Do You See the Worth in Me?
About the Shalom Song by Shari Woodbury I spent two semesters at the Shalom Center this past year as part of my seminary program, helping with concrete tasks and offering a listening ear. The final project for the class was to be a work that helped ministerial students integrate what we had experienced at our community sites. I chose to write and record a song. The stories and struggles I witnessed were so personal and poignant that music seemed the best way to evoke them. I wanted to convey in some way the voices of homeless people in...
read moreUnless – Why Low Barrier Matters
At the Ending Homelessness Charrette meetings in late April, a speaker from Indiana’s Department of Corrections helped me understand the importance of our services in a new way. To paraphrase, he said, “Too many times, the people trying to help are saying we can help you unless… unless you have an addiction problem… unless you have a felony… unless you are mentally ill… unless you can’t get a job… unless, unless, unless. If your goal is to end homelessness, you can’t say unless.” Shalom is a low barrier daytime...
read moreA Presentation to the City Council
These words are the thoughts and experiences of Jon Jones, a man currently experiencing homelessness. He shared these thoughts with the Bloomington City Council on April 3, 2013. Trying to get homeless people, townies and college kids all on the same page—man, what an obstacle! Our majestic city could have a dilemma on its hands April 16th, if the community does not appropriate the funds for a summer shelter like Genesis. Our city could possibly have 70-80 people walking around our town, trying to find a safe place to lay their heads,...
read moreHomeward Bound 2013
Mark your calendars – Sunday, April 14, 2013 is the official date for the 11th annual Homeward Bound 5K Walk! Homeward Bound is a part of a series of eleven local fundraisers occurring throughout Indiana. As the largest collaborative fundraiser of nonprofits in Bloomington, it’s a great way to get involved in the community and help work to alleviate homelessness and poverty. Over the past decade, this local event has raised $574,690, 100% of which goes directly to the 12 participating agencies to help people experiencing homelessness...
read moreShould You Give Money to People Who Are Panhandling?
People often ask me, “Should I give money to people who are panhandling?” The urge to give is a good one. Please feel proud of your desire to give. Generosity starts with the heart, and the desire to give reflects one of our greatest human values – compassion (literally “to feel with” another). But as a person of good heart, I am sure you often ask yourself, “What is the best way to be generous?” To give someone money on the street is ultimately a personal decision with pros and cons to whichever choice you make. On the...
read moreBegin the Holiday Season with “SYLVIA AND FRIENDS”
UPDATE: The event was fantastic with almost 400 people in attendance. Sylvia McNair and her fellow musicians were extraordinary. The air was filled with the joy of the season and the great cause of caring for one another. PREVIOUSLY POSTED Shalom Community Center is proud to present Sylvia and Friends on Sunday, December 2, 2:00 pm in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church (corner of Fourth & Washington). The program of holiday music will feature performances by two-time Grammy Award winner Sylvia McNair with Jessica...
read more“I was so afraid to tell anybody that I was homeless…”
“The Shalom Center gave me a family again and gave me more hope than anything. I was very hopeless in so many ways. I re-found myself in the time I’ve been at Shalom. It’s been a very empowering and humbling thing.” - Crystal Banks When Crystal Banks first discovered Shalom, she had been sleeping on the streets. Fleeing an unhealthy relationship, she found herself homeless, despite working full-time at night as a certified nursing assistant. She temporarily gave up her kids to their father as she struggled to get back on her...
read moreHelping a Vet Come Home
“If Shalom wasn’t here, I don’t know where I’d be. Their help was amazing because it really changed my life around. I still come to Shalom because it’s like a home to me. They never deny me. Whenever I’m in trouble, they help me out.” – Claude Sanders Claude served in the Marines for five years, including 18 months in the Vietnam war. After his wife of 17 years, the mother of their 12 children, passed away, Claude couldn’t handle the loss. He lost his 25-year manufacturing job and turned to alcohol to lessen the pain. ...
read moreWhat Is Your Nature?
Some years ago, I read a story from the Buddhist tradition: Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion drowning in the water. The elder monk scooped the scorpion up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. The monk returned to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in the water. The monk rescued the scorpion again… and again was stung. The younger monk asked him, “Master, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know its nature is to sting?” “Because,” the monk replied,...
read moreA Response to the Herald-Times
This article was written by Rev. Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director, in response to the recent article by the Herald-Times, linking homelessness and crime. It was published on August 15, 2012. A guest of Shalom recently said to me, “One of the hardest things about being homeless was that I was so afraid to tell anybody that I was homeless. You get looked down upon, because people don’t even stop to try and hear your story and understand why you’re homeless. You’re just automatically put in that box of, ‘You’re homeless....
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