From Career Shifts to a Life-Changing Mission: Pioneering OurCalling Part 2-ft Carolyn Walker
In this episode, Pastor Wayne Walker, CEO of OurCalling, interviews Carolyn(wife and co-founder), the Chief People Officer, who plays a crucial role in managing staff, volunteers, and certain IT functions within the organization. They delve into the mission of leading individuals to Christ and aiding them in transitioning from life on the streets into stable, community-oriented environments. The discussion emphasizes treating all individuals with dignity, focusing on both their spiritual and physical well-being, and highlights the significant contribution of over 3,000 volunteers in 2023. Through genuine donor engagements and supportive staff initiatives, the organization strives to maintain a community of integrity and measure their impact and outreach effectiveness on the homeless population.
https://www.ourcalling.org/
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https://www.ourcalling.org/
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- **Carolyn's Role (01:08)**: As the Chief People Officer, Carolyn is responsible for staff, volunteers, and some IT aspects.
- **Mission Statement (01:48)**: The mission is to glorify God by leading people to Christ and making disciples on the streets.
- **Focus on Eternal and Physical Addresses (02:06)**: Emphasis on improving both the spiritual and physical circumstances of the homeless.
- **Volunteer Engagement (02:50)**: In 2023, over 3,000 unique volunteers participated, receiving orientation and learning about the organization’s methods.
- **Caring with Dignity (04:12)**: Carolyn emphasizes treating everyone with respect and honor, recognizing their inherent worth as creations of God.
- **Importance of Volunteers (06:14)**: Volunteers are treated with kindness and patience, acknowledging their journey into the organization's environment.
- **Donor Relationships (07:22)**: Engagements with donors are genuine, focusing on their personhood rather than their financial contributions.
- **Staff Support (08:39)**: The organization has staff chaplains available to support their coworkers confidentially, providing a necessary outlet for those facing professional and personal challenges.
- **Connecting with Intentionality (12:50)**: Every action and service offered is infused with the intention of aligning with the organization’s overarching goal of leading people to Christ and aiding them off the streets.
- **Community of Integrity (16:56)**: The ultimate aim is not just to provide housing, but to usher individuals into a stable, healthy, and supportive community.
- **Report on Organization Impact (43:46)**: The frequency of interactions and services rendered to new and existing clients is used to measure the organizational impact and outreach effectiveness.
- **Entire Organization Goal (48:58)**: The primary goal remains to help individuals establish a relationship with Jesus and assist them in transitioning away from street life into more stable and supportive environments.
Creators and Guests
Host
Wayne Walker
CEO and Pastor Wayne Walker serves as the CEO and Pastor to the homeless at OurCalling. In 2001, Wayne, along with his wife Carolyn, started serving the homeless community in Dallas. They founded OurCalling in 2009. During his youth, Wayne’s family actively pursued the scriptural commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself” by modeling the life of Jesus to scores of foster children whose own origins represented generations of human brokenness, dysfunction, sexual exploitation, and abuse. Early exposure to these destructive forces set him on a path to recognize the long-term effects of trauma, which often lead to homelessness. While completing his Master’s Degree in Cross-Cultural Ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary, Wayne befriended and ministered to men and women in the homeless community. During that time he began to establish personal, discipleship-oriented relationships with homeless individuals, many in the same urban setting where he and his family continue to work today.
