In times like these 04:54 You need the Bible 04:59 In times like these, 05:03 O be not idle 05:08 Be very sure, 05:13 Be very sure 05:17 Your anchor holds and grips 05:22 The Solid Rock! 05:27 This Rock is Jesus, 05:31 Yes He's the One 05:35 This Rock is Jesus, 05:39 The only One 05:44 Be very sure, 05:48 Be very sure 05:53 Your anchor holds and grips 05:58 The Solid Rock! 06:17 In times like these 06:22 I have a Savior 06:25 In times like these 06:29 I have an anchor 06:33 I'm very sure, 06:38 I'm very sure 06:42 My anchor holds and grips 06:46 The Solid Rock! 06:51 This Rock is Jesus, 06:54 Yes He's the One 06:58 This Rock is Jesus, 07:02 The only One 07:06 Be very sure, 07:11 Be very sure 07:16 Your anchor holds and grips 07:20 The Solid Rock! 07:25 Be very sure, 07:29 Be very sure 07:34 Your anchor holds and grips 07:39 The Solid 07:43 Rock! 07:52 Wow, what a beautiful song and a powerful message. 07:55 Thank you for that. 07:56 Eric, you've been here plenty of times, 07:59 and you know, it's been exciting to see 08:02 the growth of SALT 08:04 and you leading out in that ministry. 08:06 But I want to take it back to the beginning. 08:09 Tell us how SALT got started? 08:11 Yeah, no, I would be happy to share that. 08:15 SALT was something that started originally as something 08:18 that would engage the different entities 08:24 and churches to come together to make a measurable difference 08:27 in the community. 08:29 And so part of the reason why I think why, 08:32 how God had inspired that idea was when I first got baptized 08:38 and I became a part of the church 08:41 and a Christian, 08:43 I noticed that there were young adults 08:46 that were leaving the church. 08:48 I noticed that there were a very small number 08:50 of young adults in the church, and I also noticed 08:53 that there wasn't consistent outreach being done, 08:56 you know, those may be a quarterly event, 08:58 you know, something maybe once a month or something, 09:00 but nothing super consistent. 09:03 And I believe that there was a direct correlation. 09:05 I believe that young adults wanted to see the church 09:08 making a measurable impact in the community. 09:11 And so the whole idea for starting SALT was a way 09:14 to create a vehicle 09:16 for young adults to be a part of, 09:18 to make that measurable impact. 09:20 So that way, they have that young adult community, 09:23 they're making a difference, but now and you know, 09:26 they're representing all the local churches, 09:28 the combined resources and do something big. 09:31 So that was originally 09:32 how the idea came about for SALT. 09:36 Wow, that's awesome. 09:37 Because it's not just giving young people an activity to do, 09:40 but they're benefiting the community, 09:43 witnessing to the community, practical Christianity 09:46 is taking place in full effect. 09:48 That's exciting. 09:49 I know we touched a little bit on what SALT does, 09:52 but why don't you dive a little bit deeper into that? 09:54 Yeah, so SALT is an acronym for Service and Love Together. 09:59 And so we right now have a homeless outreach 10:04 that was launched in 2012. 10:08 Started with two women, 10:10 they would feed about 15 to 20 people. 10:13 One of them would even travel an hour and a half to do this. 10:16 And so they go out there on their own, 10:19 and they're very bold, so bold that they would 10:22 and I wouldn't recommend this to anybody 10:24 but so bold that they would fill their car 10:27 with people and take them to church. 10:29 And not only would they take them to church, 10:30 they would actually do outreach with us in the afternoon too, 10:33 you know, and so there was deep relationships being made there. 10:37 And so we started there, 10:40 and just over about three years, 10:43 it grew to just you know, what, two feeding 15 to 20 10:46 to hundreds of people feeding hundreds of people. 10:50 And it really became a blessing that was happening biweekly, 10:54 up until we started 10:56 kind of developing this trailer concept in 2016. 10:59 And that's when things kind of really started 11:02 to take off with the organization 11:05 and the ministry. 11:06 And tell us about this trailer concept? 11:08 Yeah, so in 2016, we launched our change trailer, 11:13 we use it, it's our clothing trailer. 11:15 So we use it to hand our clothing, 11:17 and to hand our hygiene product, 11:19 and we actually use it now as our registration 11:20 like kind of like the first line there. 11:24 In 2018, we actually fundraised about 40,000, 11:29 thanks to the viewers on 3ABN actually played a huge part. 11:33 At least half of that trailer was funded by 3ABN viewers, 11:37 which is amazing. 11:38 But about 40,000 was raised total, 11:42 and we got a shower trailer, has four bathrooms 11:45 to provide showers and bathroom use to the unsheltered. 11:48 We had done surveys and found out 11:50 that there were some people actively looking for work 11:53 that hadn't showered in three months. 11:55 When you're experiencing homelessness, 11:57 you can't shower, there's no way 11:59 you're going to be able to find a job, 12:00 you can't find a job, how are you going 12:02 to find a place to live? 12:03 So it was very eye-opening for us 12:07 and that's why we went that route 12:09 with the shower trailer in 2018. 12:11 Unknowingly to us, doing these surveys 12:15 and figuring out their needs directly. 12:17 Because I do believe that there are many organizations 12:21 and people out there that just kind of assume the need 12:23 of the population. 12:25 Well, they're homeless, they probably need this, 12:27 they need that, and that's okay to an extent. 12:31 But in order to grow, 12:32 in order to take the next step in meeting needs, 12:37 you have to talk to them, 12:38 you have to get to know them 12:40 and see what their actual needs are. 12:42 And so the city of Orlando was one of the biggest cities 12:46 that did not have a day service center 12:48 for the unsheltered. 12:49 So in other words, there wasn't a consistent, 12:51 a full consistent place 12:53 where someone that's experiencing homelessness 12:55 can go and get all of their basic needs met. 12:58 So unknowingly to us, we were creating that. 13:02 And not because the city told us to, 13:04 but because the people we were serving told us 13:06 what their needs were. 13:08 So what you did was you implemented Christ method 13:10 of evangelism. 13:11 Amen. 13:13 That's, yes, yes, we created relationship, 13:14 we figured out what the need was, 13:16 we met that need, we won their confidence, 13:19 and now we're bidding them to follow Christ, you know? 13:23 And so, that's been an amazing thing 13:26 is just by those surveys, 13:28 meeting the need for the unsheltered 13:30 and the city at the same time, so that was a blessing. 13:33 Wow, that's huge. 13:34 I know the city is super happy to have you guys there 13:37 operating and all of that. 13:40 This is a hands-on close contact ministry. 13:45 So in 2020, how did COVID-19 affect your organization, 13:50 your operations? 13:52 Now that's a great question. We get that question a lot too. 13:55 And COVID definitely turned the world upside down, you know? 13:59 And when we launched our shower trailer in 2018, 14:03 we were operating once a month, right? 14:05 2019, operating about twice a month. 14:07 2020, when COVID-19 really was starting to hit, 14:10 we decided to start hiring staff. 14:14 And so this right before COVID, 14:16 we hired two part time people to operate once a week 14:18 because we wanted to increase our services. 14:22 And then a month later, COVID hit. 14:25 And so we were all praying, 14:27 our leadership team and all of us were all praying, 14:30 what do we do? 14:32 You know, there's uncertainty around this virus, 14:35 all the other organizations that serve the unsheltered 14:38 were not taking walk into anymore, 14:39 some of them were closing down. 14:41 So the unsheltered did not have many places to go, 14:45 even the food shares where they were getting food, 14:48 a lot of those places shut down, 14:50 you know, they and it makes sense. 14:52 You know, they're gathering hundreds of people together, 14:54 there's volunteers all, you know, so it made sense. 14:59 But for us, we decided to continue operating 15:04 during the pandemic because we were the only people 15:07 that had an outside operation, that so because we're outside, 15:11 it's a lower risk, you know, spread. 15:13 And not only that we, we didn't want to be, 15:17 we didn't want to leave our friends 15:19 hanging in the balance with no services, you know? 15:22 Yes. 15:23 And so that's when we create a partnership with the city, 15:27 because they realized that we were the only organization 15:30 that could operate immediately when COVID started hitting. 15:32 So we went from once a week to three days a week 15:36 with that partnership. 15:37 Wow. 15:38 So during that time, too, there were some people 15:41 who really stepped up and saw what SALT was doing, 15:45 embraced what you all were doing. 15:48 And they provided what? A place to stay? 15:50 Tell us a little bit about that? 15:52 Yeah, so like, 15:54 so the Hilton, actually, 15:58 when we, when COVID hit, my wife and I, 16:01 we were just kind of impressed one night to call the Hilton, 16:07 and I believe it was God. 16:08 And we were just kind of praying and wondering, 16:10 "Okay, this virus is here, our staff is out there, 16:15 we don't know what's going to happen, 16:16 you know, they have family that's vulnerable. 16:19 You know, what do we do?" 16:20 And they had concerns, expressed concerns, 16:22 and definitely, totally understandable, 16:26 you know, for our volunteers and some of our staff 16:29 to express those concerns. 16:30 And so, we talked to, 16:33 we called the Hilton that next day. 16:36 And that was the only hotel that was impressed on our mind. 16:39 And we asked if we could, 16:43 and we sent an email that night, actually, 16:45 and we asked if they would be willing 16:47 to house our staff after they do outreach, 16:51 just temporarily, so they can clean up, 16:53 get cleaned up and then go back to their family. 16:55 And they said, they said, "You know what, Eric, 16:59 it's funny you ask us, we're actually housing 17:01 the National Guard here. 17:02 Yeah, we have extra rooms for your staff, 17:04 we'll give you up to four rooms for your staff to go and stay 17:08 and clean up and even stay the night 17:10 if that's what they feel they need to do, 17:12 and then go back out there to work." 17:14 So that was a huge blessing for our staff 17:17 to be able to have that, be able to stay 17:20 away from their family during that time. 17:22 You know, not risk to spread to their family, so... 17:25 Absolutely. 17:27 Now, touch on, who was, 17:32 he was kind of a testimony as to the Ministry of SALT. 17:37 And unfortunately, he's no longer with us. 17:40 But talk a little bit about Pat? 17:43 Yeah, so Patrick, man, 17:45 he was a huge blessing to us, man. 17:47 He started in 2019 with us, beginning of 2019, 17:52 he got a shower with us. 17:53 He's experiencing homelessness. 17:55 And he was so grateful 17:57 that he received the shower from us 17:58 that he actually wanted to help with the cleaning. 18:01 So he cleaned the shower after each person cleaned. 18:04 And so, and he was, he wanted to volunteer with us. 18:07 So what he would do is every, every time we came out, 18:10 he would come out, 18:11 and he would clean the showers after each person 18:13 and sanitize and all that stuff. 