The current homeless situation in the Albuquerque metropolitan area is a mirror of what every major city in the country is experiencing. Over the past eighteen months to two years we have seen a steady increase in the homeless population. The last six months the numbers have taken another jump, where currently we are experiencing an unexplainable increase in those experiencing homelessness.
Every major city in the country is required by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct a Point in Time count. This count, nationwide was conducted in February of 2019. It counts the homeless, those literally on the streets of the city and gives us a thumbnail sketch of how many and who the homeless are. The number from this count is not reflective of the total number of homeless in our city, but does provide us with good data as to ages, gender, and racial and ethnic makeup of those experiencing homelessness. In the 2019 count the number counted was 1,525. While this number sounds small, especially if you spend any time in the downtown area and have seen the tents, panhandlers and those in line at the shelters that provide care for the homeless, you would see immediately that this number is low. Comparing it to past years, the number has increased over 200 from the 2017 count which is a significant increase.
How do we address the homeless issue in our community is the million dollar question. I often tell my colleagues who also care for the needs of this segment of our community that we need to dig Solomon up and get his wisdom on this issue. While this is meant in jest, Scripture most certainly should be our guide as to how we deal with others and the foundational truth in God’s word is love, comfort and hospitality. Seeing this in the Word of God and put it into action is the real problem. We need to realize that had we made some of the bad choices that some of those who find themselves homeless or had the same circumstances that some of these folks have encountered, we also may be facing the same situation as it relates to homelessness. People often ask me who are the homeless and my response is one that God has shown me through the eleven years that I have been the Director at the Rock at Noon Day and that the homeless are us. They are our neighbors, they are our family, they are our friends, they are part of our community. Followers of Christ need to remember who Jesus associated with and ministered to during His short time on the earth and that are those who are poor, sick and lonely, we need to tear a page out of the life of Jesus and show these folks the compassion they deserve.
With that said, I think there is a better way. We at the Rock at Noon Day are exploring ways in which we can empower and not enable. We want to provide those who find themselves in this situation the opportunity to better themselves and not just give them a hand out. Again, we don’t know what that looks like, but we want to start the process of discovering how we can provide a better God honoring, empowering service and ministry to those who come through our doors. IN the book by Dr. Robert Lupton, Toxic Charity, Dr. Lupton provides the progression of providing aid to someone who is in need:
- Give once and you elicit appreciation
- Give twice and you create anticipation
- Give three times and you create expectation
- Give four times and it becomes entitlement
- Give five times and you establish dependency
We want to be a ministry that provides appreciation and in the process provides opportunities to start the process of becoming self sufficient and becoming a productive citizen. We will always have the poor with us and there will always be needs for ministires like the Rock at Noon Day, but we need to do a better job of providing that out, that avenue of escape, that road to success.
People often ask how can we help, first and foremost pray and ask God to guide you, to lead you on how you can use your God given resources to honor Him and provide some aid. I feel strongly that the answer you will receive is to come alongside a ministry or service that you can agree with and partner with in the way they do things and with whom they minister and serve.
If I can be of further assistance or you would like to talk about this issue I would love to talk with you. Call or text me at (505) 220-6036 or you can email me at danwhatley@aol.com. The Rock at Noon Day Website