Homelessness

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The goal

by admin on January 31, 2011 · 0 comments

Isaiah 58:6-14 (MSG)

6 “This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.

7 What I’m interested in seeing you do is:

sharing your food with the hungry,

inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.

8 Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.

9 Then when you pray, God will answer.
You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’
A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places
“If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people’s sins,

10 If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.

11 I will always show you where to go.
I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

12 You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.

Man oh man. I’ve got a ways to go…

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Message received

by admin on October 22, 2010 · 4 comments

At Laundry Love Santa Ana on Thursday, there was a woman who said some disparaging things about “the people who started this thing.”  Being one of “those people” I took this a bit personal.  I was a little angry and a little hurt that someone would question my motives or accuse me of being unfair.  Intellectually, I understand that she was not entirely well and that she has a reputation for starting fights for fun, but I still could hear what she was saying (;

Five things happened within 24 hours that made me realize I should not let that situation impact me the way it did…

  1. One guy from Civic Center told me a bit of his story, especially as it relates to violence directed towards those experiencing homelessness.  He is a veteran and just got approved for his pension after over a year living on the streets.  He smiled from ear to ear as he described the tiny studio apartment he was moving into the first of the month.  He also told me that it was things like Laundry Love Santa Ana, that made the awful things bearable.
  2. Another friend who is homeless shared (to nearly everyone multiple times, he was so excited) that he was into his third month of being clean.  Such a huge accomplishment and such an amazing opportunity to walk with him through this difficult time.
  3. A brand new volunteer told me that anytime there is something good happening, there will be opposition to it.  So I guess that means we are on the right track!
  4. A volunteer asked me for relationship advice.  This may seem out of place here, but from early on, the thing that I have been most excited about Laundry Love Santa Ana is the intersection point it has become. A community of so many different people from so many different backgrounds.  And as communities grow, people start reaching out to each other.  The fact that this guy felt he could talk to me about his relationship, when we met through Laundry Love, means that something real is happening at the laundromat.
  5. I went for a late night diaper run to CVS by my house about two miles from the laundromat.  There was a guy out front asking for money.  I didn’t have any cash on me, but asked if he minded change.  Had some coins in my car. After giving him like 40 cents in pennies I told him about Laundry Love Santa Ana.  His face lit up.  He and his wife appeared to live in their car.  He showed me his trunk with was VERY full of dirty clothes.  He gave me a firm handshake and thanked me.  Not sure he even remembered the change at that point, the thought of someone helping him with laundry was just overwhelming.

I am a slow learner, I am stubborn and I have a short attention span, so learning a lesson takes some clear butt whooping, which evidently I got.  Ever have something slammed in your face so blatantly?

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The Simple Things and Identity

by admin on April 15, 2010 · 1 comment

I talked with a friend the other day.  Nothing deep.  Nothing dramatic.  He moved into a new place about two weeks ago.  I asked him how he was liking it.  He got a huge smile on his face and told me he liked it because he gets to take a shower every day.

Wait–what?  Yeah, I know I didn’t tell you he was living on the streets of down town Santa Ana first.  I have been trying to wrap my mind around this idea that somehow that doesn’t have to be how I identify people.

He wasn’t my “homeless friend.”  He IS my friend.  At one point he was homeless.  Sometimes he helps me with yard work.  We met at Laundry Love Santa Ana.  All those things are true.  But fundamentally, he is my friend.  Who he is should not be defined by where he sleeps.

Spend some time reflecting on the simple things in life that should bring you great joy, but don’t.  Also, think about how we name and categorize people.  One’s essential humanity should be first.  You are who you are regardless of a whole slew of circumstantial things.  Why should others be defined by circumstances?

What simple things are you thankful for? Whose identity do you need to reconsider?

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