Join Alan on an emotional episode of the Gospel Con Carne podcast as he sits down with our Community First! Village neighbor, Kim. Originally from Oklahoma, Kim made her way to Austin through Child Protective Services and spent years in foster care and group homes before being adopted. Her parents strived to never give up on her, even as she struggled to let people into her life. Kim encountered homelessness after leaving home when she was 17-years-old, and by the time she was 19 eventually had become a young mother. Kim worked hard to create a stable life, and even ended up managing a rooftop bar at one point. Despite a series of setbacks, she remained full of love and care for those around her. And then Community First! Village came along—something Kim firmly believes was God's timing at work! Nowadays she spends her time tending to the gardens and helping to prepare homes in the Village for move-ins—something she loves because it allows her to welcome new neighbors with dignity and love. Listen to her full story “Your Pain Doesn’t Define You, with my Neighbor Kim” on Spotify, iTunes, Sound Cloud or at mlf.org/gospel-con-carne-podcast! (fb)

Did you know that every Saturday morning we host a farmer’s market for our neighbors who live in Community First! Village? It’s quite popular among our friends because it provides free, fresh food that is harvested by our Genesis Gardens team. We are so grateful for this team and their volunteers that work hard to provide tasty food for our formerly homeless neighbors during every season of the year! (fb)