Q&A with Koedi Nealy
Author of "Pennies from Heaven" and founder of Graced Ministry
Q: PENNIES FROM HEAVEN is really your personal story. Why did you decide to put it into children's book form?
A: I decided to write about my story in book format because when I was seven, I felt called to serve others, but no one really got on board to help me. I told my parents about my dream to help the homeless, but my parents just thought I was a cute little girl who wanted to change the world. They didn’t know I was serious about starting a ministry. And why would they? I mean I was seven! And that’s why I decided to put my story into a children’s book. I want to teach other kids that they aren’t too young to make a difference. I also think it’s important for adults to listen and nurture dreams that their kids come to them with. It’s important for our kids to feel like their voice is being heard.
Q: What ages do you believe this book reaches and what do you hope they learn from this book?
A: Pennies from Heaven is written as a children’s book, but I believe all ages can learn from it. I want to remind people that they are valuable to God and you’re never too young or too old to make a difference! I also want to share Jesus with the world and show people that anyone can be His hands and feet. Living in a big city my whole life, I noticed how the homeless were easily seen but not easily understood. I think as Christians we don’t always see how simple it is to be like Jesus. Jesus came to earth to love others and that’s what I was trying to illustrate in the book.
Q: A lot of kids react emotionally to seeing hurting people, but not many children put their emotions into actions. Why were you so motivated at such an early age?
A: I really don’t know, and honestly, I’m not sure why I was motivated at such an early age, but I knew I was loved and valued. I couldn’t understand why these people I saw living on the streets were different from me, and I felt that they deserved to feel loved and valued just as I did. As a little girl, I couldn’t just walk up to someone on the street and ask them if they felt loved! And snack time was one of my favorite parts of my school day, I thought that I could share snacks with hungry friends on the streets. MY way of showing love to these people was by creating Graced Packs with some essentials to give them. As a little girl, I felt it was just so simple and easy to do. I really couldn’t understand why everybody didn’t take time to do this. It wasn’t about the bottle of water or the crackers we were giving them — it was about looking people in their eyes and telling them that they aren’t alone and that they are loved.
Q: What has been the most satisfying part of starting this ministry?
A: What I find most satisfying in my ministry is outreach and creating relationships with the people who I would now call my friends on the street. During outreach, we serve warm meals, pass out Graced Packs and pray with six different homeless camps around Houston. I’ll never forget the day when a 46-year-old man named Dave shared his story with me. Tears were streaming down his face as he told me he really wanted to live a safer life off the streets. This was the first time one of my Graced Packs led to a deep conversation. Thankfully, one of our partner organizations was able to provide housing help for him. A few of the Graced Ambassadors and I were able to help move him into his apartment and pray over his doorstep. It was just an amazing experience. I talked a little bit in the book about how I knew I could only do so much by myself, so I asked my friends to help me. As my ministry grew, I saw the need for volunteers, and this is when the Ambassador program was born. We have ambassadors from all walks of life and every age. Working with my ambassadors and learning how they have been inspired is another area of my ministry that I just love! Ambassadors are the ones who roll pennies and help me create Graced Packs and run events. I love this program as it gives everyone an opportunity to serve no matter their comfort zone—whether that’s writing notes and preparing bags or going out on the streets with me to connect with our homeless friends. One of my fourth-grade ambassadors came to me excited with his calling to serve in a different way. He’s starting Blankets over Houston where he is collecting blankets to give to people and organizations who could really benefit from them. All I did was give him an opportunity to volunteer with Graced Ministry and it’s so awesome that he is listening to God and using his voice to follow what God is calling him to do.
A: I decided to write about my story in book format because when I was seven, I felt called to serve others, but no one really got on board to help me. I told my parents about my dream to help the homeless, but my parents just thought I was a cute little girl who wanted to change the world. They didn’t know I was serious about starting a ministry. And why would they? I mean I was seven! And that’s why I decided to put my story into a children’s book. I want to teach other kids that they aren’t too young to make a difference. I also think it’s important for adults to listen and nurture dreams that their kids come to them with. It’s important for our kids to feel like their voice is being heard.
Q: What ages do you believe this book reaches and what do you hope they learn from this book?
A: Pennies from Heaven is written as a children’s book, but I believe all ages can learn from it. I want to remind people that they are valuable to God and you’re never too young or too old to make a difference! I also want to share Jesus with the world and show people that anyone can be His hands and feet. Living in a big city my whole life, I noticed how the homeless were easily seen but not easily understood. I think as Christians we don’t always see how simple it is to be like Jesus. Jesus came to earth to love others and that’s what I was trying to illustrate in the book.
Q: A lot of kids react emotionally to seeing hurting people, but not many children put their emotions into actions. Why were you so motivated at such an early age?
