Staff report
Terri Clark Beckman’s interest in helping the under-dog started small — with some food for homeless people on the streets. Now she has an outreach ministry that she has grown through Facebook connections — and an army of volunteers and contributors who have rallied ’round the cause.
Beckman’s ministry now has a name — TCB Ministries. That could be her own initials or it could be “The Compassionate Blanket Ministries,” or “Taking Care of my Buddies Ministry,” or “The Caring Belief Ministries.” However you can to name it, it is alive and well — and hitting the streets regularly to pass out warm food, blankets, socks, coats and more to street people.
Beckman who lives in Florence was once part of the Blessing Bags of Love outreach, with her mentor Mitzi Winkler but her own life intervened and she had to drop out.
Warm socks and blankets are always needed.
Then this past Christmas, she said, “We had so much food it was atrocious. I said, “This will all go bad before it’s eaten.”
Her brother Doug Clark responded, “You know where the homeless are, let’s take it to them!”
And that was the jump start for her renewed effort to help the down-trodden.
Once she posted on Facebook that she and her family had been out to feed their friends on the street, others reached out with donations and time to help.
“We enjoyed the happiness we saw in their eyes,” she said. “We knew we would do it again.”
Beckman and her friends say that “hitting the streets” and meeting the homeless face-to-face is an important part of the mission. You see “friends” and not just labels. And, finding out the specific needs of the individuals is important — as in who needs boots and what size.
The next Friday, her friend Kathy Oberting, her brother with his 9-year-old daughter, and she hit the street with sandwiches, chips, and hot soup.”
There was no stopping after that.
Terri Clark Beckman
Because of her Facebook posts, she had donations of bread, bologna, cheese, and homemade chicken noodle soup, as well as blankets. They also filled bags with food and gloves and hats, all from donations.
So, again, she posted on Facebook that the group had gone out one more time.
“Next thing I know, I’m getting requests of friends and family to join us on the street. High school friends I haven’t seen in 30 years are contacting me to donate to the outreach and join us serving.
“One of my high school friends, Jeff Borne, has committed to every other Friday.”
Every Tuesday, she picks up bread from an anonymous donor. On Thursday she and her volunteers make about 100 sandwiches.
“I have been blessed with donations of homemade soups on Fridays. So we pack the cars with our bags, sandwiches, and hot soup and off we go!”
The response has been overwhelming, but “it makes me so happy that all these wonderful people want to help!”
“It’s a tremendous feeling of pride to help those less fortunate,” she said. “Most of us are one paycheck away from dire straights. I hope to always be able to help.”
Her Facebook followers picked the name of the Ministry. Not wanting to name it after myself, I knew my smart family and friends would come up with something good. That’s how TCB Ministries was named.
Beckman is in the process of making a Facebook page for the ministry but that’s not finished yet. Once it is, there will be links of where to drop off items or donate in a monetary way.
Meanwhile, those who want to help and want to donate can contact Beckamn at Tbec01@yahoo.com.
Here is a list of items always appreciated:
Blankets
food
socks
hand warmers
chocolates
toothbrushes
toothpaste
deodorant
gallon size Ziplock bags
water.
She also accepts homemade cookies, brownies, anything sweet and portable.
