Go Beyond

“Oh the weather outside is frightful…” — or at least as frightful as it gets in Houston. Each year, when the temperatures begin to drop, my thoughts turn to the welfare of those in our community who do not have the benefit of either home or hearth. So, once again, our missions ministry made an appeal for winter coats, caps, scarves, gloves, socks, and underwear for the homeless. And the people of Kingsland did not disappoint. On Sunday morning, we filled over thirty large boxes with new and gently used winter clothing and dozens of new packages of socks and underwear. This morning, Jon Davis, our Missions Ministry Associate, and I delivered these much-needed items to four of our urban ministry partners who will in turn distribute these items to the homeless over the next few days.

Our day began by connecting with our friend Senior Police Officer Jaime Giraldo who serves with HPD’s Homeless Outreach Team. Officer Giraldo and the Homeless Outreach Team offer compassionate and practical help to Houston’s homeless community. Last year our missions ministry supplied the Homeless Outreach Team with winter clothing and sleeping bags that helped many homeless people to stay warm on the streets. After loading Officer Giraldo’s vehicle with boxes of coats, we delivered more boxes to our friend Bobby Herring, a Hip Hop rapper who reaches out to the homeless. Tom, a once homeless man who lived on the streets for a year and a half helped us to off-load the boxes. Tom was thrilled with our donation because he has lived on the streets and knows the challenges of surviving cold weather days. He made it a point to tell us that Bobby and his wife not only met his physical needs while he was on the street, but his spiritual needs as well. With their help he now no longer lives on the street but partners with Bobby’s ministry to care for the homeless.

Our next stop was 1000 Hills Ministry in Houston’s Third Ward. Our friend and former police officer David Hill founded this ministry that also hosts Church Under the Bridge, a daily outreach to the homeless who live in Houston’s downtown wards. The guys who reside at the 1000 Hills dorm in the Third Ward helped us to move boxes from our truck to their storage garage. One really big guy asked if we had a really big coat for him. Of course, we did. The guys at 1000 Hills will help distribute our winter offering to the homeless. Our final delivery was to our good friend Mike Malkemes, founder of Generation One, an outreach to grade school kids in the Third Ward. We gave Mike several boxes of children’s coats and other items that he will distribute to some of the poorest children in the Third Ward.

I love days like today when we have an opportunity to bless so many people in need — days made possible because of the kindness and generosity of the people of Kingsland. So, on behalf of our urban partners and all of the homeless who will stay a little warmer this winter, a special and heart-felt thanks to all of you who made it possible for us to care for the least of these in our own community.