18:16 And so when COVID hit, we were hiring staff, 18:20 that was only natural that we'd hire him, you know? 18:23 He used to call the shower trailer, his baby, you know, 18:25 'cause he knew everything about it, you know, 18:27 we had to teach him everything about it and all that. 18:30 And so as soon as we hired him, 18:32 that's when the Hilton came through. 18:34 And so he was able to stay at the Hilton. 18:36 So his homelessness ended at that point. 18:38 As soon as we hired him, the plan was, 18:41 and what we were doing was we're putting away money 18:44 for each hour that he worked. 18:45 So at the end of that three month period 18:47 of that Hilton stay, we get him a place to live. 18:51 So fast forward, 18:52 that was in March that we hired him, 18:54 end of March. 18:55 Fast forward two or three months, 18:58 it was in June, he started to limp. 19:00 And we didn't know what that was about, 19:02 you know, we told him, "Hey, Pat, 19:04 why don't you get this checked out?" 19:05 You know? And he's like, "No, I'm good. 19:07 I'm good. I'm okay. 19:09 You know, I need to work I need to." 19:10 And we're like, "No man, you can go, 19:12 you can, you know, go get checked out." 19:14 He didn't want to get checked out, you know. 19:16 Until the pain became so unbearable in July 19:21 that that he was like, "You know what? 19:23 Yeah, I'm going to go to the hospital." 19:26 So one of our staff members and him went to the hospital, 19:28 to the ER, they checked him out 19:30 and they found out he had stage four lung cancer 19:34 that had metastasized and spread to his hip 19:37 and that's why he was limping. 19:40 So, you know, that was around the time 19:42 the Hilton was, part was ending. 19:45 And so we what we needed to do was we were planning 19:48 to get him a place to live, 19:49 but instead we just got him a hotel. 19:51 That was his request near the downtown 19:53 so we could say bye to his family and to us. 19:56 He wanted to leave the hospital, 19:57 he didn't want to stay 19:58 'cause of the COVID restrictions, no visitors. 20:00 We created such a deep relationship with him, 20:02 he just didn't want to be there alone, you know? 20:05 And so his last request in that hotel room 20:10 was to be baptized. 20:11 Wow. 20:13 And so we brought a pastor over, 20:15 he baptized him just in the bathtub there 20:17 'cause he couldn't move too much. 20:19 And then shortly after he moved to hospice, 20:22 and I remember that last day, 20:24 my wife and I visited him right when he moved to hospice. 20:27 We prayed with him, we spent some time with him, 20:29 talked with him. 20:31 And the next morning is when he passed away. 20:34 So it, you know, we're happy that, 20:38 'cause we know that we're going to see him in heaven. 20:40 Yes. 20:41 But it's sad that we lost him for now, 20:44 you know, and he was such a beautiful part 20:47 of the organization and really hit us hard. 20:49 But, you know, 20:51 where we know at the resurrection, 20:54 he'll be there, and he'll be in a perfect body. 20:56 Yeah. 20:57 And we'll be able to just connect again, 21:00 you know, so... Amen. 21:01 Yeah. Amen. 21:03 Let's transition into the mental health realm 21:08 for a moment. 21:09 I would imagine that, you know, 21:10 there are a lot of mental health issues 21:13 with some of the homeless population. 21:16 So what kind of programs 21:18 do you have in place to deal with that? 21:21 Yeah, you know, that's a great question. 21:23 Mental health is a huge part of what leads people 21:28 to homelessness. 21:30 And not just mental health, 21:32 you know, even I believe 21:34 that the cure for homelessness 21:36 is not necessarily more housing. 21:38 I believe the cure for homelessness is relationship. 21:41 Some of the most productive housing programs, 21:45 the most effective housing program that's out there, 21:48 the top four reasons why it doesn't work out 21:50 is all due to social integration. 21:52 So someone would rather be on the street 21:57 with their friends than in a home by themselves. 22:01 And so relationship is key, I believe. 22:03 And so when we look at case management, 22:06 we actually just started a case management program 22:09 in January of 2021. 22:11 And we brought on two social workers. 22:15 One's a licensed clinical social worker, 22:16 the other one is a master's level social worker. 22:18 And we actually have a picture of them just to kind 22:20 of introduce them to everybody, 22:21 but they're running the Social Work program. 22:24 And in the first half of this year, 22:27 or first semester of this year, 22:29 they were running that program, 22:31 and they had six Social Work interns 22:32 from the local university, 22:34 a total of eight of them, creating relationships, 22:36 assessing their need, creating a plan with them, 22:40 making referrals to other organizations 22:42 that could help them on their walk 22:45 to ending their homelessness, and also filling gaps, 22:49 you know, some organizations can't meet all that need. 22:53 So when we find out there's not a need 22:55 that can be met by another organization, we step in. 22:58 We step in with whatever funding we have 23:01 to meet that particular need. 23:02 So the case management program has been crucial in helping 23:06 to end the homelessness of the people that we meet. 23:09 Wow. Yeah, that's incredible. 23:12 Now, I remember last time you were here, 23:14 and I think this was last time you were here. 23:16 We sat down, and we were talking, 23:18 and you mentioned something about a laundry trailer. 23:22 How does the laundry trailer even work? 23:25 Yeah, that's the laundry trailer is really amazing. 23:30 It was double the cost of the shower trailer. Okay. 23:34 But we had, we have actually six commercial washers, 23:38 and six commercial dryers. 