Uffizi Pershing Park Initiative
In June 2006 we began a friendship movement with men and women without homes. It began at the public library with meal sharing, spiraled off to Alameda Park (where it still happens as well), and now has multiplied itself to our community at Pershing Park. We meet there at 5:30pm on Wednesday nights. We are there rain or shine!
Current thinking is that there are 4,000-6,000 friends without homes in our county. We believe that the love of God compels us to be involved with them and to partner in God’s vision for their betterment and empowerment.
The inspiring thing about it is that no one owns Pershing Park, so anyone is invited. It is a wonderful, motley crew. It all swirls around the person of Jesus with conversations, prayers, and visionary human embraces – and meal sharing. We have had jazz bands and flowers from Trader Joes, regular visits from Doctors without Walls, new socks and sleeping bags.
The dream is to live the holistic gospel – to inspire the desire for eternal life, while also helping our friends find work and housing and warmth. What we are beginning to see is the reality that this is possible, person by person. We partner as well with local shelters and organizations, to help get men and women off the streets if that is their desire.
You can join the friendship movement. Come and join us on Wednesday nights. We always need new friends to provide meals, plates, cups, silverware, clothing, sleeping bags… you name it. Get involved as the Lord leads. Please email me if you have any questions or can help in any way.
Coming Fall 2010 – We hope to develop volunteer street outreach teams to go and visit our friends throughout the city on every day of the week. Contact me if you want more information on this!