Let's take a look away from the big generalized problems of the Reich-ening of our nation for a moment...and on the corner of a city street. Fix a glance at the face of hunger, the humanity of poverty right here in America.
TheHomelessGuy Blog
Kevin Barbieux has been blogging for two + years and gives a much needed personal glimpse at the living problem no one wants to know.
he shared this wonderfully simple approach to bridging the gap of class separation...
So, you ask yourself, "Self, what can I do? How can I help homeless people, even though I don't have much?"
Well, there IS something you can do. There are many things that homeless people usually do without, which sometimes seem insignificant, that homeless would be very happy to receive.
This is a project you can do rather inexpensively - and you can make this a project to do with friends, or your Church group, and share the expense - and you can include people of all age groups.
Get some paper lunch bags and fill them with little goodies. This is just a list of things I can think of, that everyone on the streets would need and appreciate. You might have your own good ideas too. -- "travel size" tooth paste and tooth brush and deodorant. A pair of new or clean socks (it's hard to keep feet healthy on the street) nail clippers, a comb, a bar of soap, gloves when it's cold out, a disposable razor, etc. Then add something special, like little Halloween size candies, a personal note that says "I care". You could even decorate the bags with drawings of happy faces and hearts - yeah, even mean ol' grumpy homeless guys like that kind of stuff - even if they don't admit it.
Once you have your care packages together, take them to where homeless people hang out - wherever it's safe for you too. If you aren't a proper adult, bring along proper adult supervision. And personally hand out the packages. Just try to plan to have enough for each homeless person.
Now it does happen sometimes, when you do this, that a street person will then ask you for something you don't have, or you are uncomfortable with giving. Just tell them that the packages are all you have right now, and that you're sorry you can't help more. Sometimes they will try to make you feel guilty so they can get more out of you. Be polite but firm. If you set, and hold to your limits, they will respect you for it. This is a great way of giving. I have received such packages myself - they've always been a blessing.
~Kevin Barbieux
Remember, Christ said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God."
The stuffed-shirt, dirt-free, nose in the sky attitude of the modern church system is not without judgment. If the modern protestant institution put forth just a fraction of the effort sheltering the homeless as they have put into building newer, better, and more churches, we would have nowhere near as many homeless people in this nation to ignore.
Just as $40 billion would feed that 25% of the world impoverished and abandoned for a full year. The fruit of our priorities shows through for all to see. "Where your heart is, there your treasure will be". and of course, "The Love of Money is the root of all evil"
Christ shared this parable, to one of his many crowds:
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores."The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
