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Schools espouse a Christian education
Pastoral Pondering: We need not fear death if we
choose to have faith
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Creating survival packs for the homeless |
A Portland idea is adapted to help Newberg's
homeless |
By Schellene Clendenin, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Schellene at sclendenin@eaglenewspapers.com |
When Polly Siler heard about
GodSong Community Church’s idea to create survival packs for
Portland’s homeless, she liked the idea so much she asked the group
to provide similar packs to the homeless in Newberg.
Siler is coordinator for Love INC (In the Name of Christ), a
clearinghouse for churches in the area.
“Love INC contacted us,” said Carol Jaquith, GodSong outreach
coordinator. The church collects scarves and hats or gloves,
blankets, a small bag with trial-sized toiletries and another with
snacks, juice drinks and bags of vitamins and places them in the
bags for distribution. “We’re also hoping to put in a phone
card so (recipients) can call the Love INC office, their home,
family, whatever.”
Bags, once put together, will be taken to Love INC for
distribution.
Heidi Thomason, co-pastor at GodSong, along with her husband, Ron,
said the response in Portland to the brightly colored bags was
overwhelming.
“We passed out nearly 400 in all,” she said. “It was the neatest
thing to walk down the street and see homeless people sitting on
side streets and shaving or brushing their teeth. Now we are
partnering with Love INC to gather supplies.”
Thomason and her husband got the idea after they collected
backpacks of needed supplies for school children. The couple decided
that, like students, homeless people could use the survival packs.
Now the plan is to spread out and do more in McMinnville and Salem.
“We are working with some George Fox students to figure out how can
we do this and effectively blanket the area,” she said.
At this point, Jaquith said church members are donating funds to
purchase the supplies, and Love INC will provide blankets from its
linen closet. Trial-sized bottles of soap and shampoo are donated by
another church and motels in town, she said.
“We’ve been looking for duffel bags so we can get more into them,”
she said. “Nothing really heavy, but something people can throw over
their shoulder; paperwork added (by Love INC) for offices in other
towns, and we will be offering Bibles.
“I think it’s a need. We can help out in a small tangible way.”
For more information or to donate supplies, contact Ron Thomason at
503-307-8107. |
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From
April 2, 2005, Newberg Graphic
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