Had this conversation yesterday:
Cop friend: I was talking to a guy at the shelter the other day, and he said that when we get the day center, homeless people won’t be drinking outside the shelter anymore, they can just go in the day center and drink.
Read more on Homeless day center… and bar?…
My blogfriend Anna writes about her struggles with executive functioning, which in her case is a by-product of Asperger’s Syndrome. And I so get it. I also have executive dysfunction, related to my “adult ADD.”
Read more on Functioning with dysfunction…
Shelter beds for homeless women in Greensboro are limited, and we don’t have a women’s-only homeless shelter. But High Point does, and I refer women there regularly. It’s called Leslie’s House.
Read more on Leslie’s House for homeless women…
This is the song I’m lovin’ today:
Lyrics in the video and below.
Liz interviews Lowell — “houseless,” not homeless — and his story and her writing make it a must-read. There’s just too much there that I want to quote, but here’s something to get you started:
Read more on Houseless, not homeless: Liz interviews Lowell…
“O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be. Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, oh take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.” (more)
Read more on bound and sealed: wandering home…
Quotes from “10 Plus with Mike Pugh,” in the News & Record:
In response to questions about drugs and violence in neighborhoods, Pugh says:
“There was one place. I had neighbors call me about it and tell me it had become a crack house, and there was prostitution there, too… If we’re interested in rebuilding neighborhoods, we have to get that element out of there and return them to the families and property owners.”
In response to a question about his interest in the problem of homelessness, Pugh says:
Read more on Interview with High Point Councilman Mike Pugh confuses me…
I spent Saturday night drinking Perrier and playing Scrabble by the fountains at Center City Park with LV. Despite my degrees in English and Communication, he still beats me every time we play. Apparently, the U.S. military trained him well for epic territorial domination and strategic mind-gaming. 
Read more on Saturday night at the park: Scrabble, Perrier & homelessness…
From my church’s director of outreach:
“How do you make the best decision when the way seems unclear? For example, there has been a group of homeless people sleeping on our church grounds for months and months, and the decision of what to do about this situation has been confusing. On the one hand, it is good that many see our church as a place where they can sleep safely, a place to call home. On the other hand, our church has many more things going on during the week than simply being a place where folks can sleep, and there is no way to monitor or know who is staying on our grounds, what their background is. As a church leader, I have a responsibility for the big picture of our church, but sometimes two halves of the picture don’t line up. On the one hand, wouldn’t Jesus let the homeless people stay on church property (or let them sleep inside the building for that matter)? On the other hand, a few bad apples have stolen some things, peed on the doors, left excrement on the sidewalk, which reflects poorly on the whole bunch. On the other hand, where else do you “do your business” when you are outside? Many who slept at our church would say that Grace is their church home, and when we put up No Trespassing signs, indicating that they are not welcome to stay there anymore, they felt as thought their church were turning on them….”
» Read all of “Ministry to the Poor Can Be Messy” at Joy in the Margins
Read more on When ministry gets messy…
In non-homeless news, I phoned Sue after hours on a Friday to ask a couple of web design questions, which she promptly, graciously and skillfully answered, despite the admittedly lame timing of the call. Problems solved. Her expertise is much appreciated. Sue and I met through the Greensboro blogosphere. Just one of the many benefits of being part of a community of bloggers. Join us. 
From Pastor Joel:
“…back to contentment. There is a joy that comes with living within one’s means, a great sense of satisfaction. We’ve lost that joy. We need to reclaim it.
Read more on The culture of discontent…
May 15th is Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and May 10-17 is National Police Week. A number of community events during the week will honor the lives and memories of the 10 members of the Greensboro Police Department who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, as well as recognize the achievements of the dedicated officers who protect and serve us every day.
Members of the Center City Resource Team (the “bike cops”) will be recognized at the Police and Citizens Appreciation Dinner and Memorial Ceremony on Thursday evening for their efforts to assist the homeless in downtown Greensboro. These officers contact me and local homeless service providers about homeless people who need housing, medical care, mental health and substance abuse treatment. Some officers provide blankets for homeless people who sleep outside. They participate in the annual homeless count. Some carry printed lists of services available to homeless people to hand out to those who need them. An officer went with us after his shift ended to deliver furniture to a chronically homeless man who had received a housing voucher and moved into an apartment. The man cried as he talked about how the officer had taken care of him while he lived on the street downtown. These are just some of the many things these officers have done to show kindness and compassion to our homeless friends.
There are definitely times when enforcement is unavoidable in dealing with homeless people (substance abuse and mental illness can produce some pretty uncool behavior at times, and these officers understand where the behavior comes from), but I cannot say enough about how much I appreciate and how grateful I am for the concern, the wisdom, the common sense and the compassion of the downtown bike cops. (And Sgt. Blaylock, too!) They deserve commendation. God bless ‘em all.
A list of all the GPD awards is below. Read more on Bike cops’ efforts with the homeless to be recognized during National Police Week…