Group Ministry to Homeless Persons

In the last post, we looked at Your Private Ministry to Homeless Persons and ideas you can incorporate and things to think about. But there’s not just one way to serve. Sometimes efforts can be combined to make a greater impact. As an individual, on your best day, you may only be able to help a couple people or with a lot of effort, a couple dozen people. A group, however, can feed hundreds in the same amount of time. Today, we’ll look at ideas and things to think about.

My Story

Yesterday, I told you about the people that live in the woods behind Walmart, in my area. My heart has been drawn to providing hot meals- especially when the weather is cold. I cooked a big batch of spaghetti (about 2 dozen nice helpings), loaded up a case of waters, flavor packets, and rolls and headed out to distribute with a friend. That day we drove around for an hour, at all the normal spots where I would see homeless persons and most of the ones we found, turned down the meal. I learned from talking to one of them that someone came by to bring them coats, book bags, and food. That person accepted a bottle of water, but other than that, wanted money. This was in an area near the county line. Between the Pastor that cautioned me not to go into the woods- he and his church (and probably others), have that community well taken care of, if appears. I think two persons, wanted my meal and one sat down immediately and started devouring it before the light changed and I drove away. The church(es) caring for them, did a lot more than I could do myself.

From then forward, I concentrated my efforts in the inner city, where there was a much greater concentration of homeless persons and appeared to be a greater need. I gave out the spaghetti I had left and ran out before everyone was served. That’s the thing about private ministry. I made the biggest batch I could, but it was still only enough for a couple dozen people.

Tangible Ways to Help

  • Your church may have a homeless ministry you can join or you can start one. You can also join forces with other community groups that already do this (or start one). The day, I asked a few others to make soups for me and we packed up to head down for distribution, there were very few homeless around. When I inquired, one of them told us that a church had been by earlier and gave out chicken dinners. They had been advertising it weeks before, via a posting inside of the Healthcare for the Homeless Building.” Had I known, I could have joined forces with them. You can start one within your own family. It’s a great way to get children and others who aren’t inclined to start thinking about people less fortunate than them.
  • You can create a menu or checklist of things to donate and then post the list and begin collections. Aside from food, think about blankets, gloves, hats, scarves, foil blankets, warm socks, , coats, toiletries, cough drops, wet ones, tissues, flavor packets for water bottles, book bags or knapsacks. Then decide how you will distribute. Does every bag get the same items? Don’t forget personal care items for women. Don’t forget you may run into homes families, that include children, so you may need items for children.
  • For a smaller group of helpers, you can divide the list up as to who will prepare or purchase what. For example, if you are serving meals, decide who will make what dish and how much. Then decide where you’ll meet up to package meals- or whether you will setup outside and make plates based on what people want, like a lot of church buffets go. I know a few people who go out with a small group of their family members. One of them sells raffle tickets to help fund their ministry. Some people don’t give unless they get. I decided to partner with her because two is better than one. Maybe there’s someone(s) you can partner with.
  • If your group plans to give out food, you should consider how to handle request for other things. Do you want to also give away hats, gloves, and/or blankets? Will you have enough to distribute if you go into a heavily populated area? If you won’t, resolve whether you all think it’s better to give those items to a handful of people, knowing you won’t have enough for everyone who asks; or whether you all will focus on just food for that occasion. One is not necessarily better than the other, but it’s something to consider in advance.
  • Talk to Healthcare for the Homeless or whatever your local agency might be called; and talk to your local homeless shelters and ministries. See if anything is coming up that your group can participate in. Or make sure nothing is coming up that will conflict or duplicate what you are intending to do on a given date. I didn’t think it was possible, but the day I bought soup, I still had soup left even after driving around for an hour looking for homeless persons to give it away to. They were satisfied for the time, with the chicken dinners that were distributed earlier. As I was leaving downtown, I offered soup, bottles of water, and fruit to squeegee boys on the corner. I still had more. A few miles away, I found a group of persons lined up at a local clinic and offered soup, water, hot beverages, fruit, and snacks to them; until everything was gone. A few phone calls, in advance, could have saved me a lot of time and energy. So, consider making a few calls before you plan your event.
  • On cold days, can you serve hot drinks? Can you fill insulated pitchers with hot coffee or hot water for tea? In my experience, almost everyone wants hot coffee. Very people opt for hot tea and cocoa, though there are a few that will. Instead of hot water and instant coffee, it may be easier just to bring hot coffee already brewed, so all you have to do is pump into the cup, pour sugar and cream, or offer packets of sugar and cream. If you don’t have enough insulated containers to set one aside for hot water, there’s a good chance that the tea or cocoa lovers will accept coffee, if that’s all you have.
  • Consider planning your giveaways during times when most people aren’t having theirs. Thanksgiving Day and Christmastime seems to be the most popular times to give, and to give most generously and liberally. So, consider using that time to join with existing programs that serve around that time and holding your personal or family’s give-away for off-peak periods. Unfortunately, that same degree of giving won’t last more than a month or so.
  • Look for homeless initiatives in your city and see what you, your family, your church, or local community group can do to help.
  • Provide financial support when you are unable to serve yourself. I urge you to not just write the check (though that could be a great help), but to also to engage in the work- sometimes- even if only once or twice a year. Seeing the need (up close) and participating in ministering to that need communicates in a way that the best blog post or news article can’t. These are real people, real stories and situations, and could easily be any of us.

An Intangible Way to Help

Be humble, smile at people, and look them in their eyes. I’ve had to practice speaking up, looking people in their faces, and smiling. This is not the time to be shy and self-conscious. It’s important to show you care and you aren’t just marking a “good deed” off your checklist. I’ve worked alongside people, occasionally, who treat needy or homeless persons indignantly. It’s like ty are offended to have to be bothered by them. It’s important that you go out of the way to genuinely show you care.

Conclusion

Joining forces with others can provide opportunities for you to do much more than you can do yourself. Sometimes, you’ll do private ministry and other times, you can do group ministry. Whatever you do, do it as unto God and not to man. Jesus said, “inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye heave done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).