Rev. Eric Anderson Pastor's Corner

Pastor’s Corner: A Homeless Engagement Team

July 3, 2024

Last week Interfaith Communities in Action heard from Billi-Jo Pike, Director of Community Engagement for Neighborhood Place of Puna. She described an NPP initiative active since last December called the Homeless Engagement Team. These staff and volunteers set out to meet and greet homeless people where they are, gather information about who they are and what they need, and coordinate with other organizations to assist them.

If this sounds like it duplicates work that HOPE Services has been doing, it isn’t. It’s a supplement. Last year’s Point in Time Count, an annual survey of homelessness, revealed that there were hundreds of homeless people who weren’t known, who hadn’t had contact with a helping agency. Since NPP began counting in December, they have registered 637 new households. Most of these consist of a single person, but 90 of them were families with minor children.

Identifying them made an enormous difference. In these last six months, 139 households obtained shelter, with 105 more in process. Of the 90 families, 50 – over half – now sleep beneath a roof.

In addition, the people get to tell their stories. They get to speak with people who care about them and who will work to get them help. They get to identify their actual needs – 554 of those households said they would accept shelter if it was available the next day – which also include food, hygiene products, and help replacing important documents.

The true solution to homelessness, said. Ms. Pike, is deeply affordable housing. There simply isn’t enough on our island.

Beyond that, the Homeless Engagement Team has demonstrated the power of human connection, the way that joining someone on their journey brings healing in itself.

In peace,

Pastor Eric

Photo of Paul Normann, Executive Director of Neighborhood Place of Puna, with Pastor Eric in 2021 by Kristen Alice.

Rev. Eric Anderson Pastor's Corner

Pastor’s Corner: Walking to Do

March 13, 2024

I’ve got some walking to do.

Interfaith Communities in Action launched its Virtual Pilgrimage for the Unhoused on February 28th. The goal is to walk 77.2 miles between then and the conclusion of the event on April 8. As you know from announcements in Sunday worship, it’s a fundraising effort for ICIA’s Hale Ka Po’e Keiki (Homes for Children) Fund. For some years, ICIA has worked toward the stated goal of ending family homelessness on Hawai’i Island.

We’ve got a ways to go with that. So I’ve got some walking to do.

I’m pleased to observe that others have picked up the information envelopes and signed up as participants in the Virtual Pilgrimage. I’m pleased that people here in this congregation and beyond have already pledged to support the cause through my efforts. I’m really pleased that my first foray into a longer walk after the Pilgrimage began didn’t hurt too much.

I haven’t been walking as much as I’d like. So I’ve got some walking to do.

The map of the Virtual Pilgrimage includes many of the historic sites along the Kona coast of the Big Island. I hope to do some walking there, but definitely not along the crowded highways.

What journey have you begun? What kind of travel do you need to do? What is the destination? What will motivate you to get there? What will you accomplish by reaching the goal? How will you celebrate it when you do?

We are, as they say, all on a journey. We move at different speeds, using different means, toward different journeys’ ends.

As for me, I’ve got some walking to do.

In peace,

Pastor Eric

Learn more about the Virtual Pilgrimage at interfaithhawaii.org.