Monthly Archives: October 2007

Panhandling: Banning v. Enforcement

Posted on October 29, 2007 by Michele (CM)| 1 Comment

As the City of Miami considers a ban on panhandling, Jackie Dowd says, “[T]heir real problem seems to be that Miami’s laws against aggressive panhandling are not being enforced.” Greensboro has a fairly strict panhandling ordinance, but we also have an understaffed and overworked police department.

Did you that, according to Greensboro’s ordinance, panhandlers cannot:

  • solicit outside a restaurant
  • solicit after sunset
  • solicit at a bus stop
  • solicit a group of two or more people
  • come within three feet of the person they’re soliciting, unless the person indicates they want to donate
  • make a false or misleading statement while soliciting funds
  • approach or speak to the person being solicited to in a way that would cause fear
  • block or interfere with a person’s path
  • speak in an unreasonably loud voice
  • follow the person being solicited after the person has walked away
  • use profane or abusive language or threatening words or gestures either before or after soliciting a person

And there’s more. Read the ordinance:

You can keep up with future changes to the ordinance by checking here.

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A Place For Followers

Posted on October 23, 2007 by Michele (CM)| 3 Comments

From Today at the Mission:

…I’m looking for something else in a church. I’m looking for a place where a community of believers can grapple with scripture, can wrestle with what it means to be a Christ-follower in this sin-wracked, broken world of ours. I’m looking for a place where it’s all right to doubt, to worry, to fear, to celebrate, to dance and to sing – or not sing; where prayer is what we do, and not what we listen to someone else doing, where art is shared, where contemplation is possible, where worship is lived, where healing happens. I guess I’m really looking for a place where all the odd people like me who don’t fit anywhere else can be welcome and loved – which has to be said because wanting what I described…. well, that pretty much guarantees your dissatisfaction with The Program Driven Church ™; it pretty much guarantees you’ll be the odd one out Sunday morning.

Tonight a bunch of Christians in our city housed some men and women who were homeless. They were fed a hot, nutritious meal. Some will be given clothes, all will have a safe place to stay while they get their lives back on track. In our dining room tonight we fed about eighty people. I talked tonight about how when we share our fears and anxieties with Jesus we will still have our problems, but we’re no longer alone in the world. Some folks left with groceries, I gave a diabetic lady some large packages of artificial sweetener and she began giving some of this precious stash out to others she knew were diabetic. Another lady asked for a take-out container so she could take her piece of pie home to a friend who wasn’t well. They have so little, and what they do have they give away. Before supper tonight I prayed with the volunteers, one of whom prayed that the churches in our city would finally ‘get it’ as to their God-given responsibilities to the poor, to the orphan and widow, the leper, the lost. What if Jesus isn’t looking for leaders? What if he’s looking for followers?…

(Emphasis mine.)

>> Read all of this post.

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Hogg’s Hog Feeds The Homeless

Posted on October 22, 2007 by Michele (CM)| 3 Comments

Hogg's BBQ
image credit: borazivkovic

I went to the annual ConvergeSouth Barbecue at David and Jinni Hoggard’s on Friday night. It was great to see my blogging friends.

At the end of the evening, Hogg asked if I wanted to take the rest of the food (there was lots left!) to feed some of our homeless friends. Since it was Friday night, the NightWatch team was already out, so I called and they sent the van by to pick up the food. I’ve since heard from the night’s team leader that the barbecue was a big hit with our friends and much appreciated!

Thank you, David and Jinni, for your warm hospitality, and for sharing that hospitality with our homeless friends. God bless you. :)

>> Visit Hogg’s blog.

Update: Sue comments and says that JW took the extra ConvergeSouth lunches to Greensboro Urban Ministry. Yay, JW! A big “thank you” to ConvergeSouth for helping feed homeless and hungry people! :)

Update #2: Just got an email from NightWatch team member Erik R., who was on the truck Friday night. He says:

The BBQ was well received last Friday… This week could we get ribs???

LOL, Erik. And thanks again, Hogg. :)

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