Street Choir Benefit Concert: Homeless Serving the Homeless Through Music

Lyssa Melonakos of First Presbyterian Church shares this event with us:
The San Diego Street Choir, featured in the Union Tribune back in December, has grown a lot over the past year, both in numbers and in confidence.

The Street Choir is a choir designed for individuals experiencing homelessness. Despite the nature of street life—a constant lack of privacy, a constant nearness to other human beings, a life surrounded by urban activity—many homeless individuals experience intense isolation and marginalization from the community around them. Enough time on the street can convince anyone that their voice will not be heard. And yet, the Street Choir helps people truly get their voice back, and welcomes them into a genuine, supportive community. Many of them have been surprised by how impactful it has been to sing in the choir, to lift their voices among friends without fear. As one of the soloists explained, “I had no idea how powerful it is to sing in choir. God gave me a voice, and he wants me to use it.”

The Street Choir is now preparing for their biggest gig yet. On Friday, September 22nd, they will be showcasing their talents at the BlesSING Benefit Concert, at First Presbyterian Church at 7pm. Admission is free, but all proceeds collected during the freewill offertory will be donated to music and arts education at the Monarch School for kids impacted by homelessness. Please join us! You’ll be blown away by the passion of this unique choir.

This is a concert you won’t want to miss. For more details, check out the online invitation or the Facebook event page.

Amikas Tiny House Expo and City Council meeting

Visit the Amikas Tiny House Expo - A bridge from Homeless to Housed  held at St. Luke's March 15- MArch 26 .  Amikas will be presenting a demonstration of emergency sleeping cabins and very affordable bungalow homes at an Expo at St Luke’s Episcopal Church from March 15-30.   The structures could be a crucial part of San Diego’s efforts to house homeless people by filling the gap of insufficient emergency shelter and the scarcity of very affordable housing.   This part of an effort spearheaded by Amikas to amend the California Shelter Crisis Act to authorize a limited period where San Diego can build emergency bridge housing. 

Hopefully, they city will adopt this type of short term solution to house the current homeless population until long term plans are finalized.  There will be a special City Council meeting on March 20 @ 1:00pm - Golden Hall.  Any questions, please contact  Rev. Susan Asarita @301.943.4550 or Jen Jow @ 619.840.2327.

Clothing donations requested

Claudia Dixon writes

As winter approaches, our homeless neighbors who live in the park are in need of warm clothing. In addition to socks and underwear we also need: Men's and Women’s pants ( jeans, cargos), in S-M-L, Jackets, long sleeve shirts, Sweat shirts, sweaters in S-M-L.

Please bring your clothing donations to Showers of Blessings. Or, during the week bring your clothing donations to the Cathedral office during business hours. After Sunday Service bring them to the Interfaith Shelter table in the Queen's court yard.

Thank you for your help!

Showers Stories: Christian's Progress

Showers Stories is our new series about the Showers of Blessing ministry, where we share stories of volunteers and guests. 

Claudia Dixon writes:  

A week or so ago I posted a story on the Blog about a homeless young man who regularly comes to our Showers Of Blessings and also now comes regularly to church on Sundays. At that time Christian had just found a bed at Father Joe’s Village and was so relieved he no longer had to live in the park. This last Saturday at our Showers of Blessings, Christian took another step in his progress to a better, more stable and secure life.

 The following is a report by Jen Jow:

It was a happy day this past Saturday for Christian. His comment was that he is so thankful that his life feels like it's moving forward - especially now that we were able to proceed on getting a copy of his birth certificate. He was smiling from ear to ear when we were done notarizing forms needed for Texas Vital records to release the copy.

Without a birth certificate you can't get a formal government identification card, which is proof of your identity and which allows you to apply for SSI/food stamps or housing. 

Photo by Jen Jow

This has been a bit of a challenge for me this past month to get it notarized, because he didn't have a valid government id. That's why we needed a birth certificate to get one (vicious circle). But I figured out a way to circumvent the system and get it done.

Veletia (Kennedy) and I ended up being a witness to knowing Chris and we used our IDs as verification and proof for the notary to document. 

We were so happy for him and hope this can turn his life around or at least get it moving in the right direction.  

Being Homeless

One of our long time showers guests
in his new donated jacket at Christmas

What kind of shoes would you want to wear if you lived on the street night and day and had to walk long distances to get whatever you needed?

What kind of pants and shirts would you choose to wear if you had to sleep in the park on cold nights and in the rain?

Homeless people don’t have many choices but if they are lucky enough to be given clothing, it helps them feel understood and cared for if the type of clothing they receive recognizes them and their precarious situation. How would it make you feel if someone gave you clothing that was ragged and full of holes, stained, or in bad repair? Or if someone gave you a fancy negligee for sleeping on the ground under a tree in winter?

The homeless who live in the park and come to us for the Showers Of Blessings are mostly adult males size M-L- some XL. A few wear S. Hardly any are XXXlarge.

