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Public Voice: Tom Monahan at St. Mark's Episcopal

2/23/2015

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PictureTom Monahan
By Rector Phil LaBelle
... 

"I’m not sure if Tom is the first homeless person to worship at St. Mark’s, but I do know he’s the first who came and was given a microphone to tell his story. I know for certain he’s the first homeless person I’ve had over for a meal at my home even though the Bible is pretty clear I should be doing that regularly. Tom reminded us all that he’s just another human being on this journey of life needing companionship and conversation like any of us.

"I don’t know if I’ll ever see Tom again, or what he’ll be doing tonight when the temperature once again falls below zero. But I do know this: he reminded me of the power found in Joseph Burnett’s words. All of us are God’s children regardless of the ways we label people in our world. All are welcome into God’s loving embrace. And I know that on a snowy Sunday morning for a few hours a group of parishioners got to know an intriguing and caring man who just happened to no longer have a place to call home. He became Tom to us, a beloved child of God."

Read more at: RamblingPriest.com


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Reflections on volunteering with BostonWarm

2/20/2015

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As some of you know, when we opened our Day Center, UMass Boston School of Nursing reached out to us wanting the help. They are providing a nursing student (or 2) every Thursday at our Day Center. Two of the student’s reflections below.


Kind of amazing.

Can you feel the warmth?  – Nancy S Taylor (Senior Minister & CEO, Old South Church)

Jessie   Community Week 2 Reflection

This week, while the university high students were on vacation, I spent my clinical at the Old South Church warming center for the homeless. Needless to say, it really put my life into perspective of the things I am fortunate to have. When we arrived at the center, we were asked to set up the room and make as many PB&J sandwiches as supplies last. They opened their doors right at 9, and at 9:01 about 15 homeless walked in the room with a refreshing sense of warmth, food, and security. Kate told us at the beginning that just our presence and support would have been enough, to make them feel like a regular person. It was a great experience to be able to interact and help people in a completely different setting (where I am use to working in the hospital). When the people in the shelter saw that I had nursing student on my nametag, they were not shy to come up to me and ask me about their medical issues. I had questions that ranged from Bell’s palsy, to frostbite, to menopause, to a death of a friend. As we were leaving at about noon, everyone (about 30+ people) yelled out goodbye and thanked us for hanging out with them for the day. That was such a good feeling to know that they appreciated us being there.  It was so eye-opening to see what the homeless have to go through day in and day out in the winter time. And it is brutal to be living on the streets in Boston this time of the year. Makes you think about all the little things you take for granted in life, like a bed. 

 Alexis       Week 2 Journal 

This past week, the students at University High were on winter vacation. In lieu of that, I was lucky enough to spend the morning at the warming center at the Old South Church. There were so many great things about this experience. I will admit that I went into the situation with a small amount of anxiety, but more excitement than anything. That anxiety completely vanished as soon as I started talking to some to some of the people benefitting from the center. They were all respectful and incredibly grateful. They were so thankful to have somewhere warm to go, with good, nutritious food. To the clients, one of the best aspects is the storage bins the center provides. It is a place where they can store things to ensure they stay warm and safe, and somewhere easily accessible. The clients also greatly appreciate the goods that were provided – new pants, socks, thermal underwear, gloves, etc. In fact, Kate, the Reverend in charge of the center, set up an Amazon Gift Registry for the needs requested of the clients. In just a few weeks, over 600 items have been purchased – and these people are so incredibly grateful!

This week, I believe we started to focus on course objectives 1, 5, & 6. I think it was really important for us to sit with and talk to this population to get a better understanding of their health needs. Many of them, not surprisingly, had a lot of questions about frostbite and exposure to extreme temperatures. Many were interested in their blood pressure even though they didn’t know what their norm was, or what a good v. bad blood pressure was. It was interesting to see how eager they were to learn. Some very simple teaching could be greatly beneficial to them. Many of them also didn’t have a very positive opinion of the healthcare they receive. They explained that they have a hard time getting medications, paying for them, and staying on them as they are prescribed due to transportation and financial issues. I think we are failing this population in meeting their healthcare needs, but places like this warming center are a good way to start bridging that gap. 

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WGBH: Staying Clean and Sober, Off Long Island

1/22/2015

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Since the closure of Boston Harbor’s Long Island in October, there’s been much debate over how to care for the homeless people who resided there. But the island also hosted another 200 people in substance abuse recovery programs. In fact, Long Island housed about a third of the women’s recovery programs in Greater Boston. Now there’s a critical shortage of detox beds.

Jeannie and Rebecca are both 30 years old and could be any roommates trying to make lives in Boston.

They look happy, healthy, and stylish — an appearance that shows just how far they’ve come. The two are recovering from heroin addiction — a habit that Jeannie says almost killed her.

"I relapsed back in March of last year and I woke up with a breathing tube down my throat and lucky just to make it," she said.

Now, Jeannie and Rebecca consider themselves lucky to have ended up in jail instead of dead. While on probation, they were beginning to put their lives back together — living at the halfway house on Long Island.


Read more and watch the video at the WGBH website. 
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Yvonne Abraham: A chance missed to help those in need

12/11/2014

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By Yvonne Abraham, Globe Columnist

Kathy and Bonnie aren’t surprised some people in Roxbury want them to stay as far away as possible.

“I can’t take it personal that they don’t want people like me walking around their neighborhoods,” Kathy said, sitting in a cozy, rose-walled living room at a transitional home on a recent morning. “There’s a stigma, that we’re dirty. I dealt with that stigma a long time.”

Read more at BostonGlobe.com

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BNN Video: Advocates Urge Help for Displaced Homeless

11/18/2014

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Advocates Cleve Rea and Cherie King discuss urgent needs of homeless and recovery populations recently displaced from programs on Long Island. Interview for BNN News. Aired November 18, 2014.
http://vimeo.com/112219840
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Globe: Anxiety and Fear consume homeless women displaced from Long Island

11/11/2014

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by David Abel

In the hours before dawn, when five layers of clothing, two blankets, and the crucifix around her neck no longer blunt the cold, Lisa Jenkins rises from the faux leather couch she has hidden in the woods and paces in the dark.

Sleeping alone outside stirs other concerns, aside from frostbite. She has set booby traps to protect against potential stalkers and feeds the possums, raccoons, and other wildlife to keep them friendly.

Read more at BostonGlobe.com
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Globe: Displaced Long Island homeless crowd South End shelter

10/21/2014

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by David Abel, Globe Staff
Trailing the flashing lights of a police escort, the city bus completed its journey in front of a bleak building in the South End, where more officers and guards were waiting.

Out filed some of the 700 former residents of Long Island, where the city’s largest homeless shelter operated until earlier this month — before officials condemned the only bridge leading to the refuge on Boston Harbor.

Now, the city’s homeless pack into a former fitness center, while city officials hastily seek a more permanent solution to the loss of about one-third of the city’s available beds.

They live in cramped, disorienting conditions with fewer amenities and social services than they had on Long Island. Instead of beds, they sleep on pillowless cots, set inches apart in a windowless room. Bright lights stay on all night. There are long lines to use the two bathrooms. Fans swirl humid air.


Read more and watch the video at BostonGlobe.com
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