This Again...

I've been thinking about the roots of the organization that comprises the bulk of this blog, and which has grown and changed so much. 

There are a couple of different, shall we say, mythological versions of how it started, but the truth is it started with a 'praise band' and a prayer meeting. It took us a while (and a number of conversations with people who lived at the motel) to crystalize what we were going to do. Like, actually, do.

This week, I and others at my church are back to asking that question. What should we do?

It's also a recurring theme in online discussions on homelessness. "Why don't the churches do something? Those buildings just sit there, and they don't pay property tax..."

Well...

When Enola and Ned were being forced to move from the beach and hadn't found a place to go, my church talked about the possibility of offering them some square footage on our property. There isn't much available, between the downspout, the sidewalk, and the garden, but the idea of that big stone wall sheltering them from the wind in sight of town hall had some appeal. Besides, we like them. But they're out of their tent and that's even better.

Another idea that we've discussed and had to set aside is that of a warming room. We have a basement with a decent kitchen. The big room gets used a few days a week for meetings and gatherings, but not everyday and we thought perhaps, being in a location that lends itself well, we could open the doors maybe twice a week or as needed. Coffee, tea, sandwiches, charge your phone, use the internet. If the weather is particularly nasty, bring your sleeping bag.

But...

But... according to Enola, Ned and Santo, all of the people (I'm aware of seven) who were sleeping out this summer have found shelter (except for one who committed suicide) and therefore, is there need for a warming room?

But... the Health Unit has stringent, even prohibitive, standards for this kind of intake.

But... we're a small group, and how many of us, with our full time jobs, shift work, aging parents, inability to drive after dark, other ministry commitments, can take on one more potentially complicated thing?

But... all of the social supports have been reorganized and consolidated in the town next door, which means that the bulk of homeless people are (in the words of a worker) "shipped there."

In talking to a friend who works full-time in this field, I was told that pre-covid the town next door didn't have much in the way of emergency shelter in part because public spaces (like church basements) were in demand from groups like photography clubs, choirs, garage bands, dog trainers... anyone who, as a legitimate part of the community, gathers people into social groups and opportunities to connect with each other. During covid, because many of those groups were unable to meet, it created an opening for a winter sleep centre for a couple of months.

Now that those groups are beginning to meet again (and I'm genuinely glad of that), the spaces are being reclaimed.

But that's there. 

Here, the homelessness situation is much more out of sight and more complicated. We very seldom see anyone sleeping in doorways. And usually, a call to the cops brings help and a bed for the night. Not arrest, just shelter. Other organizations can provide a voucher for a night in a motel. But these situations are few. Most of our homeless citizens are taken in by people who have been there, by (albeit reluctant) family or friends, or they score a bed at the shelter in the town next door. (There are also two regional shelters providing for women seeking to escape abusive situations.)

Once the restrictions on indoor gatherings ease, I'm hopeful that the three weekly community meals (at Anglican and Pentecostal churches) will start up again. My congregation is continuing our four times per year Dinner Delivery, serving 50-60 people in town.

So that's where we're at. We have some resources and a desire to engage helpfully in this area. We're willing to partner with another church group to make something happen.

We just need to figure out how.