The Story of a Life by Pat Mishler V.P.

What is this organization “Straight Ahead Outreach” (STA) Taking Back Your Life about? The bigger question is: What is the story of a life about? Is it worth reading this blog? Yes. Is it worth your prayers? Yes. Is it worth your involvement? Yes. Is it worth your investment? Yes.

STA, at this very moment, is in labor. The contractions have started and the parents (Lance Greene and Patricia Mishler) are in the delivery room waiting for the birth of a long-awaited child.

That child began as a thought in Lance Greene’s heart, mind and body and has remained there for 23 years. That’s a very long time to think about bringing a child into the world. But this child (plan) took years of attempting to find the right person to bear it with, the right location to rear it, a genuine relationship to raise it in. Tough requirements, but they have been met. Lance and I have been together six years and have a strong, supportive and loving, relationship. We are both up to meeting the challenges of a large, complex family and all that it entails. We believe in each other and our goals are the same. Doing the right thing, for the right reason and doing it because it has to be done.

STA is obviously not about a single ‘real’ child. Rather, it is about a life plan for “all children” (even though they may be adults) to help alleviate their homelessness and to intervene and/or prevent suicide so that they can “Take Back Their Life”. A life they may have been waiting to have for 50 years!!

How does a parent raise a child? After all, many of the homeless are just grown children. Many have never had the opportunity to reach any goal; some have never been given any goals. The reason – is not important. The existence of a life unfulfilled and/or plain miserable is very important. And each homeless person and/or suicidal, deserves the opportunity to realize that they STILL CAN have and enjoy a life.

We, STA, can and desire to, assist these individuals by first leveling the playing field, but not standing “ABOVE” them. We recognize that we were children just like them and we were just fortunate enough to have lived in a better environment that enabled us to progress and grow and avoid homelessness. Not that we didn’t have struggles, but we had the support of our family and friendships that we were able to develop because of our ‘upbringing’. Homeless people have lost their family support. That doesn’t mean their family doesn’t care, they just don’t know what to do anymore, they are angry, they are tied up in their own feelings of failure so they’ve put them out of their lives.

STA maintains that an approach that allows the individual to feel that they are STILL cared about, STILL important, and that their existence IS essential to the world, allows that individual to take that first step again. Of course, they can fall down. When someone is literally learning to walk, they will fall – just like a toddler.

When was the last time someone told you – you are important, crucial, you are cared about? If it was longer than yesterday, you could very well be feeling vulnerable today. Now what if you hadn’t heard that for years? Or if all you’ve heard for the last many years hi-lights the wrong things you have done. I know there are people who say that they’ve never done drugs, drank themselves into oblivion, pimped themselves, stole, lied, or cheated. But I can guarantee you, there have been days those same people have asked God for forgiveness for one of their failings or have begged him to come to THEIR aid. All offenses against another are offenses against God. Period.

Many homeless and suicidals are at their wits end. They have begged God for forgiveness and help, but they don’t expect it. Why? Because they feel unworthy to receive anything good where they are at and because of that believe that nothing can ease their pain or heal their suffering. And trust me, they are suffering.

STA’s mission is to provide an atmosphere for the homeless/suicidals that we work with, that allows them the ‘safety’ to grow and evolve into a positive participant in life. That safety comes from a family atmosphere, not a clinical, political or religious environment. These are real people that we genuinely care about and for. STA educates, coaches, acknowledges and values them, so that when a consequence arises because of their behavior – they learn to view as it should be viewed – a life experience. They have fallen and THEY CAN GET UP. This treatment enables them to acknowledge and deal with an error in judgment. That is what a family does for its own. They help them up when they’ve fallen – for the 1000th time. Otherwise, they end up homeless and paralyzed, unable to walk any more.

It has taken STA 23 years to bring this plan to full-term. It has taken that long because it is NOT just about one child, it’s about a world of children (even though many are adults), waiting to be born – in other words – “Take Back Their Life”.

STA’s plan is literally in the delivery room, waiting to arrive. Months and years of planning and hard work have built the heart and soul of this ‘concept’ion . STA has grown into a healthy, strong, meaningful plan. But we need your help desperately to continue our work and to grow.

In order for STA to continue to help the homeless “Take Back Their Lives”, we need your financial support. It DOES take a city to raise a child.

STA, Lance Greene and his organization, are ready, willing and skilled at the task of reviving and energizing a person’s attitude about themselves, as well as educating, coaching, and preparing them to become individuals that are able to “Take Back Their Lives” and develop into a positive element of society.

Please – look at our website: http://homelesscrisis.wordpress.com

If YOU would like to DONATE to our work, We THANK YOU in advance.

Please make your checks payable to:
Straight Ahead Outreach (Taking Back Your Life) Inc. and mail to:
One Market Square – Knoxville TN. 37902 or click on the Donate Button above.

Phone: 865-964-1461
Email: straightaheadpm@gmail.com

Please include an email or mailing address for a receipt for your gift.

With our heartfelt thanks,
Lance Greene & Pat Mishler

And I feel that something’s coming, and it’s not just in the wind.

It’s more than just tomorrow, it’s more than where we’ve been,

It offers me a promise, it’s telling me “Begin”,

I know we’re needing something worth believing in.


~~Harry Chapin from Remember When the Music

It’s Time for the work to “Begin” ~ Please help