23:40 And what it is, 23:41 is someone that's experiencing homelessness 23:43 can come do their laundry for free. 23:47 And while they're doing their laundry, 23:48 they can sit with a case manager, 23:50 they can go take a shower, you know, 23:52 we also have haircuts, they can go get their hair cut. 23:55 And so it's really a, you know, 23:58 we're aiming to be a comprehensive solution 24:01 to not only meeting the basic needs, 24:03 but also helping end their homelessness. 24:06 And then at the same time, 24:07 you know, meet their spiritual needs as well. 24:10 But, yeah, the laundry trailer 24:12 has been a huge blessing in helping those 24:15 because I mean, you think about it, 24:16 a lot of the people that are experiencing homelessness, 24:18 they rely on clothing donations, right? 24:21 But when they get those clothing donations, 24:23 if they can't wash them, 24:24 they just have to throw them out. 24:25 They're not going to carry on their back dirty clothes 24:27 with them everywhere. 24:29 And so now with this laundry trailer, 24:32 they can come and wash their clothing 24:33 and reuse that clothing. 24:35 Yes. And underwear and socks have been a huge cost to us. 24:39 But now they can wash them. 24:40 It's also helping save money for the organization. 24:42 So it's really just a win-win on all sides, 24:46 bringing that service in. 24:48 Absolutely. 24:49 Now with all of this stuff, I would imagine 24:51 that it's an expensive operation to run. 24:55 So you have to have access to resources, 24:58 you have to have access to finances, 25:01 all of those things. 25:03 Speak on maybe some corporate supporters? 25:07 Yeah, so we've had a ton of organizations 25:11 and businesses support us. 25:13 Aven Health has been, 25:17 recently became a sponsor with and they donated 25:21 some funding to help with the operations 25:23 of the shower trailer. 25:25 We had another company called Simply Healthcare 25:28 donate about 12,000, to help with the laundry 25:31 and the shower trailer. 25:32 So it's been amazing to see Florida Conference 25:34 of Seventh-day Adventists has been a yearly supporter 25:37 of the organization. 25:40 We even have Coke, Coca Cola, 25:42 they're donating waters and orange juice to us 25:44 every quarter, pallets of these things. 25:48 And there's so many other organizations 25:50 and companies that are donating different things to us 25:53 that is, it really encompasses what our acronym is, 25:56 you know, service and love together. 25:58 You have the local government supporting, 26:00 you have corporations and for profits 26:03 and other organizations supporting, 26:05 and then we have our donors 26:07 through just our own nonprofit network 26:10 and our donors and our volunteers supporting. 26:12 So you have all three sectors coming together 26:15 to make a difference in the community. 26:17 And SALT is a vehicle for that. 26:19 And that's really what we envision. 26:21 And we're so excited to see that all kind of come together. 26:24 Yeah. 26:26 And you know the interesting thing 26:27 is like these organizations, 26:28 these companies that are helping out, 26:32 I can only imagine the witness 26:34 that it is that your organization is to them. 26:38 So it'll be interesting to see when we get into heaven, 26:41 how many people are there as a result of the work 26:44 that SALT is doing? 26:46 Amen. Yeah, I'd be excited to see that too. 26:49 I know our team is so dedicated to the unsheltered, 26:54 they all, all of them love the people that we serve. 26:59 And you can tell and it's genuine 27:01 and that's the word on the street. 27:02 You know, we hear from our friends all the time. 27:06 The one thing that we love about you 27:07 is that you guys actually care. 27:09 Yes. You know you love us, you care about us. 27:12 Actually with the, I think them witnessing or starting 27:17 with food then asking them, 27:18 "Hey, what do you guys need?" 27:20 "Clothing." Clothing trailer pops up. 27:23 "What else do you guys need?" "Showers." 27:24 Shower trailer pops up. 27:26 "What else do you need?" "Laundry." 27:27 Laundry trailer pops. 27:29 They see it, they see us starting from almost nothing 27:33 to now growing and providing all these needs, 27:36 and they respect that. 27:38 And that's really been a cool thing 27:41 and something that's helped us create relationship with them. 27:44 Yeah. 27:45 And even going into the city support, 27:48 I know with the laundry trailer we talked about. 27:50 We actually have some pictures to show in a video. 27:54 And with the laundry trailer, we did a launch day. 27:59 And it was April 15 of 2021. 28:03 And on that day, the mayor of Orlando came out, 28:06 local commissioners came out, 28:08 that's actually our team right there, 28:10 not all of our team, 28:11 but that's a portion of our team. 28:13 Some of our intern staff, 28:14 volunteers, we have our security guard there. 28:18 And so the next picture that pops up, 28:23 you'll see some of the other people 28:27 that were present, but we had the commissioners 28:29 of the city there. 28:30 And so, and then we have Simply Healthcare, 28:33 which was a huge sponsor for us. 28:34 They came and all of us together cut the ribbon 28:39 to launch this laundry trailer. 28:41 And so it was really, really beautiful. 28:44 Actually, the mayor surprised us 28:46 and for the work that SALT was doing, 28:49 the mayor actually made a proclamation. 28:51 He proclaimed that April 15th 28:54 be SALT Day in the city of Orlando. 28:56 Wow. Every April 15. 28:58 That's actually a picture of the proclamation right there 29:01 that he gave us. 29:02 We actually framed it and put it in our office 29:04 and kept part of the ribbon to put next to it. 29:07 It was a huge surprise, 29:10 but it was a testimony too, you know? 29:12 So SALT has its own day. 29:14 SALT has its own day in the city of Orlando. Yeah. 29:17 And what day is that again? That's April 15. 