I probably won't blog tomorrow because I'll be busy at church all day. We're hosting homeless families as part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network.
Most homeless shelters divide up families along gender lines. But IHN keeps families together. These families arrive at the host congregation in the evening, are served a hot meal by the church, and then spent leisure time in the Fellowship Hall. IHN provides a trailer with folding, roll-away beds. We put the appropriate number of beds in Sunday school classrooms, and voila -- each family has its own room. In the morning, we serve a cold breakfast and the IHN van picks them up and takes them to Day Center, where trained social workers help them find work and housing.
Like a lot of Christians, I've walked by homeless people and wondered "What can I do to help?" Sure, I could give a few dollars and they might buy a meal or some beer. But homeless people need radical change in their lives -- a strong helping hand to get them back on their feet, self-sufficient and self-confident.
And that's what IHN does. It's a very simple program that just about any church can participate in. It seems complex in the beginning, but really all it is is cooking a hot meal in the Fellowship Hall kitchen, setting up beds, having someone spend the night, and then setting out cereal in the morning. Lock up the church and go home.
So if your church is looking for an achievable, efficient way of helping the poorest people in our society, find out if there is an IHN unit in your area, and join up!
Friday, July 28, 2006
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8 comments:
IHN is a great ministry. If you want to really kick it up a notch, get a group together to volunteer evenings at the day center. During the school year, this means homework help and playing with the kids while the parents have a little time to relax.
Nice to know that Las Vegas has now made it a crime to feed the poor.
A similar rule was made here in Orlando limiting mass feedings in Lake Eola Park.
Richard, Las Vegas didn't make it a crime to feed the poor. They made it a crime to feed the poor indiscriminately.
Setting up in a park where children play and attracting people who most often have problems mental or physical.Not only puts the children in danger but doesn't truely help the hungry.
Any program that doesn't include medical help and counseling is only spinning it's wheels with little chance of effecting change.
Hi, I'm just curious to know in what sense is this network "Interfaith"? Is it ecumenical or mulitreligious? Thanks. :)
It is technically interfaith, but almost all participating congregations are Christian. In our own city, we only have one synagogue that participates, and then only in a support role.
Most participating churches here are UMC, PCUSA, ECUSA, and Catholic.
I remember when the church I belonged to at the time participated in the IHN. There was a great discussion in the church because they could not imagine families needed a place to stay. But, to its credit, the church participated and I think it made the church better. Each Adult Sunday School class prepared one evening meal during the week and share fellowship with the three or four families that were there.
If there is an IHN in your area, I encourage you to get your church involved. If not, look to get it started. It will change the life of the church.
It really can help change a church.
One of the best things about our IHN situation is that our church is almost entirely white, but the IHN guests are mostly black. We are, to a small degree, agents of racial reconciliation to each other by sharing living space.
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