Yesterday afternoon I met with several folks who represented some churches and non profits. We were gathered together to see if we could find common ground on how we might as a faith community come together to help solve the homeless situation in Richmond for those who want help.
This was our second meeting. The meeting was hosted by Steve at First Baptist Church.
The first part of the meeting was to agree on what some of the challenges are that exist for someone who is homeless.
It was great to have Charles there! Charles can speak from experience (33 yrs on the streets) and inform all of us as to what the challenges are.
We had some good discussion and then we moved on to what resources are available in the community. There are hundreds of different resources in the Richmond area and thus part of the problem.
The problem is that there are so many folks operating as silos and nobody knows what the others are doing. If we could pool our resources, think of the possibilities! There are way too many food pantries and clothing closets. Is this the best use of our resources?
It was agreed by all that the Faith Community can make a difference in this cause!
Steve will send out a resource book that he has put together for everyone to review.
When we ended the meeting I got a chance to speak with Nancy who works with ACTS. She also serves on the board of Freedom House. It was great to meet her. She has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the homeless situation.
I believe if the Churches and non profits come TOGETHER then we can solve this situation.
We must first set aside our egos and self serving attitudes and just be obedient to what God wants.
I believe God wants us all to work together!
Glad Charles was able to make it to this one. His approach may seem harsh to some but I have watched him work for four years and he has a pretty amazing track record. Until people want help, there is really very little we can do. However, having Charles and Rudy and Roger types out on the street modeling what it looks like to turn your life around is the best motivation I can think of and they are far more effective at building relationships than most people who have never been homeless.
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