Newsletter March 2008
The Word on the Streets
Newsletter of the Isaiah 58 Project
March 2008
Contacting Isaiah58
Tel 07808 016875
email - theisaiah58.project@virgin.net
website - shrop.net/isaiah58project/
Rough sleeper numbers soar
There has recently been an alarming increase in the number of people sleeping rough in and around Shrewsbury. Between November 6 last year and February 4 we recorded 48 rough sleepers in the town. To put that in context - it is about half the total number of rough sleepers recorded in the whole of last year.
Put it another way - in the three coldest months of the winter there were as many people sleeping rough as we would normally expect to find in six months.
What is going on? We ask ourselves this question again and again, and we have also asked the Borough Council.
The Borough Council's response to the problem (we hate to use that word - people should never be a 'problem') was that the housing department provided six beds in a temporary shelter.
It's not that they lack information. They are informed by us every 10 weeks of the numbers sleeping rough. Indeed, we make a point of telling them, because we want them to do something positive and good and helpful.
We have tried since mid-December to persuade senior officers to provide more beds under the Government cold weather provisions. They simply refuse. And they also continue to refuse to re-house the two disabled rough sleepers in the town.
As one door opens (to great fanfare)
another one is quietly closed
While on the subject of the Borough Council - recent headlines made great claims about the new hostel in Castle Gates, which replaced the only night shelter in Shropshire. But the council failed to mention to the media that it had closed down Cleveland House, the temporary hostel for homeless families and single people.
We just can't understand this. There is a crying need for such a place. So far this year we have met two homeless families with children whose need if very great. One of these children is disabled.
One of our supporters is an ex-Australian who saw the error of his ways and migrated to Shropshire. The above reminds him of a charity campaign in Sydney some years ago during which the city's Anglican cathedral hung out a big banner saying "For Christ's sake, give!"
Great offence was caused among the city’s political chattering classes, but the message was loud and clear. Let it be clear to Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council as well.
Showing the way!
We are always looking for ways to express God's love to our clients. Last year the ladies groups from four of the churches that support us showed us the way to do this and at the same time raise money for the project.
By holding fund-raising events that would draw in not only church members but also non-churchgoers, this gave them a chance to make contact and start sowing the seeds of faith through friendship. As we all know the hardest thing to do with a non-Christian is to get them through the front doors of a church, but these ladies did it.
How? They organised events that everyone enjoyed: Table top sales, coffee mornings, promise auctions, entertainments. All were advertised in local papers and radio, on our website and, of course, personal invitations.
With a lot of hard work and a lot of prayer, it worked.
One of our ladies in Wem, who is very fit, also spread the word by taking part in the Great North Run to raise the fantastic sum of over £300. Just by going round the local stores with the Isaiah 58 Project newsletter or sponsorship forms she and her friends were making contact with many non-Christians and giving them the chance to talk about God. Oh, and yes, they also raised a fantastic £2000-plus.
If you would like to join these fantastic ladies please contact John.
What matters most - for two reasons
Church fund-raising events are most important for the project as we use this money to further the project's work. But church fund-raising is very important for another reason as well - because it gives the churches an opportunity to invite non-churchgoers to meet Christians for a good and positive reason, and to have fun while doing it. In February, we held an entertainment evening and we had more than 14 non-churchgoers come along. One of them made inquires about the Alpha Course!
Christmas? Are we running
just a little late?
Christmas is long gone (only nine shopping months till the next one!) but memories linger on of the overwhelming love that was show in our Christmas Toy Appeal.
The members of St Georges Church in Frankwell, URC English Bridge, Whitchurch Christian Fellowship, Prees Baptist Church, St Laurence's Church and the Methodist Church in Church Stretton, Emanuel Church in Harlescott and the Co-op at Bicton Heath collected the fantastic number of 481 toys and 105 adult presents for the homeless people of Shrewsbury.
The toys were shared between the Isaiah 58 Project, the Children's Centre, a foster home, Besford House, Children's Social Services and the Children's Wards at RSH.
Adult presents were shared between the Isaiah 58 Project, Gospel Mission and St Michael's.
At Christmas - because it is winter and because it is a uniquely special time for Christians - we do all we can for rough sleepers, who find life very hard. In particular, we hold a Rough Sleepers and Lone Peoples Christmas Party. If your Church would like to join this work please contact John or Maria (their number is in this newsletter).
St Chad 's Church staff have done so much for so many through their support for this party that, even in March, we want them to know how grateful we are.
To prove it is all worthwhile here is a letter from one of the people who came to the party:
My Christmas break
by Richard Gwilt
My Christmas of 2007 was not too bad at all really. The essential thing that made it tolerable was that I was invited by the Isaiah 58 Project to both a Christmas and Boxing Day dinner and a Christmas Day and Boxing Day high tea.
The Isaiah 58 Project is a Christian organisation which, among other tasks, provides food and other necessities such as blankets to the homeless and vulnerably housed.
At Christmas time they invite the homeless, vulnerable and others (such as myself - partially disabled) to spend part of Christmas and Boxing Day at (usually) a Church Hall, which this year was a St Chad’s.
