To Begin with Worship and an Insight in to Homelessness
About 100 people joined the teens in worship at the Evangelical Covenant Church. Sue Smith, who run the “Homes with Heart” program from the Attleboro Area Council of Churches, spoke to the teens and thanked them for their willingness to walk in the shoes of a homeless person. Smith went to the source and asked some of her clients who have been placed in apartments, what is the worst than being homeless. Their answer might surprise you “Worst then being homeless is being invisible”. People choose not to see them standing on the street in the bus and train stations, the government chooses not to see them in providing assistence.
Rev Jay Fast and Rev Doug Bixby opened the service with a prayer that asked for “God to open our eyes to see where He wants us to serve”
The teens shared facts about the facts of who is homeless. Of the homeless people in the US over 200,000 are veterans, 50% of the homeless population are children, and there are over 100 people living on the streets in the Greater Attleboro Area. Some students shared stories of homeless people including a story of a runaway who turned to protitution to stay alive on the streets.
Loretta Johnson from the RI Coalition for the Homeless shared with the teens that one of the biggest problems in RI is shelter space as well as affordable housing.
The teens had an opportunity to hear from two women who have been homeless and are now in secure living situations. Both Pamela Therein and Wilma Smith are part of speaker group called the Voices of Homelessness. According to their web site their Mission is “We will change the beliefs about homelessness. We will break stereotypes and misconceptions. We will educate the general public to gain support. We will put a face to the individuals suffering, and we will speak the TRUTH to END HOMELESSNESS in Rhode Island!.”
Therein was not only homeless but a Veteran as well. As a veteran she did not know she was able to receive benifits until she developed medical issues from having to live on the streets, that could have been avoided if she had received medical care earlier. She speaks out to try to change people thoughts on who are the homeless, Therein said that “all homeless people are not drug addicts, alcoholics, mentally ill or irresponsible. I think, rather I believe, that homelessness is a product of society. That it is like pain, it’s an indication that something is dramatically wrong with society.” Both women found themselves in shelters where they could spend the night but both experienced being turned out in the cold during the day. Therein had a college degree before she was homeless and is now working on her Masters in Social Work.
Smith was only 13 yrs old when she ran away from home and ended up in foster care and had a child at 15 yrs old, she always believed that she would have power in education and worked hard enough to get a full scholarship to Duke University. Unfortunately the opportunity was lost when she had to choose between school and her daughter. She was lucky to get housing in Boston and continues to work on getting her degree to enable her to create better opportunities for her family.
Rev Sarah Weaver from the Rehoboth Congregational Church, who’s church began this event 5 years ago, lead the congregation in a Litany for Awareness. “Those who are homeless can be seen in the doorways, in bus stations, in parks, and on the roadside….In the hustle and bustle of our lives we walk by them for they are invisible to us” the people prayed for “God ,to help us slow down our fast-paced lives and give us the strength to open our eyes to those who are homeless”
Rev Kenneth Landin of the Orginal Congregational Church in Wrentham dismissed the teens as they left the warmth of the churches interior and headed out into the dark with their way lite only by candlelight and they made the long walk to Mason Field where they are already created their box city.
The only warmth for the night comes from the fires that will be manned all night by some of the chaperone’s. Tomorrow they will leave their beds and depend on the kindness of their churches for their food as they spend the day panhandling in the area, serve at area soup kitchens, and making box lunches to hand out to those in need.
So please stop and empty out your pockets to help provide food and shelter to those in our area. All the money raised it at the discretion of the youth leaders as to where they spend it. Last year all of the money raised was donated to the local food banks and to the Attleboro Area Council of Churches for use in supporting the food programs and Homes with Heart.
You can find the teens tomorrow at Mason Field, Wrentham Common, Seekonk Memorial Baptist Church, Centenary Methodist Church, Serving in Providence and in Taunton and in front of the Covenant Church at Rt 152 and Toner Blvd.
Please check back for more stories from the teens tomorrow.
