MISSION OF MERCY

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15.12

I am homeless. After reading Don Pierce’s opinion piece, "If You Feed Them, They Will Come," in the New Times, January 11, 1996, I felt compelled to respond. Due to recent economic and health difficulties, I lack the necessary funds for shelter and food. Although I am working part-time and am trying to find full-time employment, I don’t know when I will be financially secure enough to move into permanent housing. Many local homeless individuals and families are also in a similar situation. All too many people who are working full-time are only one paycheck away from dreaded homelessness. Economic disruption caused by exported jobs, technological change, corporate restructuring, or illness, haunts the lives of too many Americans today.

When I became homeless last year I was devastated. I felt isolated and disconnected from my family, friends, and “normal” society. Fortunately, I found a small town with a big heart, a kind and gentle haven, named San Luis Obispo. I was blessed with a wide array of social services which stabilized my life, and gave me real hope for renewed economic, spiritual, and psychological health. San Luis Obispo General Hospital, County Mental Health, County Social Services, State Department of Rehabilitation, Private Industry Council, Transitions, Inc., and the EOC Homeless Shelter have all been instrumental in my recovery. Their service demonstrates love in action.

Inside our beautiful Mission, daily mass is celebrated at noon. The body and blood of Jesus are eaten in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Simultaneously, on the Mission’s outside portico, dozens of homeless and needy men, women, and children participate in the loving gift of food provided by the People’s Soup Kitchen. Community and religious groups, such as the Interfaith Council, Poly Christian Fellowship, and Cal Poly’s SCS Beyond Shelter, give generously of their time, resources, and compassion. Like the spiritual sustenance of the Holy Eucharist, the food provided by these loving people to the homeless is vital to health and life. On behalf of all the homeless and needy of San Luis Obispo, I want to express my deepest gratitude. To all those kind folks who are extending their hearts and their hands to the less fortunate of our town, I say Thank You. God Bless You All!


Essay #4
January 23, 1996
San Luis Obispo, California