Understanding Homelessness:Some Basics

Written By Mitch Miller

The Situation

  • 4,100 in Greenville County (includes all kinds of homelessness)

  • There are 1,045 emergency shelter beds available in Greenville County

  • Increasing numbers coming from other areas like Ashville and Spartanburg

  • An entire network and underground society of homelesness exists

  • The sherrif has a task-force for homelessness in the county, which will only increase as the city seeks to rid itself of homelesness. (We are directly outside of the city line and in the county).

The Response

  • Gospel compassion, love, care, mercy, and sympathy.

  • Imagine them as children and imagine them in eternity.

  • Understanding some amount of trauma has occured and brokenness has overwhelmed them.

  • Jesus loves the homeless and is their rescue now and forever.

The Solution

  • Every homeless person needs a different solution based on their trauma.

  • You’ll never get 100% of people off the streets because some do not want off the streets.

  • There are solutions, and many of them are working but only for those who want to be off the streets.

  • Solutions include rehab, affordable housing, mental health help, non-profits, & government assistance.

  • Our homeless community is already aware of the solutions (and have tried some) but do not take advantage of them for a variety of reasons. Most of the time it’s an un-willingness or even incapability of following the rules and regulations of any given solution whether it be a mission-shelter or government program (this is understandable when you consider their trauma).

  • Though this is understandable, whatever they ask you for is not the solution (i.e. bus ticket/hotel room).

  • We must pray they become capable of & ready to follow the rules of various programs and non-profits.

Our part in the solution

  • Simply put: BE the church for them.

  • We love them, talk to them, include them, and worship with them.

  • We strive to meet some physical needs and their spiritual needs just like we would anyone else.

  • This includes extra listening, prayer, and care.

  • But also includes having expectations and broundries for them just like we would anyone else.

General Do’s & Don’ts

Do: Listen to their story with a heart of love and compassion, asking questions, sympathizing and empathizing.

Dont: Believe everything they’re telling us and react to it on the spot. (“If I just had $20 I could buy a buspass and get back home and be indoors).

Do: Allow them to worship, attend small group, and (at times) serve like anyone else

Don’t: Give them a pass to use the building however they want simply because their homeless. They’re not the exception to the rules on public intoxication or wandering around downstairs.

Do: Share the gospel with them like we would anyone else. We can share any information we have on hand that they might find helpful. Like our Resource Guide (ask safety team for an essentials bag which contains a Resource Guide).

Don’t: Feel on the hook to be an emergency information station. We may not know anyone with an open job, or renting out a low-cost house, or where they can get a replacement ID and that’s ok.

Do: Give them an essentials bag or, if you feel led, go through the drive-thru for them.

Don’t: Give them money. ($5 Spinx cards are ok and we usually have them on hand at church).

Do: Call an ambulance for them if they’re not feeling well.

Don’t: Give them rides upon request, even to the hospital. We have seen people start towards the hospital, only to be redirected somewhere else halfway through the trip and put in an akward situation.

Mitch Miller https://www.pastormitch.com