The women on the street are adults and some are older. They wear mostly M-L. They do not wear dressy clothes, skirts, shorts and party attire or flimsy nightgowns. They also don’t wear high heels and dressy sandals. Remember they are on their feet most of the day and have to walk long distances.

Their shoes sizes tend to be medium to large too.

The homeless need shoes and clothing that is durable and can protect them from harsh conditions on the street, and because they cannot wash their own clothes they are always need underwear and socks.

Please be mindful of the daily and seasonal reality of our homeless neighbors when you make your donation to Showers Of Blessings. You can bring donations to the church on Sundays (leave with sexton or staff) or at the office on weekdays. Many thanks for all your help and support!

Most Needed Items For May,
For Showers Of Blessings
 MEN: S-M-L
Jeans, Work pants, Cargos
Underwear, Socks
Belts
 WOMEN M-L-
Jeans, Work Pants, Cargos
Underwear, Bras
Socks
 

-Claudia Dixon, Showers Of Blessings

The Sunday Sermon:Mary, Judas, and the Rest of Us

The air in the house in Bethany is thick with drama. Recently Jesus had raised from the dead the man sitting next to him, Lazarus, and now the authorities had issued a warrant for Jesus’ arrest. So he’s returned in secret just a week before Passover, preferring to rest on the edges of Jerusalem, in view of the Temple, as the time of his triumphal entry draws near. He knows what’s coming -- John’s Gospel makes clear that Jesus the Word incarnate is always in command. And Mary, in many ways the ideal disciple, shows us that she too sees the crucifixion ahead by anointing Jesus’ feet -- a prophetic act of burial preparation. Her perfume’s scent quickly fills the small home, overwhelming the senses. Yet our Gospel writer has other plans for this tender and heart wrenching moment: he sticks Judas Iscariot (of all people!) at the table, who sharply rebukes Mary even as her now-matted hair hangs limply at her side. He has missed the lovely conversation without words Mary has shared with her Savior, thanking him for restoring her brother Lazarus to life and thanking him for the even costlier and more extravagant act he would soon take by way of the cross. But Judas’ fear for his life, fear for the life of his beloved teacher, fear for the life of the movement to restore Israel to its former glory -- to which he has devoted these many years -- this fear overtakes him so that he cannot even smell the room’s sweet perfume of loving sacrifice. Instead he lashes out in thinly disguised greed.

Why does Judas even appear here, why let his words distract us from Mary’s precious gift? Intriguingly, in the Gospel of Mark the story of Jesus’ anointing in Bethany relates only that others present objected to Mary’s extravagance, while in Matthew’s Gospel this concern is placed in the mouths of all the disciples. Perhaps Judas’ unique presence in John’s Gospel has something to teach us.

Now it is natural to wonder how Judas, one of Jesus’ hand-picked disciples, who had walked the dusty paths and rugged hills of Galilee and Judea for years, could have come to betray Jesus. He had the best seats for all of Jesus’ most moving teachings. And after the villagers had gone home each night, he remained in the privileged inner circle that heard Jesus’ interpretations of parables too difficult for the rest of us to crack. He witnessed Jesus walking on water, turning water into wine, and raising Lazarus from the dead. How could he be so impervious to Jesus’ cool and refreshing and life-giving message?

Honestly, I’m relieved that Judas in particular is present in today’s home in Bethany, because that means he in particular is invited to continue in the passion story to follow. It means that Jesus -- who in John clearly knows he is the Son of God, clearly knows what happens next -- wants Judas to witness his triumphal entry, wants to wash Judas’ feet in the upper room, wants Judas to continue serving as a disciple until he no longer can. Judas’ presence tells me that though I may strive to be like Mary on my better days, I am still included in the Christian story when I find myself with the sorts of doubts and frustrations and fears that plagued Judas.

Last Sunday night I slept on the floor of the Great Hall. I shared this floor with parishioners Kris Summit and Lynne Fish and also with Randy, Ron, Lee, Christian, Chris, Victor, and Joel, seven neighbors we’ve gotten to know over the last year through our Showers of Blessings ministry. They sleep most nights in Balboa Park, but last Sunday night they slept inside away from the forecasted rain.

When our guest Ron first arrived he was slow to stow his bags, sit down, and relax. A parishioner came over to see if everything was alright. Ron responded by calmly saying that it had been so long since he’d been inside that he just needed some time to take it all in. Another parishioner had brought lasagne for dinner, and folks chatted some with each other. The general sound of the evening was comfortable, even relieved, silence. The pace was slow. I’m not sure when last I was in the same room with nine other people for that long and enjoyed so much peaceful quiet. Love for neighbor perfumed the air of that great space.

Now I wish that I could report to you that I broke open a bottle of Clive Christian No. 1 perfume and anointed our guests’ feet with my hair that night. Or at least gave them some hot water to soak their feet in. But instead, I mostly talked with my fellow parishioners and then worked on my laptop to clean out my email inbox as I’m in the habit of doing on Sunday nights. By the time I was done, our guests had already laid down.

