From Pottstown PA-
For Pottstown's homeless, their "home for the holidays" was, as for the rest of us, a familiar place.
Thursday afternoon, Christ Episcopal Church on High Street hosted "one day as close to being normal" as possible.
It included "time to hang out, watch football and movies," according to Julie Lanphear who, with church member Ginny Slichter serve as the church's vestry members who are liaisons with the homeless Main Street Ministries run by the Rev. Kork Moyer.
The idea, Lanphear wrote in an e-mail Wednesday, is to create "a time a fellowship for those helping and those that are homeless. This is the one thing that does not happen for them, as they usually hang out on the streets until the time when they go to the designated shelters for the night. We are offering them the comfort of shelter until the following morning."
Lanphear said she and Slichter "came up with this idea of offering the homeless one day that was as close to being normal, a nice dinner, fellowship with friends and family and church members, a comfortable welcoming atmosphere where they can all be off the streets (and this will be really important for them if we get that projected rain tomorrow) and comfortable, like those of us that have this privilege with our own homes, apartments etc."
Lanphear said the meal and accompanying publicity will also serve to "keep this before the public as the numbers keep going up as the weather gets colder. These people become the untouchables of our society, people fear what they don't know. Those of us in Pottstown that have extended our churches have gotten to know some of these people, many of whom are so kind and helpful, some who have been hurt by our economy, some who have other problems."
http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2010/11/26/news/srv0000010088555.txt
No comments:
Post a Comment