Serving TOGETHER to Reach the Homeless in Houston
When Lynelle and I first moved to Houston, we were astonished at the number of homeless people on each corner. Coming from the Midwest, we had rarely experienced that kind of harsh reality.
We found ourselves eager to help the homeless near the UofH campus; initially investing a lot of time to put together care packets with used clothing, food, drinks, and bibles. As much as I thought that was helpful and appreciated, it was a lot of work. Throwing money at these guys was a lot easier, after all (but not helpful to them - see 2 Thess. 3:10).
So, here we were with a need and willingness to help, but unsure as to the proper way to help. Then a friend from our small group showed me something called a “homeless care packet” - a Ziploc bag that contained some essential food items, some toiletries, a bible, and two important components - a list of phone numbers of local homeless shelters and city bus tokens to get them there.
Consequently, the rest of our group liked the idea and in one night we tackled the objective of making 100 bags... together. We all left that night with 7+ in hand to use throughout the week in our daily commutes.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. (Ecc. 4:9)
- Colin Rowley