I got ready for bed myself, inflated my sleeping mat, crawled into my sleeping bag, and wondered: was I going to be safe tonight? True, we had collectively befriended our guests over the past several months, but we didn’t really know them that well. What if one of them had a knife in his bag? (I know I would carry one around with me if I lived outside!) I was scared, and I didn’t sleep that well. I was especially sensitive to the sound of boots striking the tile as Lee walked past my sleeping bag on his way to the door throughout the night to smoke.

But I made it through the night. In fact, we all did. And as rain was forecasted for Monday night too, we invited these seven guests to return for another twelve hours of dry safety. That day it occurred to me that our guests were probably as worried as I was about their safety the night before. They probably didn’t know each other that well, either. And they weren’t used to sleeping in such close quarters with so many others.

I returned to the Great Hall that night paying attention more carefully to God at work. I noticed that all seven guests had returned, that they had been enlivened by parishioner Bob Reese’s made-to-order breakfast that morning, that this space now felt a bit more secure and comforting for all of us. I heard the gracious surprise in parishioners’ voices as they recounted their own experiences serving our guests, saw the gratitude in their eyes for this chance to take care of others in need in a real, down-to-earth way. I slept a whole lot better on Monday.

We’re hoping to try this experiment in hospitality a few more times (if it ever bothers to rain) this El Niño season. It was a humbling experience for me that surfaced some hidden prejudices against homeless persons, especially those with whom I was planning to share a night’s sleep. And it gives me more appreciation for Judas, the disciple who tried his best to follow Jesus until he no longer could.

Even when we can’t manage to walk in the at-times daunting footsteps of our Savior, John’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus believes we still belong to his group of friends, his group of disciples. Jesus wants us there to witness even when we’re not sure we can follow. I imagine that’s because Jesus knows that not only his actions but the faith of his disciples will encourage us when we are foundering in fear, as the inspiring servant leadership of parishioners Lynne, Bill, Kris, Bob, Debbie, Claudia, Calvin, Vicki, and Elaine strengthened me in the Great Hall.

As hard as John’s Gospel is on Judas, warning us several times to beware of his imminent betrayal, there is something else that is notable about John’s treatment of our Lord’s betrayer. John follows the Gospel of Mark in not mentioning how and when Judas died. I think we’ve been influenced so heavily by Matthew and Luke’s immediate and graphic depictions of Judas’ demise that there hasn’t been much room to imagine any other possibility.

We have our doubts and our fears and yet we continue in this walk anyway, looking for new strength and clarity of faith in the lives of those around us and in prayerful conversation with God. That is part of what it means to be human and what it means to be Christian, and we doubters and saints are always welcome here. Each of us belongs to that great Christian story of costly, extravagant love.

---

With thanks to George W. Stroup, “Theological Perspective, Fifth Sunday in Lent,” in Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 2, edited by David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009).

The homeless, and the San Diego clean-up

Paula Peeling of the  St. Paul’s Outreach Committee writes, Our fellow parishioner and SPC verger, Don Mitchell, posted the following on Facebook on  March 5. I appreciated his multiple perspectives on the recent City postings about unattended property. His statement nudges each of us to face our own thoughts about sanitation, a “clean San Diego,” the constant challenge of mental illness, the inevitability of the financial stratification, and personal responsibility. Public Policy is a rocky road and none of us have the perfect answer. Keep the dialogue going, and keep your feet on the ground today. As followers of Jesus we can make a difference each day, one person at a time. Thank you, Don.

---

Signs are going up in the East Village. These signs posted by the city warn that any unattended property will be removed by a certain time. This happens periodically, but this time the affected area is much, much larger. Normally one to two blocks are cleaned up. This time, it is virtually the entire East Village. This has upset a lot of people because it seems like they are just trying to move the homeless to another area. Well, yes and no. Unfortunately, there is a mix of people out there and some of those people cause some serious problems for the residents, business owners, and the others on the street.

I know on the 1400 to 1700 block of Commercial Street there are a lot more pressing matters than simply homeless people. There is a lot of narcotics activity, fights break out (often times with weapons used) and I have personally performed CPR on heroin overdoses three times in the last year in the area. The residents and business owners complain about these issues and something must be done.

In my job, I work with the homeless community every day. There are so many who truly want to get their lives on track and they utilize our services. There are, unfortunately, the groups that use and sell drugs, resort to violence, and simply don't want help. It is not illegal to be homeless and we cannot force people into using services geared to finding permanent housing.

For those who DO utilize the services, the process is long, drawn out, and bottle-necked. 25 Cities, the SDHC, Father Joe's Villages, and many other organizations truly want to house the homeless. A couple of major problems: we are at something like 6% vacancy in the city AND landlords are not willing to open their properties to assist in the housing of those who so desperately need the help because they don't want the homeless in their units. That is very, very sad.

