COMBATING HOMELESSNESS: Congregations Engage in Acts of Compassion

[Area Congregations Together in Service] saved my life mentally, physically, and emotionally. I am forever grateful. ACTS enables people to keep their places and is so important to the community. I fully support ACTS and now cherish every moment of my life because of what I have been through. --A recipient of an ACTS grant

In the midst of these excruciating times, many people have been newly thrust into devastating economic situations. Yet for those among the working poor, economic crisis is not a current event but an ongoing reality. Their needs as basic as food, shelter, and medical care go unanswered by stimulus packages created to first support corporations and massive financial institutions.

Faced with the reality of life without a source of income or home or both, these most vulnerable of our population repeatedly wrestle with intolerable choices: Do I fill this prescription, or do I buy groceries to feed my family? Do I attend an evening job skills class in hopes of finding a job with a living wage, or do I try to find a second job because my current one doesn't cover my monthly expenses?

These families walk an economic tight wire, and one misstep can land them in a financial crisis that could cost them their home. Too often, they are on their own. Without a safety net in place, they literally wander the streets, knocking on doors, desperately seeking the assistance that will spare their family from the scourge of homelessness.

BUT THERE is hope for many here in the greater Richmond area. Thirty-one area faith congregations, including St. James's Episcopal Church, have partnered to create a ministry called Area Congregations Together in Service, or ACTS. ACTS' mission is to provide support and financial resources to hard-working, low-income families and individuals who are facing a temporary crisis that could lead to homelessness. Individuals and families who meet basic criteria are able to receive substantial help with rent, mortgage, and utility payments. These financial payments and acts of compassion are often the difference between families staying in their homes or ending up homeless.

The ACTS ministry was formed to fill a gap that exists in homelessness prevention services. The mission began in 2002 with a small working group of six churches that wanted a more compassionate and efficient way to help people who came knocking on the doors of a church looking for bus tickets, food, and money.

In 2006, after four years and countless hours of work from dedicated social workers, lay professionals, and clergy, ACTS opened its doors and begin assisting families. The ministry, located in the Family Lifeline building at 2325 W. Broad Street, hopes to recruit at least 100 more interfaith partner congregations within two years. Each congregation pledges financial support to ACTS, and it is from these funds that grants are given.

To date, ACTS has reached more than 800 of our poor and marginalized neighbors, with nearly half being children. It has provided almost $300,000 in financial assistance. The ministry recently informally surveyed those who have been served in the past 18 months and found that 100 percent were still stably housed. A small number (12 percent) said they continue to struggle, but they had not lost their housing. In fact, the emotional response to the ACTS program and ministry revealed by the survey was overwhelming.

THE SPIRITUAL toll that inevitably accompanies families and individuals who are staring down the possibility of homelessness can be severe. For the numerous congregations working together to ensure the continued growth of ACTS, loving our neighbors means never tolerating the brutalities of poverty. For those who have been helped by ACTS, it is the lifeline that has spared them from the awful choices of their circumstances:

"I was at the point in my life where I was thinking of committing suicide. The ACTS' worker really helped me [financially] and comforted me."

"The ACTS program was a life saver. I would have lost my house if it was not for you. God knows I never would have made it without your program. I am still in my house thanks to ACTS. I am doing Okay!"

There is no doubt that maintaining a stable home can be a struggle for many Richmond area residents, given the current state of our economy. But our God is a God of hope. We offer thanks to the many caring people of faith whose acts of compassion are making a huge difference. For the increasing number of individuals and families who must wrestle daily with choices of food or medicine, a child's health or shelter, ACTS is that ray of hope that allows them to continue living self-sufficiently. It is a wholly compassionate response of loving our neighbors that strengthens our entire community.

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Learn more about ACTS or make a donation by contacting Program Director Paul Steele at (804) 249-5430.
The Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith is the rector at St. James's Episcopal Church. Contact him at randyhollerith@doers.org.