Meeting the spiritual and physical needs of the chronically homeless.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
There are three main ways to get involved:
Financial Contribution:
If you would like to make a financial contribution to help support this project, we would very much appreciate it. It costs about $25 – $35 per Care Pack.
Create a Care Pack:
Download the Care Pack shopping checklist, create a Care Pack and ship (or drop off) to Butler Web & Design or The Word Community Church. This is a great way for families to come together for a great cause. If you would like to contribute one or more items from the Care Pack checklist, please do so.
Volunteer to Distribute
We will be going out on Sunday December 21st at 2pm to G Street in front of the Fresno Rescue Mission. Groups of no less than 3 will be distributing packages. A preliminary safety meeting will be held before distribution.
Please read this article regarding witnessing to the homeless.
Contact Sean Tambagahan at 559-930-5991 or combatingunbelief@gmail.com for more info
Dates and Deadlines
CARE PACK DISTRIBUTION DATE: SUNDAY DEC. 21, 2014 AT 2PM
(DATE IS TENTATIVE)
- All Financial Contributions Due one week prior to the event
- Preliminary Training is Mandatory For Volunteers Who Are Distributing Packs) at The Word Community Church a week prior to the event
CARE PACK DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:
The Word Community Church – 2611 East Hammond Ave, Fresno CA 93702 | Office Hours: Mon – Thurs 9:00am – 4:30pm, Fri – 9:00am – 3:30pm
Butler Web & Design – 1505 Tollhouse Rd. STE. A Clovis CA 93611 | Office Hours: Mon – Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm
The Story Behind CU Care Packs
THE STORY BEHIND CU CARE PACKS
From speaking with several homeless people and being involved with homeless outreaches in the past, there are a few things we have learned:
1) Giving homeless people money isn’t always the most helpful way of reaching out
2) Most homeless people in America are not starving to death. In Fresno, specifically, most of our city’s homeless know where they can find three hot meals per day due to the amazing organizations in our city, such as the Fresno Rescue Mission. Therefore, though bringing free hot-dogs is always appreciated, it isn’t always the best way of meeting real needs.
3) The issue of homelessness in America is more often rooted in spiritual strongholds than lack of resources
4) Most homelessness issues are directly linked to alcohol and/or drug addiction
5) Many of them choose to continue living on the streets with full awareness that they have options to leave if they wanted to
One day as I was thinking about practical ways to help the homeless of our city and reach out with the love of Jesus, I was instantly reminded of the Voice of the Martyrs Action Pack ministry. Though their ministry is specifically designed to provide resources for the less fortunate in other countries, I thought the concept was a great way to serve the poor in our own backyard. That is where the idea for CU Care Packs came from.
The concept is simple – fill a bag with helpful resources and distribute them to the homeless.
SO HOW DOES THIS HELP THE ISSUES LISTED ABOVE?
1) CU Care Packs are filled with helpful items that homeless people love and appreciate, but often times they wouldn’t buy for themselves
2) Each Care Pack contains a “What Good Is It?” gospel tract specifically written for the homeless community, along with a New Testament so they always have the Word of God with them
3) Each Care Pack contains information for local alcohol and/or drug counseling and rehabilitation programs
4) When distributing the Care Packs, volunteers will simply ask one question: “Can I pray for you”. It’s a simple question that leads to powerful results. Our hope and prayer is that this question would spark spiritual conversations leading to the gospel – the message that is the Power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16) and to prayer.
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