Hope is a powerful thing. Hope is perhaps the only thing that can carry us through life’s inevitable storms, the storms of loss and addiction, disappointment, sickness, unemployment and homelessness. The list of life’s challenges is endless.
Recently one particular challenge has received a lot of attention in Juneau. Homelessness is on everyone’s mind, including the minds of those parents struggling to raise children while also dealing with home vulnerability. Some couch surf, staying with family and friends as long as they can. Others live in their cars or at campgrounds. Some used to live in the Bergman. What we know is that teachers and staff in our schools see first hand the impact of homelessness on students who wonder where they will sleep each night, where they will get their next meal, where they will take a shower and where will they do their homework.
Homelessness is one of those tough issues surrounded by a lot of emotion and frustration. Each of us probably has a family member or friend who has experienced homelessness or home insecurity. Many of us are only a paycheck or two away from the experience ourselves. Contributing to struggles with homelessness are the loss of a job, change in family status, physical and mental health issues, incarceration, abuse at home, and drugs or alcohol.
There are no easy solutions. Good work is being done to address many facets of homelessness. It won’t be long before Housing First becomes a reality, the Glory Hole and St Vincent DePaul continue to provide essential services every day, the Salvation Army and many other organizations give dignity to vulnerable community members in countless ways. And now Family Promise of Juneau is excited to be part of the solution.
Family Promise is one way the collective faith community can respond with hospitality and compassion. Families in the program have a secure place to sleep, moving from host congregation to host congregation each week. During the day, families work with the director to receive assistance navigating the myriad of resources available to secure training, better jobs, healthcare and counseling, as needed. Children continue to attend their regular schools and know where they will do their homework each evening. Volunteers cook meals, drive the van, set up sleeping quarters, plan fun activities and simply offer friendship. Imagine the celebration as each family finds permanent housing and new families are welcomed into the program, with hope that they, too, will soon achieve independence.
The pieces are in place to begin housing families the end of April. We will be joining 230 Family Promise affiliates across the nation in our hope to defeat homelessness, one family at a time. Let’s envision a Juneau where every family has a home, a livelihood and hope for a better future.
Frustration and anger over the homeless situation can motivate each of us to play a role. There is no time better than this season of Lent, a time for quiet reflection and examination, which gives rise to the resurrection hope of Easter. We can each have an impact. Donate to one of the many organizations serving those at risk for or experiencing homelessness. Encourage your faith community to serve as a host or supporting congregation for Family Promise. Become a volunteer yourself or volunteer with a group of friends. More information can be found at www.familypromisejuneau.org.
Romans 5:3-5 tells us “… we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
May we each be messengers of hope as we do our part to share love with those in the midst of life’s storms.
• Michelle Strickler is the Family Promise of Juneau congregational coordinator for Chapel by the Lake.
