PPCSinc Blogs

In the times that the Hebrew and Christian scriptures were written, hospitality was among the most prized of virtues. And it’s not difficult to guess why. It may have something to do with the desolate surroundings. Living and especially traveling in the desert has a way of keeping you focused on the fragility of human life. We simply don’t last long without food, and especially water. And if the land where you live is mostly arid and lifeless, knowing where your next drink of water is coming from becomes very, very important. It’s a great comfort to know you can count on your neighbors for help if you get into trouble. Hence, the scriptural value of hospitality and the concern for our neighbors.

This past Sunday’s Post-Dispatch carried an article with the headline: “Homeless clash with push to gentrify city.”  The story reported the controversy between homeless people who congregate in Lucas Park downtown, and neighbors of the park who have moved into loft condominiums along Washington Avenue who would like to be able to use the park without being panhandled.

Now, because I work for an agency that provides housing and services for those who are homeless, you might think you could guess “whose side” I’m on in this situation. But as it turns out, in this case I don’t think it’s about “sides.” The condo-dwellers have a legitimate desire to use their neighborhood public park without being harassed. And the people who are homeless…well they need to be somewhere, don’t they?

The problem here is that too many homeless people have nowhere else to go. By definition, they have no space that is theirs. Lucas Park has been dubbed “Hobo Park” by homeless people for decades. I can only imagine that they chose to gather in the park because for years, until the recent revitalization of Washington Avenue, it was off the beaten path. There is less visibility there than in the parks along Market Street, and so they draw less attention to themselves, and so feel safer. It has the added benefit of being bordered by the New Life shelter, the main branch of the public library and Christ Church Cathedral.  All three provide them with a refuge from the weather (and access to indoor plumbing) for at least part of the day.

The best solution is to create a space where homeless people will feel safe, a space that offers protection from the heat or cold, a space where their needs are met, whether it’s an immediate need for a rest room, a shower, a meal, a telephone…or a need for services like medical care, legal assistance, and substance abuse counseling. 

The good news is that there are spaces being developed that will meet some of these needs. Our own Breakfast Club at Centenary United Methodist Church offers a morning meal and a caring staff to offer assistance to more than 200 homeless men, women and children each day. A nurse from Grace Hill Clinic provides regular medical screenings, agencies like BJC Behavioral Health, Community Alternatives and St. Patrick Center provide outreach and mental health services, and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri visits to provide free legal aid.  And at lunchtime, Centenary Cares and St. Patrick Center both provide a meal, as well as linkage to a wide array of services.

As it turns out, the answer to this problem is hospitality. This week on the news I saw a woman interviewed who came to St. Louis after Hurricane Katrina. She spoke of her love for St. Louis, and how her family felt welcomed and cared for here. Just imagine how many problems in our city could be solved by applying that St. Louis hospitality.

By the way, that word hospitality comes from the same root as the word hospital, a Latin word that means “guest room.”

Did you see the cartoon recently? A man is sitting at a desk in his den, surrounded by vast wooden shelves full of books. He’s working at his computer. His wife stands behind him in the doorway and asks, “Let me guess, the Great American Blog?”

Every “Writing 101” class starts by telling students to write what they know about, or at least, what they are interested in. Well, my interests are my family, my faith and values, and how those beliefs are played out daily in the public sector.

OK, so I could write er, blog, about family relationships (and vacation photos)…religion…and politics. Those all seem like safe subjects to write about. And surely no one else on the Internet is blogging about any of those topics!

When I was first asked to write a blog for this website, I had lots of questions. “Where would I find the time?” (After all, I’m a busy man.) “What would I write about?” (It’s the homelessness, stupid.) And most certainly, “Who would want to read it?” (I guess we’ll find out.)

Well, we’ll see where it goes from here. If you look for it, there is news every day from around the country regarding issues of homelessness. This Sunday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch will carry an article about people who are homeless in the downtown parks. Check back next week for our thoughts.

Yep.

That’s right.

CollabARTive.

Eight years ago next month we started what was supposed to be a time limited project bringing art into the lives of some of our residents, and the lives of some of our residents into art. At the time, I felt my time spent with the project was a guilty pleasure. It would have been very easy to send the men off with the artist and do something more “productive” with myself.

What I found, as a program manager, was that by participating with the men under the instruction of the visiting artist, we had opened up an avenue of communication that has become essential to the program. In the nuts and bolts of what we do, I, the case manager and the substance abuse counselor, are professional nags. “How is the job search going?” “Have you made your 12-Step meeting quota this week?” “Did you make your bank deposit this week?” These questions define our relationship. They also put up a wall between us. The men have to account for themselves to us and we become… how shall I say…tiresome.

For a couple of hours once a week, we step into other roles. One of a rotating series of artists come in and run workshops on art of various disciplines: writing, photography, drawing, painting and clay sculpting. The process lets us step back from our official roles and provides a forum to relate in a more natural way. It allows us to learn about each other’s issues and concerns in a more relaxed fashion. It allows us to step around the wall. It doesn’t work miracles. It creates more opportunities.

It has also fostered greater support among our clients for one another. They become mentors for one another. Several alums from the last several years drop by from time to time to reconnect with us and contribute to the current class of transitionals. One man from eight years ago is still quite regular with us.

One of the artists we have worked with extensively over the years is Jane Ellen Ibur. Jane is a certified “master teacher” who has spent most of her career teaching in non traditional settings: prisons and jails, nursing homes, community centers and shelters. She is a published poet and well known in local literary circles. And she has done a poetry and literature program on KDHX FM-88.1 for the last umpteen years, “Literature for the Halibut”, (Thursday’s at 8 PM).

Janey has been working with the men on a performance piece based on their writings turned in over the years, that tells something of their stories. The piece is being directed by Con Christeson, who has been the managing artist all these years . There is something of early home life and setting out on the road to homelessness, substance abuse and recovery, life on the “trail” and recovery. And it is hopeful. It is the story of men redeeming themselves.

Next week, some of us will be traveling to the KDHX studios and performing excerpts on Janey’s show. You can listen in at “Literature for the Halibut,” Thursday, August 30th, 7 PM, 88.1 on your FM dial. The following week, we will be performing the whole work at Christ Church Cathedral’s Art & Soul Cafe at 7PM, September 7th.