The Fourth of Blessings

Our congregation, St. Johannes Lutheran Church, has partnered with Next Steps of South Carolina and The Navigation Center to support a vital ministry in the Charleston area. The Navigation Center is a non-profit that began by serving military veterans and has since expanded to help anyone in crisis. The Center's mission is to empower our most vulnerable neighbors by helping them navigate the complex system of services needed to rebuild sustainable, independent lives.

By providing a volunteer counselor and financial assistance from St. Johannes and Next Steps of South Carolina, we join a powerful, collaborative network of over 70 organizations dedicated to this work. It is through this partnership that we can be part of true, lasting life change. Here are a few more stories of our neighbors who have been helped by this shared work.

Sandra's Second Chance

Sandra (with the hair wrap) has recently been released from incarceration and is doing everything right. She has a good job starting next week that will pay far better than what she earns now. She has worked hard to pay most of her bills. She is in the early, hopeful stages of rebuilding her relationship with her four children, including two adult children she is working hard to reconnect with. She is trying, in every sense of the word.

But there was one urgent problem. Her storage unit was set to be opened and its contents sold tomorrow if she couldn't pay what she owed. Everything she owns was in that unit. We tried repeatedly to reach the storage manager to negotiate more time. We couldn't get through. So we committed to pay a partial amount toward the balance, on the condition that the manager would give Sandra one more month. We passed that offer along to The Navigation Center to follow through on.

Sandra left hopeful. That's not a small thing for someone who has had very little reason to be hopeful recently. We are praying the manager says yes. And we are rooting hard for Sandra.

David's Bridge to a Better Week

David (with the backpack) is the kind of man you root for the moment you meet him. He is married with three children, and it is clear from the way he talks about his family that they are everything to him. He and his wife both work. They work hard. But the wages are low, and making ends meet has always been a stretch.

When he recently lost his job, that stretch became a crisis. The good news is that he starts a new job next week at a better wage. The hard news is that the rent is due now, and the paycheck isn't here yet.

St. Johannes and Next Steps agreed to help bridge that gap. David was visibly relieved. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply help a good man keep his family's roof over their heads for one more week. We were glad to do it.

Thirty More Days for Stan

Stan (in the white T-shirt) is 36 years old and works for a local business that makes southern desserts. He works. He shows up. But the wages aren't enough, and the bills have slowly gotten ahead of him. He came to The Navigation Center facing possible eviction, looking for help and a way forward.

We couldn't solve everything for Stan in one visit. But we could buy him time. St. Johannes and Next Steps agreed to provide enough assistance to delay the eviction by 30 days. That's 30 days to breathe, to plan, and to find a better path forward. The Navigation Center will walk that path with him.

Sometimes a month is all someone needs to change the trajectory of their story. We hope that's true for Stan.

Keeping Sally's Family Together

Sally (pictured with two of her four children) is a devoted mother. She has a decent job. She receives no child support. And her rent is simply too high for what she earns. It's a math problem that doesn't work, no matter how hard she tries.

She came to The Navigation Center not just for financial help, but for honest advice. The hard truth is that she will probably need to find a more affordable place to live. The Navigation Center is already working with her on that. But in the meantime, her family needs a safe place to stay while a new home is found.

The Navigation Center arranged for help from another charity, and asked us to join in. St. Johannes and Next Steps provided funds to help Sally keep her apartment until a new unit can be found. Her children will not be displaced while she works toward a better situation.

This is what this ministry is about. Not just writing a check, but making sure a mother and her children have stability while they find their footing. We are grateful to be part of that.

If you would like to know more about this ministry or how you can help, please let Tom or Pastor Aaron know.