Early Morning Coffee for the Homeless
FAPC volunteers serve coffee early each morning to our guests on the steps. This is a rewarding opportunity to exhale your faith by providing service to those marginalized by society. These morning interactions provide good opportunities to help these friends take their next step in getting off the streets. Volunteers are needed from 5:30 am - 7:00 am and training is provided.
Contact Joe Vedella (jvedella@fapc.org or 917.297.8940).

Volunteer Training for Homeless Ministries
We continue our ministry of “befriending” the people who sleep on the church steps. Volunteers are needed for the early morning wake up and coffee from 5:30 am - 7:00 am and for the evening 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm. Training will be provided for volunteers.
Contact Joe Vedella (jvedella@fapc.org or 917.297.8940).

A poem written by one of our friends from the steps:

The streets at first seem destitute and void, unfriendly to my lost soul.
But after a period of total surrender of my heart,
Strength to bear the worst came from a light shining
From the pinnacle of the 5th Ave. Presbyterian Church

A Psalm for Homeless Friends
Psalm 91 paraphrased by Margaret Shafer (3/26/06) for the 20th anniversary celebration of the opening of the Shelter at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and the beginning of our ministry to homeless people.

You who live in the shelter God has provided who live in the shadow of God's house, will say to the Lord, "You are my refuge and my place of safety. It is you, God whom I trust." For God delivers you from drug dealers and the dangers of exposure. God covers you with a quilt or cardboard like a mother takes her chicks under her wings. God is more faithful than weapons or armor.

You will not fear the terror of the night, or the dangers of the day or disease that stalks the darkness or drug abuse that wastes at noonday. A thousand homeless people may fall beside you tens of thousands are without decent housing but you will survive; you will recover.

Because you have made the Lord your refuge the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge will disturb your sleep. For God will command God's friends to guard you in all your ways. With the strength of their arms they will hold you up so that you will not stumble and fall. Nothing will be so bad you cannot overcome it.

Those who love me, I will deliver, says our God. I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will rescue them and honor them, With long life I will bring them satisfaction and show them what it means to be a child of God.

8th Annual Homeless Easter Party - March 31, 2007

March 31st was the scene of FAPC’s eighth annual breakfast for the homeless and a sweet time was “had by all,” including the 52 homeless men and women who attended and the 38 volunteers who made it happen.

Emcee Mark Evans started off the breakfast with a hearty welcome and prayer and then everyone ate delicious pancakes, bacon, sausage, fruit, juice and coffee. After breakfast Bridget Heaney played a guitar and led us in singing “Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee”. After this, artists blossomed in Bonnell Hall as we dyed eggs. Many of our guests personalized the eggs with their names or positive words such as grace and charity.

We’ve been commanded by Jesus to look after those marginalized by society and our members are inviting their friends to join them in helping the homeless.  At this year’s party we had many new volunteers, a number of them from FOCUS, the young adult group. Also, we had two children in attendance. Wells, a veteran of many of the homeless parties invited his friend Carson to help at the Easter party. How exciting it is to have the younger generations helping with this ministry.

Sadly, crimes against the homeless have been increasing as evidenced by a horrific news story last week about two ten year olds who hit a homeless man in the face with pieces of concrete blocks. It is our hope that people like Wells, Carson, Bridget and Kara will be able to teach both our world and the future generations about love and tolerance.

Wishing you a blessed Easter!

Karen Johnson and Cyndi Pogue, Co-chairs

The Committee on Homelessness 7th Annual Picnic - July 16, 2006

This year’s picnic brought together in Central Park both old and new friends on a perfect, summer day for our 7th Annual Homeless Picnic.

Since Sundays are a day when there are not many meal programs open for the homeless, many of our homeless from the steps and homeless neighbors stopped by to share a wonderful meal donated and served by Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church’s members and friends. We had 96 guests (both alumni of the steps and currently homeless) and 28 enthusiastic volunteers who clustered in small groups on blankets to share conversation, friendship, games and lunch. Even as our clean up crew was leaving, many of these small groups continued their fellowship.