The cleanup and property removal is not as harsh as it sounds. There are many items on the street that are true health hazards. If the property is UNATTENDED it will be removed. Sanitary items are held for 90 days and can be reclaimed at no cost. Unsanitary items will be discarded.

Please let people know the San Diego Day Center (formerly known as the Neil Good Day Center) at 299 17th Street is open seven days a week starting at 6am. There are mail, phone, and laundry services available as well as other programs. Showers are available at Father Joe's Villages during the day for the homeless. Though the wait list is long, the Day Center is the first point of entry to begin receiving services from Father Joe's.

The philosophy of "Housing First" is great, on paper and in theory. Unfortunately, the system is backed up due to the two major problems I mentioned above. It is not as easy as it sounds.

I have a very soft spot for the homeless, but I understand the reasoning behind the cleanup. I also understand that this tends to happen in the East Village when major events are coming (Comic-Con, baseball season, etc.); mostly for image, but also for the safety of those who traverse Commercial Street and Imperial Avenue to get to the stadium and the Convention Center. And yes, there are legitimate safety concerns - I see the violence and drug activity with my own eyes, every day.

We can only take it one step at a time - one person at a time. Will we ever end homelessness? Probably not; especially in a place as expensive to live as San Diego, but we can do everything we can to reduce the homeless population and get people housed.

ANYONE can end up on the streets; you, me, your neighbor, your kids - ANYONE. I truly believe there are good people out there both trying to help, and trying to get help. Actions like the cleanup are necessary evils.

Don Mitchell

Showers of blessing update (with photos!)

Dear Friends,

 What an amazingly beautiful morning! Today, very early on, I gave Colin a bad time because (well, because I always give Colin a bad time) I thought he was being Pollyannaish when he declared very early, “This is the best Showers yet!” And I’m not going to admit this to him so, Colin, please skip this part … [He was right!!!!]

To those of you who weren’t able to make it, I’m so sorry we missed you and that you missed our Christmas Showers. It really was great.

I haven’t yet done my “number work,” but I believe we hosted 59 guests today. This is a huge (30%) increase over our previous high of 45. Of course, growth is good news; yet it also makes me aware that we’re each going to have to exert more effort to ensure that we have real conversation with each guest. We can’t individually, but we can as a community. We don’t want to lose that personal touch which is the heart of this ministry. As I walk around, I’m thrilled with all of the blending and the conversations that I see happening because my prayer is always that our guests are nourished when they leave us. Let’s always make this happen.

So highlights from this morning, and there were many!

· We had many merry Methodists. (Did anyone besides me happen to notice that they had a huge box of chocolate candies in their breakfast food lineup today? I’m seriously going to have to check out that religion!)
· We also had homemade Christmas goodies that seemed to continuously appear on the courtyard table throughout the morning. (Many thanks to all of you who made that happen!)
· And this convergence was somewhat coincidental, but we had 3 guests assessing medical and mental health needs which I hope will lead to something more tangible for us in the future. (Thanks for your initiative in arranging that, Colin.)
· There was Claudia’s Winter Coat Boutique, complete with rolling clothing rack, and Claudia snapping “after” photos of all of the smiling coat recipients (I hope, to share with her generous – and now underclothed – family of donors).
· And then what I loved most … we had lovely, string, angel music drifting down from the balconies. So it wasn’t really 18 cellos. It was more like 11 cellos, 4 violins and one flute. I thought it was absolutely beautiful, though, and I’ve asked Sr. Karla to please bring her gang back without waiting for next Christmas. She’s now thinking maybe for our March Showers.

Finally, Elaine was at home, sick this morning, no doubt tormented at having to miss her beloved Showers. In a text, she’d asked that we capture and share with her the “God moments.” I hadn’t seen her text until we got home, and we didn’t get home until the event was well over, after having spent quite a bit of time on site afterwards, restocking hygiene supplies and waiting for the laundry to finish. As we waited in the now-empty-and-quiet courtyard, Bill and I commented to each other how it was a place transformed – there was no sign left of the magic that had occurred just that morning.

As we drove home – not even having seen Elaine’s request – we tried to get each other to pin down a particular God moment, and we couldn’t. Then we got home, and I found several emails in my Inbox from Claudia because she’d forwarded a beautiful, vibrant series of photos that she’d taken this morning. Looking at those photos after having been in the empty courtyard was almost like when “The Wizard of Oz” springs into Technicolor. The place had been completely and wholeheartedly alive! And I realized, Elaine, that there wasn’t one particular moment because the whole thing had really been a God moment. He was there in the Technicolor and the vibrancy and the motion and the love and the human interactions and (I’m pretty sure) in whomever thought to put that box of chocolates in the Methodist breakfast lineup. That’s why we keep coming, right?

I think I say this a lot, but I say it in complete sincerity: thank you all tremendously for making this such an incredible ministry!

