I would like to thank Ms. Gail M. Jackson for her letter to the Cape Gazette in the Dec. 30 edition and for bringing the plight of our homeless sisters and brothers to its readership.
At St. Jude the Apostle, we have found it both humbling and rewarding to see the face of God in our guests to whom we offer hospitality. We have also recognized from the beginning of offering shelter to gentlemen that shelter for ladies is also a priority.
We have discovered at St. Jude that the Code Purple model works best in a faith community because of the community support behind the effort. Therefore, our parish has reached out to area churches to inquire about the possibility of a shelter for homeless ladies in Lewes, as neither the “Marys” nor the “Josephs” of the world should be overlooked, to use Ms. Jackson’s turn of phrase.
More importantly, I wonder if Ms. Jackson has herself reached out to her own faith community and invited them to collaborate with Code Purple, opening their space to accommodate homeless ladies, and realize the same humbling and rewarding experience that we enjoy today.
If not, I invite her and the readership of the Cape Gazette to seek out real and sustainable solutions to the homeless crisis in our area. After all, the homeless deserve more than an opinion piece in a newspaper; they deserve compassion, love and welcome.
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Cape Gazette commentaries are written by readers whose occupations, education, community positions or demonstrated focus in particular areas offer an opportunity to expand our readership's understanding or awareness of issues of interest.
