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Housing / Family Homelessness
By Miriam Stein, LICSW
Frustrated by the growing numbers of homeless children and families, more CMM
congregations are adding public education and advocacy to their direct service
work. Members are eager to understand the root causes of family homelessness and
to advocate with lawmakers for programs that would be effective in preventing
20,000 Massachusetts children annually from living without the stability of a
permanent home. CMM continues to offer leadership, technical assistance, and
consultation.
“CMM has sensitized my congregation to family homelessness,” said Rev. Bob McKetchnie of First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Medfield, a recent of congregation to commit themselves to activities that seek to remedy family homelessness. The church partnered with a shelter and invited a CMM staff member to speak from the pulpit about policies that could remedy the problem. During the service, people happily penned messages on snow-flake-shaped cards, asking their state representatives to support adequate funding for a homeless prevention program.
Rev. Jane Fadden of Pilgrim Church in Sherborn described a recent Advocacy Sunday that included writing letters to lawmakers: “I noticed how much energy there was in Fellowship Hall!! This was another instance of seeing how much energy is just beneath the surface of Pilgrim Church, waiting to burst forth! People really are interested in being involved and especially in doing something that makes a difference.”
CMM staff members made presentations about the causes and extent of family homelessness at packed Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday celebrations at the First Baptist Church in Needham and United Church in Walpole. “Thank you so very much for your informative and heartfelt message shared with the good people of United Church yesterday. It was a wonderful morning of awakening and new understanding regarding homeless families."
CMM 474 Centre Street Newton, MA 02458 Phone: 617-244-3650
email:
info@coopmet.org Alexander Levering Kern, Executive Director:
akern@coopmet.org
© 2008 Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries. All Rights Reserved.