For The Least Of Us

Monday, June 8, 2009

JUNE 2009 10th edition

One of our brothers in coming home!

Jeff Wells, husband of Laura, father of Connor (6) and Evan (3) is seven weeks from rejoining his beautiful family and our church community. To announce his homecoming, our Saturday morning Men's Fellowship is busy assembling a welcome home celebration after worship services in August.

Jeff has gifts: accounting, bookkeeping, finance (PPM), business valuation, raising capital, formation and management of trusts, web marketing, bank and credit card reconciliation, QuickBooks expertise, blog, social networking, link strategies, keyword analysis, etc

His overriding interest is finding a job, being a breadwinner and the man in his home. Our interest is assisting him through Christian counseling, and mentorship on a continuous basis. Please let Pam or me know what your thoughts are and how you might explore using his services.

SNAPSHOTS

Ladonna called back today. She was more intact than the desperate, tearful woman of 6 weeks ago. Then, she had exhausted her options and was about to be turned back to the streets. She, 47, a college graduate, now "clean" for months, had appealed, without success, to multiple service agencies for a roof over her head in a fit environment .Either she didn't qualify or the meager facilities were full. One shelter gave her our name and number. There was one bed open and we were said to be her last hope. But it would take a dollar or two to pay for her care, life skill training, and counseling. LaDonna prevailed. Without our assistance, she'd be forced back into the streets to do what she didn't want to do to make it through her day.

Today's call was to notify us that she was to leave the shelter in 2 days She had made some mistakes. I got on the horn and reached the Monterey Reinvestment Board and Loyanne Flinn who underscored the lack of facilities with restorative programs for women, abused or down on their luck. She did suggest the Resource Housing Center which I promptly called and spoke with Elisa Hupt, who volunteered to take the case. She mentioning a shelter in Salinas with 2 emergency beds, and if that failed, to provide resources for a 3 month period!

I'll call LaDonna tomorrow to check the results.

S.S., one of our Angel Tree families, adopted by the Clayton small group two Christmas's ago, was about to be homeless 3 months ago. Well, the Lord pointed us to Craig's list, where an Angel lay. Just the day before this Good Samaritan had placed a notice that her gorgeous home would be vacant for 2 months and was being offered free of charge to a needy family. We were able to bring the parties together and this Christian family of 5 moved in to the home in an exclusive neighborhood in Carmel.

But, all stories don't have a continuously happy course. The 2 month stay has ended. Dad, didn't find a job and now has relapsed and is out of the house. Mom, a great mom, now, alone once again, raises her 3 lovely children, ages 6, 8, and 13, with her job as a home health aide. Once again, God to the rescue! His angel in Carmel has located another home, Carmel of course, where the family can stay, rent free, for perhaps 4 months, enough time, hopefully for things to simmer down and for S.S. to secure a richer job more consistent with her gifts and talents.

Meanwhile the Men's group, led by Doyle Clayton is scurrying about to provide furnishings (beds, chairs, sofa, tables, lamps) for this lovely but bare home.

Bill Ziering Ziering@pacbell.net
831-655-476 In His service

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Be careful, you might be in the company of Angels

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Don't rely on appearances!

By now I bet you've seen Susan Boyle's performance on Britans Got Talent last Saturday evening.

The judges, the audience, everyone was literally blown away by this Scottish woman's vocal ability.

Why?

Everyone pre-judged her based on her appearance. No one expected anything from her. Everyone dismissed her with laughs and cat-calls.

We do it all the time, don't we?

We do it on the basis of class, race, looks, body size. . .the list goes on and on.

Shame on us all for not assuming the very best of each other and everyone we meet.

Thanks, Susan Boyle. We all needed what you delivered. Forgive us.

Forgive us, Lord for not believing in those things you've placed in us all.

Watch Susan again right here.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Update on the plan to redevelop and renew the Plaza Inn at I-30 and S. Akard Street on the southeast edge of Downtown Dallas:

It turns out to be quite a saga, maybe closer to an epic!