A: I really don’t know, and honestly, I’m not sure why I was motivated at such an early age, but I knew I was loved and valued. I couldn’t understand why these people I saw living on the streets were different from me, and I felt that they deserved to feel loved and valued just as I did. As a little girl, I couldn’t just walk up to someone on the street and ask them if they felt loved! And snack time was one of my favorite parts of my school day, I thought that I could share snacks with hungry friends on the streets. MY way of showing love to these people was by creating Graced Packs with some essentials to give them. As a little girl, I felt it was just so simple and easy to do. I really couldn’t understand why everybody didn’t take time to do this. It wasn’t about the bottle of water or the crackers we were giving them — it was about looking people in their eyes and telling them that they aren’t alone and that they are loved.
Q: What has been the most satisfying part of starting this ministry?
A: What I find most satisfying in my ministry is outreach and creating relationships with the people who I would now call my friends on the street. During outreach, we serve warm meals, pass out Graced Packs and pray with six different homeless camps around Houston. I’ll never forget the day when a 46-year-old man named Dave shared his story with me. Tears were streaming down his face as he told me he really wanted to live a safer life off the streets. This was the first time one of my Graced Packs led to a deep conversation. Thankfully, one of our partner organizations was able to provide housing help for him. A few of the Graced Ambassadors and I were able to help move him into his apartment and pray over his doorstep. It was just an amazing experience. I talked a little bit in the book about how I knew I could only do so much by myself, so I asked my friends to help me. As my ministry grew, I saw the need for volunteers, and this is when the Ambassador program was born. We have ambassadors from all walks of life and every age. Working with my ambassadors and learning how they have been inspired is another area of my ministry that I just love! Ambassadors are the ones who roll pennies and help me create Graced Packs and run events. I love this program as it gives everyone an opportunity to serve no matter their comfort zone—whether that’s writing notes and preparing bags or going out on the streets with me to connect with our homeless friends. One of my fourth-grade ambassadors came to me excited with his calling to serve in a different way. He’s starting Blankets over Houston where he is collecting blankets to give to people and organizations who could really benefit from them. All I did was give him an opportunity to volunteer with Graced Ministry and it’s so awesome that he is listening to God and using his voice to follow what God is calling him to do.
Q: How do you see Graced Ministry growing in the near future?
A: I have several more book ideas I’d like to explore, and the Ambassador program is always growing. Awareness is an area of expansion that I am currently working on. Many homeless people are often overlooked due to prejudice. I’ve learned that the common person has preconceived ideas of why people “choose” to be homeless and that is – more times than not- a false assumption. I am working on writing more sermons to share the “real people” I have met and their stories of struggle. For example, most people don’t realize the most basic need a person on the street needs in order to help themselves is simply an address. You can’t get a job without an address. You need an address for a driver’s license, to receive a paycheck, benefits, a W-9 form, even a regular social security check. I’ve begun a campaign to raise one million dollars to secure a home in a transformational community that consolidates the needs of Houston’s homeless communities in one area. It’s a pretty lofty goal, but one that we are already on our way to meeting. Graced Ministry held its first gala in February of 2020 and raised $46,000. I was blown away by the generosity of our guests and awed by God’s hand in all the details and blood, sweat and tears it took to produce this event.
I also see Graced Ministry’s Outreach program expanding. Right now, we partner with a church here in Houston where different groups go out every Saturday to the homeless camps. Graced takes a team on the fourth Saturday of each month to serve the same six homeless camps where relationships are being built. I’m currently working on the logistics of having a Graced Ministry Outreach of our own where we would serve a different part of Houston and train groups to go out weekly and build new relationships and create new friendships. Something I love about Graced Ministry that I believe is different from other non-profits is that we are intentional with the relationships we build. Life change doesn’t take place without trust and trust takes time. The people who work with Graced Ministry are focused on making others feel heard, loved, and cared for and that is our goal at the end of the day—to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Q: What have you learned about God during this journey?
A: One of the biggest things I have learned about God during this journey is definitely to trust His timing. Throughout middle school and high school, I have had many circumstances that didn’t go my way and it wasn’t until recently that I understood why God closed those doors. When I was little, I remember watching the girls on the sideline with their long pretty hair, and sparkly pom poms, and I knew exactly who I wanted to be. I wanted to be a high school cheerleader. Ever since I was 9 years old, I’ve been a cheerleader. My brother is a college football player. My family and I live for Friday Night Lights. The feeling of hitting a perfect routine at halftime, the hugs and giggles from the little girls before and after each game—made me feel like my life was complete. At my school, once you were a varsity cheerleader, you were always a varsity cheerleader. Then everything changed. During my Junior year, I was out of town attending a ministry event at a college. I felt like I really needed to be a part of this conference, so my cheer coach allowed me to tryout via FaceTime. Although it was very strange, I was thankful we could make it work. When it came time for my tryout, I realized this wasn't as easy as it sounded, and it didn't go my way. When the list was sent out without my name on it, I was crushed, and I didn't understand. BUT God did. Though it wasn’t what I wanted, it was just what Graced Ministry needed. My ministry was growing, and I needed to dedicate more time to it. In March, I was cut from my school’s varsity cheer team, and in May, Graced Ministry was offered an office space and I was introduced to what we now call Outreach which has transformed Graced Ministry. Before we started with our monthly outreach, Graced Ministry was about packing bags of essentials to hand to a homeless person that we saw on the side of the street. We didn’t often stop to connect. There wasn’t the level of relationship-building that we experience today. I feel like God guided me to lead Graced Ministry in a more intentional way. He guided me to connect in a deeper way. I’ve really changed the way I communicate and advocate for our friends on the street. It’s so much easier to talk to people about true connections I’ve developed with our friends in the homeless camps than it is to talk about helping the homeless in a general way. I thank God for the understanding that He has shown me in a way I didn’t even know I needed.
