I went to a local postal type store today in Rancho and then picked up a flyer I saw on the counter. The flyer read, "Feed the Need Outreach: Greater Light of Life Baptist Church." It turns out that there is a local church that is working to help feed and clothe the homeless in our city here. That's great news, so I spoke with a woman at the church and she was telling me all about some of the ministry they have just begun to do-- trying to find shoes for a man who is looking for work, making dinner for homeless folks, passing out hot tomato soup and coffee, looking to connect homeless youth with hotline numbers where needed, trying to find housing for others, etc...
She says that they are a small church that is beginning to "do the stuff" so to speak. And in the midst of all of this it sounds like they are in need of additional resources (which is something we will also learn as our efforts get off the ground and time progresses and we cannot ask the same people over and over again for socks and gloves and whatever else). How important then it will be to get creative and learn to partner with businesses, individuals, internet resources (craigslist.com?), etc... But how important it may become to get local churches on board and for the entire church body across the city to learn to cooperate together for the sake of the poor and homeless. I say this because I am becoming more and more convinced that it is the job of the church to care for the poor and not the government's role (though they can help). If anyone has insight here, please speak.
I have been hoping for a truly local opportunity for me/us, so I look forward to getting to know these people and to learning the spots where homeless people hang out at. Honestly, I have been obvlivious to where homeless folks are at and I rarely even see them in town, so this is good information for me. And lastly, I want to say that the issue to me is not just one of homelessness, but one of poverty and all of the families and individuals that are suffering locally and deeply struggling to be able to pay bills and feed their kids. I would like to become the type of person who knows what to do in response and then naturally reponds on both levels of providing something temporary (food, clothes) and other more permanent things (housing, jobs, education, integration into community, spiritual formation, etc...).
Out.
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I do feel also that it is the job of the the church to take care of the poor. People want to see the church practice what they preach before they can truly trust the church. My heart feels the church spends way to much time trying to bring people in with money. When what will really draw them in is just being who they say they are and doing what the church should do!
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