Our goal in holding a party such as this is that we will remind these folks, who have been marginalized by society, of a kinder way of life and of what it means to have someone who cares about them. We hope that our caring will help to give them the courage to take steps towards restoring their lives to the wholeness as God intends them to live. Our lives are certainly enriched by having known them.

Seventh Annual Christmas Party for the Homeless a Great Success
(from the January/February 2006 VOICE. Click HERE to view photos from the party.)

On December 14, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church’s seventh annual Christmas party offered festive warmth to our homeless friends on a frigid evening. The response from our homeless neighbors was tremendous as we planned for 125 guests and, at one point, had 40 “stand-bys” in the Sanctuary patiently waiting to see if there was space for them at the party.

More than 147 of our homeless guests and 66 energetic volunteers attended. The age range of party-goers was as young as 9 and as old as – well, you know. Many other volunteers worked “behind the scenes” by contributing delicious desserts, playing beautiful music, singing carols, creating pretty invitations and providing personalized gifts. We had special support from the Couples’ Club, Focus and even friends recruited by FAPC members. While we volunteers were each busy in our own way making God’s love real for our homeless friends, God was at work on us to help us realize that we are all God’s children and to learn from our guests about finding joy in simple pleasures.

The room was festive, cozy and very full of people sharing in Christmas fun. Jim Fredericks played Christmas music; we ate a delicious meal; the young adults played guitars and sang; and our guests happily received their personalized gifts plus socks, hats, underwear and home-made goodie bags. We enjoyed a greeting from Margaret Shafer who reminded us that the first Christmas party entertained just 12 guests.

While this may seem like an ordinary holiday party, it is an annual event eagerly anticipated by our homeless neighbors. I have learned, from past parties, that an evening such as this can be used by God to transform one of our homeless and give him or her the courage to navigate the difficult, bureaucratic process of getting off the streets. So far this year, 59 of our homeless have taken a step to improve their lives by getting housing, going to a shelter, obtaining medical treatment, reuniting with family and enrolling in detoxification and rehabilitation programs.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we also wait to see who will be moved to take this next step toward reclaiming their dignity of living. One of our friends from the steps has written this:

“ Nevertheless, when considering those who try desperately, with an earnest heart, in efforts to help homeless people out of a seemingly endless maze, one must consider the moral conscience of those compassionate saints at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church; for their concern in regard can only be defined as pure love – golden and unconditional, truly realistic and so majestic in nature. This kind of love, of course, is of great value to the homeless – for it will be an eternal light of guidance upon their quest out of dark realms of homelessness, and into functional, social mainstreams of life’s existence.”

Thanks so much to all of you who contributed.

Written by Karen Johnson

We were “back home” for this Sixth Annual Christmas Party during a night of contagious joy to remember. It was remarkable that we had such a cold December night to offer our guests warm hospitality and fun, fellowship and food.

In attendance were 98 of our homeless friends and also present were 50 hard working volunteers who served as table hosts, servers and gift organizers. In addition to these volunteers were many who contributed delicious desserts, played beautiful music, made gorgeous invitations and provided personalized gifts. In fact, one of our members involved her co-workers as a holiday project to sponsor 14 of our guests.

While we volunteers were each busy in our own way making God’s love real for our homeless friends, God worked on us to help us realize that we are all God’s children and to learn about finding joy in simple pleasures from our guests.

The room was festive, cozy and very full of people sharing in Christmas fun. Bill played carols, we sang, Beth read the Christmas story and our friends happily received their personalized gifts plus socks, hats, underwear and homemade goody bags. We enjoyed a greeting from Margaret Shafer and ended our evening with Jules beautifully singing “Amazing Grace.”

While this may seem like an ordinary holiday party, it is an annual event eagerly anticipated by our homeless neighbors. I have learned from past parties that an evening like this can be used by God to reach out to one of our homeless and give him or her the courage to navigate the difficult, bureaucratic process of getting off the streets. While we wait expectantly to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we can also wait to see who will be moved to take this next step toward reclaiming their dignity of living.

