Guest Column: Community shoudl offer compassion to homeless

Guest Column: Community shoudl offer compassion to homeless



MARY LAWRENCE
St. Augustine
Publication Date: 09/03/07


Happy Birthday to beautiful St. Augustine, an historic city of about 13,000 and temporary home to hundreds of semi-hidden, hungry, dirty and tired homeless people.

St. Augustine lays claim to being "America's Oldest City" and to be sure, countless signs and yellow pages listings attest to: "Ancient City", "Old City", "First Coast", and variations thereof. St. Augustine is also home to more than 90 churches, many charitable organizations and several government agencies devoted to social welfare. Hundreds of private citizens also volunteer time, treasure and talent to help the homeless.

St. Johns County recorded 1,238 homeless people in January, 251 of them children under the age of 18. About 80 percent of those counted homeless work but will never amass the amount of money needed for a security deposit and first month's rent to call a place home. Some panhandle, most do not. To our shame, many are veterans. Some, but not all, have addiction and mental health issues. Some have been released from prison. Many have medical and dental needs.

Why aren't we coming together to help and care for our homeless?

With the exception of City Commissioner George Gardner, who is working on viable solutions on his own, no city or county commissioner has responded to requests from PUSH, People United to Stop Homelessness, for information on the homeless. They prefer to defer responsibility to the Salvation Army, who was supposed to conduct a survey in May and who finally met with local agencies in August. In a surprise to everyone present, the survey takers said that the Salvation Army will not build a shelter in the county. Negotiations with St. Francis House, the only emergency shelter in the county with 28 beds, proceed in secret.

HUD's Report on Chronic Homelessness and the National Alliance for the Homeless indicate that other cities are making tremendous progress on a front that, in St. Augustine and St. Johns County has been shoved off on non profits, churches and compassionate individuals.

Those reports give examples of collaborations that work among business, government, churches, non profits and citizens. Columbus, Seattle, Birmingham, San Diego and others have workable models that in some cases have decreased homelessness by 40 percent. Their situations were far more critical than here.

In successful models, a number of things occur. Usually a citizen's group is formed, combining business, religious, government, and non profits. Ideas blossom. Connections are made. Projects are initiated and a wide range of people are committed to solutions. Older buildings are identified, purchased, renovated and funded for low-income housing. Businesses collaborate on materials and labor similar to Habitat for Humanity. Florida has numerous grant opportunities for these renovation projects. Churches and civic organizations often volunteer to adopt the residents of these buildings, making sure appointments are kept, food is in the house, bills are paid, work training/job search activities are ongoing, children are cared for and links to government services are followed up.

St. Johns County's Emergency Services Homeless Coalition is the logical choice as the coordinating agency because it is our state-appointed funding agency.

Compassionate people could do more than commiserate and donate clothes, canned goods and money. Imagine the understanding and acceptance that would happen as opposed to fear and ignorance as people worked with people. Instead of pushing legislation to run the homeless out of town, businesses would act on connections through the Chamber of Commerce and maybe even St. Augustine for Jesus/The Marketplace, whose Web site proclaims: "We exist as a group of Intercessors who have committed to being available to God for the salvation of the lost and the immediate needs of others."

With the notable exception of Mr. Patel, a local hotel owner, there has been no noticeable activity on the part of business except for complaining and passing of ordinances.

While we organize and plan to celebrate the city's birthday, consider the words of our city's namesake: "What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."


Mary Lawrence is co-founder of PUSH: People United to Stop Homelessness


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