Lynne Fish

See more pictures here: 
 https://www.flickr.com/photos/stpaulscathedral/albums/72157662466796545

Feeding people with Loving Spoonfuls

Cathedral friend Cliff Berkowitz has been inspired by Loving Spoonfuls, and invites you to join him.  He writes,

Loving Spoonfuls, a San Diego based non-profit organization founded in 2014, has a mission to provide daily meals to those in need. I have been a proud supporter and volunteer since their beginning. By partnering with organizations that provide shelter and transitional services, Loving Spoonfuls focus their resources where there is the most impact.

 Being a volunteer, whether it is helping to assemble healthy meals, or being part of a team that distributes the meals to those in need, is always a very fulfilling experience. It is very rewarding to know that I am helping make a difference to those in need. I believe that to give on a regular basis to an organization or cause that one is passionate about is part of the solution to help solve social challenges, and feeds the soul!

 More information about Loving Spoonfuls, including ways you can help out, can be found on the web at www.lovingspoonfuls.org.

"Meet Christ in these faces"

While I've only been volunteering with the Doors of Change program for about a month, it has already been such an honor and a pleasure to be involved. These homeless youth have many needs. But for me, volunteering with the youth is so much more than meeting a practical need. It's more than about confronting poverty, inequality, substance abuse and mental illness. It's more than doing acts of service out of mere obedience to God. For me it's about allowing myself to be opened to the love of Christ, which knows no boundaries. It's about meeting a real person and allowing myself to be changed by that meeting. It's sitting down, sharing a meal and conversing about art and movies and family and travel, and then finding out we actually have more in common than we thought. And suddenly I care a bit more about the person in front of me. It's easy to feel the differences between us when I'm in my car and they're on the street holding a sign, but when we're sitting at a table together and both trying to figure out how to make a necklace out of wire, those differences start to fade into the background. Even if only for that hour.

Practically speaking, the work we do for the program is not difficult, and it's fun to connect with other volunteers as we prep dinner, make sandwiches, pack lunches, or sort toiletries to hand out later. There's plenty to do but it's pretty relaxed as well. The toughest thing is probably breaking through your comfort zone to sit next to someone you don't know and who seems really different from you and try to make conversation. I admit it's not easy but I challenge you to join this dance and invite you to meet Christ in the faces of these kids. You will walk away blessed. 

Kara Nelson is a Cathedral member and participant in Urban Collective.  Feel free to email her about this project.  More information here.

Showers of Blessings

Open for Business

It was a beautiful and Christ-filled morning at the Cathedral Saturday as Showers of Blessings arrived at our 6th Avenue courtyard and more than a dozen volunteers enthusiastically seized the opportunity to try to live out our baptismal vow to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.

For those unfamiliar with the Showers of Blessings Ministry, it’s a ministry of our diocese, whereby the diocese loans its two-unit, mobile shower trailer to any parish wishing to offer showers to homeless neighbors. At the Cathedral, this is a no-brainer. We don’t have to ask, “Who is my neighbor?” We clearly see our neighbor every day, immediately across the street in the park, sleeping on the lawn (dowsed by sprinklers most mornings), lugging all of his earthly possessions in a small, wheeled suitcase (if lucky) or in a battery of plastic grocery bags (if not), trying his best to keep clean in the dirty restroom sinks that the park has to offer, every day feeling more and more cast out by the rest of society. This is no exaggeration. Those of us who do regular outreach within the park hear in their voices and see in their eyes how rare it is for these beloved children of God to feel embraced or even acknowledged by their housed neighbors. We’ve found that there is immense dignity to be offered in just acknowledging their presence or their right to try to eke out an existence as best they can. And offering a chance to shower! That’s huge in the life of someone who so rarely has the chance to feel clean. Fortunately, we now have showers to offer!

Veletia Kennedy, Kristen Hill Maher, 
John Townsend,  and Kim Sorrell

At our bishop’s most recent Cathedral visitation, in the forum, he spoke of the church of the future. In particular, he pointed out that putting up a sign saying, “The Episcopal Church welcomes you,” is grossly insufficient – that we need to get out to meet people on their ground if we are truly to welcome them within the church. Interestingly, despite having promoted the idea for weeks among the seemingly enthusiastic park residents, we immediately found on Saturday morning that merely parking a shower trailer decorated with the inviting and cheerful “Showers of Blessings” logo was insufficient as well. So, two of our volunteers went to meet our neighbors where they live. Traipsing through the west side of the park, the volunteers introduced themselves (and St. Paul’s) to our neighbors, offering tickets for free showers. The Cathedral now truly had its gates and doors wide open to them.

By the time our guests arrived, we had prepared a simple welcome, with one volunteer having supplied donuts and coffee, while others placed chairs around the courtyard, so people had a place to rest without having to sit constantly on the hard ground… the beginning of dignity and the beginning of feeling welcomed within the Cathedral family.

