Looking Upstream

 Good morning!

We in the Wichita area are hearing a lot about the MAC…the multi-agency center that is being constructed to help address what many call the homeless situation.  The center, which now has the name “Second Light,” is a place where not only is shelter offered for men and women, but there also are many agencies which have a presence in that same place where the unhoused can find “one stop” services, help, and support.  They don’t have to go from this place to that…from this building on the East side of town to that building on the West side…the essential services and support are right there in one physical place.

Over 120 non-profits and agencies are interested in having a presence in the center.  Health care, mental health, veterans’ services, faith-based services, housing, assistance with getting identification, and other services will be offered to those who choose to avail themselves of those services.

The shelter isn’t just for overnight stays.  It’s open 24-7 so those who shelter there don’t have to continually move around or find safe places to store their personal effects.  Shelter operators anticipate stays of 90 to 120 days will be needed in many cases in order to provide the kind of help through the partner agencies that the unhoused will be needing.

All of this is well and good…and necessary.  However, there is also a concerted effort to “go upstream,” as it were…to look beyond the unhoused in order to determine the causes of homelessness and address those concerns BEFORE someone drops into the culture of the unhoused.

One of the things I do at RiverWalk is the benevolence.  Over the past ten or so years I’ve been doing this, I have been amazed at the number of people who are barely hanging on…barely meeting their need for housing…shelter…food…transportation…job.  Many of these people are literally…and I do mean literally…one tank of gasoline from homelessness…one unpaid utility bill away from having to live in their car or on the street…one filled prescription medication away from not being able to maintain a job or home…one flat tire away from having no transportation which will take them to that job.

Think about it.  If one’s gas tank is empty and their job is ten miles away from their house, they may not  be able to get to work.  And many who employ general laborers, which is what many of these folks are, don’t take kindly to no-shows, even if for legitimate reasons.

If their electricity is turned off for non-payment, they may be evicted.  And with an eviction on their record, it will be difficult if not impossible to find other housing.  IF they happen to be in a Section 8 or government subsidized home or apartment, having one’s utility services cut off for non-payment is an automatic eviction, with a lifetime ban on ever using Section 8 again.

We at RiverWalk don’t have a large benevolence budget.  So we have to be careful in how we use it.  Of course, we help our members with whatever they need.  But for non-members…those who show up at the door or make a phone call, we are limited in what we can do.  We have chosen to do what we can to help those who are on the brink of being unhoused stay in their homes.

Depending on the situation, we can sometimes pump a tank of gas into a vehicle that is used for work, school, or medical appointments.  And we can also sometimes help with a utility bill to keep the lights, gas, or water turned on…again, depending on the situation.

These helps aren’t automatic.  The one seeking help must come to the office and submit to an interview.  We limit how often one can ask for help.  We limit the amount of help.  And we try to guide them to other resources that may be available.

We also operate a food pantry that can help with food and sometimes hygiene items or things like laundry detergent, toothpaste, etc.  We will offer them the information on that ministry as well.

We keep track of the help we provide.  We have an extensive record that goes back several years.  Some people have asked for help many times.  Others just once or twice.  We do our best to treat each person with human dignity…to be a neighbor (according to the teachings of Jesus Christ) to the one asking for help…and to listen to their story.  Listening…just listening…is a vital part of what we do.

It may surprise you to know how many times someone has thanked me with obvious gratitude for just listening to them and conversing with them, even when I’ve told them we cannot help them.  It certainly has surprised me over the years.

I don’t know how many people we have been able to keep off of the street over the last ten or so years because we gave them a tank of gasoline or paid a utility bill.  I suspect the number is well into the hundreds.

As my friend Jennifer White has said, “I may not be able to do everything, but I can do something.”  May God bless the efforts of a multitude of people who are working daily to redeem the creation…to make their corner of the world a better place for all…and bring about positive change in our society.

Blessings,