New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Blessed to have people supporting those in need
My brother lives in Seattle. A few weeks ago, his daughter was married there.
While we had visited a few times over the years, it had been quite a while, so we decided to go a few days early and see the city. After all, its reputation for culture, art, medicine and architecture are well known.
Seattle is known for its innovation and youthful competitive spirit — 10 of the Fortune 500 companies are headquartered there. Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Starbucks, REI coop, Boeing and Zillow all started there. It is a thriving, modern city on the move.
Upon arrival from the airport, what became clear was something unexpected. Yes, construction was all around. The buildings were artistically creative, innovative and unusual.
But one thing stood out more than anything else. In the midst of all this were the homeless population wherever you looked. Perhaps one could get inured to people sleeping on the street, in the alleyways, and on the park grass, but we couldn’t. It was shocking and it was heartbreaking.
The locals seemed to simply walk around them without notice. Whenever we encountered a local resident, we would ask, “With all the creativity and wealth and intelligence here in Seattle, couldn’t the community come up with a plan to help the homeless?”
One day while returning to our hotel, we saw a police car blocking the entrance to an alleyway. The officers were on the car loudspeaker. “Come out of there NOW!”
Three men emerged carrying their ever present bags of belongings. A typical afternoon rain was beginning to fall. My wife and I stopped to see how the police would handle the situation.
“Move along,” came the command as the three simply trudged off, increasingly soaked in the afternoon shower.
“That’s it?” I wondered. How do we allow this in a country with more resources than anywhere else on earth?
During World War II, when Jews were driven from their homes and had no place to go, some people offered them safety. In Albania, a nation that is 70% Muslim, the imams, following their religious duty of BESA, the Albanian/Arabic word for “house,” offered shelter. By war’s end, Albania was the only Eastern European country with more Jewish people than before the war. Apparently, faith can matter.
A home is not just a place with a roof. It is security, safety, caring, a place where human love can dwell.
Upon my return back to Connecticut, the image of the homeless in Seattle stayed with me. But as I began to open my mail, my mood changed. Among the letters was an announcement from the organization Christian Community Action.
On Saturday, July 9 at 11 a.m., my dear friend and colleague the Rev. Bonita Grubbs is dedicating their new facility to house up to 18 families at 660 Winchester Ave. in New Haven. After much planning and effort, as well as generous supporters, their work has born fruit. The theme is HOPE — higher opportunities, purpose, hope.
We are blessed in this community to have CCA and the faithful who work to support all people who find themselves in need. We can only hope and pray that Seattle too will soon find ways of dealing with the folks in need in their community. Faith can indeed matter.