Homeless

For many Americans we are only one paycheck away to being homeless. It you are trans you probably have one step out the door already. The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey reported that…

Even more concerning, nearly one-third (30%) of respondents have experienced homelessness at some point in their lifetime, and 12% reported experiencing homelessness in the year prior to completing the survey because they were transgender.

So when I see this bigotry my hair stands on end.

Exiting the program; Other churches step up as two suddenly leave Family Promise
The Daily Times
By Melanie Tucker
January 16, 2018

Two Blount County churches with a long history of partnering with Family Promise to help homeless families have ended those relationships.

Mount Lebanon Baptist Church and Broadway Baptist Church notified Family Promise of Blount County they will no longer serve as host churches. For the past nine years, these two have given homeless families a place to stay at their houses of worship. They have cooked meals and taken on other responsibilities with the other churches who take turns in the program.

But both recently inquired if Family Promise has a same-sex couple in the program. They were told there are two moms with three young children enrolled. A short time later, both sent messages saying they are ending their affiliation with the nonprofit.

When this happened, Kathi Parkins, Executive Director of Family Promise, sent out an email to the other participating churches, asking if some of them might be able to step up and cover the weeks now left vacant by the exits of Mount Lebanon and Broadway.

It didn't take long. Catherine Nance, senior pastor at Maryville First United Methodist Church and Freida Herron, Family Promise coordinator at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, volunteered their congregations to take on the extra weeks.

Somehow I don’t remember when I was in Catechism class do I remember an asterisk after…

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me…

Or

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Saying that it only applies to certain people.

They call themselves “Christians” but they discriminate… that is not the Christianity that I learned, I learned Jesus taught love and peace not hate and bigotry.

And thank you for all the churches that stepped in to help everyone with open arms.