Chapter One: The Central Dallas Community Development Corporation places the property under contract and writes a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LITHC) application to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). The first round scoring on the application places it at the very top of such applications in the entire state of Texas. We're feeling really very good about the prospects of the plan.

Chapter Two: We begin to explain our plans to the neighbors who live, work and own property around the project site. Lots of honest conversation ensues. After two large, well-attended public meetings and numerous, smaller private meetings, we continue to feel positive about the project. We adjust our plans to include everything over which we have control that the neighborhood association and various voices from the community suggest. Included in the changes are 72 units of new construction, market rate, multi-family homes.

The only part of our plan we did not alter were the homes we intended to set aside for 50 formerly homeless individuals and families. At last, when the neighbors vote on our plan, we are turned back and voted down. This means that we cannot hope to receive the backing we need from Council Member Pauline Medrano and her colleagues on the Dallas City Council.

Chapter Three: We exit the process, but turn over our position to Hamilton Properties, the owners of the Plaza Inn. They adjust the plan to make it more economically feasible and to further suit the wishes of the neighbors. Translation: The new plan eliminates all units of permanent supportive housing designed for formerly homeless persons. The plan goes forward with neighborhood support now that CDM and the homeless are out of the picture. No homeless housing will be provided, but high-quality, affordable housing will be developed.

Chapter Four: The TDHCA objects to the revised proposal, citing 33 reasons why the plan, as presented, is not worthy of funding. Many of the problems are technical and based on inaccurate information and details lost in the translation during the revision process from the original proposal. At the end of the day, it becomes clear that the only way to advance the proposal on appeal is to put the permanent supportive housing units back into the plan. The appeal is submitted with this provision for the homeless included once more. A subsequent meeting with the neighborhood association results in a final rejection of the revised plan. As a result, the tax credit application is withdrawn and the deal is dead.

Takeaways:

1) People in all parts of Dallas fear and do not understand the chronically homeless. As a result of the fear and lack of understanding, they will resist the development of housing for this subset of the population almost automatically and in every part of the city. Further, many people do not want to hear the facts about the homeless who receive the benefit of permanent housing. No amount of national, empirical evidence convinces most people. Clearly, we must work harder, start earlier and do a better job of presenting the truth about "housing first" and permanent supportive housing as a viable, community solution to chronic homelessness. At the same time, we must find ways to legitimately earn the trust of neighborhood groups. We continue to hope that the success of our project at 511 N. Akard in the heart of Downtown will help with community education and understanding.

2) Funding for the development of permanent housing for the homeless must come from public sources with great capacity. These deals are complicated and expensive. Because of neighborhood opposition, and short of significant breakthroughs in community understanding, Downtown areas remain the best and possibly only location for such developments. A logical source of funding will continue to be the LITHC funds from the TDHCA.

3) Having funds available does not guarantee success. We may need to face the fact that funding is easier to solve than location for these projects, due largely to neighborhood opposition.

4) Currently, site selection for these developments may need to be limited to locations where no neighborhood organization exists. This limits development to very weak communities, not a good choice for several reasons, or Downtown locations that tend to be the most expensive sites.

5) Providing lots of information and/or being responsive to community ideas and suggestions is no guarantee that development plans will be supported or accepted. Unfortunately, this is simply a fact of life in this sector of the housing development industry at this point. Again, building trust is key. The Plaza Inn project taught me that I need to exhibit more patience, kindness and respect for those who disagree, while at the same time providing useful information needed to change attitudes toward our homeless neighbors.

6) The current political process serves property owners before the larger good of the entire community. Property rights trump human or community needs/rights.

7) The need and the relief that certainly can be provided for the clear need make continuing the effort more than worth the struggle and the frustrations. At the same time, developers and city leaders must face the fact that these developments will take more time, effort and funding than other sorts of housing endeavors.

Monday, March 2, 2009

A TIME FOR ACTION:

How to Start a Prison Ministry

by Frances Jett

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow captives. (Hebrews 13:3)

Building and maintaining prisons is one of the fastest growing "industries" in the United States. More and more men, women, and children are being incarcerated each day, forcing communities to build additional jail cells. Beyond the issues of how to prevent people from entering the prison system is how to care for those already behind bars.

Many congregations feel that prison ministry is best done by someone else: an expert, a prison chaplain, or, some drastic cases, not at all.

Embracing our biblical mandate is essential when starting a prison ministry in your faith community. The theological foundation for the United Methodist Church to be in prison ministry starts with mandates by Christ to be in ministry by "proclaiming freedom to the captives" (Luke 4:18), and we are all summoned to "remember those in prison as if you were their fellow captives" (Hebrews 13:3). Jesus identified himself as the one who was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, a prisoner - and invites us to ministries of nurture, outreach, and witness. We respond to this invitation and commit ourselves to justice-making.

John Wesley defined true religion as love shed abroad in our hearts, as love for God and neighbor. Wesley considered regular visitations of and friendship with the poor and imprisoned as essential to discipleship as prayer and Holy Communion. Ministry with offenders and victims, then, is not optional; it is mandatory if the church is to be the church. As a sign, foretaste, and instrument of God's reign, the church has no choice but to cast its lot with the ostracized, victimized, and marginalized.

The next step is to establish structure. Find out who in your faith community is already involved in prison ministry or reform activities. Some people work with ecumenical or secular groups; get to know those people and those groups. Seek out those in your community employed in any part of the criminal justice system: police officers, judges, lawyers. Start exchanges between those working in prison ministries and those employed by the criminal justice system. Invite them to speak on the importance of prison ministry or victim offender reconciliation. Peace with Justice Sunday or any Sunday that you may designate to reflect on social justice ministries would be a good time to organize an event on this ministry.

The final step for the prison ministry coordinator is to provide support. Collect and distribute articles and news about prison ministry. Maintain a file of resources and training opportunities on prison ministry, prison reform, and restorative justice. Distributing this information and having visitors speak on the subject will raise the awareness of your faith community's need to be involved with persons affected by the criminal justice system. You will have the power to effect change, as those who are incarcerated return to the free world. Considering that most of those incarcerated are released into society, making that transition a healthy one is important to the welfare of all people.

Not everyone in your faith community will feel comfortable visiting a prison, or participating in some form of restorative justice; those persons can participate in other ways. Since less than 20 percent of inmates receive visitors regularly, writing letters to the incarcerated and their families is appreciated. Preparing gift baskets for prisoners or providing housing for visiting family members, are also valuable opportunities for people to become involved. Enabling persons to take part of the ministry at level that is comfortable for them is extremely important.

We boldly state the idea of restorative justice in our Social Principles: "In the love of Christ, who came to save those who are lost and vulnerable, we urge the creation of genuinely new systems for the care and support of the victims of crime and for rehabilitation that will restore, preserve, and nurture the humanity of the imprisoned." A primary goal of rehabilitation has been taken out of the criminal justice system. Our current system is described as retributive, where crime is a violation of the state, defined by lawbreaking and guilt. Justice determines blame and administers pain in a contest between the offender and the state, all directed by systematic rules.

Restorative justice, on the other hand, considers "crime as a violation of people and relationships. It creates obligations to make things right. Justice involves the victim, the offender, and the community in a search for solutions which promote repair, reconciliation, and reassurance" (Howard Zehr, Changing Lenses, Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1990, p.181). Restorative justice is not a new way of thinking or behaving. It is part of our Judeo-Christian heritage. The goals are to resolve conflict, find mutually beneficial solutions, and restore persons who intentionally or unintentionally have broken a covenant with the community, and increase their self-awareness and accountability. Each time God forgave the Israelites collectively or individually, it was God's invitation and opportunity for them to return to a relationship with God and to the human community. Sometimes the need is to transform, when there is little to which a person or situation can be restored. In both cases, the invitation to be instruments of restoration or transformation is still ours to accept as people who embody the faith.

There are many ways to put our faith into action. The General Board of Church and Society is mandated to speak truth to power and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. We are actively advocating for youthful offenders for a juvenile justice system that will protect them from adult offenders in jails and prisons. We are actively opposing prison privatization as a public safety priority. We continue to speak out against police misconduct and discrimination.

The Church needs to understand that our ministry is with prisoners, crime victims, and their families and the community at large. This encompasses a concern for the entire criminal justice system, especially persons employed within the structure of that system. The ministry of the church is both pastoral and prophetic, seeking both to heal those who have been wounded and to transform those structures that inflict those wounds.

How to Start a Prison Ministry

by Frances Jett

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow captives. (Hebrews 13:3)

Many congregations feel that prison ministry is best done by someone else: an expert, a prison chaplain, or, some drastic cases, not at all.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

AWAKEN AMERICA

February 26, 2009 8^th edition

Why be bothered with prison ministry??

2.700,000 men/women in prison

10,000,000 more in jail

7,000,000 on probation/paro

10% children in America has a parent in the "system"

No other country in the world competes with these numbers. How America defines crime, and deals with it is unique among both the civilized world and the emerging nations. Here, inmates are herded into vastly overcrowded cell blocks, deprived of all civil rights, excluded from any rehabilitative training, and ultimately released with only a prayer to make it successfully back into the competitive world. Is it any wonder the rate of recidivism is now approaching 70%? Some have likened incarceration to a postgraduate program for criminal behavior. How well does this square with America being as the ethical leader of the civilized world?

A LETTER RECEIVED TODAY:

Hello Bill and Pam,

Thanks for your kind message. I am the chaplain among some eleven hundred inmates, many of whom will be released directly from here or go on to State prison, where they might serve a term of a year or two. All of which is simply to agree with your observation. Most of the people we incarcerate will be back in our communities sooner or later. And yes, the public seems blissfully forgetful of this.

As there is not that much direct community involvement with prisoners themselves, the other good task people like yourselves set yourselves to is ministry with, support of the outside families. You fill one of the crying evils of our County, perhaps of our State--a near-total lack of transitional services, job assistance, ex-con and family housing.

At the County Jail level, the chief goal of Command staff is to keep inmates safe and secure, rather than rehabilitated, while they wait for their trials to unfold, generally very slowly. Some will end by being acquitted of their charges, too, and freed. As you probably know, there is almost no public money for inmate Program for them, while they wait unsentenced. They will see very few civilians inside the Jail; all of them service people of one sort or another--nurses, parole officers, rehabilitation counselors, the chaplain.

The sole exception are the ministry volunteers, whose task is to conduct worship in one form or another once a week for the many separate housing units here, for while in Custody (as opposed to State prison) we may not call together large general groups for worship. We cannot, for instance, call together all the Muslim or Jewish or Catholic inmates for their own worship services, because the inmates are separated into housing units, and kept apart on purpose, as seems most prudent to the safety officers.

So, I may applaud and give the God-speed to what you all are doing for the least of these. I don't see many places where our specific goals are going to overlap, although of course we share many of their general goals--especially to reconcile their spiritual health and well-being with the grim fact of their incarceration. For they must and despite all factors, become whole men and whole women, in good repute and in ill repute, still called into relationship with their creator, carrying the image of that Creator, and considered as having nothing, yet in truth possessing everything.

The Rev. Cynthia Montague
Chaplain, Monterey County Jail
Salinas, California
(831) 755-3890
39cmont27@sbcglobal.net

And was Jerusalem built indeed,

among those dark satanic mills

The Government sequester inmates and blind us to its practices. Our intention is to make visible the process through newsletters, forums, and conversation Society cannot afford a system that does not provide reconciliation and restoration, tears apart families, and consequently will promote further destructive behavior. Correction will not happen at once or globally; it starts at the local level, with our reaching out in the character of Jesus to those who cry out in their pain. Are we not to love one another just as He loved us first?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bill Ziering Ziering@pacbell.net
831-655-4768n His service