Welcome Home

I remember when Joan and Alex moved into their apartment. They had lived on the street for ten years, and though they were excited about getting a place, the move was traumatic. The couple had loved dancing in the rain. They took pride in the spot where they had "camped" on Logan Circle, constantly picking up any trash that tourists and other folks living in the park left behind. They knew all the priests in the nearby Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and were constantly surrounded by a community of friends.

When they moved into their place Joan felt claustrophobic. Alex, an extreme extrovert, missed all his friends. They complained that the apartment was too hot, even though it was winter. Joan began to sleep outside, in front of the apartment; Alex would not leave her alone, so it was not long before the two of them were sleeping outside. Eventually, the couple moved indoors, but it was not easy.

Their story was not so unusual. Over and over I would hear especially about the loneliness that many moving from the street into an apartment would experience in the early months of living inside. Folks with "keys" would often come to visit their friends who were still in the midst of homelessness. One person told me he would go to his window each time it rained or snowed, restless because he knew so many of his friends were out there in this bad weather. Another described what sounded like a "survivor's guilt" when she moved into her apartment.

One day several of us gathered in conversation trying to think of ways to offer support in this transtion from being homeless to having a place inside. We came up with two ideas: a support group known as KEYS, and the offering of "Welcome Home Kits."

A Welcome Home Kit consists of all the basics someone moving into a home might need--linens, pots and pans, kitchen gadgets, and decorative items. We consulted with Donna Bailey, a worker fom the city in the area of health and housing, to help us know what she thought might be most helpful to include. We also came up with a system of working with caseworkers and others to help distribute these kits. And then we challenged individual congregations to put the kits together. So far, the Presbyterians have the lead!

The project is not complicated. Perhaps your youth group would like to put a kit together...or maybe, you might do one to honor a special couple getting married. It is a wonderful project for a congregation...and the kit is especially meaningful when notes and cards are added.

To receive a list of items needed or for more information, please contact me, vclittle@verizon.net Help a new neighbor feel truly welcomed!