As always, many thanks to those who tithe regularly to allow us to budget for local benevolence, and also to those who give over and above your tithe, which helps covered unanticipated or unusually high expenses.

This week I wanted to tell you a little bit about how we do what we do when it comes to emergency lodging.  When I started working at MI, anybody who called and asked for a room could get one, without any kind of vetting.  As we began to have more communication with other agencies and ministries in town, it became clear that we had been putting up a lot of local drug dealers, and this was obviously not great stewardship of your offerings. They even had a strategy where one of them would call for a room pledge, and the others would then secretly join the first person in the room that night, and then the next day, the second person would call, and so on, which was a way to get around our limit of helping once every three months.

Currently, anyone who calls asking for a room must have a referral from another ministry or agency, which is often CAP NEMO, but could be Mark Twin Behavioral Health, or Preferred Family Healthcare, Gateway Prayer Center, or even the police.  We also run a quick state-level background check.  Any criminal history of violence is a permanent disqualifier. There is also an informal ban list shared between agencies and churches, as well as a list of people the Budget Host will not permit to stay.

Most people who receive a room pledge will stay at Budget Host, because they are inexpensive, centrally located, and willing to bill us on a monthly basis.  Other motels in town change management from time to time and we’ve had different arrangements with them off and on. Currently, the Days Inn is willing to accept a check if we take it there in person right away, and they are a little more expensive (though they do provide breakfast), so right now we reserve that for families with children.

Because of the need for vetting, we do not pledge motel rooms outside of office hours at the parish center.  From time to time, we get visitors at weekend Masses who are looking for a place to stay. After hours, there is no access to the local benevolence database, which would indicate whether a person was helped just a while ago, or if they are banned, etc.  We recently had an incident where a person who sat on the church steps on a Sunday morning was able to secure cash and a ride to a motel, and unfortunately this was a case where the attempt to help was actually counterproductive.

We always want to help where we can, while at the same time being cognizant of the limitations of the situation, and wise stewardship.  To that end, we now have brown bag meals and bottled water where the ushers can access them, and each bag includes a handout on how our process works, with an invitation to come see me or call in first thing on Monday morning. This allows us to welcome people warmly, and to provide them a meal and some encouragement, while still respecting the appropriate process and good stewardship.
If you are ever approached on the way into church by someone asking for help, please welcome them as a brother or sister and invite them to sit with you at Mass, while also alerting an usher so that a meal can be provided.

If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me! Our local benevolence policies have evolved over the last six years in response to specific issues, and I’m happy to talk through that with anyone.

Together with you in advancing the Kingdom of God in our little corner of the world,
Lynn