Helping the homeless
I've just come back from our parish's Homeless Night Shelter. A truly blessed, God-filled time. We ate a meal prepared by parishioners with about fifteen homeless people who will sleep over (in proper beds!) in the church tonight.
I was quite nervous about it because you tend to notice homeless people when they are at their worst: drunk or high and making trouble in the street. But tonight was a good opportunity to meet them and share food together.
I was especially pleased that the parishioners so gladly took charge of the food preparation and serving. I was coordinating the food tonight, but once I'd decided who needed to do what it all just happened effortlessly (or so it seemed). When I thanked the volunteers for their help, they thanked me and said how much they had enjoyed it. I think it was very good experience for people who, like me, would normally be apprehensive of the homeless.
"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me... Truly I tell you, just as you did it for one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it for me." (Matthew 25:35,40)
I was quite nervous about it because you tend to notice homeless people when they are at their worst: drunk or high and making trouble in the street. But tonight was a good opportunity to meet them and share food together.
I was especially pleased that the parishioners so gladly took charge of the food preparation and serving. I was coordinating the food tonight, but once I'd decided who needed to do what it all just happened effortlessly (or so it seemed). When I thanked the volunteers for their help, they thanked me and said how much they had enjoyed it. I think it was very good experience for people who, like me, would normally be apprehensive of the homeless.
"I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me... Truly I tell you, just as you did it for one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it for me." (Matthew 25:35,40)
posted by Credo at 1/14/2006 10:13:00 pm
2 Comments:
I remember my school in London did something like that. Or rather, we collected food and went to a church in central London and organised giving it out the homeless. It really was an eye opening experience and I still remember it now, which is, 6 or 7 years on. I suppose that's one of the problems in today's world: people dont get the chance often enough to see people for what they really are and not what they are stereotyped to be.
And ohmigosh, youve actually made me be serious. Nooooooooo!
I think you only notice them when they're at their worst. That's the main problem with homelessness. Often it's hidden, so you can't see the people who need help, and those you do see often give the homeless "a bad name".
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