Ways to Connect with Homeless

Two Ideas to Jump Start Your Congregation
(1) Get Started Right
“A church could encourage a Sunday school class to ‘adopt’ the issue of homelessness as a course of study for a semester or year. I would be happy to put together a curriculum. It would include learning about addictions, mental illness, existing services and service projects. Through an agency, they could ‘adopt’ a homeless person. This could, for example, be someone who has just achieved housing but doesn’t have a thing to put in his or her new apartment. It could have a minimum requirement of one brief contact per week. It would serve as a support to the person in question.” Ginny Weatherstone, Executive Director, Volunteer Ministry Center, 524-3926

(2) Get Networked
Attend the monthly meeting of Knoxville’s Coalition for the Homeless, call 546-3500 for place and time.

What Churches Can Do
Serve at a Shelter
Some of Knoxville’s best and most experienced organizations minister to those who are living without permanent and secure housing. Utilizing many resources to encourage the clients in a holistic context, churches would do well to support their efforts. Some ideas on opportunities to connect are listed below:
• Prepare and serve meals.
• Help with arts and crafts classes or entertainment/activities for children.
• Help solve transportation problems for those who find jobs.
• Provide child care while parents have appointments (jobs interviews, GED, looking for housing).
• Lead Bible studies and participate in worship services.
• Donate toiletries, clothes, food, blankets, bus tickets.
• Be a friend. Show respect. Treat with dignity.
• Train a person with a new job skill and help him or her find a job.
• Tutor those working on their GED.
• Homeless shelters are looking for people with specific practical, vocational and professional skills.
• Adopt a room in a shelter by cleaning, painting, decorating, providing new furniture. Contact Knoxville Area Rescue Mission (KARM) and New Life Inn (families): Christy Howard, 673-6540.
• Serve meals in the kitchen.
• “Hang out” with the children (recreational activities, child care during group therapy).
• Stock and sort donations in the warehouse. Lead classes on various topics such as social skills and computers.

Salvation Army: Ola McBride, 525-9401.
• Play basketball with clients (men).
• Host birthday parties.
• Musicians for church services.

Volunteer Ministry Center: Bob Bales, 524-3926.
• Sort and stock clothing, food, household items.
• BIG NEED: medical personnel – podiatrists, optometrists, nurse practitioners, dentists to staff medical clinic.
• Be a friend by helping individuals talk through options.

Runaway Shelter: Shannon Amor, 523-2689.
• Need volunteers to pick up runaways from “safe place” sites and bring to the shelter.
• Sponsor an activity a month: crafts, movie night, games, pizza party. Volunteer one night a week to come and “hang” with the youth.
• Help refurbish and renovate the facility (bathrooms, carpets, walls).
• Donations: Hygiene items, towels, socks and underwear (kids 12-17).

“God-Sized Ideas”
Make a house, apartment or even your church building available when shelters are full, or for those people that need to be cared for somewhere besides a shelter. This is a BIG NEED. Contact Calvin Taylor (CAC), 546-3500, or Veta Sprinkle (Compassion Coalition), 588-2875 ext. 4

Open a Day Room on the west side of Knoxville as a place for the homeless to gather, wash clothes, eat and seek services. Call Allen Haynes, West Knoxville Baptist Church, 690-8012 for a potential partner in this venture.

Embrace homeless children by calling Knox County School’s liaison for Homeless Children:
Rosemary Scott, 525-9401.
• Provide clothing, school supplies, and help serve families that live in hotels and cars.
• Pray for the kids that are living on the streets.

Other Places That Need You
Homeward Bound (CAC): Calvin Taylor, 546-3500.
• Mentor/tutor adults studying for GED.
• Help with car repairs (especially for single moms).
• Donate furniture/household goods and help with delivery.
• Provide and prepare boxed lunches for stranded families.

Lost Sheep Ministry: Maxine Raines, 688-9636.
A Christian street ministry that provides meals to people at night in Knoxville’s Old City.
• Provide food, clothing, conversation.
• Be a friend and encourage the homeless.

Angelic Ministries Warehouse
Betsy Frazier, 523-8884
• Donate furniture especially beds, dressers, dining tables, chairs, couches.
• Carpet layers, painters, carpenters.
• Sort and size clothing.

“Church Under the Bridge” – Preacher Bob Burger, 577-3939 or Preacher Mike Ridenour, 856-5136.
• Serve food, drinks.
• Provide music, play guitars, other instruments.
• Provide a “listening ear” and a warm smile.

Jerusalem Ministries: Grace Baptist Church -
Stacy Smith, 691-8886
• Prepare food.
• Pray for those with needs.
• Sing, hug, serve, love.