Finding help, friendship with Bethel Lutheran Homeless Support Services

Three days a week an unlikely group of people gather in the basement of Bethel Lutheran Church. Like any other social group, they tell jokes, play games and help each other with problems, but what sets them apart is that all members are dealing with some form of homelessness.

“What we do down here is… whatever needs to be done,”  Volunteer Director of Bethel Lutheran's Homeless Support Services Mark Wilson said.

For the last two years, Wilson and Pastor Sarah Harrold have shaped Homeless Support Services to help meet the many needs of the homeless community.  Their mission provides an array of services, but focuses on three main efforts: a book club, Support Service office hours and the Spiritual Support group.

On any given Tuesday morning, nearly a third of Bethel Lutheran’s homeless community arrives to support each other at the Spiritual Support group. 

The group’s meetings are shaped by an informal structure that encourages members to talk about the previous week and share their troubles and successes while the group offers advice in return.

At the end of the meeting, upcoming Bethel Lutheran events are announced and the support group concludes with a short hymn and prayer followed by a free meal for all attendees.

Even before the Spiritual Support group meets on Tuesdays, Bethel Lutheran’s homeless book club has already started the day with two hours of discussion. Modeled after a book club for the homeless in Boston, the book club provides members with books, no matter their reading level, and meets once a week to discuss the readings.

Not only do the group members get a chance to interact with one another, they often also get a chance to meet the authors of the books.

Since the book club started it has had two New York Times bestselling authors visit in person and has scheduled seven Skype video chats with other authors of the books they are reading.

For one attendee, Kelly, who has participated in the book club since mid-June, the relationships he has formed with Wilson and another volunteer have become some of the most important relationships in his life.

“If it wasn’t for them, I’d be in a world of hurt,” he said.

Kelly had been on the streets for three weeks before a friend brought him to Bethel Lutheran’s book club.  Drawn in by the conversation, he’s been coming back ever since and even became a member of the church.

“This is my home and almost everyone in that room is my family,” he said.

In addition to the book club and Spiritual Support group, the Homeless Support Service also has “Office Hours” on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

During these hours, people have an opportunity to use a computer to look for jobs, apply for housing or keep in touch with family and friends.  They also can talk with Wilson or other Bethel Lutheran volunteers, sit together and relax or play card and board games.

To Wilson, these hours are some of the most important that the Homeless Support Service has to offer.

In order to maximize their support services, Bethel Lutheran works with The Hut, a clinic run by Meriter Hospital that provides free health services from examinations to chiropractic care. They have also partnered with Lens Crafters to provide one free eye exam and one free pair of glasses to each homeless person.

“Being able to see correctly makes a big self confidence difference,” said Wilson.

According to Wilson, Bethel Lutheran Church’s Homeless Support Services helps as many as 150 people experiencing homelessness each week.

But the hardest part of all is realizing that you cannot help everyone, he said.

“The sooner you figure out you can’t save the world the better off you are,” Wilson said. “You want to help everyone, but you can’t.”

Part of that realization is what makes the mindset of this homeless program so unique and important to those who use it, such as Tom Hennelly. Hennelly has found a lot of friendships and advice through Support Services, but said he also appreciates the way the volunteers approach their work.

“They’ll help as much as they can,” he said, “but they won’t do it for you.”

While Homeless Support Services is currently open three times a week, Wilson said he hopes they can be open four more days in the future.

Until that day comes, however, Wilson’s personal cell phone is listed on every business card and he does his best to help every person who calls, day or night.