I’m usually the first to arrive at the church building on a Sunday morning and I park in a spot with a short hike to the entrance. I enjoy the rhythms of arriving early and getting things set and re-set for the day’s spiritual formation class, worship and other gatherings.
When I entered the parking lot on a bright autumn day a few years ago, there were two cars parked next to one another. One of these cars was in my usual spot. I did not think much of it and figured some church members were on a trip and switched out vehicles. I backed into a space next to the cars and started removing my backpack and lunch cooler. When I glanced into the car next to me, I noticed there was a young man around 20 years old sleeping behind the wheel. I looked into the other car and there was a middle aged woman, along with a girl who appeared to be around 12 yearsold. They were also asleep.
I made a soft noise as I shifted my things and the young man stirred. I gently greeted him and asked him to wait — I had something for him. I rushed into the church, dropped my bags and retrieved a few grocery store gift cards from the safe, hoping they hadn’t driven off by the time I returned.
They were still there. The woman, I learned, was the mother of both the young man and the girl. They had spent the night in the church parking lot.
The next Sunday the two cars were parked in the lot again and I jogged into the church to retrieve additional gift cards as well as some information about local housing advocacy organizations. The family was not there the next week or the next, but three weeks later the mother and her daughter were sleeping in their car in the lot. I again retrieved gift cards and gave them to the mother. She mentioned that her son had entered the military and they may have lined up an apartment. I did not see them again and prayed that they had secured housing.
The family needed thousands of dollars in support and all the church had to give were gift cards for groceries or fuel. Yet when households get a bit of a break in the store or at the gas pump, that gives them an opportunity to use their resources elsewhere. Gifts are not to be withheld because they are thought to be too meager.
On that last Sunday when I spoke with the mother, she looked stronger. I do believe things were changing positively for her and the church was small part of helping her family move forward.
It would have been great if the first time I met this family I could have supplied them with a security deposit and first month’s rent. Even better, if I could have told this family that our church owned a large apartment building where families in transition could stay while waiting for housing. Thankfully, locally and around the country, some large and well-resourced congregations are exploring ways to build affordable housing on their properties and help struggling families secure stable shelter.
It does not take much to start something like a grocery store gift card program. A congregation could take up monthly offering where members bring in a gift card from a particular store. Or the religious body could host a fundraiser to launch the program. After setting up a clear policy and procedure for an administrator to follow, the faith-based organization is set to distribute gift cards. In addition to assisting drop-ins, the church I serve has partnered with nearby schools, nonprofit organizations and refugee resettlement agencies to provide gift cards.
Setting aside the duty of governmental entities to feed people and ensure no family sleeps in their car, all of the food programs offered by religious groups continue to meet a critical need. The food pantries, soup kitchens, box distribution and special holiday meals nourish bodies and souls. According to data collected through the National Congregations Study, at least 48% of U.S. congregations either have their own food-distribution program or support efforts run by another organization. And what if that number grew to 75%? Imagine the increased number of families who could experience food security.
The size of the assistance does not matter as much as faith-based communities simply offering aid. As Paul writes to the Church in Rome: “all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God’s purpose” (Romans 8:28). Paul wrote “all” things rather than “big” things. Everything helps.
This is a contributed opinion column. The Rev. Elizabeth Goudy has served as pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of the СŷƵ, Allentown. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication.