Coffee and fellowship with Kris Summit, 
Mary Doak, Randy, Kim Sorrell

While waiting for their showers, guests and volunteers enjoyed fellowship and quiet conversation, getting to know one another. A second group of volunteers staffed the actual showers within the clergy parking lot. As each guest’s designated shower time arrived, in addition to smiles and genuine warmth, the volunteers provided towels, hygiene supplies, and instructions for leaving the shower clean for the next guest. Later, these volunteers remarked at the transformation that the showers provided for our new friends. One was quite obvious as our very first guest had shown up early with a Wal-Mart bag of new clothing that he’d purchased on sale (via a bus trip to Clairemont), but had been carrying around unopened for weeks, waiting for the occasion of this shower to don the clean clothes. But for other guests who didn’t even have clean clothes, the transformation was still apparent, as someone noted that – once clean – they’d been visibly friendlier, happier and more “chatty.” It’s hard for me even to imagine the sense of lightness that one must have in feeling clean after weeks or months without a shower.

We know how we’re supposed to treat the “least among us.” On this, the gospels are quite clear. If you’re like me, though, sometimes putting that into practice, determining what precisely we might do, how do we even interact with our homeless neighbors, is what becomes difficult. The Showers of Blessings makes this very easy. We all came with open hearts, ready to provide very simple hospitality to those in need. As often happens, though, this was turned on its head, as we all came away feeling blessed many times over as though we, and not our guests, were the true recipients of the gift of love.

It was a beautiful and Christ-filled morning at the Cathedral Saturday. The next chance to serve will be Saturday, May 9th. We’ll be hosting Showers of Blessings on the second Saturday of every month. If you’d like to participate in this ministry, even if you’re currently somewhat apprehensive, feel free to contact me at lynnegfish@gmail.com, or I’d be happy to discuss it after 10:30 worship on any Sunday.  Click here to see more pictures on the flickr site.

Lynne Fish

Update from the Outreach+Mission Team

Our new Showers of Blessings need YOUR help!
Contact Lynne Fish lynnegfish@gmail.com

Paula Peeling shares notes from the recent  Outreach+Mission Team meeting.  

If you are interested in joining, meetings are 2nd Tuesday of every month, 4pm-5:30PM in the Guild Room

 

*Ellen Meier introduced the Stephen Ministry program which is starting at St. Paul’s. With 11 St. Paul’s lay people signed up to receive extensive training, the Stephen Ministry will provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered one-to-one care to people who are hurting- a death, divorce, loss of job, severe illness, etc. Parishioners interested in learning more and receiving training may contact Ellen Meier.

*Budgets are a tool to meet your ministry’s goals and projects. There was meeting consensus to devote the April meeting to a realistic budget discussion.

*Over the past 3 months ideas have been placed on the table for you to react to and get the juices flowing. Based on your reactions, modifications, and some actual expenses incurred we are now ready to allocate the remaining budget in April. Before the meeting I will provide you with the budget, as we currently understand it, including amounts earmarked by Chapter, and expenses already incurred and promised. Our group will then allocate approximately 80% of the remaining discretionary budget. This would leave 20% for unexpected expenses, and also year-end grants to our partners.

*Jerry Motto is meeting with Rev. Susan Astarita to learn more about being the Episcopal Refugee Network liaison.

*Janet Collins has agreed to be the liaison to Dorcas House/Vida Joven. Thank you!

*Plastic bags for sleeping mats for Sr. Karla’s homeless youth will be collected on Sundays through April 12. There is a drop-in receptacle at the entrance to the Cathedral in the Queen’s Courtyard.

*Gladys King announced she has a volunteer to create a St. Paul’s Cathedral informational brochure to be used as a handout by the Docents. There is also a need for new docent nametags. She has requested $300 to help meet this need.

Ministry highlights-

*Showers of Blessings (see picture above)- This will start the 2nd Saturday morning in April and will continue the same time every month. There will be an ongoing need for hygiene items (Red Cross Comfort Kits were given as an example). Storage for items associated with the program and the upcoming Interfaith Shelter is in flux. (Lynne Fish)

*Parishioners interested in pursuing more outreach from St. Paul’s to the homeless are meeting with Rev. Colin Mathewson.

*New Shoe Campaign for Maundy Thursday foot washing has collected 55 pairs of shoes and $400 cash from our SPC community. (Bob Carney)

*50 pizzas were delivered to the Fisher House (the Ronald McDonald-type house for the Balboa Hospital) by FOMOS (Susan Astarita/Kim Sorrell)

*April 19 is EarthDay in Balboa Park. Phil Petrie and Simpler Living are organizing the day. Volunteers from our SPC and others who are interested are needed! (Phil Petrie)

*Day of Peace in September is focusing in on a keynote speaker and theme. Currently bullying in elementary school is a probable topic. (Rev. Richard Lief)

*St. Paul’s has earned the title of a Fair Trade Congregation. Certain educational opportunities for our community are to be offered throughout the year. For more information check these Facebook sites: San Diego Task-Force for Economic Justice and Fair Trade USA (Carolyn Lief)

