The Rise in Homelessness

This week we entered the liturgical season of Advent.  A time of waiting watchfully for the coming of Christ.  A time of living our lives intentionally for Christ while we wait, watchfully.

It is also the darkest month of the year.  It is quickly becoming cold.  And Mainers are beginning to realize that there will not be nearly enough funds to keep Mainers warm this winter, nor many programs to keep people in their homes, which will lead to a rise in homelessness.

And sadly, at the small church I serve in rural Maine, we are already seeing that rise.  We are getting more calls for food, fuel, and shelter.  We are blessed to have wonderful homeless shelters north, west, and south of us.  Each of these shelters has a profound ministry, but they are also full.

We recently had a family of six, plus two pets, call our parish, seeking help with shelter.  They’d done all the right things, getting on the waiting lists in the shelters north, west, and south of us.  They had applied for jobs, they were caring for their children.  They were doing everything right, but on a particularly cold, fall night, they were about to face sleeping in their vehicle.

They were stuck, and so are we right now in Maine.  The need is greater than we can handle.  But winter is fast approaching, and with the cut to fuel funding, what is a family to do?  What is a church to do to support that family?  What is a community to do?

It seems to me that at least two things need to happen.  First, we need more shelter.  We need to increase our support, both with our time and our talent, to our local shelter or drop in center.  We can’t have our neighbors freezing this winter, or being forced out of the shelter they do have because they can’t afford fuel.  It’s just not acceptable.

Second, we need to address the systemic issues of homelessness in our country.  Here in Maine, one of the systemic issues is that  living here is so expensive, whether you rent or own. Fuel is expensive, and many low-income Mainers live in older homes that require more fuel to heat due to their age and/or lack of efficiency.  In a handout given at a United Way of Midcoast Maine meeting, it cost over a $1,000 more for low-income Mainers to heat their homes.  If people of all economic status’ can barely manage the fuel bill, how can any low-income Mainer pay the bill when it costs more than it might if they lived in a house that was energy-efficient.

We desperately need fuel aid here in Maine–and not less of it– more of it.  We need to encourage our politicians to do something about fuel aid to those that need it, to keep them off the streets and in their homes.

One of my favorite campaigns is Advent Conspiracy.  In this campaign, Advent Conspiracy challenges Christians to remember what Advent is really about.  They encourage us to not get caught up in consumerism and to set aside giving meaningless gifts.  Instead we can spend time together.  And to use the money we save towards something good.  They use the example of creating worldwide clean water.

Those of us here in Maine, if we too join the Advent Conspiracy, might be able to do something about slowing down the rise in homeless that will surely happen this winter in Maine.  Some of the money we save might go to our local homeless shelter or drop in center.  We can also volunteer and build relationships with those at our local homeless shelter or drop in center.

We can support initiatives like that of Maine author Stephen King and his wife, who offered to match up to $70,000 dollars of the $140,000 dollars his radio station have been trying to raise for fuel aid in Maine.

You can also collaborate with organizations like KeepMeWarm and Efficiency Maine .

You can also write to our representatives and ask that they take some initiative to do something about the lack of fuel aid and the rise in homelessness.  Write or call Olympia Snowe,   Susan Collins, Chellie Pingree, and Mike Michaud.

This is the season of Advent, and if we are truly waiting watchfully for Christ–than it matters how we live right now.  It matters that we live into Christ’s calling in Matthew 25: 35-36: “…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”

Changing the Politics of Hunger

This Sunday, October 16^th is World Food Day.  This is a worldwide event designed to increase awareness, understanding and informed, year-round action to alleviate hunger.

How can you, your school, workplace, organization, or faith community partake in World Food Day or be intentional about changing the politics of hunger before Thanksgiving?

Here are a few possibilities:

1.)    Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger

 This site is an international classroom for exploring the problems of hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity.  Their hope is to equip and encourage teachers and young people to actively participate in creating a world free from hunger.  They offer lessons for teachers to use on hunger and malnutrition, resources and activities for young people, as well as an interactive forum for exchanging information and experiences around the world.  Using this site educators are equipped to empower young people to take action in ending hunger.

 2.)    Bread for the World Sunday

 Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging its nation’s leaders to end poverty at home and abroad by changing public policy.  They are in relationship with Bread for the World Institute which seeks to provide policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it.  They are encouraging faith communities to take action by having faith, write to congress to make your voice heard in our government, engage your church by having a Bread for the World Sunday or a discussion on hunger, and organize your local community to take action to end hunger.

 3.)    Sign the Petition to End Hunger

 Join the 1billionhungry campaign by signing their petition.  The movement states that “We who support this petition find it unacceptable that close to one billion people are chronically hungry. Through the United Nations, we call upon governments to make the elimination of hunger their top priority until that goal is reached.”

This next week, I am committed to praying the Bread for the World prayer for Congress and will then write a letter to Congress to address the growing hunger concerns that I see in my own small town.

O God, whose will is good and gracious, and whose law is truth: we ask you to guide and bless our senators and representatives in Congress. Give them courage, wisdom, and foresight to provide for the needs of all people—especially those who struggle to feed themselves and their families.  In the midst of deliberations about fiscal stewardship, help them remember our national responsibility to those who have the least. Help Congress enact laws that will please you and create the sort of community that you intend, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For more information on hunger, visit our page on Hunger.

An update and a request to HELP

The leaves are changing colors, and we are spending our days preparing for the next cold Maine winter. Yet before we completely close the book on this summer, I would like to offer a brief update on both Long Meadow Farm in West Gardiner, Maine and Everyday Basics Essential’s Pantry at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Augusta, Maine.

Earlier this summer we learned that Long Meadow Farm was offering an opportunity to stretch WIC or SNAP dollars by allowing six families to use them to purchase shares in the farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Farmers Denis Thoet and Michele Roy reported last month that the program had gone well this summer.

Denis wrote: “ Yes, we do have six SNAP shares/members, and the program is going well. Payments are made monthly or bimonthly through the season, as people can afford them. We hope that we will be able to continue the program next year, and are exploring the idea on a non-grant supported SNAP membership.”

Earlier this summer we also wrote about Everyday Basics Essentials Pantry offering the gift of love and dignity through everyday basics.   The Rev. Rebecca Grant is the coordinator of the program, and she recently wrote that the need for everyday necessities is at an all time high.

In 2010 there were 1,673 people who visited and received essential items.  As of October 1st the pantry has already served 1,690 people.   This past Saturday alone the pantry had 143 visitors, which was an all time high.  While Everyday Basics acknowledges that it is wonderful that the pantry is able to serve that many people, it is also a challenge and their supplies have been depleted.

This outreach ministry in the Kennebec Valley region serves people from a widespread area including Farmington,Waterville, Whitefield, Winthrop, Manchester, Augusta, Gardiner, Farmingdale, Hallowell, Chelsea and many other areas.  There is no residency requirement to receive any essential items from the pantry.  The one requirement is that the individual be present to receive the items.

In a letter issued to the community today, Senior Warden Joseph Riddick wrote on behalf of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church asking You to Help. 

You can help.  Everyday Basics accept donations of toilet paper, bar soap, powdered laundry detergent, diapers (sizes 4, 5, 6), diaper wipes, and feminine hygiene products at St. Mark’s Church.  The church office is open on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8-12.   On Saturday, October 15^th we will be at the church starting at 8 am accepting donations for Everyday Basics. 

You can help.  Everyday Basics accepts financial donations for the program.  Checks, cash, gift cards are all used for the dedicated purpose for which they are given.   Checks should be written to: Everyday Basics – St. Mark’s Church.  They can be mailed to: St. Mark’s Church, 9 Summer St, Augusta, ME 04330.

You can help.  Everyday Basics invites your church, community group or business to adopt a product and supply it to Everyday Basics on an ongoing basis.

You can help your neighbors.  Everyday Basics is thankful for the strong support they have had in the past and appreciate your continued support as they continue to help those in need in the Kennebec Valley.

Sacred on the Street

This past summer a group of students from Bangor Theological Seminary (BTS) participated in a new course offering that allowed students to minister to the homeless and marginalized in downtown Portland, Maine.  The course, “Sacred on the Street”, aimed to provided “…an opportunity for students to experience a non-traditional ministry,  to enrich their understanding of the daily struggles of the poor and to grow in compassion for the homeless.”

The course was taught by the Rev. Mair Honan, an ordained United Church of Christ minister.  Rev. Honan is the pastor at Grace Street Ministry.  Grace is “…an outreach ministry offering a consistent, compassionate, pastoral presence to the homeless and marginalized in downtown Portland, Maine– to relieve suffering, to address the spiritual needs in this ever shifting community and to decrease the prejudice between the housed and the homeless through preaching, education and experience.”

Grace Street Ministry seeks to support the homeless and marginalized in this community through presence, prayer, and advocacy.  This might mean sharing a cup of coffee with a person, or helping them to find a used bicycle or pair of boots.

Grace Street Ministry is dear to many students at BTS.  The Rev. Chick Carroll,’11 had the opportunity to walk with Rev. Honan in a similar course offering a few years back.  JusticeandMercyME recently had the chance to talk with Rev. Carroll about his time walking with Rev. Honan.

When asked what makes Grace Street Ministry unique, Rev. Carroll offered, “What makes it unique to me is its frankly religious nature. As the Rev Mair Honan says, “my name is Mair, my business is prayer.” There’s no pretense this is a social service initiative. Mair is explicit in offering a way to be with Christ.”

Rev. Carroll found the biggest “aha” moment was to meet others who could have been in his shoes, “To realize in a very profound way that I could be in their place if things had gone just a little bit differently–for me and for them.”

Do you pass through downtown Portland (or someplace beyond), unsure of how to help our brothers and sisters holding up: “Homeless: Please Help” signs?  While Grace Street Ministry does not seek to solve the greater social problems that have caused homelessness, they do offer wisdom on how to be present to that population through their acts of mercy.

If you would like to help, consider supporting Grace Street Ministry with a financial donation, by becoming a partner, or supplying an item from the “How You Can Help List”.  $5 dollar gift cards to Dunkin Donuts and Subway are always welcome.  Those simple gift cards offer a homeless person the opportunity to go get a little something to drink or eat, use a restroom, and have a warm (or cool, in these summer months) place to sit.

If you are interested in possibly walking with Rev. Honan as part of a BTS course or to simply support this ministry than please be in touch with BTS or Grace Street Ministry about future possibilities.

Offering the gift of love and dignity through Everyday Basics

Everyday Basics

Everyday there are low-income individuals and families struggling to scrape together enough money to pay for the essential’s that the Food Supplement Program (formerly Food Stamps) does not cover.  Items such as toilet paper, laundry soap, cleaning supplies, mouthwash, toothpaste, deodorant, and disposable diapers are not eligible for purchase with food stamps.

In 2009, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Augusta opened Everyday Basics Essential’s Pantry to help families bridge the gap between what Food Stamps will cover and what individuals and families actually need.  Their mission is “…to provide for the basic needs that are vital to the creation and preservation of human dignity, self-esteem, and well-being of people. We will accomplish this through raising peoples’ awareness of the plight of others, becoming a resource for freely distributing necessities essential to daily life and by building a broad community of inclusiveness.”

The Everyday Basics program is housed at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and supported by parishioners, an Episcopal Diocese of Maine Outreach Ministry grant, and a strong commitment from three other local faith communities:  St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and Unitarian Universalist Community Church both in Augusta and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Hallowell.  The program is coordinated by Pat Bamforth and the Rev. Rebecca Grant.  They work together with volunteers to provide everyday essentials to those in need.  They are open on the 1st and 3rd Saturday afternoons of each month in conjunction with Addie’s Attic Clothing Bank and the Angel Food Public Suppers at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

JusticeandMercyME recently had the opportunity to speak with the Rev. Rebecca Grant about Everyday Basics.   When asked how this ministry addresses issues of justice and mercy, Grant responded:  ”This ministry is about creation and preservation of human dignity.  Imagine not being able to afford toilet paper, diapers for an infant, or the laundry detergent to wash your family’s clothing.  Poverty is one of the greatest enemies of human dignity and while Everyday Basics cannot end the world’s poverty or even that in the Kennebec region, it can make a difference in the lives of those who seek us out.  No one person is greater than the other- volunteer or guest- we care and we are equals.  Conveying that message through action more than words begins the germination of relationships, inclusiveness, and clear message that God cares for each and every one of his precious children- they are loved and they deserve dignity which is what we strive to provide even more than the essential items we distribute.”

“We operate with limited resources, housed by the Parish of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and generously supported by three local faith communities and a diocesan grant.  The fact that we have yet to run out of items for distribution is the manifestation of God’s grace in our lives.  Through this ministry, the volunteers, and its supporters, we are living into Jesus two great commandments as a way of being present to the people of the Kennebec region.”

Today Everyday Basics  received a Spirit of America Foundation Award at a ceremony at the Blaine House.  The Spirit of America Foundation is a non-profit foundation established in 1990 to honor volunteerism.  Each year, Spirit of America Awards are presented in the name of more than 25 Maine municipalities to individuals, organizations and projects for commendable community service.   The Rev. Rebecca Grant accepted the award on behalf of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, its ministry partners and volunteers.

If you would like to offer a financial gift, donate goods, or volunteer at the pantry please contact the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at (207) 622-2424.

Long Meadow Farm offers opportunity to stretch WIC or SNAP dollars

Fresh Organic Produce from Long Meadow Farm

The snow is melting and spring is right around the corner.  For many people this means it is time to sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) summer share at a local farm.  CSA’s offer a unique opportunity for individuals to pledge to support a local farm, and share the risks and benefits of food production with the farmers.  CSA’s typically consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, and occasionally dairy and meat products.

Long Meadow Farm located in West Gardiner, Maine will be offering a unique opportunity for families who are participating in WIC or SNAP (food stamps) to become shareholders in their CSA this season.  Long Meadow Farm has received a grant that will pay $150 of the $350 cost of a CSA share, with the rest paid through the family’s WIC or SNAP funds.  This grant has allowed for Long Meadow Farm to enlist up to six families for the 2011 season.  There are still one or two available slots.

A share in Long Meadow Farm’s CSA will provide 20 weeks of fresh organic vegetables from June-October, 2011.  A small share generally provides enough vegetables for a family of two adults and two children for the 20-week period.  CSA members will receive a weekly newsletter with recipes showing how to prepare their vegetables. The farm also schedules two-three potlucks per year for members to come to the farm and get to know each other. They encourage members to come to the farm at their convenience to pick flowers and herbs at no added expense to them.

If you or someone you know would be interested in using WIC or SNAP dollars to participate in this new opportunity, please contact Long Meadow Farm.   They also have participated in the WIC Program for the last four years and are able to accept SNAP purchases through the Gardiner Farmers’ Market.

Long Meadow Farm received this grant from Wholesome Wave Foundation. Wholesome Wave also gave similar grants to Small Wonder Organics located in Bowdowinham, Maine and Hatchet Cove Farm located in Warren, Maine.  In addition to grants such as these, Wholesome Wave offers a Double Value Coupon Program which double’s the value of SNAP benefits when used at participating farmer’s market’s nationwide.  Maine has several farmer’s markets’ that are participating in this program.  Are you looking for a new way to get involved with the battle to end hunger?  Contact Wholesome Wave for a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Welcome to JusticeandMercyME

Welcome to JusticeandMercyME.

We are a web-based resource that seeks to encourage and empower people of all faith traditions to join in the battle to end domestic poverty here in Maine.   We feature organizations that are making systemic changes through acts of justice, and organizations that are meeting the needs of the here and now through acts of mercy.  We believe that if we each “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” that we can fulfill the hope of ending domestic poverty.

We feature government agencies, Maine-based organizations, and national organizations that address hunger, the need for everyday necessities, homelessness, centers that work for justice and mercy, as well as, volunteer and grant opportunities.  Through our weekly blog we also feature other news, events, ministries, and organizations that address ending domestic poverty here in Maine.

If you are passionate about this social justice issue be sure to subscribe to our blog or like us on Facebook.  For those interested in how JusticeandMercyME came to be, check out our history.