Recently, we asked some people the question, “What does home mean to you?”
Most of them responded quickly without having to think about it. The answers included things like, togetherness, acceptance, safe, warmth, family …
It’s interesting that when you ponder that question, most of the time your mind goes to people and relationships rather than a place. A home is not just a house.
For the homeless men, women and children we serve, it’s really no different. They aren’t just looking for a roof over their head. They want to belong. That’s just the way God made us.
However, there are some really practical needs that are met for us in a home. For instance, if I asked you, “what does home mean to you?”, would you immediately think, “a place to go after being discharged from the hospital?” That is probably not top-of-mind for us with a home, but for those without, it is always on their minds.
It is a reality that homeless individuals who have undergone surgery or suffered a prolonged illness have no place to go to recover. Many go back to the streets or to a shelter.
We go home and receive care from family or a home health care service.
At Wichita Falls Faith Mission, we have identified this gap in services and are praying and planning for a solution. We are not sure what it will look like or where the resources will come from. But we do know, it is the right thing to do.
I’m asking you to pray that we can provide the care and support for these vulnerable individuals. My prayer is that someday, no one will have to return to the streets or a shelter without proper follow-up care.
