the OCP blog

UPDATE FROM SAMI miss you. I miss seeing friends and supporters of OCP at Night Out, at Friday Lunch Restaurant, at our soup kitchens, at our Tuesday work days and evening events. But staff and community members at OCP hear you on the phone, watch you drop off food...

blog by Leons Kabongo“Just because anger or hate is present does not mean that the capacity to love and accept is not there; love is always in you.” –Thich Nat Hanh Born in Brooklyn New York, Mr. Perry Bellamy is the eighth of nine children from his mother's second...

“Love all. Serve all. Help ever. Hurt never.” Sri Sathya Sai Baba Born in Newark, New Jersey, our featured volunteer of the month, Mr. Douglas Lavery, spent most of his childhood near Pittsburg, PA. When I asked if he recalled...

Dear friends of OCP,    I’m sure that most of you have seen OCP in the DNR, Hburg Citizen, and WHSV over the last few weeks. So what happened around homelessness in our area?  How was it impacting our community? And what’s the most current situation at...

                   Solar investment paying off. As our 49 solar panels start to soak in the summer sun, we are seeing a huge drop in energy costs. Our May bill in 2018 was $345 while our...

If you drove by OCP in the last month you may have noticed a porta-potty tucked between two trees on our property at the corner of Johnson and Main. For the last year some of our community members have been showing up to meetings with some activists who meet on Court...

above: Mayor Deanna Reed with community member George Barksdale and OCP director Sam Nickels  What is REALLY Happening At OCP? from Sam Nickels, Executive Director  Dear Friends of OCP, So much to share this month. First, our drive to raise funds through the Great...

I'm not the best at writing - and much of my previous teachers would agree. In lieu of being long winded I'd like to share some of my favorite pictures over the last few months.One of my first Friday Lunch Restaurants. Mike and I got to know each other over rolling...

"True kindness, compassion, and patience do not come from just thinking how it might feel to be hurt. Those who are truly kind are so not because of theory or ethics, but because they feel the suffering of others.” Paraphrase of Thich Nhat Hanh Dave Syfor, our...

Dear Friends of OCP, This month we close our fiscal year. We present a short annual report of accomplishments and finances. Please remember that this work is made possible by your generosity, support, prayers, and love. We are so appreciative because we are blessed...

  It’ll be Great!! One of my favorite teachers in high school was Mr. Hooker, our biology teacher. His class was never easy, but he always made it fun, and one of the things he always said to motivate us when faced with a tough challenge was, “it’ll be great!” My...