Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Emergent Village

Home
Progressive Christian
3 Things Folks Experiencing Homelessness Need from You

3 Things Folks Experiencing Homelessness Need from You

Last updated on: February 11, 2016 at 2:54 pm by Bec Cranford-Smith

3 Things Folks Experiencing Homelessness Need from You 2016-02-11T14:54:44-06:00 Bec Cranford-Smith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Three Things Our Friends Experiencing Homelessness Need from You

I spend my days working at one of Atlanta’s busiest homeless service agencies. I also get the pleasure of working with many missions teams, alternative spring breaks, and corporate service groups. I love my job, and I love building relationships with my friends experiencing homelessness.

I have recently been asked by a lot of friends about what it is that our friends experiencing homelessness really need.

So here are three things:

1) Support. Supporting existing ministries, nonprofits, and organizations: Many of us can only serve once a year. We pack up our Church buses and hope to be Jesus to those that we meet on the streets, instead of really considering Matthew 25:31-46, and finding Jesus on the street. We bake a casserole and serve at our local soup kitchen once a year. (And I am not knocking one time service!- we need those casseroles, and mission teams!) Yet, we need to check our expectations of service at the door. Maybe it’s our childhood ideas of “mission trips” borrowed from western imperialism. Maybe we think that we are going to have a gigantic evangelical crusade and fill an amphitheater with the broken and the needy, but after our one-hit-wonder service, who is there to shepherd, guide, and continue the work?

Building long term relationships with the marginalized takes time. Our short term missions trips with the youth group, and our one day of service with our company, should really be about selfless service, education, and support of established organizations. These opportunities really make us feel good about ourselves, and also cause us to reflect on our lives. But how can we do lasting good?

The agencies, ministries, and boots-on-the-ground organizations do that every day. Instead of us coming in thinking we are going to do wonders and miracles, we should be considering how we can serve the agencies that truly work on the concrete daily. Instead of sending our youth to the streets to hand out sandwiches, where maybe 8 other groups have already been that day, maybe we could partner with an agency that desperately needs those sandwiches. Financially, we could give more to the organizations. Maybe we could come in and scrub their toilets or redo the shelving in their clothing closet. How can we partner for lasting, sustainable transformation?

2) Dignity. When we see a man flying a cardboard sign on the side of the road that says “Veteran, Homeless, Need Work,” How do we react? What is the most dignified thing to do?

Should we roll up our windows and avert our eyes because “Charlie” might use that $5 to go get a Miller High Life or go buy a blunt? What if we looked into Charlie’s eyes and waived? Potentially Charlie could give us the middle finger and scream. But Charlie might also know that we saw him as a human, not as a project. Also, we really need not objectify Charlie and turn him into poverty pornography by instagramming his face all over the world. How does that bring him dignity? Sure, Charlie might just want money. But Charlie might could really use a hot meal not from McDonald’s and someone to listen to him. Not so we can feel pious and pray for Charlie after slipping him $5. But really, giving Charlie dignity and listening to him across from a table where you see his eyes and hear his story, instead of standing over him, or lording “your” truth over him. You never know what you could learn from Charlie. Again, Charlie could be mentally ill, or an angel, or a mentally ill angel. (I am not advocating for single women to get out of their cars and go talk to Charlie. I am advocating for Charlie, though. Give him dignity.)

3) AGENCY. There’s an old saying that says “Beggars can’t be choosers.” And I am not an expert on the origins of colloquialisms and idioms, however, I can see someone’s Scotch-Irish grandma saying this to them after they offered no gratitude for the green beans placed on their plate at supper. While those are experiencing homelessness may not often be able to decide where and what the evening menu might be, they can have agency in their life. We don’t need to should on them, insisting that they “should” do this, or they “should” do that. Instead of us assuming that we have all the answers to fix their problems, we might ask them what they’d like to do, and what steps they are taking to do that. We need to offer them a space to be the agent of change in their worlds, not assume we can rescue everyone or that we are the saviors of the world. Granted, “Sally” might want to be a movie star, or Sally might have a cognitive difference, and possibly needs some assistance with literacy skills or smart goals.

And randomly, if you serve peanut butter and jelly and get cussed out by a person experiencing homelessness, just let it go. We should never expect a “thank you” during service. If we have an expectation that we will receive gratitude, than our service is not a gift, but an exchange. Our market place and consumeristic tendencies quickly replace “gift” with commodity and bartering.

What do you think?

Bec

Uncategorized

alternative spring break

american christianity

social juctice and christians

summer missions

toxic charity

Previous Post

February 8, 2016

"Doing" Lent

Next Post

February 12, 2016 Fast of Embodied Solidarity

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Atheism Authority Bible Cartoons Christian Year Christmas church church planting Civil Rights Community Contemplative Spirituality Culture emerging church Empire Eschatology Evangelism Events Gender Healing Humanism Islam Justice Kingdom Lent Movement Building Multi-Faith Music mysticism New Wave Emergence origins Personal Poetry politics Prayer Preaching Privilege Racism Religious naturalism Resurrection salvation SKEPTIMERGENT Theology Trauma Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Before Abraham was, I am"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

John Paul Peter Jesus