Medical Needs

I have mentioned many times about the various needs of the homeless. Some are life threatening and others are not. One of the individuals that assist them with their life threatening needs is a nurse that is assigned or loaned to Triune from St. Francis Hospital. I got to talk to her last Tuesday night.

She outlined her responsibilities for minor things like taking blood pressure to major things that revolve around medications that are necessary to maintain their health mostly for diabetics or high blood pressure. The homeless can go to the emergency room for a health assessment and get their prescription, but getting it filled is another thing. Since most don’t have the money they rely on her to help them cut through the red tape and get it filled.

Currently, the nurse told me that they have to go to one agency to be certified as homeless. This agency will issue a letter to that effect which they must be taken to another agency to get the prescription. That is a lot of walking or they need a bus pass to get from one place to another. After that is accomplished, then there is the challenge for them to keep up with the prescription and take it as directed. Since they don’t necessarily have a place to stay, it is not uncommon for them to lose it within day on street. Then there is the problem if they are incarcerated. Any kind of prescribed drugs are taken away from the homeless, so when they get out they have to start all over to receive the necessary prescriptions. Even though it is challenging for her, it is obvious she loves her job because she genuinely cares about the people she is helping each day. All of us at Food for Life salute her for her unselfish service and dedication to the most vulnerable in society.

This week most of the requested needs ranged from tooth ache medicine to a roll of toilet paper. Although not life threatening, I guess both requests are very important to that one individual.

We had a good crowd this week. We served 65 meals with the assistance of 18 volunteers.
~Marc

It is Sad

It is sad to witness the condition of many who cannot resist the devastating effect of stimulants on their body and spirit. Also, it is sad when it not only affects them but also others. The purpose each Tuesday night is to share the gospel and love on others. But when someone can’t stand up and wants to stumble in while Paul is preaching, you know things could go very wrong.

That is what happened this week. When I saw him I knew there would be trouble. But I thought to myself, maybe not this time. But I should not have ignored the signs of trouble. I wasn’t in the room but I could see through the window. Everyone was standing up in the corner and two men were yelling at each other. Many immediately took control and ushered both from the room. Unfortunately, they continued their disagreement on the side walk. One hit the other and he fell in the street even though others were trying to break up the fight. I knew at that point that I had to call 911.

Two patrol cars showed up and everyone scattered. Some took off across the street and others that were helping to break up the fight went back into the building for the rest of the sermon. No one was arrested and everyone calmed down. It was a good outcome to a very tense situation. I guess many of the homeless experience this many times each week but we don’t deal with this very often. Most are very respectful and some even grateful for the food and fellowship. But our desire is to reach everyone so we can not turn some away just because there might be trouble.
~Marc

God's Invisible Attributes

It was hot last night and all of the homeless couldn't wait to get inside to feel the cool air conditioning. A large container of ice water was appreciated by everyone. Usually in this kind of weather we see hot tempers as well, but this week everyone seemed to be content to just "cool it". The weather continued to go from one extreme to another. A thunder storm moved in with heavy rain and lighting. I wondered if we would lose electricity before we could finish cooking the dinner. Fortunately that did not happen until everyone had finished eating. And by then the sun had come out and there was enough light for everyone to finish their meal. As everyone was leaving there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky. Most did’t notice but some did and commented that they were amazed at the power and the beauty of God. I thought about Romans 1:19-20. “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” God was reminding everyone of His existence.

This week we served 90 hot meals with the assistance of 18 volunteers. Many were the GE employees. No one could miss them with their green company shirts, although one individual only had his shirt hanging around his neck. I guess he fulfilled the requirement for company attire.
~Marc

What I Have Learned

The following is the testimony that I gave last Sunday at North Hills Community Church. Marc asked me to put it on the blog this week. ~Charity Blumer

When I first started going to Food for Life, I was not even dating my husband. I had met him and thought that it sounded like a great ministry, so I started volunteering.

I believed in the church’s responsibility to care for the poor, but I thought that would look like me giving them money or items that they needed and maybe serving a meal at a place like Food for Life. At first, everyone who volunteers, including myself, starts to wonder what makes a person live a lifestyle of homelessness, since many of them have been coming to Food for Life for years. I quickly drew some conclusions about them, like this one is a drug addict, this one is a bad alcoholic, this one can’t read therefore can’t get a job. I observed their lifestyle choices, the drugs, alcohol, prostitution, immorality and general disregard for marriage, and without premeditating to do it, that is how I defined them when I thought of them. It was how I made sense out of why they are the way they are.

It has taken me all the way until this year to alter my thinking, after really learning some things about my own sin nature and also getting to know some of them better, and re-evaluating my whole way of thinking about how to help the poor and needy. I started getting to know their stories, and I discovered that there isn’t just one reason that they are the way they are. They aren’t homeless just because they are drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, or lazy. There are many layers that explain why they are living this sad lifestyle.

And the thing that I have been struck with the most is that they really aren’t that different from me. There was a time when I would have said, “I could never be homeless, I would rather die than spend one night on the street, and I would do anything to make sure that I never had to.” But I would have spoken out of ignorance. As I have considered their histories, I have realized that most of them have experienced more abuse, neglect, and hardship than I can even comprehend. If I had experienced the kinds of things that most of them have, I would be just like they are.

What makes me different from them really has nothing to do with me. I was born into a different life, with wonderful parents and great opportunities and the grace of God all around me. It was a gift that had nothing to do with me.

So now when I look at them I don’t think, “How could you let yourself live this life,” I simply feel overwhelmed with compassion, and even though I know that for many of them it is going to take a Holy Spirit miracle for their lives to change, I hope and pray that I get to see the miracle take place.