Peter Tanaka
Homeless Ministry: Food and Music Outreach
WBETET's goal is to revitalize the community. Serving those experiencing homelessness is a passion of mine. Everyone has something to contribute. Many hands make light work of bringing Baltimore back to a place of new life. When I was doing unconventional educational outreach, I quickly realized, it's not everyone's jive to participate in FPGA programming with engineers, college students, and young kids. However, everyone knows how to make a sandwich! Anyone can stir a pot or chop some onions. I want a potpourri of people to come together, so I need to have a variety of activities, where I can get the whole tribe involved. It might seem like I just do a whole bunch or random activities. But each moment is carefully calculated, to maximize the reach and effectiveness of WBETET.

Me and my friends would simply get together and have a good time serving others.
But wait, how is music involved you ask? Yes, I did say music was involved. Music can be a blessing to give and receive. WBETET will work with artists to promote art within the community. Stay tuned for future collaborations! I met a good friend Rich, who is trying to make it in the music industry. Below is a video.
I would like to combine food and music to reach our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Homeless ministry has been a developing ground for me. I learned to serve, I learned to listen, and I learned to speak. My heart is not in the right place if I am doing something to look good. It's not about the affirmation from others, but about the day in and day out faithfulness to serve. Real character is built when nobody is watching. I learned to listen to the stories of people from rough backgrounds. I heard stories of old Baltimore, and the way things have become now. The homeless population sees, hears, and observes the city, and I am happy to hear their stories. Sometimes the best way to serve someone is to listen to them and lift them up in prayer. Lastly, I speak. I'm not a preacher and I don't like public speaking so I only speak when necessary. When I felt God leading me with a word, I was able to speak. It's these little speaking engagements that God uses to develop me.
Finally, here's a fun video of how we make chili and serve the community along with some pictures I took last weekend. I hope you can join us some time!