Every year from mid November to just after the New Year, we see an influx of groups giving in the usual areas that we serve. This year, the Police made changes in one of the major areas in order to funnel the groups and the homeless into one section of street, complete with parking slots. It's nice to see people out wanting to help, but it gets very crowded. It has a very "flea market" feel, with the homeless stopping from one station to the next.
Unfortunately, the people we serve recognize that folks are out only for the season and have learned to take as much advantage of it as possible. One gentleman we spoke with last week confirmed our thoughts, that after the new year, times get lean again.
Over the past couple of weeks, ACTS Missionaries has turned our "Breakfast Walk" into a "Holiday Attack System". In order to avoid the overcrowded areas, we've packed our wares on our backs, giving us more mobility and maneuverability in the city streets and alleys. We have encountered folks that we may not have met otherwise, and have been able to get more one-on-one conversation time with some.
If we could make one plea to the groups that are about to end their holiday giving, it's this: PLEASE DON'T STOP! There's no such thing as "holiday spirit" in the Kingdom of God. Every day is about giving His love...it's the Spirit of today. If all of the churches and groups that we've seen in the past couple of months were to organize their people into rotations, the "burden" wouldn't seem so great and they wouldn't feel so burned out. It would prove to be less overwhelming to the police and to the folks we serve as well. God bless you all!
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