As I have an osteo-arthritic condition (damage to my right hip joint) it is a pleasant thing to have a meal served up, waiter style, on two days of the year. The volunteers who are our hosts are of varying backgrounds, such as Lesley, who is a secondary school teacher, and Geoff, who, fortunately for him, has the same politics as myself (Green).
After an excellent meal - with seconds! - servers and diners alike played traditional party games such as charades. I also thought that taking part in a fun group activity such as charades was giving me a “better quality of life” day than spending Christmas Day afternoon slumped in front of the telly, “watching” James Bond meets Pinocchio. I was frankly feeling a bit “pooped” after both the second helpings and the exertions of the party game, and felt I needed some fresh air and so went for a walk outside and took some photographs. It was, in fact, perfect light conditions for some winter photography, a fine crisp day with a clear blue sky.
I stroked some of the homeless people’s dogs and then walked back into the church hall. It wasn’t long after I had done this that the volunteers started to prepare what was a traditional “high tea”!
This consisted of plates piled high with “doorstep” style sandwiches and plate after plate of savouries, along with cakes of many kinds. I felt so full I decided to take some “high tea” home with me and demolish it later.
It was time to go home now so after asking for and getting a total of three Christmas kisses from three different volunteers (all female by the way....this writer is old-fashioned), I got a lift back with a gentleman who had kindly given his time to help people like myself on a holiday.
Overall I had a lovely time, an old-fashioned type Christmas and Boxing Day celebration in a Christian setting.
Good business!
We wouldn't make much of a success on Dragons' Den, but we certainly keep good business company!
Welcome to Sainsbury's at Meole Brace who, as from December, have joined our ever-growing group of company sponsors. They are now keeping company with Inter Business Logistics, Mark James Distributions, the Co-Op Bicton Heath, Aubrey Kirkham Funeral Directors, Harlequin Carpets, J & S Dixon Paints and Café Connect at Radbrook.
These businesses all mean business and are positive in their support. Sainsbury's is a real blessing for the health of our clients and their children as we are now able to give out fresh fruit and vegetables most nights as we deliver bags of food.
This is a terrific bonus, but it is building on the bedrock provided by our long-supporting 58 churches who continue to provide cans and packet foods to our clients. Please, please keep up this good work - we need to do more each and every week. If we keep on like this we'll have to get listed on the Stock Exchange!
We are not alone....
This cautionary tale comes all the way from Montgomery County in Alabama, where the local authority is half way through a 10-year programme to eliminate homelessness.
The results so far are that the number of homeless people has actually increased - as has the number of bureaucrats employed to reduce homelessness! But all is not lost. The council recognises the problem and is doing something about it. Guess what? It’s hiring more people to work on reducing homelessness. The plan is to build 800 small apartments during the 10 year programme. After five years, they have built 48. Still, that’s 48 more than we’ve got.
John's BIG apology to our church supporters
John has been unable to send out ‘thank you’ letters to our many supporters in churches in and around Shrewsbury for the wonderful support we received at Harvest Festival in the form of food and money.
He went into hospital in September for an operation on one of his knees (which went well) but has been left with a problem in his back. This makes it impossible for John to sit for any length of time at his computer. As a result, writing letters is almost impossible - so please don't think he's simply forgotten!
John's back trouble is also proving a problem for him with getting back to work at the Ambulance Service.
We are more deeply thankful than we can say for all the support that everyone gives, both within churches and in the wider world. Without the quiet, dedicated giving of time, effort and resources by so many we could not help over 200 people each and every year.
Our work is growing at an increasing speed. For example, between November 6 and February 20 we have put 140 household goods in 29 homes - this is 50% of the total for the whole of last year in just under four months!
Wanted: A home for Isaiah 58
The Project has grown far beyond our wildest dreams and we thank the Lord for that because it means we are helping more people than ever. But now, not having a building to work from is holding us back.
Our only essential requirements are walls and a roof - so a shop unit or small manufacturing type of unit would do nicely. As some readers will know, we want to open an Evening Centre and if funding for the project materialises that may help solve our problem about a base. Ever optimistic, we have opened a building fund!
New prayer group focus on Ditherington
It's good to report that a prayer group now exists for the Isaiah 58 Project and the Ditherington area. John and Maria lived in Ditherington last year (just one of those 'god-incidences') and as far as they can tell it is an area of little or no organised Christian activity, with no churches and no outreach. It is mostly a very deprived area with poor housing, low incomes and little provision for children and young people. If you would like to join the new group call John and Maria and they can put you in touch. Prayer is the foundation of our project, so please include Ditherington in your personal prayers and perhaps even join the group.
Playing to our strengths is the key
You may remember that in two recent newsletters we focused on aspects of our work, looking at what the volunteers do and the results they achieve. But what is it that has made the Project so effective?
We think it is because we try to 'play to our strengths' as individuals and as teams. We all need to know what God wants us to do and how to do it. Our volunteers use their God-given talents in their work and this helps them connect with their clients. So each team works differently but all work to the same end.
House bonding
Last year we were able - thanks to your donations - to launch a bonding scheme, temporarily putting up the deposit and first month's rent for homes. Four families benefited. So far this year we have done the same for two families and have also advised four other families on where they can get cheap or free loans for this purpose
