The needy are Christ's Brothers

Shantytown Clothing Drive Your HELP is needed.

Seven Ocean County Churches have joined forces to help the homeless. Most people think of homelessness as a “big city” problem. Few of us living in Ocean, Monmouth and Atlantic Counties are truly aware of the growing needs of the homeless in our own towns.
Did you know that on any given night, in your town, families are sleeping in their cars? That veterans are hoping to find a warm dry place to spend the night? That the folks you stand in line with at the supermarket or in the Wawa may be homeless. The unmentioned causalities of the financial, employment, mortgage, and housing crisis are those who have run out of options. Along with a place to stay the homeless also needs clothing and food. One out of five Americans go to sleep each night hungry. Over 1% of our population experiences some level of homelessness. In Ocean County alone that equates to 5,750 experiencing some level of homelessness, 38% of these are children! (Published by the National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009)
To help draw attention to this need, participants of all ages, sponsored through local churches will become homeless, for a night. Shantytown, calls awareness and draws attention to the severity of this local need. Shantytown will take place at Manahawkin Lake Park. The event is scheduled to begin Saturday November 19th and end Sunday November 20th.

How YOU can help

Participants will spend the night homeless sleeping in boxes. Please consider giving a night to this need and or help those donating their night to this cause. Donations raised by the Shantytown “homeless” participants will benefit the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.

At Shantytown we will be collecting Clothing and Canned Food.
New Clothing, new or gently used * and washed* as well as canned food.

We are requesting that Clothing and Canned Food be collected at your local church or organization and delivered to Shantytown (aka Manahawkin Lake Park, Manahawkin NJ) between 4:30 and 7 PM November 19th. If you need that we can arrange to pick up your collections of donated clothing and food PLEASE email me at cash.william@gmail.com to schedule a pickup. Please include your name, church or organization name, contact phone number and the best time to reach you in your email.
Anyone wishing to make financial contribution, small or large, Please also contact me through Email and we can work out the details.

Jesus called “those in need” His brothers and sisters. He said that what we do for His brothers and sisters we do for Him. Matt 25:40.

hungry? thirsty?

The other morning I caught part of a TV show with James and Betty Robinson. I have a little history with James Robinson, he spent a week teaching at my alma-mater. Jim was much more full of vinegar back then. Apparently he and I have spent some time in the same rock-tumbler.

Coincidently I am currently reading a book by Brenan Manning “the Ragamuffin Gospel” (Brenan also shared residence in the tumbler. ) The night before I caught Jim and Barbra on TV and saw a vid clip from them about their water well projects I read from Brenan that 1 in 5 Americans go to bed hungry. What a sobering thought! While mainstream America stands in line to purchase the latest 4G gadget there are people, probably within walking distance, who don’t have enough food.

I did a very little research and found
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/hunger-and-poverty-statistics.aspx

Apparently Brenan’s numbers may be slightly off, BUT not by much.

Here are some of the numbers
• In 2009, 43.6 million people (14.3 percent) were in poverty.
• In 2009, 50.2 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33 million adults and 17.2 million children
Before your defense systems go into overdrive to explain why this isn’t “my” problem please another look above. “ 17.2 million children” Just to put that number into perspective that is 2 time the entire population of the state of NJ or almost equal to the entire population of the State of New York. Just think about that for a moment. Enough children to populate the entire state of New York are without enough food. AND THIS IS IN AMERICA!

Right now in the land of plenty, (where over 20% of the population is obese *) 40 MILLION Americans are hungry and may go to bed that way. Worse still is that tomorrow looks no better.

That begs the question, What “shall” we do about it?
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matt.25: 37-40
http://www.livestrong.com/article/348674-statistics-for-obesity-in-america/