I've been grappling with whether or not I am involved in a standard charity or in something impacting social change. While I hate to admit it, I think we are just another charity but I feel we should be different.
We have a "program" (program is a key sign of charity at times) where homeless men and women are welcome to come in off the streets and shower in our locker rooms and get clean clothes. They leave their dirty clothes with us and volunteers wash their laundry, ready to pick up when they come back for their next shower. We provide a small breakfast and a sitting space with a couch, etc for the guys to chat and enjoy their coffee. I lead a devotional which has just been a question of the day. We have a food pantry and a little clothing warehouse and we try to give them whatever they tell us they "need"--shoes, belt, food, razor, shaving cream, etc. It's a great thing and very much needed in the community. The methodists had a similar program in North Philly on Broad street across from my office building.
When they are finished they leave the building to go back under the bridges close by to sit and watch time go by, or drink, or figure out how they are going to get their next high, or roam the streets.
Most of them have no interest in going to a shelter, or in receiving some type of "services." They are war vets, people with mental limitations, and one fully employed executive who is living in his car. Many of them receive government checks.
If someone is interested in going to a shelter we have a "list" of places that can be called, but always with the same response. "Do you have id?" "No" "You need id to stay here." That place is crossed off the list...for medical care "Do you have id?" "No"...and on and on it goes.
If we find a shelter, i.e. our organization's shelter, and we get the $10 fee waived and the id requirement waived, we still have to figure out transportation. One of my employees drove a guy down there two weeks ago because he could barely walk.
Ids aren't really a big deal. There are "programs" that help people get their ids if they want them. Despite the very limited number of shelter beds in Atlanta, including a 400 bed shelter that is closed down for political reasons at the moment, shelter can be found if you look hard enough.
But they don't want shelter. Or ids. They want to escape from life. Life has beat them up so much that they don't want the stress--they just want to be left alone which leaves me wondering--are we really helping them? Are we making a difference, or are we "just" a charity?
About 8-10 of the guys came to our dinner before Bible Study last night with the church people and before the fight broke out one of the gentlemen quoted Isaiah 58 for us and affirmed what we were doing. After that he got himself into trouble and we had to escort him outside, but he meant well.
Are we just a charity? Who gets to decide if we are "helping" them or not--generally it's us deciding, but why?
This is what Isaiah 58:6 says:
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
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