Blessed Portion Update 10-4-24

Blessed Portion Friday Night Update 10-5-24

Hello Everyone-

BIG thanks to Kim Davidson who made several LARGE roasters full of shepherd’s pie for our friends downtown and for those who are staying at 13th Step House. She worked hard and was so thankful!!! It’s not cheap or easy to prepare food for 100 people.

It was good weather and peaceful which is always a great thing. There is a couple who is getting married in a week or two and our hope is that they come together and make it work. Both are very nice people and always helpful. We enjoy talking with them each week and are excited for their new chapter to begin. Thankful they found each other and can share life together because many do not have that opportunity. Many we know are alone. People who do not have anyone to do life with, and that is sad. God created us for community and it’s so important. To not have a home, and people to share life with is difficult, to say the least.

Think of it this way. It's 10:00 pm and raining, and you do not have a raincoat or an umbrella. Your shoes are wet because you don’t have any boots. The blanket you do have is wet because you didn’t get a trash bag to put it in. You missed the bus, so you’re now walking to the place where you will sleep, and you’re walking alone. You keep looking behind you, making sure no one is following you and speak to no one. You’re a woman out on the streets and know the best thing to do, is to get to where you’re going and get there as quick as you can. As you get to your tent you see it’s been ransacked, and a few of your items are missing. The zipper is now broken, and you can’t close it up for privacy. You're cold, wet, and tired, but too afraid to go to sleep because someone knows where you stay, and you don’t feel safe. The little bit of food you have is cold and you choose to eat it because at least it’s something. Morning comes and you are thankful you made it through the night, but you are alone and you don’t know who to trust. You’re a little confused about how to get certain things you need like a social security card and an id. Not having an address to where you can get mail or important papers. You’re not a drug addict you're just trying to make it. No money- at least not enough to get a place.... the never-ending cycle. That is the life of many we know. The quick answer is getting a job, a place, and off the streets. We have seen that happen and many times it presents its own problems. Many have traumatic events that they are trying to deal with. Those traumatic events may have resulted in them drinking or doing drugs to cope and then the addiction settles in. There are those who to be fair do choose to be in their addiction cycle just because they want to and that is sad, but their decision.

We meet people every week whose story is similar and yet different. Many people were paycheck to paycheck and then they got sick and lost everything. Or a woman who was with her husband or boyfriend and they broke up and she had nowhere to go and it goes from there. Our answer is always a little different for each person on how to help because their situation is different. Sometimes there are people you just come around as a girlfriend and do not offer any advice but just listen. Everyone’s story is different But God has made everyone the same in that we need love and friendship and HE has told us to make that happen. So, on Fridays we wear a lot of hats....but we do hope people know we love them and so does Jesus!

Thank you to Pathway Community Church, Hamilton First Pathway Community ChurchHamilton Church of Christ Grace Summit Church Christina King Matt Yager Mandi Yager Wyatt Herbst Noel, Michael Jordan Kim Davidson and EVERYONE who donates items each week to our bins at Pathway Community Church and the old