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 • Ministries of Evangelization • Ministries of Transformation • Ministries of Education • FAQ • Annual Report  • John Green Bio • Board of Directors • Volunteers • Current Staff Openings • History of Emmaus • Contact Info  • Ways to Give • Ways to Serve • Hosting a House Event • Shopping Village • Wish List • Fundraiser News & Events  • Upcoming Events • Current Newsletter • Pressroom  • Urban Ministry Resources • Retreats • Sexual Redemption • Donating a Computer • John Green's Potpourri  • History • Vision • Newsletters • Upcoming Events • Contact Info    |  | Frequently Asked Questions How can I explain Emmaus to others? Emmaus ministers to the young men in Chicago's night community who are involved in prostitution. These men are known on the street as "hustlers." Are hustlers prostitutes for women? No. The vast majority of their customers are men. Are hustlers gay? Not usually. In one study, only 17.9% of the male prostitutes surveyed identified themselves as homosexual. Are a lot of them HIV-positive? Yes. Rates of HIV infection run at about 30% among male prostitutes. What is the relationship between the gay community and the male prostitutes you serve? Not as strong as you might think. Although some members of Chicago's well-established gay community do avail themselves of the services of prostitutes, many customers drive in from the suburbs. Not all of these customers are openly gay; many of them are men with families who are unaware of their activity. Is male prostitution on the rise? Yes. Prostitution arrests involving men rose from 20.7% in 1970 to 42% in 1998. Between 1989 and 1998, arrests for female prostitution dropped by 13.3 %; arrests for men during the same period rose 16%. How do you reach out to these guys? Our Outreach Teams meet with these guys on the streets, around and in the bars and clubs where they find customers. How do you start a conversation with these guys? The same way you would with any stranger. Emmaus is interested in building trust with these men, so conversations rarely turn "evangelical" right away. Many of the hustlers know about Emmaus; some will be willing to talk, others won't. How can a woman work at a ministry for men? Seeing healthy relationships between men and women is very valuable for hustlers, most of whom have grown up in fractured and dysfunctional homes. In addition, many of these young men have a number of domineering women in their lives (usually mothers or grandmothers); through the women at Emmaus, these men have the opportunity to experience healthy peer relationships with women. How do you get the guys to come into the Ministry Center? By letting them know we're here. Those who come in are showing a willingness to begin the process out of the streets. How else do you help them with this process? Emmaus isn't a social service agency or a counseling center, but we do provide referrals to many of these types of services, along with churches and support groups. Who oversees this work? The Executive Team on our staff consists of our Founder/ Executive Director, Deacon John Green; Rev. Jonathan Hancock, Associate Executive Director; and our Operations Director, Christa Clumpner. These three oversee the day-to-day operations and help directs the ministry's mission, vision and goals. Our Board of Directors is the governing authority. How many guys do you help? The average monthly attendance at our Ministry Center is around 40 different guys per month. Over the last year, 132 men made 2,261 visits to the Center. If I donate to Emmaus, can I decide where to direct my contribution? Yes. Unless you have indicated otherwise, gifts go into our "general" fund. Other designations for your gift include Ministries of Transformation, Ministries of Education, Ministries of Evangelization, Staff education and development, specific staff members (must be specified by name) or Emmaus Houston (General or Building Fund). What if I don't want to be acknowledged for my gift? Just let us know. If you don't want your name to appear in our annual report, or you prefer to get a year-end summary rather than a receipt letter for each gift, just call us at (773) 334-6063 or e-mail us a donate@streets.org. Can I donate on-line? Absolutely! Click on the "Our strength depends on you" link to the left of this page and follow the instructions. You will need a major credit card. Is there a way to maximize my donation? Many companies will match their employees' charitable donations dollar for dollar. If your employer has a matching gift program, ask for a form from the human resources department. Follow the instructions for filling out the form and sending it to us with your gift. Can someone from Emmaus speak at our church or organization? Of course! First, check out our staff bios page. Then, let us know with whom you would like to schedule a speaking engagement. You may also consider hosting an Emmaus House Event or a "Stories from the Streets" presentation. |