Simple Helpng

Saturday morning at church / breakfast, I talked with Frank – the kind of conversation that the Breakfast Club is designed for – to learn about people and their needs. Frank is homeless and an unemployed construction worker; he hangs sheetrock. Since he is not an alcohol or drug user, he is not a good candidate for a recovery based half-way house, although this is a possibility. He does have a truck, but the truck needs a fuel pump and the insurance has lapsed. A problem like this can quickly lead to the loss of the vehicle for a homeless person with a temporary loss of income. If parked in an unauthorized area, the vehicle will soon be towed, and in a short period of time the fees for towing and storage can exceed the ability of the person to pay or the value of the vehicle.

The combined cost of the renewal of registration and insurance, along with repair of the truck (broken fuel pump) will cost $200 to $500, funds not available to Frank until he can reestablish employment and make one or two good paychecks, disregarding other costs. But, this “snowball” scenario of problems can be interrupted if the truck can be relocated to an authorized parking location, which will allow Frank more time to get back on his feet.

I called my friend Steve to get a recommendation on a good tow company. The tow company was willing to meet Frank at the location of the parked truck and accept my check for $75 to tow the truck to the agreed upon location in a neighboring town. By talking with Frank and being creative, we were able to solve the immediate problem with a temporary solution that will help him avoid a very costly scenario and possibly the loss of his truck.

This type of simple, practical helping is a big part of our ministry strategy. In Proverbs 14:31 we find .. “whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” It is encouraging to realize that even when problems are complex, simple acts of helping can make a big difference in someone’s life. Frank was extremely grateful. It is our hope that we can continue to minister to him, perhaps addressing other issues and needs that may be contributing factors, and help him overcome the condition of homelessness.