Gubbio, a Homeless Project at St. Boniface Church

A-Z Challenge G= Gubbio Project

I can't help but think God is smiling knowing about the Gubbio Project in San Francisco at St. Boniface Church.  Sleeping is scared.  Homeless people have many problems, beyond the elements, the lack of food, the lack of respect, lack of good health, the also often lack sleep.  They lack sleep because they don't have a bed in a shelter, they don't have a protected dry or clean place to sleep, and or they don't have a place to sleep without being harassed, often by police as well as others.  When you lack sleep, you often act irrationally causing people to fear homeless, to not want to help them and more.

This church has been provided sanctuary, a safe place to sleep, eat, and just be at peace for the last 10 years.   Homeless can sleep from 6 am til 3 pm.  On Friday's meals are served.  There are supplies of personal care items such as soap, toothpaste and more for those in need.  Free hair cuts, vouchers for clothing also are available.   There are pamphlets available to aid the homeless in finding shelters, and other social work assistance.  A nurse podiatrists is available certain days to help with cleaning feet, massaging feet, checking feet for disease etc.  There are 2 masses a day, and the homeless are not asked to leave during those masses.  In fact, many join in prayer, others may sleep through.  The church asks that the back 67 rows be used for sleeping, so parishioners can attend mass up front by the alter.  This project was started by Major Gavin Newson who had a 120 year plan to end homelessness.  20,000 homeless have been houses or referred to shelters and 1.5 million dollars spent; but the problem remains.  For each homeless person taken off the street, there's one to replace them.  Still the church and it's members do what they can and it does help.

Do you have a program similar in your city?  If so, I'd like to know about it, please leave me information in the comments section.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Crying and Homeless and Freezing Temperatures

A-Z Challenge
F = Freezing

Valentines Day George and Joyce Gruss were traveling through Columbus and stopped for a bite to eat at Wendy's on Route 161, right off the freeway with the intention of eating and moving onto their destination.  They noticed a couple near them and the woman was crying.  They seemed very low and down and out and so Joyce and George asked what the problem was.  The couple was homeless, had missed the curfew at the shelter and had no place to go.  It was 8 degrees, with a prediction of going lower as the night progressed.

Wanting to help the couple they took them to a nearby hotel, also on Route 161, The Super 8, and got the couple a room for 3 nights to keep them out of the cold.  They prepaid for the room and left thinking the couple would have a few days reprieve before making their way back to the shelter.   An hour later while Joyce and George were in no longer in Columbus and well on their way, they received a phone call from the hotel saying the weren't letting the couple stay, they were kicking them out.  The couple didn't have any identification.  So, out in the  freezing cold in what was the beginning of the coldest weather of the year the couple went.  No one knows what became of them, or where they went, of if they are ok.  The hotel initially didn't even refund the Gruss's money.  After a large out pouring of negative publicity on social media, their money was refunded.  Super 8 is owned by The Wyndham Hotel Chain.  Petitions gathered large numbers of signatures, again through social media to call this sad fact to the attention of the hotel chain and the general public.  The hotel chain has apologized, but....

The George and Joyce have tried to locate the couple, both by coming back to Columbus and through social media, but my research hasn't turned up anything on that score.

The hotel has had problems before.  Lots of problems with drugs and prostitution.  In fact the hotel had been closed for a period 6 months because of such problems and they were under some pretty tough court guidelines of appropriate action in order to stay open.  They had some business problems, perhaps management problems no doubt.  Does that justify sending a homeless couple out in the freezing cold ...the public outcry would say NO!  Social media can be a wonderful tool.

Yesterdays post, another sad story of being homeless, freezing and dying from exposure, so I do wonder what happened to the couple.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.

Exposure Kills Homeless Veterans

A-Z Day 6 E=Exposure

This incredible picture truly looks like somewhere over the rainbow.  This was taken by Steve Edquist at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minnesota.  A final resting place of honor for our Military. (Thank you Steve for the use of your photo).

Meet Jerome William Jackson, better known as Jerry.  He was a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corp from 1975-1978.  This picture is the face of a homeless man, taken in 2005 at The Union Gospel Mission in St. Paul where Jerry lived for awhile off and on after being evicted from public housing.  Sadly, this Marine died of exposure on Feb 21st.  His body was found in a homemade shack in below freezing temperatures in Indian Mounds Park.  This Marine who served his country had schizophrenia, making life difficult for him and sometimes those around him; though he was well liked by those who knew him at Our Saviours' Lutheran Church.

No one should die of the elements, of exposure in this country; and most certainly not a Veteran.  But, it happens.  According to an article by Piper Hoffman of Care2, about 700 Homeless People die every year from exposure.  What a sad statistic that is.

This is a sad story, one of many and one of the reasons we do what we can here on Bridge and Beyond.  Warm hats, scarves, and mittens can save a life.  And so we knit and we crochet and we donate.  This isn't the first post I've written about the death of a homeless person.  Very recently I posted about Michael B. Williams, Jr.

However, this is also a rather heart warming story, as the community came together and took care of arrangements to honor this man, Lance Corporal Jackson.  He was buried at Ft. Snelling with military honors, a 21 gun salute and bag pipes.  Mueller Memorial provided their service for free, and arrangement were made to locate his brother, Don and bring him in for the service.  He was honored to receive the folded flag from his brothers casket.  The brothers hadn't seen each other in several years.   Communications were strained and difficult with the disease and the homelessness.  RIP Jerry.

All donations regardless of size and number are valued. All donations are appreciated. The Power of One is awesome, and when we work together The Power of One becomes The Power of Many.