Willie's Recent Adventure

To those of you who read these posts; I apologize for being off-line for awhile. I had been busy grieving the loss of a dear friend.

I’ve still been out on the streets, as often as the Lord (and funds) permit. When it comes to funding, the organization that I volunteer with, HOPE of Minnesota, does well considering it conducts NO orchestrated fundraising. All of the friends who contribute time, resources and/or prayers to our efforts are volunteers. Nobody gets paid for what they do. Nobody complains about the tasks they face. Nobody can get fired, unless God has something to do with the termination.

So, like any other well-intentioned, faith-based, semi-organized effort to help the less fortunate, HOPE of Minnesota has had its share of quitters; folks who say they will and then they don’t. Of course, people move on, people quit, people disappear into the future …

As I mentioned, I had been experiencing one of those really painful, lonely times after my dear friend, Willie – a vulnerable, elderly, homeless friend – went AWOL. That is, he went AWOL until recently when he came home!

Yep! Willie was alone for awhile, but now he’s home. He just got back from his recent adventure … off looking for his past when most of his loved ones have already passed. When he got to where he thought he wanted to be, he got robbed, lost all of his personal possessions and phone numbers, and then spent two months trying to get back to his family here on the streets of Minneapolis.

Anyway, for those of you who care, here’s another picture of Willie after he just got back. And MAN, was he hungry!


Isn’t everybody a wee bit hungry … HUNGRY FOR LOVE!

Kelly

'Sacred Sleep' Too Deep!

I read an article about a church in San Francisco that keeps doors open from 8 am to 4 pm, giving homeless folks an opportunity to obtain a few hours of sleep and refuge each day; sleep that has come to be called ‘sacred sleep’. Of course, the program is in danger of shutting down now due to lack of funding. And while the ‘sacred sleep’ program sounds too good to be true, come to find out, it’s just doesn’t fit into the city’s ten-year plan to end homelessness.

You can read the entire article about the St. Boniface Catholic Church in San Francisco here, but briefly, the article points out:

“When the (sacred sleep) program started, just 30 people slept (on pews) there -- but now the number has climbed to 200 or 300. It costs $140,000 annually to run the program … the city (of San Francisco) contributes 20 percent … "

Wow! Only $140,000 per year to provide safety and refuge to 200, maybe 300 homeless people everyday, 365 days per year?

Granted, the article doesn’t tell us how many days a week the church stays open for the homeless. But having at least ONE San Francisco church willing to provide clean bathroom facilities, a drug-free environment and spiritual awakening opportunities for up to 300 homeless folks everyday? I can’t imagine any city that wouldn’t jump at the chance to have a church do the same thing, even if it meant the city needed to fund the entire annual budget of 140k! Come on; $140,000 a year to serve 200 to 300 people every day? That’s two bucks per person per day!

But, just like it sounds too good to be true … the article states that the ‘sacred sleep’ program is getting too expensive to continue. So, the church has had to cut hours, from eight hours to four hours each day. Plus, the Reverend has had to make other note-worthy changes.

“The new pastor … has made some changes … not allowing the homeless to store their belongings in the confessionals … and requiring them to sit up during (a) noon Mass.”

Ouch! That sounds like cruel and unusual punishment, waking up to Mass! I wonder if folks are allowed to use church bathrooms after Mass.

The Bible that St. Boniface in San Francisco teaches from tells us that “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26, for those interested). This ‘intercession’ happens ‘for us’ (yes, even for the homeless) during times such as ‘sacred sleep’; times when our minds and bodies have shut down (and, shut up) in rest. One of the homeless ‘sacred sleepers’ testified to this himself …

“ … Jeffery Grant … just waking up from a nap (in a church pew) … said he never dreams when he dozes outside; At St. Boniface, though, he dreams … 'Good dreams … about good things happening in my life.'”

While some people might say, “Let the homeless get their sacred sleep!” the City of San Francisco says that doesn’t fit into the City’s Ten Year Plan of ‘humanity for the homeless’.

“… (a) San Francisco supervisor asked by Mayor Gavin Newsom to lead the writing of a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness in the City, said she admires the work of … St. Boniface tremendously, but does see an upside to limiting the sleeping hours at the church. 'Nobody should be sleeping in the day and up all night,' Alioto said. 'It's just not humane.'"

Alioto doesn’t speak well for the businesses and entertainment venues that employ and cater to folks who ‘work all night’. Besides, for some elderly, vulnerable folks, sometimes, it’s WORK just getting UP any time, day or night!

Alioto adds …

“'… programs like these (sacred sleep), while well intentioned, can keep people from finding the motivation to seek permanent housing. They won't assertively search for permanent, supportive housing if they think they can sleep in the church all day long,' she said.”

If the Mayor-appointed person in charge of planning San Francisco’s 10-year plan to end homelessness begins her charge by making such inhumane (and grossly ignorant) statements about the vulnerable group she has been appointed to serve, the vulnerable will not get the help they need and deserve as human beings, citizens of this Country and residents of San Francisco (albeit, residents with No Permanent Address.)

I guess San Francisco isn’t any different than any other City in this country, and all Ten Year Plans look the same to the homeless; when you turn the lights out for sleep, sacred or not.

Well, I say, "Sweet dreams" to Jeffery!

And, to all our homeless friends throughout the world, "Sacred sleep, eh?!!!"

Kelly