29:19 April 15. Yeah, SALT Day. 29:21 Yeah. Wow. 29:22 So it shows, it showed us and it really spoke to us, 29:28 because it showed that that city of Orlando 29:30 truly believes in what's happening here. 29:33 We even had someone that was there that rejected 29:39 our proposals to operate three days 29:41 a week back in 2019. 29:44 And that person that was at that launch day, 29:49 we spoke a day or two after 29:51 and he said he wanted to talk to me, 29:53 we set some time to talk. 29:55 And he said, "Eric, it's clear that God is with you guys. 30:01 It's evident. 30:02 I'm sorry that we didn't approve this sooner, 30:05 but it's evident God is with you. 30:06 I'm so glad that it didn't discourage you 30:08 and you guys continued to move forward." 30:10 And that meant so much coming from him. Yes. 30:14 And so it was just a huge blessing all around 30:17 that day and the day surrounding. 30:20 Yeah, and that was huge of him to come back and say, 30:24 "Look, I'm sorry, 30:25 like we should have done this sooner." 30:27 So, he humbled himself and came to you with that, 30:31 that's awesome. 30:32 Right. So you have the video. 30:35 We have a video too. 30:36 Yeah, there was a video taken that day. 30:38 We can go ahead and show that local news story. 30:42 Awesome. 30:44 Welcome back. 30:45 You might not have known, today is actually 30:47 National Laundry Day, 30:48 I'm guessing most probably didn't find a reason 30:49 to celebrate. 30:51 Yeah, I had no idea but the city of Orlando 30:52 was celebrating by launching 30:54 a new first of its kind mobile laundry service 30:57 for the homeless. 30:58 Fox 35 Amanda McKenzie shows us. 31:02 For many people living on the streets, 31:03 finding a place to shower, 31:05 wash clothes and other basic amenities is hard to come by. 31:09 Now, there is a new mobile laundry service 31:11 with six commercial washers and dryers all free 31:14 to use for anyone experiencing homelessness. 31:17 This laundry trailer is a new addition 31:19 to other free services like a portable shower trailer 31:22 with space for haircuts. 31:24 You think about it, taking a shower 31:26 if you don't have clean clothing 31:28 to put on after you do that 31:29 certainly just doesn't make good hygiene sense. 31:32 The city is partnering with the organization SALT, 31:35 which stands for Service and Love Together, 31:38 as well as Simply Healthcare to bring this trailer 31:40 to shelters four days a week. 31:43 Officials estimate they will be able 31:44 to complete up to 240 loads of laundry per week. 31:48 It's all part of the city's efforts 31:49 to ensure every resident has their basic needs 31:52 of clothing, food and hygiene met. 31:55 As we work and try to find ways to end homelessness, 32:00 we know 32:02 that we have to do something in the interim, 32:06 to make sure that our homeless residents 32:11 here in the city of Orlando 32:14 know that they are not forgotten. 32:18 We want to let them know that we don't just pass by 32:23 and see a shadow. 32:25 We see them. 32:28 While most people see laundry as a chore, 32:30 today on National Laundry Day, 32:32 there is reason to celebrate this new amenity 32:35 in the city that will help our neighbors 32:37 without a home have one less thing to worry about. 32:40 In Orlando, Amanda McKenzie, Fox 35 News. 32:44 Wow. 32:46 Now that's incredible. God is good, yeah. 32:48 Amen. Amen. 32:50 Yeah, I wanted to share too, 32:52 you know, it's amazing how more funding 32:56 the city has been very generous 32:58 and helping to fund this operation 32:59 because they know that it's making a difference. 33:02 And so in 2020, 33:04 we operate about three to four days a week, 33:08 and really started operating that way around March. 33:13 So we served about 1510 unduplicated people 33:18 with over 30,000 units of service. 33:21 And we found that 30, about 30% of them, 33:24 after services with us, 33:27 took the next step to end their homelessness 33:29 through a coordinated community effort. 33:31 We also found that 17% after services with us 33:35 transition to shelter housing 33:37 through a coordinated community effort as well. 33:40 So those metrics are showing the kind of the difference 33:43 that the services are making in the community. 33:46 And I think that's why they're continuing to support. 33:49 And not only them, but our donors, 33:51 you know, we can't do it without our donors. 33:54 The city doesn't fund everything. 33:56 They fund a portion, but they don't fund everything. 33:58 So our donors are really key in helping 34:01 to keep this operation going as well, so... 34:03 Yeah, and I love that 34:04 because you're, there's a problem, 34:07 and then you have the solution. 34:09 Another problem arises, there's a solution. 34:11 Another problem arises, there's the solution. 34:13 I remember you coming on and talking about, 34:15 you need a change trailer. 34:18 Then you got the change trailer, 34:19 laundry trailer, shower trailer, 34:22 you got each one of those things, 34:23 and God has continued to bless the Ministry of SALT. 34:28 And as a result, it's blessing so many, 34:31 and we're grateful to our viewers for supporting 34:35 that initiative as well. 34:37 So, talk to us about the spiritual component, 34:40 because I know that this whole thing embodies 34:42 practical Christianity. 34:44 But where does maybe evangelism come into play 34:47 or pastoral ministry? 34:49 Yeah, that's a good question too. 34:50 So we, you know, our mission is to really exemplify 34:54 the character of Christ, you know? 34:55 And, you know, if we are not, 34:59 if we are doing these services, 35:01 and not pointing to God as the One who's enabled, 35:04 who is enabling us and motivating us 35:07 and creating these opportunities for us 35:10 to meet these needs, then I feel like 35:11 we are failing in what we're doing. 