Church establishes homeless safe zone in its parking lot

http://www.star-telegram.com/448/story/264843.html

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Word travels fast on the streets of Dallas, where homeless resident Billy Garrett recently heard about a place he could sleep without being rousted by police.

A downtown church has taken the unusual step of opening its parking lot to as many as 150 people who sleep on cardboard mats or blankets under the nightly protection of a security guard. Two portable toilets are provided by the church.

First Presbyterian Church recently established the "safe haven" because police in this city - known for intolerance of the homeless - have started removing people found sleeping in public places.

"I think it's good because a lot people are getting tickets and going to jail, and only so many people can get into the shelters," said Garrett, who has spent a couple nights in the lot.

Though "sanctuary" is more commonly associated with illegal immigration or refugees, a few churches have begun providing homeless safe zones, said Michael Stoops, acting executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, which has labeled Dallas among the "meanest" cities in the country for its approach to homelessness.
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for being homeless. THAT is bizarre to me and against everything I believe in. The month I spent homeless with my 2 year old daughter (while 12 weeks pregnant) was one of the scariest and most awful times of my life. It was so scary and awful that I went back to my abusive (ex-)husband rather than continue to live in a 1980 Ford Pinto. There was no room in the Women's shelter until the last 2 weeks, but I was unable to follow the rules (they wanted me to carry huge trash cans outside when I was already spotting blood at 12 weeks pregnant. I refused (tried to negotiate doing a different job, but everyone had to take their turn) and they asked me to leave) and they damned sure didn't make exceptions.

(On a good note, I didn't miscarry the baby. She's 17 now and doing fine)

I love the rare times when an American church actually does something Christian.

The criminalization of homelessness is an outrage. I could write about it at length, but it's enough just to note that it is a symptom of our "sweep it under the rug and to hell with them" mentality. Social Darwinism in action.

sleep inside the church. That would be real human kindness.;)

Immigrants get to sleep inside.

War "evaders" get to sleep inside.

Somethings very wrong with this picture.....

:cry: