Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010

Churches open doors to homeless

Since cold weather set in last fall, Robert Brown has been sleeping at friends' houses. When it's warmer, the 59-year-old often sleeps in a tent he pitches around town.

Brown leads a life of uncertainty, plagued by a history of drug and alcohol abuse. He spends most days doing odd jobs, relying on the skills he picked up years ago as a roofer.

While Brown might not always know where he's going to sleep from one night to the next, he can count on getting a hot meal and a warm shower every Saturday afternoon. That's when he and dozens of other homeless and down-on-their-luck folks gather at Garner United Methodist Church.

"I love it to death," Brown said of the church program, which he has been attending for about two years.

Garner United Methodist has been serving Saturday luncheons for a few years now, said Joe Koon, a church member. Three other churches -- St. Andrew's United Methodist, First Presbyterian and Poplar Springs Christian -- also take part, bringing in food and volunteers.

The program got off to a slow start. "The first weekend, we didn't have anybody," Koon recalled. "The second week, we had two."

Now, about 50 people often come to the church for lunch. Volunteers use church buses to pick up the homeless near Kmart and a thrift store in Garner. For a couple of hours, they get to escape the winter chill or the summer heat. Before they sit down to a hearty meal, the group prays together.

Homelessness in Garner is likely a bigger problem than most people think, Koon said. The churches see many new faces each week.

Richard Claxon, who usually volunteers one Saturday a month, said the community needs more programs like this. "How many times have you went by someone with a sign on a corner and just turned your head?" he asked.

Thomas Allen and Guy Maurici aren't homeless. They live in a small camper in Garner, where the rent is $350 a month. But the friends met in downtown Raleigh eight years ago, when both were living on the street.

Allen and Maurici have been coming to lunch at the church for a few months. Allen has a car, so they don't rely on the church for transportation.

"This is a real blessing that they have begun this here," said the 50-year-old Allen, who receives disability benefits.

A couple of Saturdays ago, the pair enjoyed a meal of lasagna, beef stroganoff, chicken, green beans and more. They can cook in their camper, they said, but they appreciate coming to the church.

"It's really a good thing to have camaraderie," Allen said.

Brown, who said he's been homeless for about three years, hasn't had to sleep in his tent since November. Friends look out for him. And he said he's dealing with his substance-abuse problem.

Koon, from the church, said he knows helping the less fortunate is "what we're supposed to do." Sunday school classes and church members donate food. A local restaurant sometimes offers its leftover barbecue.

"It's not that this is going to fix or change anything," Koon said, "but it gives them a break in the day."