35:14 We actually implemented a, you know, 35:17 we would meet spiritual needs throughout the life 35:20 of the organization in different ways. 35:21 We, before, we just recently added an outreach pastor 35:26 to the staff. 35:28 Before that, you know, 35:29 we would just kind of all on our own, 35:31 just create relationships and there'll be some baptisms 35:34 that will result from that. 35:36 But adding this outreach pastor has been very crucial 35:39 in really being more intentional in meeting 35:42 that spiritual need. 35:44 The cool thing about this pastor is, 35:46 you know, he's a very humble guy. 35:48 And so he's not afraid to go into the shower trailer 35:51 and clean a toilet after someone uses it, 35:54 and clean a shower after someone uses it. 35:56 And the beautiful thing about that 35:58 is our clients are friends, they see that, 36:01 they see him doing that, 36:03 and they have even more respect for him as a spiritual leader, 36:06 as a pastor. 36:08 They actually know him as their pastor, 36:11 the pastor of the unsheltered. 36:13 And so he does services twice a month for them. 36:18 We actually have a partnership with a local Adventist Church, 36:21 Lighthouse community. 36:23 And so they have a box truck, 36:26 the side of it kind of comes down and turns to a stage. 36:29 So he actually preaches twice a month, 36:32 and he, we do a service for them, 36:34 we get different Adventist churches to come out, 36:36 and really kind of do music and worship. 36:38 And then he comes and he speaks. 36:40 He's also starting a weekly Bible study. 36:44 So that is starting, actually, next week, 36:48 it's going to be starting. 36:50 And so that weekly Bible study is going to be key, 36:53 'cause he's already created so many relationships, 36:55 he spent maybe three months 36:57 creating relationships with them, 36:59 and just working the outreach part. 37:01 And now that he's created these relationships, 37:03 he's starting that Bible study to invite the friends 37:06 that he's made to these studies. 37:09 So we're excited to see what that outcome will be. 37:11 But it's a huge thing. 37:14 I mean, we've had people approach him 37:16 that want to be anointed, they'll bring their own oil 37:19 and everything. 37:21 Can you anoint me? 37:22 I need anointing because of X, Y and Z going on in my life. 37:25 People that have been struggling with addiction, 37:27 while they were homeless didn't admit to a case manager 37:31 that they wanted to overcome this addiction. 37:35 But when they talk with him, and they pray with him, 37:37 I want to overcome this addiction, 37:39 I'm willing to do outpatient or inpatient services, 37:42 and then he partners with the case managers 37:44 to make that happen. 37:46 So that spiritual element is, I believe, 37:48 crucial in helping to end homelessness. 37:51 Yes, he's helping people to gain the victory. 37:54 Yes. Yes, that is powerful. 37:57 Now, where are you operating? 37:59 So like, do you have a building now? 38:02 So we have been, 38:04 this is a huge testimony for us. 38:08 We have always wanted to have a building 38:11 or something we can, 'cause we need it. 38:13 You know, we need an administrative office, 38:15 we need a conference room where we can meet, 38:17 we needed a place to store our stuff, 38:19 you know, a case management area, 38:22 you know, we needed those things. 38:23 And so we, back last year, and I'm sorry, 2020, 38:28 we had a partnership, 38:30 we created a partnership with the Christian Service Center. 38:32 The Christian Service Center is an organization in Orlando 38:35 that has other nonprofits there 38:37 that also help the unsheltered population. 38:40 And so we were one of the first 38:42 that were added to that campus. 38:44 And we would help to bring the traffic to that campus 38:47 because of the services that we offer. 38:50 And so the partnership has just grown over the months, 38:53 it's almost, you know, maybe close to a year now. 38:56 And they decided that one of their buildings 39:00 they wanted to give to us, so... 39:02 Wow. 39:04 So they gave us one of their buildings on property 39:05 to be able to work out of to provide 39:09 these essential services. 39:10 So our trailers actually parked right in front of it, 39:12 but now we have that admin office, 39:14 we have a break room, 39:15 we have a conference room, we have a reception area, 39:20 a barber room, 39:21 a case management room, a storage area. 39:23 I mean, it's really an amazing setup that was provided to us. 39:28 And we thank God for it because if it wasn't for Him, 39:30 we, I mean, we did not expect that to happen at all. 39:35 It's a huge blessing. Yeah. 39:36 And look at how God just continues 39:38 to open up all these doors. 39:40 Yeah, He does. 39:42 What has working with SALT and starting SALT, 39:46 what has that done for your faith personally? 39:49 You know, I believe that... 39:54 I believe starting SALT and working with SALT 39:58 has been instrumental in helping my faith to grow. 40:02 And not only helping my faith to grow, but to keep it alive. 40:08 You know, in James it says 40:10 faith without works is dead, right? 40:12 So if there are, if you're not acting on your faith, 40:15 then your faith is slowly dying. 40:17 And so when we act on the things 40:21 that we study in the Word, 40:23 when we act on the things that we believe God 40:25 is calling us to do, it builds our faith, 40:28 like a muscle, right? 40:30 And so the more that I do what I feel God 40:33 is calling me to do, 40:36 the more I believe my faith has grown. 40:38 And so I would say that to anyone out there, 40:41 that is, you know, 40:44 maybe struggling with their faith or feeling like 40:46 their faith is dwindling, to find somewhere, 40:50 you know, maybe volunteering somewhere, 40:52 maybe someone with your church, 40:55 something, maybe something you have a special talent, 40:59 to offer that to the people that are hurting 41:01 or that need it because that's going to help your faith grow. 41:05 It's going to help it grow. 41:06 It's going to build your faith in an amazing way, so... 41:09 Amen. So what is next for SALT? 41:13 What's next? 41:16 So we have figured out 41:20 that what we're doing there in Orlando, 41:24 is not just needed in Orlando, 41:26 it's needed in many other cities. 41:28 We have had, I have had conversations 41:30 specifically with other city officials in other cities 41:34 that have said we want this in our city. 41:38 So what we're trying to do now with God's help 41:41 is duplicate what we have in Orlando. 41:44 And take that model 41:46 and put it in the cities that need it. 41:51 Not every city is able to have a day service center 41:53 for the unsheltered. 41:54 I mean, you need a building, 41:56 a lot of the time the businesses do not want 41:59 a set location where the unsheltered go to 42:02 because they believe it'll affect their business 42:05 or lower property value or, you know, 42:07 there's all those concerns out there. 42:09 Us being mobile diffuses those concerns, 42:12 'cause guess what? 42:14 If something negative is happening in that area, 42:16 we can just move. Yeah. 42:18 You know, and that's something that I think this model needs 42:22 to be duplicated. 42:24 And so we're looking at two other cities right now 42:26 about 20 minutes north of Orlando, 42:29 and there's another city, Daytona, Florida, 42:31 that we're working to try and get in that area, 42:34 we already started operating once a month there. 42:37 But yeah, in Orlando, 42:38 we're actually going to be moving the six days 42:40 a week of service, starting in June of 2021. 42:44 So we'll be doing six days a week, eight hours a day, 42:47 but at the same time working to expand 42:49 and duplicate the model. 42:51 Wow. 42:53 So when you're expanding, 42:54 and you're duplicating this model, 42:55 do you go to these places and set it up? 42:59 And then like, make sure they're running properly? 43:02 And all of that stuff? Like what does that look like? 43:05 So yeah, we would want to start there at least once a month. 43:08 Okay. 43:10 So that we can kind of get a feel for the people 43:12 in the area, see what the actual need is, 43:15 talk to the people there. 43:16 Because we don't want, again, 43:18 we're not just going to take what we have 43:19 and just blindly offer it and say, 43:22 "Hey, I think you need this. 43:23 So let's do this." 43:24 We want to make sure that it's catered to every area. 43:27 So we would actually have to do some research 43:29 and some surveying, talk to the city officials, 43:32 talk to the local nonprofits, 43:33 and that's what we've been doing. 43:35 Nice. 43:36 And there have been so many high profile supporters of us 43:40 expanding this, that we believe just by 2021 43:44 will be in two other cities by the end of 2021. 43:48 So we'll see what God has in store. 43:51 But you know, again, it's something 43:54 that God is really going to have to provide 43:58 that funding for us to get there. 44:00 And that's kind of what we're praying about now, 44:02 is we know it's needed, it's been expressed 44:04 that there's a need there 44:06 but once the funding comes through, 44:09 then we're able to do this. 44:10 And so donation is going to be a huge part of that. 44:13 Yes, yes. 44:15 What advice would you have 44:16 for the individual that may say, 44:18 "Well, you know, I feel like God wants me 44:21 to start something, but I don't know what it is?" 44:24 Or for the individual that might, 44:28 you know, has, maybe he always thought 44:30 about or she always thought about 44:32 starting the ministry, 44:34 but they don't know what steps to take. 44:36 Yeah. 44:37 So, the simplest thing I can say, 44:42 and the easiest thing I can say without going into a whole, 44:45 you know, seminar of what to do, 44:47 but I would say is do something. 44:50 So and I say that because I didn't know 44:53 what I was called to do. 44:54 So what I did is I worked, 44:56 I tried every type of ministry, 44:59 I tried different volunteer opportunities. 45:05 'Cause I didn't know, I didn't even feel like 45:07 I had any talents. 45:08 You know what I mean? I just tried everything. 45:12 And when you do that, 45:13 God, I believe God sees that, and He honors that. 45:16 And He'll make it clear what it is He wants you to do, 45:20 you know, for Him. 45:21 And so every area is different, 45:23 you know, and maybe someone that's watching right now, 45:25 they don't have a high homeless population 45:27 in their area, but there might be need in another area. 45:30 So that's something that I would say 45:32 is just get out there and do something 45:34 that God will honor that. 45:36 Do you believe and do you feel like you're walking in your God 45:40 given calling and purpose? 45:44 I do. 45:45 Yeah, I do believe that God has called me to do this. 45:48 I am 100% without a doubt. 45:52 And knowing that helps. 45:57 When we go through those hard times, 45:59 you know, when you're 100% sure 46:02 that God wants you to do something, 46:04 it doesn't matter what happens. 46:06 Everyone in the organization could leave, 46:08 you know, but if you feel 46:10 that this is what God called you to do, 46:11 then you're going to stay, you know, 46:14 and that's how I feel, you know? 46:15 Yes. 46:17 I believe this is what God called me to do 46:18 and I'm here to stay 46:20 and continue to move forward with it, you know? 46:22 And not only me, but our team, our leaders, 46:24 our board, our staff, the sacrifices they've made, 46:29 I can't even begin to describe the sacrifices 46:32 they've made to make this organization 46:34 what it is today. 