Sharing the wealth locally?

Winter is not far off, and we still have a houseless population. I think of St. Francis of Assisi who still speaks to us centuries later with his uncompromising message and life dedicated to helping the poor. Francis died around midnight on Oct. 3, 1226. St. Francis said, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

Can we imagine tents or even tiny houses as shelter on empty lots? Catholic Worker Hospitality House in San Bruno has set the example with portable tiny houses that include solar power, hot water, and a self-composting toilet.

Imagine, for example, our local Catholic church’s vast lot, an ideal site for an organized shelter. It is not just up to the city to take care of our least fortunate who are experiencing vulnerability. In 2015 Pope Francis addressed both houses of Congress with “The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and, on many fronts, especially in its causes… It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth.”

Sharing the wealth locally? Land and resources can provide shelter for those who need refuge from the elements.

This October, can we see a new partnership between members of this community faithbased or agnostic, service groups, and government? The grants are out there. This town has built a football stadium and a C.V. Starr Center. Isn’t it time for something grand that will live up to the principle that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights (U.N. Declaration of Human Rights)?”