National Episcopal

leader discusses

homelessness,

community issues
By Scott Nicholson

A discussion of homelessness and related issues brought together about 200 people from the faith and non-profit communities Thursday morning.

The Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, was on hand to share ideas about ministry and service. Schori and members of the Westminster-Canterbury Fellowship talked about the value of helping others, and officials with Hospitality House talked about local needs.

Schori talked about her work with campus ministries and said “vigorous conversation is a good thing.”

She said differences of opinion were a blessing because it led to better solutions and open exploration.
Schori said a community didn’t have to share the same ideas and goals, because each person had a part in serving the community and bringing forth various viewpoints.

She said the Episcopal Church was facing declining membership because the congregation was aging out and families were having fewer children, though the church was examining its mission “to tell the good news in a new age. . . in a language that’s understood by a new generation.”

In response to a question about appealing to young people, Schori said there were different ways to meet outside the church in places like bars and coffee shops and change the perception of the church.

“Those stories are much more effectively told person to person,” Schori said.

Hospitality House director Lynne Mason presented information on homelessness in the community.

“Homelessness does exist in rural areas and is every bit as prevalent,” Mason said, with a local awareness of the issue emerging in the late 1970s. In the mid-1980s, the Hospitality House opened in King Street.

“It’s much more than the stereotype of drunks on our streets,” Mason said. Currently, six families are staying in the homeless shelter, and veterans and those with chronic health problems are among the clients.

The homeless shelter is often at or over capacity, Mason said. The shelter also operates the Bread of Life program, serving 33,000 meals a year in cooperation with other agencies. The organization is also part of WeCan, an emergency-assistance program to help with heating fuel and other needs.

“We see ourselves as more than just a food-and-shelter service,” Mason said. “We are a program with services to address the underlying issues.”

Boone has the largest homeless shelter in a seven-county area where an estimated 1,000 people are homeless. “On a given night, we are housing an average of 47 and were supposed to serve only 35,” Mason said.

The Hospitality House has a combined financial need of $7.2 million over the next three years, including $4.7 million for a capital campaign to construct a new facility in Boone. The organization is also seeking $1.2 million in operating costs.

Mason said the new facility would allow for more efficient delivery of services, including counseling and job assistance. It will also have office and kitchen space and allow for several partnerships to work under the same roof.

Pete Call said he overcame drug addiction and homelessness to become overnight manager of the Hospitality House in 2003, saying he felt a calling to help other homeless people. “I found out the Hospitality House was more than just a shelter and more than just a place to sleep,” he said. “They want to know about your life and your goals.”

Call said the hardest part of his job was on cold nights when he had to turn people away because there weren’t enough beds.

The Episcopal Church presented Mason with a United Thank offering of $29,900 to help buy commercial kitchen equipment and further the Bread of Life program.