Cathedral ministry seeks donations of shoes for community's people left homeless
By Jim Segars
A group of parishioners at The Cathedral of St Philip involved in the Feet on the Street ministry has joined with others to collect gently used shoes for people who are homeless, with a particular emphasis on men’s shoes and boots. Gently used means to us that the soles are intact and usable and that the uppers have no tears or large holes.
People who are homeless in Atlanta walk an average of eight miles per day in search of food, shelter and medical care. Therefore, shoes are an extremely important component to keep them healthy and mobile. We also accept women’s and children’s shoes and distribute them to the various appropriate agencies who provide services to women and children.
We have need for about 500 pairs of men’s shoes each month as we visit a shelter and distribute these in person. As Spring approaches there is a large need for boots which are required for landscaping and construction jobs. Even better if the boots are steel toed (required for many construction jobs).
We would like to hear from any parishes who would be interested in allowing us to place a container for shoe collection in a “public” area of the site where people frequently pass by. We would arrange for pick up of the shoes and if a local need arises, the local parish could have “first choice” on the shoes collected there or any excess we may have.
We are also in need of either new or gently used socks. Socks are a popular choice during inclement and cold weather, but are needed year round to keep feet dry and healthier.
Participating parishes would be invited to join us in the monthly distribution effort if interest develops.
Would we accept new shoes? Yes! Enthusiastically! Especially boots in the sizes of 12 and greater. Due to the long daily walks on the concrete, the shoe sizes run much larger than expected. Size 12 and up are the greatest needs.
This collection has been in place for about 24 months and receives no funding. Please contact Jim Segars at segarsj@bellsouth.net or Larry Benner at Larry4363@aol.com.
Collections are currently made at various shoe retailers who save shoes for us, three different church denominations and a YMCA.
We ask careful consideration and an email to start the dialogue and answer any questions.
Jim Segars is a member of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta.
Smyrna parish partners with MUST Ministries to extend services
St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church and MUST Ministries have partnered to provide extended service hours for the working poor in the Smyrna area. As of Sept. 30, members of St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church are staffing MUST Smyrna’s food and clothing pantries on the last Wednesday night of every month.
The end of the month can be a particularly difficult time for single parents and those with big families. “By helping with evening staffing of the MUST Smyrna food pantry and clothing closet, we are literally helping people make ends meet during these difficult economic times,” said John Gotham, an outreach leader for St. Benedict’s.
Overall, MUST Ministries is seeing a dramatic increase in demand for services. Unemployment and underemployment, meaning people not being able to find full-time jobs, are significant problems for many in Cobb County and other areas MUST serves.
Andrew Peabody, MUST program director, said, “From July 2007-June 2008, MUST Ministries served more than 24,000 neighbors in need. Staring into the face of a sharp economic downturn, MUST began planning in the fall of 2008 for the numbers of people we expected would come to us seeking emergency food and clothing in the coming year. While we are still catching up on some data entry, as of one week ago we had accounted for more than 29,239 individual people served this fiscal year –a 6000 person increase over last year. This remarkable capacity to respond to those in crisis in our community absolutely, unequivocally could not have been produced were it not for the hearts and hands of people like the people of St. Benedict’s.”
St. Benedict’s joins Northstar Church in Acworth as one of two Cobb County congregations jumping in to provide much needed manpower to expand service hours at MUST Ministries Smyrna. MUST Smyrna’s normal operating hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, but they know there are a number of people in the community who could benefit from having access to services during the evening. By reaching out to local congregations for help, MUST Smyrna has found an innovative way of providing expanded services without dramatic increases in operational costs.
The Rev. Lang Lowrey, St. Benedict’s vicar, said, “Since our inception, we have worked to be a church that is very active in the community. Our relationship with MUST Ministries, and specifically MUST Smyrna, gives our members significant and meaningful opportunities to exercise their faith in practical ways that not only helps others in need but also feeds them on their spiritual journey.”
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