{"id":53,"date":"2009-12-29T13:30:04","date_gmt":"2009-12-29T20:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tatianaserafin.com\/speakers\/?p=53"},"modified":"2010-03-28T12:29:01","modified_gmt":"2010-03-28T19:29:01","slug":"how-to-start-giving-go-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tatianaserafin.com\/speakers\/how-to-start-giving-go-local\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start Giving: Go Local"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span>Community activist Hayley Teague shares how she was inspired to help her community, and the dramatic life changes she made to make a difference in her local area.<\/em><\/p>\n

The town where I live Mitcham, South London, has a bad reputation. We\u2019ve had shootings, stabbings as well as high unemployment and low educational attainment.\u00a0 No one deliberately comes to Mitcham; they pass through, and even when they pass through they complain about it!\u00a0\u00a0 I often hear people say, “Mitcham, it\u2019s not what it used to be, it\u2019s going to the dogs.”\u00a0 Most people believe that to do well for themselves they need to move out as quickly as possible.\u00a0 Not me. I choose to live here and my response to those who complain about Mitcham (especially to those who live here) is, “well what are you doing about it?\u00a0 Be part of the solution NOT the problem.”<\/p>\n

About 8 years ago, when I working in information technology, I visited a Christian friend of mine who was working in an AIDS orphanage in South Africa. I met the children, heard their stories and came back changed.\u00a0 So much so that when on the receiving end of abuse about a printer that didn\u2019t work, I recall thinking, “I don\u2019t care about your stupid printer, there\u2019s kids dying in Africa!” There were kids dying in the UK too; feelings of hopelessness among our youth was rising along with youth crime. During an IT\u00a0 job at a youth court, I felt called to work with this group of young people. I gave up my well paid IT career to become a student and obtained a youth work and ministry degree (around the same time, I became a devout Christian). I then began to work with young offenders.\u00a0 The need is great, in 2007 a Unicef report ranked the UK as one of the worst in industrialised countries to bring up children[i]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Several years on, I am now working with a Christian charity in the Community Mission team[ii]<\/a>, equipping churches and Christians to transform their communities in the most deprived areas in the UK.\u00a0 Empowering them to live out the good news of the gospel in practical ways.\u00a0 In my spare time I\u2019m a HopeUK[iii]<\/a> drug and alcohol awareness educator, an appropriate adult[iv]<\/a> at the police station for young people and a street pastor[v]<\/a> – all in my local community.\u00a0 On Christmas Day, I helped out at a church’s Christmas meal for the elderly, those suffering with mental health problems and the homeless , 60 people in all.<\/p>\n

Why would I give my time on Christmas day to serve people?<\/p>\n

Jesus said \u2018whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’[vi]<\/a> I give my time because I am a Christian and Jesus said to whom much is given, much is expected.[vii]<\/a> I give because I want to follow Jesus\u2019 example; he did not come to be served, but to serve others.[viii]<\/a><\/p>\n

In the Old Testament the people of Israel were oppressed and badly treated and God told Moses that he has seen the oppression of his people, he heard their cries, was aware of their suffering and had seen how harshly they had been treated.\u00a0 Then God said \u201cAnd now Moses I send you!\u201d\u00a0 I send you to make a difference.[ix]<\/a><\/p>\n

I believe God sees the state of our world, the UK and the little town of Mitcham and is saying to me, “I send you to make a difference.”<\/p>\n

Why do I give? I give because I believe I can be a little part of the solution.<\/p>\n

Two little boys were walking along the beach and they came across hundreds of starfish washed up on the beach.\u00a0 One of the boys picked up a starfish and threw it back in the sea, then pick up another and proceeded to do the same, as he pick up another the other boy struck by the futility of the task said, “You\u2019re crazy what are you doing, you can\u2019t possibly think you can make a difference.” The first boy threw the starfish he had in his hand and replied, “I made a difference to that one.”[x]<\/a><\/p>\n

[i]<\/a> Unicef Report http:\/\/www.unicef.org.uk\/press\/news_detail.asp?news_id=890<\/a><\/p>\n

[ii]<\/a> Community Mission http:\/\/www.communitymission.org.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[iii]<\/a> HopeUK http:\/\/www.hopeuk.org\/pages\/hopeuk.php?page=home&action=flash<\/a><\/p>\n

[iv]<\/a> Appropriate Adult Network http:\/\/www.appropriateadult.org.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[v]<\/a> Street Pastors http:\/\/www.streetpastors.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[vi]<\/a> Mathew 25:35-40<\/p>\n

[vii]<\/a> Luke 12:48<\/p>\n

[viii]<\/a> Matthew 20:28<\/a><\/p>\n

[ix]<\/a> Exodus 3:7-10<\/p>\n

[x]<\/a> Loren Eisley, The Starfish Story http:\/\/www.starrbrite.com\/starfish.html<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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