compassion & the homeless

By DeAnza on

In 2008, the Homeless One Night Count conducted their survey in King County in which 8,439 people were accounted for as homeless.  This year’s count reflected a 2% increase of homeless people in unsheltered areas going from 2,631 individuals to 2,685 (without adding any new areas).  As we look at this increase, as well as take into account the economic climate we are currently facing we cannot ignore the impact of the lack of affordable housing and dwindling economy on the most vulnerable of our city.  At Quest we have decided that this is a significant issue to gather and dialogue about.  How can we be part of the solution?  Why should we even care?

    
On March 16th, at 7 pm Quest Church will be hosting a panel discussion with community advocates from the greater Seattle area to engage on these important questions and challenge us to join in the solution to compassionately care for our brothers and sisters who are non-housed in our neighborhoods.  

By DeAnza on

In my eight years of work with the homeless I remember the handful of incidents when I've cringed inside after an interaction.  One of these times was just last month.  We were getting ready to hold our regular 'To the Streets' distribution on the third Saturday of December, as we always do when the snowpocalypse came to Seattle.  Everything was getting cancelled or shut down and as I looked outside I remember how I really wanted to stay home with a cup of hot cocoa in one hand, a good book in the other and snuggled up near our fireplace.  Not long after that initial thought crossed my mind I remembered that my brothers and sisters who were homeless didn't have that option.  I realized that I had a priveledge of escaping the bitter cold by just simply staying in my house-- a luxury the homeless do not get to participate in.  I realized that whether rain, sleet, snow or shine these men and women-- well they are homeless-- if they weather is bad or the conditions get extremely c