Success Stories
Wholistic Community Revitalization
2023
Warriors Arise.
By Dr. Tamara Grove
Serving the ones who need us the most at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. Working with Warriors Circle, Inc., by bringing Christ Centered Recovery to the unhoused of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
This isn’t an easy work. Folks are deeply enmeshed in their worlds of addiction, brokenness, and homelessness.
Soon to follow: stories of hope and healing!
“Awakening Warriors to their Divine Purpose as People of God.”
2022
1. Less Talk. More Do.
By Dr. Tamara Grove
“Mom had just prayed and asked God for help, and then you guys showed up. ”
— Mary (Daugther and resident)
I cannot say that I have been quick to jump at opportunities to clean up someone else’s trash. Nor am I first in line to walk into crowds of drunk folks who need to hear the love of Christ or that tomorrow we are offering free haircuts at the park.
But I go. I show up, sometimes driving for hours to arrive at the destination. I hand out flyers, rest my hand on a shoulder out of compassion, hold someone’s hand, preach, teach, or clean, and am always available to pray.
The going is not always my proudest moment, but, at the end of the day….well, I never regret that I went.
The idea for a community revitalization collective looked super cool on paper. WOW! How cool are we? UGH!
And then we went into the neighborhood, and our parameter walk turned into two days of the worst, smelliest, hottest, garbage pickup ever.
What a blessing. And I mean that.
Just 20 minutes into our walk as a group to figure out what area we were going to canvass, we stumbled upon an opportunity to serve an elderly woman who had just been served notice of eviction. She was in her 80s with a household full of family members.
They had garbage piled high, and the landlord had his fill of city zoning tickets and doubled fines. He had served her notice…and then we crossed the street into her neighborhood.
It was a God-ordained disruptive intervention opportunity, and we took it. Five large dumpsters later, several tons (literally) of trash were removed. An old car was towed and taken to the dump, a garage once full of garbage was now empty and swept clean, and crappy old bicycles were hauled out along with TV after TV.
We raked the yard, prayed with the family, and went on our way. Hearts changed forever.
In February of 2022, our little collective - still yet to achieve a full fledge name or even a logo! Set out to ask some daring questions on 8th Street.
I mean, what’s going on here anyway?
We marched up and down the frigid 8th Street corridor inviting every business owner, the homeless, and community members from the area. On April 2, 2022, we cleaned out the Union Gospel Mission Thrift Store, made some food, hung some invite posters, set up chairs, and then waited.
Our goal was to have the homeless, the neighborhood, and the businesses get together and have an Open Forum; it was aptly titled 8th Street Community Open Forum.
Much to our thrill, many people showed up, and the conversations began.
It was awesome. It was challenging. It was life-changing.
We decided then that steps had to be taken to connect the unconnectable and build relationships in areas that were probably unheard of in these parts.
What? Gasp! The homeless and community business owners talk?
2. All Aboard!
Let’s get this Choo-Choo Train Started
By Dr. Tamara Grove
Say it isn’t so…..it is.
Sioux Falls, sadly, is like most rapidly growing communities. Push, push, push the homeless out, then gentrify, gentrify. As people connected to a shelter that has been active in the community for 122 years on 8th Street, it seemed pretty ridiculous to assume it would shutter its doors and move along peacefully.
As a small business owner of two growing companies, we didn’t think gentrification was the only way. As a small business owner of two growing companies, we didn’t think gentrification was the only way.
It’s not.
There are other ways one can build a city.
3. Love Your Neighbor and stuff….
WOW
So much love was shared!
It wasn’t the most accommodating weather for the two days…in fact, it was downright cold. But we went anyway. This past November 4th and 5th, we hosted the first-ever “Love Your Neighbor Community Fall Cleanup!” In the Whittier District. And we went over budget 😱
On Day One, we raked, cut down massive trees, and saved a woman’s family homestead. Sadly, the family home faced imminent risk by a tree her father planted in the backyard in 1950. So we had to cut it down. It was a bittersweet moment. We are so honored we were able to be there with her. Then we cleaned up her yard!
On Day Two, we did it again! One of our families had a husband and father in the hospital due to a serious workplace injury that rendered him disabled. There are no words; cleaning up around their place was one of the coolest experiences ever!
BEAUTIFICATION!
We picked up dumpster after dumpster of garbage and debris from neighborhood yards, we fixed fences, and pulled weeds.
TWENTY-FOUR HOMES
OVER 18 HOURS
TWO DAYS
What a radical blessing it was to play a role in 12 blocks of Whittier District!
THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS!!!
— Tamara Grove