*Dowtown Fellowship of Churches sponsored a successful trash pickup day in downtown with 20-25 volunteers. The Diocesan Service Summit is working on a presentation about homelessness to reps from the Diocese by the Rescue Mission’s Vice-President of Development, Michael Johnson. (Gary Arps)

*St. Luke’s will present the May 17 Evensong paying tribute to the “Martyrs of Sudan.” Each year in May, the Episcopal Church commemorates the martyrdom of Christians in the Republic of Sudan. Approximately 2 million people, many Christian, died between 1983 and 2005. (Lucy Larrabee)

*Cathedral 4 the City evangelism group meets on the last Friday of the month at 12:30 at the LGBT Center on Center St. in Hillcrest. Anyone is welcome to attend. (Elaine Graybill)

*A regular donor to UPTOWN Community Service Center has recently died. Uptown asked that the earmarked money for Uptown as approved by Chapter be offered in its entirety now to help meet expenses. $1,000 will be sent. (Vicki Hoppenrath)

Moral Dilemma, part 2

Recently, Robert shared with us a moral dilemma, and several people wrote thoughtful comments.  Here's his follow-up on the situation he described.

  As you probably figured out, I sent the moral dilemma essay out to quite a few of you (around 50, I think), as well as on the blog, and got back an astonishing number of replies. These contained advice that ranged from call the police and have her arrested on one end of the spectrum to invite her in for dinner and a shower at the other end. Of course I had done neither of those and most of you agreed that I did the right thing by allowing her to stay the night on condition that she move on the next morning. Apparently that worked. I have not seen her since, and I can only hope that she found what she needed through a number of agencies that deal with the homeless.

Things could have been much worse, of course, and just last evening one resident here said that she and her husband had to forcefully pull the door closed as a homeless man tried to follow them into the building. So we are not shed of the problem, nor do we expect to be. All we can do is be equally vigilant as well as compassionate. Thanks for your responses. I hope that the situation I described gave you time to think about what you might do in a similar situation.

Robert Heylmun

 

Moral Dilemma

For the second or third night this season, a homeless woman has lodged herself inside the entry way to our condo building. It provides a fairly good shelter: doors to the walkway close but don’t lock, and the entry has plenty of room for someone to lie down in it. It’s almost a private room; she can’t be seen from the street. And we are safe from her coming into the building itself since the next set of doors require a key.

I was aware of her down there again last night as I went to bed and heard voices (actually one—hers), so I went down. Bundled up in untold layers of clothing and an overcoat, she had arrived with several grocery bags of her belongings, and a folding chair. She’s a middle-aged black lady. “I’m waitin’ on a friend here,” she said as I opened the locked lobby doors to talk to her. “I got permission.”

Well, of course she didn’t have either one of those things.

“I’m not sure that you should stay here,” I said. She continued to sort through her bags, guardedly ignoring me, but not being unfriendly. “Did you try to get into the city shelter?”

“I got permission cause I got a friend here. I’m jus waitin’ on my friend.” Out of one of her bags came a Starbucks cup and what looked like a half-eaten piece of cake.

What to do? As the HOA president here, I’m charged with looking after the property and its welfare. I was fairly sure that our residents would have big objections to our uninvited guest staying over, even in our outer entry way. On the other hand, what was the harm? She was fairly neat and apart from her Starbucks drink and cake, hadn’t done anything toward making a mess.

The temperature was falling slightly and it was getting late. “Okay,” I said. “You’d better camp out here for the night and wait for your friend. But maybe you can find a different place to sleep tomorrow night?”

Her guarded look softened. “Thank you. I’ll be gone in the morning. Thank you.”

“Oh, and one other thing. I live right above here and I’d appreciate it if you and your friend would not talk anymore tonight.”

She smiled. “I be quiet.”

What I will do if she comes back tonight, I don’t know. She’s very likely to return now that she’s found not only a relatively comfortable and protected spot, but also someone in the building who granted her permission to stay. Now, I guess, she probably thinks that she really does have a friend here.

The bigger question begs the moral one. We have a vacant entry where she’s away from the elements so why wouldn’t a sense of charity bid us share it with her. The other part of the issue ushers in the possibly unintended consequences of her spreading the word to other homeless rovers who would also want a night or two in our lobby entrance.

See? That’s the dilemma. Any comments?

Robert Heylmun

It is up to each of us…

I wanted to share with you how St. Paul’s has helped meet an urgent need for sleeping bags at the Episcopal Church Center (ECC) in Ocean Beach, and also keep us thinking about a longer term plea that was brought to us by Sr. Karla Maria Moritz-Holland, a member of our community and a nun at The Little Monastery of the Way.

Sr. Karla's plea last week for a home-cooked meal and sleeping bags for a group of homeless young people at ECC caught us by surprise. Several of you who learned about this immediately sprang forward with offers of home-cooked food.

