Faith in Action

A few years ago I met an amazingly passionate woman by the name of Shirell Tyner. I wrote about my experiences with Shirell in past posts and this Saturday marks a big day for the vision that God gave her. After God delivered her from drug abuse, criminality, incarceration, and immoral behavior, The Almighty gave her a vision to start a ministry called Caring Through The Spiritual Eye, Inc.

This ministry involved feeding the homeless, housing those who are recovering, and supporting the spiritual, social, and economic development of those whom the world has disregarded. Shirell, with little structured support from outside entities, funded her own vision and persevered when it looked like no one would come to assist.

However, now a new chapter is starting for Caring Through The Spiritual Eye, Inc.!

On Saturday, June 14, 2008 11:30AM - until, the Caring Through The Spiritual Eye Outreach Center will open its doors in the Park Heights Community. Free Food, Music, Games, and Resources! Call (443) 449-7515 for more information.

Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to listen to Shirell Tyner’s interview with a local station.

The room was packed. On one side residents and supporters from Park Heights ready to tell why they didn’t want liquor stores in their community anymore. On the other side, many Korean merchants and a curious rowful of residents who were coming to defend their business.

The hearing started with a disappointment. We who had come to challenge Slaters Market (the grocery market that sells alcohol next to ketchup) were shocked when we learned during the hearing that the attorney from Community Law Center, Inc. (Michelle Pierce, Esq) had made a “gentleman’s agreement” with the attorney representing Slaters. The agreement was that they would take the liquor bottles off of the shelves that had condiments on them and in exchange there would be no protest of their license. What?!

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This afternoon (Thursday, April 10, 2008) I will be joining many others at the Baltimore City Liquor Board Hearing about the four establishments that we have been targeting on a weekly basis for the past 5 months.

As you’ll remember, our work has been focused on the 5100 block of Park Heights Avenue where there are 4 [FOUR] liqour establishments in that 1 block!

Our citizen’s alliance led by Mr. Derrick Compton, Sr., is extremely diverse and focused. We have PhD’s and “No D’s” joining together to deal with this public safety issue that research has proven adversely impacts a community’s quality of life.

The Korean Merchants Association understands what is at stake. Our coalition met with them two weeks ago to hear them out. Our sources also tipped us to the fact that they have paid some residents $40 to come down to City Hall today to testify in favor of the liquor stores. These sly business owners have also been going around to the local churches with $100 dollar “offerings” for the pastors in the community.

Will pastors turn their backs on the community for a $100 dollar bill??

We’ll see. But we’re thankful for Rev. Ted Sutton (Maryland Church of God in Christ), Pastor Kevin Rogers (New Fellowship Church), Pastor Hattie Bailey (Full Gospel Fellowship Church of Deliverance) and Bishop Kevia Elliot (The Lord’s Church) for their letters of support and in the case of Rev. Sutton - we appreciate how this true man of God has walked the streets with us - something that he does anyway given his passion for “street ministry.”

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It was for male ex-offenders who were there to receive information that could potentially help their situation. Here’s part 1 of my sharing. You can check out the rest on my youtube page.

On that same day I conducted a Social Justice Bible Study session for the United Worker’s Association. They have an Organizer’s Training Program that they’ve just started with some of their low-wage workers. The day before I was in Annapolis meeting with members of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland meeting about Governor Martin O’Malley’s absurd DNA bill and from Annapolis did 95 on 95 to get to the studio of WEAA 88.9FM to be a guest on Front Page hosted by my good brother, Craig Thompson. We were talking about Dr. Jeremiah Wright, the Black Church, and Black Liberation Theology.

Once I got home Tuesday night from this long 48 hours of giving and sharing I went straight to bed and slept for 12 hours. (I never do that)

I’m tired ya’ll. My body, mind, and spirit needs a break. I’ve been going full throttle for months now. Vacation please!?

I wouldn’t have believed it if I wasn’t there to experience it myself.

The Park Heights Dry Out Coalition was making its weekly rounds yesterday in the 5100 block of Park Heights Avenue in Baltimore City.

We checked in with Slaters Grocery (5117 Park Heights Ave.) and were pleased to see that they had moved the liquor from off of the shelf where condiments, juices, and other more common household products are found. Now all of their liquor was in the refrigerators up against the wall. As we walked the aisles, the owner made sure to come from behind his bullet-proof glass and point out that he had moved the bottles of alcohol.

From there we walked next door to the Check Cashing business (5119 Park Heights Ave.). I had taken pictures of the outside of the establishment, but had never been in. This week we walked in. What ensued was a wake up call to me to what we were really dealing with.

We took immediate notice of the dank environment of this store. The smell of water damage and mildew was obvious. One of the brothers looked up and we saw what was probably the source of the problem.

We took note thinking that the Baltimore City Health Department or the Department of Housing might want to take a look at this. This has to be a violation and health hazard to customers.

We also took a closer look at his pornography advertisements.

Indeed, I had never seen a Check Cashing business that also sold porn. Isn’t there a specific zoning license to do that?

As we were inspecting the ceiling the owner came out asking who we were.

We refrained from volunteering information to the man and that’s when he threatened to call the cops. Being that the police officer for that area has made presentations to our coalition before, we welcomed the officer’s presence on the premises. When the owner saw that we weren’t fazed by his threat to call 9-1-1; he made a statement that took our interaction to the next level.

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And this is what I saw:

What if your child saw this every day while walking home from school. Guess what? Many children in Park Heights do.

Here’s a video clip of today’s walkthru in Park Heights: