Soup Kitchen: An Ongoing Outreach

As a missionary in Chicago, I was involved in a variety of outreaches.  One of my favorite outreaches was working with the homeless and serving at a soup kitchen.  When God called me back home, one of the things I missed was serving at the soup kitchen.  I began looking for opportunities around my hometown to serve.  I searched the newspapers for ministries or churches that were already helping the poor.  During my search, I found a group of Methodist churches that fed the hungry on a regular basis.  So I called around and asked if I could volunteer.  One of the churches agreed to let me help, and eventually agreed to let my church coordinate  and serve at the soup kitchen regularly.

There are so many reasons why I absolutely LOVE serving at the soup kitchen.  One reason is because it's a simple way to meet a practical need.  But the real reason is because it gives me the opportunity to get to know some pretty amazing people!!  It's taken a while, but real relationships are being built between the folks who serve and those who eat at the soup kitchen.  In the past couple of months, I've gotten to know two sisters - Jane & Edna.*  These two women have hard lives, but they have incredible, humbling faith.  Despite the heartache that Edna is facing in her marriage & with her youngest son, she holds onto Jesus with a child-like faith.  She trusts that He answers prayer.  And He does answer her prayers.

This past month was my husband's first time serving at the soup kitchen.  Together, we had a chance to get to know Shawn.*  Shawn shared with my husband & I that he is homeless.  He lives, most days, behind a grocery store downtown.  On cold nights, he drinks to stay warm.  Sometimes, like this past Halloween, he gets drunk enough to get arrested so he has a roof over his head at night.  Shawn believes in God, and even calls himself "apostle."  He's friendly with many pastors around town.  Whether or not Shawn knows God, I have no idea.  But I know that God knows Shawn.

Sometimes I like to think that I'm making a difference in the lives of the folks that come to the soup kitchen.  The truth is, they're changing me.  Jane, Edna, and Shawn remind me of God's love and faithfulness.  They remind me to hold on to Jesus during my tough times, because He loves me and will hold my hand through it all.

Have you ever helped out at a soup kitchen?  What was your experience like as you interacted with the folks who attended?

*names changed to protect identity

hope for the homeless

Most of you know that I've been a part of an organization called Homes of Hope since February.  Homes of Hope is a relational ministry of Love INC which provides transitional housing for homeless families (check out their blog here).  This program has been around for a while nationally, but has only been in Ross County for the last year.

As Administrative Assistant, I spend most of my time in the office, answering phones and other stuff.  Today I happened to spend a lot of time on the phone, specifically with two homeless families, trying to figure out how Homes of Hope could help them.  Both families have unique stories.  One is a family of four that is homeless due to drug addiction & job loss.  Another is homeless, living temporarily in a run-down hotel, because they lost their home to black mold.  Both of their situations are bleak.

But there is still hope.  My heart may be overwhelmed at their need, but God is not.  God sees both of these families.  In fact, He knew them before they were born. 

          You saw me before I was born.

               Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

                    Every moment was laid out

                         before a single day had passed.

 

                              Psalm 139:16

 

My heart is still broken for these families, but hope is rising as Scripture reminds me that God sees these families!  He's not forgotten them even though they may feel God has abandoned them.  And though statistics say that homeless and poverty is on the rise, there is still HOPE.

 

Hope in a God who sees.

 

Hope in a God who is not surprised by our circumstances.

 

Hope in a God who has a plan for our lives.

 

           For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

 

               “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

 

                      plans to give you hope and a future.

           

                            Jeremiah 29:11

 

Pray for these families today, my friends.  Pray for families that are like them.  And when you pray, ask God how He might want you to be the Hope that these families need.

 

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by life's circumstances that life seemed hopeless?  How did you find Hope in the midst of your circumstances?

homeless in ohio

My hometown is pretty small and homelessness isn't something we come across every day.  Occasionally there will be an old guy holding up a "will work for food" sign by the exit ramp or at one of the shopping centers.  But we don't see them sleeping on the side of the street or on a park bench.  Just because we don't see them, however, doesn't mean they're not there.  Even in the small city of Chillicothe, homelessness exists.  It is real.

According to statistics, there are about 12,000 homeless men, women, and children in the state of Ohio.  On any given day, 1500 of those go unsheltered.  Some of those who go unsheltered are living under bridges, down by the river, in cars, anywhere they can find a place to lay their head. 

The question is, what are we doing to help?  I came across a blog today written by a lady named Sandy.  She is using her creative talents to help the homeless in her Ohio hometown by knitting scarves, hats, mittens, and socks.  Read about her efforts to help the homeless here. 

In Chillicothe, one of the ways in which we can help the homeless is through a ministry called Homes of Hope.  In the near future, I will have more details to share on how to be more involved in serving this wonderful ministry.  But, in the meantime, please watch this video and share it with your family and friends.  Together we can make a difference and impact the homeless community where we live!



How are you reaching out to the homeless community in your hometown?