I am certain that my service to others is a project that no one has ever heard of. It does not have a name. It is known to those who participate as "Clothing My Brother". It is not government subsidized nor is it affiliated with any church. This group is a group of about 20 people who get together on Saturday mornings, prepare food that they provide or neighbors donate and serve the newly homeless of Riverside County, California. I know the members themselves have their own personal beliefs and relationships with God that have motivated them to participate, however, they do not accredit any of their service to any one organization or belief system. In fact when one founding person's church got wind of what was occurring they wanted to dissiminate religious doctrine at the same time and the founders of the group requested they not attend at that time as these folks are being fed. This is a project that is motivated by God's love for his people and an answer to their prayers motivated by hunger. It is not a tool of recruitment into any particular doctrine. Most members are Christian but lets face it many of the homeless are angry with God for allowing this calamity to fall upon them and would not attend and accept this hot meal, even though starving, if preached too.
The bottom line is many people can find mercy and charity in their hearts for a single mother and her child and there are many programs for that demographic. Many people find mercy and charity for their same race or people they can relate to in some way. However, there is a new generation of homelessness that is easy to overlook. One of the homeless women who is being fed is a nurse who lost her RN license due to aiding a lover with a drug problem a few years back. Many are single men who have not been able to find a job in this economy. Many of society's members would rather judge such actions than assist with doing anything productive to help these people, but thats an old story. Many were skilled in construction but have no skills to offer a society demanding more and more technology. It is easy to say they can just educate themselves, however, that does not take into account skilled and talented laborers who are illiterate despite the educational system's, and probably their own, best efforts. I will be serving the newly homeless who are falling between the cracks despite the best efforts of government and organizations.
I will be serving food to these community members at least one Saturday a month. Hopefully I will be able to attend more but at this point the one Saturday is what I will hold myself and this project accountable for. Preparation of these meals occurs in the morning hours in homes in Moreno Valley, CA and the food is served in a newly formed homeless encampment located under a bridge in Moreno Valley, California. These newly homeless are not social degenerates and have formed their own security measures to ensure crimes such as rape and murder do not esculate the amount of tragedy they are already experiencing. They are selective as to who they let in their territory, even for providing food. In some cases you would not know these folks were homeless unless you saw them at this encampment.
I picked this group of people to serve during my service project because they have no friends and family to substain them during this dark economic time period. I am intersted in being affiliated with the group that provides the food because they are not being selective or judgemental in who they help. There is no quid pro quo relationship of any sort occurring. This is food being provided to those who need it because they need it. And by good people, with honest intentions, filling these needs these folks will be less likely to fall prey to the less honest element out there. There are no politics involved, well unless you count the fact I have to document what I do for my grade. The people who attend are treated with all the diginity every human being is entitled too. I am thankful for the assistance I have received in my life from my family and friends who had a heart to do so and this is a good oppertunity to do the same for someone else.
