February 2004 - Tower - Page 5
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Our recent involvement with PORT, with our church being home for seven days for the homeless in our community, has cause for us to reflect on our obligation to the homeless, and others in need who live in our community. This is cause for us to reflect on the sheer size of the problem.
From information obtained from LINK, HELP and Friends of the Homeless we estimate the following statistics: At any given time in the United States there are at least 3.5 million homeless people. Curt Ebersole, Director for the Friends of the Homeless in Newport News, states that recently there has been a 30% increase in the homeless population on the Peninsula, exacerbated in part by Hurricane Isabel.
Lynn Finding, Director of LINK, says that PORT provided temporary housing in the cooperating churches for 270 persons, which was an increase over last year. HELP, with a similar program in Hampton, provided temporary shelter for 190 persons. Both organizations are seeing more persons with small children, which is a disturbing trend.
Ebersole states that the greatest need is for low-income housing. With rents being what they are, it only takes a loss of job, or a serious illness, or some major expense, to put people on the streets.
Another trend that is taking place is the appearance of more and more mentally ill people on the street. This is due to the decision to greatly decrease the population in major mental hospitals, and place these mentally ill persons in the local communities.
The leaders of these organizations which are dedicated to helping the poor and the homeless, are frustrated by the great needs which they struggle to solve with limited resources. Again, it is the story of where the priority of these needs stand in the long list of demands on our resources. It is a matter of where we decide to spend our money and give of our time.
Ebersole is quoted as saying, "We spend more on homeless dogs than we do on homeless people." These homeless people are not bombarding others with solicitations for money, so we have to respond by donating funds to organizations dedicated to alleviating these needs. We, at First United Methodist Church, can help by including The Friends of the Homeless and LINK in our list of charitable giving.
The Bible, in Genesis 4:9 gives the first question asked by a human being, when Cain asks God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Today, this question is still being asked of us.
CONTACT Peninsula, A Ministry of Love Through Listening, will begin training for their 24-hour crisis hotline on February 28. Classes will take place on Saturday mornings from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon and will run for nine weeks. If you are a caring person who would like to help others, they will train you in the area of active listening. To find out more about CONTACT, call the business office at 244-0594.
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If you have any comments on any of these pages, please email me: Robert W.(Bob) Mckitrick, thanks.
Last update: February 1, 2004
