Interesting week reaching out to "homeless citizens" at the Human Service Campus. My friend and partner in ministry calls the people, over 1,000 a day, who visit the Human Service Campus - "homeless citizens." What dignity he confers on these who are the "least" among us! Thank you, John
Homeless citizens come in all forms. There is the nurse who is per his report also a successful businessman. He will go back to Idaho as soon as it warms up he tells me. There is the 76-year-old Asian Indian who wants to go back to New Delhi. And the newly released inmate, "John" who has joined the ranks of the homeless citizens who wants to rebuild his life. I refer him to a shelter in North Phoenix who will support his new found faith in God and his job search. "Bob" is a businessman who has fallen hard times seeking to find his way back into society. I refer him to the same shelter as I did for John. "Linda" and "Jerry" are a couple who got off the bus from "Los Angeles" yesterday and now want to start life over again in Phoenix. I refer them to St. Joseph The Worker for their job search.
"Elijah" is a 65-year-old man who greets me sitting on his walker. He tells me how he was run over by a truck about 4 months ago and has been in the hospital and rehab facilities since. While he was recuperating his landlord decided to kick out everyone in his apartments who was on Section 8 vouchers. It is easy to see what is happening here: there is a shortage of rentals in Phoenix and the landlord can make more money off the market than Section 8 will pay him. Elijah makes #1,500 on Social Security. It will be a challenge to find a studio for $900 and then utilities will be on top of that. I am motivated to address the systemic issues that are causing the poor to find themselves on the streets "because the market says I can make more money." Clearly Kingdom economics do not guide this landlord.
Thanks for reading and praying and caring.
Ronald Friesen (c) 2018
Homeless citizens come in all forms. There is the nurse who is per his report also a successful businessman. He will go back to Idaho as soon as it warms up he tells me. There is the 76-year-old Asian Indian who wants to go back to New Delhi. And the newly released inmate, "John" who has joined the ranks of the homeless citizens who wants to rebuild his life. I refer him to a shelter in North Phoenix who will support his new found faith in God and his job search. "Bob" is a businessman who has fallen hard times seeking to find his way back into society. I refer him to the same shelter as I did for John. "Linda" and "Jerry" are a couple who got off the bus from "Los Angeles" yesterday and now want to start life over again in Phoenix. I refer them to St. Joseph The Worker for their job search.
"Elijah" is a 65-year-old man who greets me sitting on his walker. He tells me how he was run over by a truck about 4 months ago and has been in the hospital and rehab facilities since. While he was recuperating his landlord decided to kick out everyone in his apartments who was on Section 8 vouchers. It is easy to see what is happening here: there is a shortage of rentals in Phoenix and the landlord can make more money off the market than Section 8 will pay him. Elijah makes #1,500 on Social Security. It will be a challenge to find a studio for $900 and then utilities will be on top of that. I am motivated to address the systemic issues that are causing the poor to find themselves on the streets "because the market says I can make more money." Clearly Kingdom economics do not guide this landlord.
Thanks for reading and praying and caring.
Ronald Friesen (c) 2018
Continued prayers.
ReplyDeleteSheila, Thank you! Ron
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