Written by: Karen Johnson

NEWS ! November 1, 2004
We have received a summary judgment decision in the dispute between Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and the City of New York on the issue of the homeless sleeping on our steps.

Judge Lawrence McKenna's verdict is that it is clearly within the church's first amendment rights to allow our homeless friends to sleep on our steps at night. He found that this church outreach program does not in any way constitute a public nuisance or any danger to public health.

With this decision, Judge McKenna has handed down a strong defense of religious freedom. Churches, synagogues, and mosques are now free to use their church property to serve homeless people without interference from the government. The judge's decision makes it clear that he understands that allowing homeless persons to sleep on your front step is an important part of the ancient Christian tradition of offering hospitality to the poor and to strangers.

In addition to our shelter for ten (now twelve) men each night, for a good many years our church has welcomed a group of homeless friends to sleep outside the church. In a series of late night police raids in late November and early December 2001, they were rousted as they slept. The church took the city to court to stop the rousting. After preliminary hearings, Judge McKenna issued a temporary restraining order barring any further ejections. A few weeks later the city decided to appeal this decision.

We allow our homeless friends to set up in the evening, with help and any needed assistance from Joe Vedella, our Outreach Assistant, and volunteer members of the Homeless on the Steps Committee. They are awakened in the morning by other volunteers and offered wash room facilities within the church. By 7:00 am the steps have been cleaned up and are ready for a new day thanks to the Maintenance staff.

For this decision by the Judge and for the privilege of our ministry with the homeless people who sleep on our steps, the staff, officers and congregation of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church give thanks to God, from whom all blessings flow!

The Low-Income Housing Commission

Why we care:
The Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church reaches out to a world in need with a variety of Outreach activities. In New York City, 39,000 people are sleeping in city shelters and another 30,000 are living in the streets. Our faith enjoins us to be our brother’s keeper. God has given each of us and our congregation an opportunity to act on our faith in reaching out to the poor in our midst.

How we started:
In March 2000, the Session of FAPC approved a five-year strategic plan for the overall mission and ministry of the church. The primary goal of Outreach was to facilitate the building of 100 units of low income housing. The Low Income Housing Commission was appointed in the summer of 2000 to work toward the achievement of this goal.

How the goal is being accomplished:
The Low Income Housing Commission advocates for the creation of low income housing with our elected representatives. Commission members stay abreast of current legislation and government programs affecting low income housing and provide opportunities for FAPC members to contact federal, state or local officials to encourage government support. We believe it is our responsibility as Christian citizens to help shape the laws and policies that define how we live together in God’s world.

The Mission Tithe of the Crossroads Capital Campaign will also be used to create housing. Eighty percent of the Tithe is earmarked for housing, and two organizations recommended to Session by the Low Income Housing Commission, the Enterprise Foundation and the Westside Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH), will be the beneficiaries of our gift. The Enterprise Foundation assists low income housing projects in identifying financial resources and providing training and technical assistance. They have been instrumental in building more than 10,000 units of low income housing in New York City. WSFSSH operates twelve buildings (1,200 units) in Manhattan that provide safe affordable housing and supportive services to formerly homeless seniors, people with HIV/AIDS, and people with mental or physical disabilities.

How to get involved:
If you are interested in working to create a more just and compassionate society through the shaping of public policy, we invite you to join with us in this important work. The Commission meets
bi-monthly and provides opportunities for members to contact elected officials each month.

Please contact Michael McAllister, Interim Director for Outreach,
at 212.247.0490 or mmcallister@fapc.org

Join the Fight to End Homelessness
It's as easy as the click of your mouse! Log on to the Homeless Action Network, New York's only online homeless action center.
Click on Take Action at www.partnershipforthehomeless.org

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Stay tuned for news of our next invitation to build . . .

If interested in volunteering, please contact Brad Lohrenz via e-mail at BrLohrenz@aol.com

Look forward to hearing from you and please join us in one of FAPC's most important outreach programs.

If you would like more information about Habitat for Humanity, visit their web site at www.habitat.org

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7 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019, 212.247.0490