The sleeping bag request was more immediate. Our Outreach+Mission team promptly responded with 11 sleeping bags (see picture). Karla was able to take delivery of the sleeping bags the same day.

Below Sr. Karla  Maria describes the needs  of these homeless young adults who are receiving free music lessons every Sunday afternoon at ECC. 

I would like to share with you my experience at the program last Sunday. Jeffrey Sitcov [organizer of the music lessons at ECC], when making announcements before supper, told the youth that if anyone needed a sleeping bag, they should write their name on a small piece of paper and put it in his hat. There were 20 people there, young women and men, and it appeared that at least half of them put their name in the hat. There was ONE sleeping bag. One person received a sleeping bag. The others received nothing; there were no more sleeping bags and no blankets.

Some of the young people who hoped to get the sleeping bag did not even have a jacket, just short-sleeved shirts. And at 6 p.m. we all said good-bye, hugs were exchanged, and I watched them walk into that particularly cold night, knowing that they had no shelter, no bed, no blanket, and no clothing to keep them warm.

We locked up that large room at the ECC. That room was empty for the night, and those young people were on the street. I returned to the Little Monastery of the Way and spent the night thinking about those young people, praying and holding them in my heart, unable to sleep. They, on the street without even a jacket. Me, in my bed with my winter blanket.

Sleeping bags are needed, warm jackets, hoodies, hats, gloves, scarves are needed. Can't we find donated sleeping bags and jackets for them? Shelter is needed. Couldn't we find room in area churches for these young people, with supervision, to sleep?

What we are doing as a society with these young people is unconscionable. I hope to help gather support, and I see my role as a support gatherer, finding leadership to take this on, and supporting and participating in any way I can. I am not the person called to administrate the support, but there will be someone called to this.

Thank you for reading this long email .

Thank you again.

In Christ's Love,

Sister Karla Maria
khollandmoritz@sbcglobal.net

Dear people of our St. Paul’s community, let your hearts and hands be moved to see Jesus in these young lives and in the heart of Sr. Karla Maria. Sr. Karla is especially interested in donated home cooked meals on an occasional Sunday night and peanut butter sandwich sack lunches, donations of cold weather clothing, and toiletries. She would also value the gift of leadership to more completely address this need.   Please contact Sr Karla Maria at the email address above.

Paula Peeling

Advocate in Advent!

December 11, 2013

Sisters and Brothers,

Our Saturday afternoon Balboa Park Outreach Walks with Chris Wells, Mary Doak, and Lynne and Bill Fish continue to invite us into compelling conversations with those who live outside.  Won't you consider joining them for these hour-long walks (3:30-4:30) some Saturday soon?  Email me if you're interested.

Advocate and Serve this Advent!

Here are some upcoming opportunities to join the Spirit in ushering God's justice- and peace-filled Kingdom into the world:

Support Taxi Drivers at the MTS Building Thursday Morning
Join our friends at the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice TODAY, Thursday, Dec 12 at the MTS building (1255 Imperial Ave, 10th floor) to support taxi drivers concerned about their working conditions. MTS will be deciding tomorrow whether to enter into negotiations with the City of San Diego for a long-term contract.  Taxi Workers are asking MTS to allow additional time for a city-approved consultant to explore how the City may resume administration of the taxi industry and oversee working conditions and wages.  Contact Lisa Maldonado to RSVP or if you have any questions: Elizabeth@ICWJ.org or 619-584-5740.  Click here and here for more info on the demanding daily grind of taxi drivers.

 Call your Representative to Save Food Assistance
Leaders in Congress are now finalizing a deal on the farm bill. They could reach an agreement at any time. At this critical moment, Congress needs to hear from you. Please call (800-826-3688) or email today. Tell your members of Congress not to cut SNAP (formerly food stamps) but to take actions that will help end hunger in our country and around the world.  Help with local hunger relief here.

Party with the Homeless on Christmas Day
Connections Housing (1250 Sixth Ave) is hosting a Christmas party on December 25 from 12 noon to 4 pm and invites us to celebrate with them. Here's a chance to get to know someone new who is currently struggling to find a job and a place to live.  Contact Mary Doak for details.

Donate Art Supplies and Support an Art Class for the Homeless
Support an art class for the homeless that takes place every Thursday from 3-4 pm at Connections Housing (1250 Sixth Ave) by donating supplies such as acrylic paint, canvases, and paint brushes, or help out with the class!  Contact Claudia Velasquez for more info.

Help with the Next Count of our Homeless Neighbors
On Jan 24 from 4-7 am volunteers across the county will count the more than ten thousand people who live outside in San Diego, which will provide critical data for those who serve these neighbors. Learn how you can help here  or contact Jessica Osmun with questions. jessica.osmun@rtfhsd.org.

Where and how is Christ's love breaking into your life this Advent season?

In Christ's hope,

Colin
The Rev Colin Mathewson