The His Place Homeless Outreach Ministry

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
-Matthew 8:20
 

 		 Homeless Outreach is the newest ministry area at "His Place."  Every Wednesday afternoon, volunteers meet at Allegheny Center to distribute food, hot chocolate in winter and lemonade in summer, clothing, books, Bibles, blankets and hygienic supplies to the homeless men and women we encounter.  Many of the homeless people enjoy spending time with us, and many ask for prayer. 

In addition to our regular weekly ministry, His Place also has several special events to minister to the homeless in our area:
Special Events
  • Cookouts in the Park - every one or two months, we hold a massive cookout in the park, which includes grilling hundreds of hot dogs and hamburgers.  The homeless men and women enjoy all the food, as well as fellowship with each other and with us.
     
  • Home for the Holidays - on Christmas and Easter, we spend the morning and afternoon with our homeless brothers and sisters at the His Place building, which includes cooking a homemade holiday brunch.


 
Donations of Supplies
As you can imagine, running a homeless ministry required donations of supplies and funds.  The homeless outreach ministry is
completely self-sustaining, and does not burden the His Place general budget.  You can designate your donation to the homeless ministry, or you can donate the following items:
  • Clean socks - our number one most popular item.  A clean pair of socks is a huge blessing to a homeless person who has spent days and walked miles in one pair.  Collecting socks is a great project for your children's church or VBS program.
     
  • Clothing and coats/jackets- Your gently used clothing that you don't need anymore can be given to a homeless person in need.  Especially during the winter, coats and jackets are greatly appreciated.
     
  • Food - Homemade goodies, as well as donations of hot chocolate mix (during the winter) or instant lemonade (during the summer), or anything else that's good to eat!

Future Expansions
His Place is currently examining ways to make the homeless outreach more effective.  We want to start ministry in another area of the city, sending another team of volunteers to an unreached homeless population.  We will also be looking at ways to help homeless men and women find more permanent solutions, including jobs and affordable housing.  Obviously, this undertaking will only be successful with increased resources and volunteers.