A: I have several more book ideas I’d like to explore, and the Ambassador program is always growing. Awareness is an area of expansion that I am currently working on. Many homeless people are often overlooked due to prejudice. I’ve learned that the common person has preconceived ideas of why people “choose” to be homeless and that is – more times than not- a false assumption. I am working on writing more sermons to share the “real people” I have met and their stories of struggle. For example, most people don’t realize the most basic need a person on the street needs in order to help themselves is simply an address. You can’t get a job without an address. You need an address for a driver’s license, to receive a paycheck, benefits, a W-9 form, even a regular social security check. I’ve begun a campaign to raise one million dollars to secure a home in a transformational community that consolidates the needs of Houston’s homeless communities in one area. It’s a pretty lofty goal, but one that we are already on our way to meeting. Graced Ministry held its first gala in February of 2020 and raised $46,000. I was blown away by the generosity of our guests and awed by God’s hand in all the details and blood, sweat and tears it took to produce this event.
I also see Graced Ministry’s Outreach program expanding. Right now, we partner with a church here in Houston where different groups go out every Saturday to the homeless camps. Graced takes a team on the fourth Saturday of each month to serve the same six homeless camps where relationships are being built. I’m currently working on the logistics of having a Graced Ministry Outreach of our own where we would serve a different part of Houston and train groups to go out weekly and build new relationships and create new friendships. Something I love about Graced Ministry that I believe is different from other non-profits is that we are intentional with the relationships we build. Life change doesn’t take place without trust and trust takes time. The people who work with Graced Ministry are focused on making others feel heard, loved, and cared for and that is our goal at the end of the day—to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Q: What have you learned about God during this journey?
A: One of the biggest things I have learned about God during this journey is definitely to trust His timing. Throughout middle school and high school, I have had many circumstances that didn’t go my way and it wasn’t until recently that I understood why God closed those doors. When I was little, I remember watching the girls on the sideline with their long pretty hair, and sparkly pom poms, and I knew exactly who I wanted to be. I wanted to be a high school cheerleader. Ever since I was 9 years old, I’ve been a cheerleader. My brother is a college football player. My family and I live for Friday Night Lights. The feeling of hitting a perfect routine at halftime, the hugs and giggles from the little girls before and after each game—made me feel like my life was complete. At my school, once you were a varsity cheerleader, you were always a varsity cheerleader. Then everything changed. During my Junior year, I was out of town attending a ministry event at a college. I felt like I really needed to be a part of this conference, so my cheer coach allowed me to tryout via FaceTime. Although it was very strange, I was thankful we could make it work. When it came time for my tryout, I realized this wasn't as easy as it sounded, and it didn't go my way. When the list was sent out without my name on it, I was crushed, and I didn't understand. BUT God did. Though it wasn’t what I wanted, it was just what Graced Ministry needed. My ministry was growing, and I needed to dedicate more time to it. In March, I was cut from my school’s varsity cheer team, and in May, Graced Ministry was offered an office space and I was introduced to what we now call Outreach which has transformed Graced Ministry. Before we started with our monthly outreach, Graced Ministry was about packing bags of essentials to hand to a homeless person that we saw on the side of the street. We didn’t often stop to connect. There wasn’t the level of relationship-building that we experience today. I feel like God guided me to lead Graced Ministry in a more intentional way. He guided me to connect in a deeper way. I’ve really changed the way I communicate and advocate for our friends on the street. It’s so much easier to talk to people about true connections I’ve developed with our friends in the homeless camps than it is to talk about helping the homeless in a general way. I thank God for the understanding that He has shown me in a way I didn’t even know I needed.
About Koedi Nealy:
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A native of Houston, Texas, Koedi Nealy is a senior at Cypress Christian School. She received her local minister’s license at the age of sixteen and is an active member of her school and community, holding leadership roles in various sports, drama, praise and worship groups, Thespian Society, and National Honor Society. She is the founder and president of Graced Ministry. She has not let dyslexia define or deter her as she advocates for others with learning differences through the NILD program. For more information visit http://www.gracedministry.org.
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