End of Year Thoughts...

(courtesy of LAist)

LAist featured an interesting article titled "A Fresh Perspective on Skid Row" as it featured one of the voices of change within the community- General Jeff. I had an opportunity to meet General Jeff on a number of occasion.

From the LAist article:
"So how does these day-in-day-out free hand-outs help build hope? When it's the same thing everyday, all one can hope for is that, the lady with donuts will be back. But what about being hopeful for an opportunity? It simply goes back to the proverb "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." It is nothing revelatory, but crucial to consider when trying to help the homeless. Dropping off a box of clothing, as seen here, and driving away, can not hardly make one feel like they matter. Working with people, playing basketball, taking photographs, singing karaoke - anything that helps to provide them a means for expression and engagement - is key."

A prevalent issue that plagues this community as so many orgs and ministries go down to just feed and give out clothes with the intent of doing good, but end of creating more of a mess for the community than what it was before. This article has only raised more questions and also as the year ends, its usually a time to reflect.

So how are we as a ministry that's been around for a decade and half? Are we helping this community or are we only adding to the harm? If we do really care about the people we reach, we must also consider the implications of what we do and what we leave behind on a given Sunday afternoon. We're only there, once a week, for a very short time- so in some sense- we're only scratching the surface, but how does the community there perceive us?

To borrow and tweak what was said this past Sunday by Pastor Michael, what if Love LA seized to exist? What sort of impact would we leave with the community of Skid Row? Or would we be forgotten in time? With so many ministries and orgs out there, what sets us apart?

Aside from the daily operation of setting up, serving, and breaking down things- do we really care about the people we minister and serve? Hopefully the answer is a resounding- yes. And if it isn't, hopefully we're striving to.