Synopsis
OFF THE STREETS (OTS) is a 501 ( c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization registered with the IRS and with the states of Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and California—so far. It provides a security deposit (paid directly to the landlord) and basic furniture and living needs to homeless persons who have a means of paying a monthly rent. No government funding is taken. There are no paid staff, no professional fundraisers, no offices, and no utilities to pay. All furniture and other living needs are donated. This book introduces one way that people in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and California are already helping individuals and families move OFF THE STREETS and into homes of their own. We share our story with the hope that, when you see how easy it is, you will be inspired to start a chapter of OFF THE STREETS in your own community. "The narrative of the author's own faith journey has been merged nicely with the stories of those who are homeless. The Gospel theme of caring for the weak, the vulnerable, and the poor resonates throughout. What a powerful and beautiful ministry!" Deacon Peter Jupin, St. John Neumann Catholic Church, Lancaster, PA “The idea behind OFF THE STREETS is such a simple one: that homeless people with a source of income can rapidly escape homelessness and get into a place of their own. We’ve turned this idea into a reality. We’ve found out what works and what does not work. We’ve built a good foundation, and now it’s time for others who have received the calling to follow in our footsteps.” Joe Simons, OTS Danbury, CT An anonymous donor paid for the publishing of this book. All royalties will go directly to security deposits for homeless persons coming OFF THE STREETS. "I tried everything, from buying ‘how to write’ books and audio-to-text converters to just sitting at the computer and typing for hours on end. What I ended up with was three plastic bins full of documents and references, hours and hours of audio files, and a boatload of Word files. I was drowning in my own drivel, clueless as to how to proceed. . . . Then one day . . . I heard about Alice Morrow Rowan of Not Forgotten Publications. . . . I will be forever grateful to Alice for making it happen." Deacon Michael J. Oles, pages 120–121, Help the Homeless OFF THE STREETS One Person at a Time
About the Author
Michael J. Oles was ordained a permanent deacon of the Roman Catholic Church in 2002 by then Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut (now Archbishop of Baltimore). He served the Church of St. Mary in Bethel, Connecticut, for ten years before moving with his wife, Kathleen, to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he now serves as a deacon for St. John Neumann Church. After graduating from Fairfield University with a degree in physics in 1964, Oles joined the US Air Force and became a second lieutenant. His assignments included spacecraft navigation for NASA at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, where he worked on the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Mission; and aircraft research and development for the Advanced Research Projects Agency. He also earned a master's degree in systems management. He retired from the Air Force in 1984. For the next fifteen years he worked for the civilian defense industry as a development and production program manager. He then taught high school physics for three years while preparing for the diaconate. Deacon Oles served as a volunteer at a homeless shelter in Danbury, Connecticut, for more than 25 years. He founded OFF THE STREETS in 2009. He and Kathleen have been married since 1966. They have four children, all married, and nine surviving grandchildren.
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