CAREER OF SERVICE — Looking back at her 14-year tenure at the Urban Mission, the Rev. Ashley Steele said sometimes “it’s not the things that make news that make you proud. It’s the everyday things that touch your heart and you realize, that’s what it’s all about.” -- Linda Harris

STEUBENVILLE –The Rev. Ashley Steele knew what she was getting into when she came to the Urban Mission 14 years ago — and what she’s left behind when as she settles into her new role at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Steele’s last day as executive director at the Urban Mission was Monday, though she’ll be assisting with the transition on a part-time basis through the end of the year.

“I always have said, and I still say it today — Urban Mission is what I consider my dream job,” she said “It may not be somebody else’s dream job, but it was mine.”

Growing up in Cadiz, Steele said she already knew what the Urban Mission was about when she took the job.

“I’d learned about the Urban Mission from afar, read about it and even came down once to volunteer,” she said. “So, I had an idea what Urban Mission is all about. I knew it had a long tradition in the community, I knew it was a ministry focused on meeting basic needs. It wasn’t until I arrived here that I had a really eye-opening experience about the type of ministry it was and is, and the depth of the ministry.”

And, she said, it was partly the opportunity the Urban Mission affords “to live out your faith” that pulled her in, “being able to do the exact things Jesus said in the Scriptures to do.”

“To be able to do it every day is fulfilling in itself,” she said. “But there also was always this spirit of creativity and ingenuity: Maybe you had to make do with what you had — it just meant you just had to be creative when you don’t have a lot of resources. That was always the fun part, the challenge — to see possibilities where other people see problems, or abundance where other people see scarcity. I’ve always found that to be a compelling reason to do the work.”

She said she learned very quickly that no two days would be the same and to savor what she calls “the God moments” that come out of the blue.

“You never knew what you were going to be doing that day when you opened up the door, because we have been a ministry that responds to the needs, whatever they might be, that are presented to us,” she explained. “You have a job description, but oftentimes you set that aside and do whatever is asked. I think what surprised me is when we would think that God did something amazing or something good happened, there would always be more and we would realize it had nothing to do with us, it was all the Lord … prayer requests that we would lift up, 30 minutes later they were immediately answered, or we would say ‘we have this need’ then all of a sudden we didn’t have that need anymore, the right person showing up at the right time — those are the things that continue to surprise me. Just when felt like we weren’t sure what to do, then God would show up and move in an amazing way. It was always a good reminder this is not our work, it’s God’s work and we just get to be a part of it.”

While there’s no denying the strides Urban Mission has made feeding and sheltering those in need in the community, Steele admits what has kept her awake nights is knowing how much more there’s still to do: Almost daily police get reports of people living in tents, in woods, under the overpass, under porticos outside downtown buildings or squatting in abandoned, sometimes condemned, properties that don’t have water, sewage or electricity. Many of them also struggle with mental health and addiction issues.

“I don’t sleep a lot, to be truthful,” she’d said. “I find that you carry burdens of people that, whether they’re your burden to carry or not, you can’t help but carry them. You realize you, as an individual or organization, can’t do everything to help every person, I don’t think it’s meant to be that way, anyway. I think it’s realizing if we can do the best we can do with what we have to work with, at least in terms of resources, we have at least fulfilled the mission that has been placed upon us by the Lord. Is there still need? Absolutely. Are there still resources that are needed? Yes. Do we have a pretty good idea of how to help people, how to do that? Yes. Do we have everything we need to do that? No — that’s the part I struggle with a lot.”

She said she gets asked a lot what the community needs to do to “fix” those problems.

“A lot of it takes time, money, effort, support and partnerships,” she said. “We’re not fully there yet as a community, but I think we’re getting there. But it’s worth the work, it’s worth the fight and its worth not giving up on people because, most likely, with somebody in a situation like that, other people already have given up on them or aren’t sure what to do for them. If we as an organization or a community don’t give up on people, I think then we’ll see life change in whatever way God has intended for that person. It’s worth the work, it’s worth the fight but it can be heartbreaking at times, to the point where you realize this is much bigger than one person or one organization and you really need an intervention from the Lord. But it’s worth fighting for.”

As the new chief of staff at the Pittsburgh Theological Institute, Steele will be working with its new president on strategic planning initiatives. She said he’s “committed to doing innovative work around theological education (and) also has a heart for neighborhood and community development, which is something I support and value.”

She said it wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s the right one — and the right time.

“Nobody was asking me to make it or wanting me to make it,” she said. “It just felt like a natural progression. I feel like being here was a gift that was given to me … and I just feel like this gift can be shared and should be shared with somebody else.”