46:36 Yes. 46:37 And it's just amazing to see 46:40 how God is using just everyone on the team 46:44 to make this come to life. 46:45 You know, if it was just me by myself, 46:48 this would have failed years and years ago, 46:50 you know, I wouldn't have gotten too far. 46:53 But there's so many people that love this work 46:55 and love the people that we serve that it's successful, 47:00 you know, so... Yes, praise God. 47:03 How old were you when you started SALT? 47:05 I was 22 going on 23. 47:09 You were 22 years old going on 23? 47:12 Mm-hmm. Wow. 47:14 Yeah, yeah. Yeah. 47:16 I was young. 47:18 And I do believe that, 47:21 you know, 47:25 I believe that there's so much energy 47:29 and passion that come from, 47:32 it come from everyone, but the young adults, 47:35 the young adults today, they want to change the world, 47:37 you know, they want to make a difference, 47:38 they want to see measurable impact. 47:40 And many young adults that leave the church 47:43 or decide to no longer be affiliated 47:46 with the church or God, 47:48 I believe 47:50 it's because 47:55 they don't see it happening, and they just, 47:57 they don't see it, 47:59 they believe maybe the church is hypocrites 48:01 or something like that. 48:02 But my advice would be to make a change within the church, 48:05 don't go with outside the church 48:07 and try to start something on your own, or say, 48:09 "Oh, the church doesn't have it so I'm going here." 48:12 What I felt, what motivated me in the beginning 48:14 was to be able to make a change in outside the church, 48:19 but supporting the church, 48:21 to help the church to become even better. 48:23 Yes. 48:24 We shouldn't run away from it, we should embrace it, 48:26 and we should help to build up 48:29 our brothers and sisters in our churches, so... 48:31 Amen. Amen. 48:33 What are some of the needs of your organization? 48:35 You've been focusing on everyone else's needs? 48:39 What does SALT need? 48:41 Right now SALT 48:45 is in need of definitely, 48:48 I mean, of course, like any other organization, is funds. 48:52 We are needing donations because the city is not, 48:55 and other corporate corporations 48:57 and all that they're not meeting all of our need. 48:59 And that's okay, you know, 49:02 but we are needing still donor support 49:05 to be able to expand to these other cities, 49:09 at least to have some kind of presence there 49:11 in the beginning, 49:12 then maybe we can get more support from the city, 49:14 but we need to have a presence there first. 49:16 So that's one and two, 49:18 we want to add mental health counseling, 49:20 it's a huge thing that's needed. 49:22 And we need more funding for our case management program. 49:26 And we'll be working on a business model 49:28 to create income for ourselves. 49:30 But until then, 49:32 donations is a huge part of what we do. 49:36 So that's definitely a huge need. 49:39 And if anyone even wants to volunteer, 49:42 I mean, hey, we can use that too, you know? 49:45 So in any area really, we can put them to work, so... 49:49 Yeah, that's what I was going to ask you like what area? 49:51 What would them volunteering, what would that look like? 49:54 Yeah, yeah, it's going to vary for each person. 49:57 We're really going to sit down with them, 49:59 figure out what their skills are 50:01 and how they feel like they can they can contribute. 50:04 And that kind of match them in an area that can help them 50:06 the organization the most. 50:08 But definitely volunteer work is needed too. 50:12 Now, do you have a resume building area 50:15 as well with SALT? 50:16 We do. Yeah, we do. 50:18 We have a group that comes from the local university 50:21 and helps with resumes. 50:22 Yeah, we actually have some people that have gotten jobs 50:24 after having gone to that resume building process. 50:28 Yeah. Wow. 50:29 That's huge. 50:30 And I remember you mentioning something about 50:33 like a postal service for the homeless? 50:37 We do offer mail services. Yeah. 50:39 So we offer 10 different services to the unsheltered. 50:43 I named a few today. 50:44 But we actually have a whole list 50:46 of different services and mail service is a huge one. 50:49 Wow, that's incredible. 50:50 So like, how do you come up with these different? 50:53 So you talk to them, you find out what they need, 50:56 then you just sit down with your team and say, 50:58 "Hey, look, guys, I spoke with John over here, 51:02 I spoke with Michael, 51:04 I spoke with all of these people. 51:05 And this seems to be one of the biggest needs 51:07 in the community at this time. 51:10 Must go forward. And..." 51:11 Yeah, yeah. 51:13 And it's not just me, but even some of our staff, 51:15 our case managers, our outreach staff, 51:18 just conversations, surveys, we figure out what the need is, 51:21 and we just take the step to meet it. 51:24 We don't wait, we don't try to reinvent the wheel either, 51:27 but we don't wait. 51:28 And we just make it happen. Yeah. 51:30 I love it. So you're operating with that sense of urgency. 51:33 Mm-hmm. That's right. 51:34 Yes. That's right. 51:35 Wow. Awesome. 51:37 We want to tell our viewers 51:39 how they can get in touch with you, 51:40 how they can support the wonderful ministry of SALT, 51:44 and so we're going to go to an address role, 51:47 and a news break, and we'll be right back. 51:52 If you would like to contact 51:53 or know more about SALT Outreach Incorporated, 51:56 you can write to them at 100 East Pine Street, 52:00 Suite 110 Orlando, Florida 32801. 52:06 You can also call them at 886-237-2589. 52:12 That's 886-237-2589. 52:16 You can also visit their website 52:18 at saltoutreach.org 52:20 That's saltoutreach.org 52:22 or email them at eric@saltoutreach.org 52:26 That's eric@saltoutreach.org |
Revised 2022-02-03