One week a year our congregation does our part to provide shelter for the homeless of Richmond. I helped serve dinner tonight to the mothers and children group. There were about 25, including a new mother with week old twin girls! The director of CARITAS (which stands for Congregations Around Richmond To Assure Shelter) alerted us that it was the birthday of one of the boys in tonight's group so we celebrated with cake and ice cream.
The history of this worthwhile program can be found here. https://www.caritasva.org/about-us/our-history/ It is remarkable how it has grown and changed from a simple stopgap winter shelter program to a year round service providing counseling, and job placement to both men and women.
In the pictures above you can see a few of the many church members who participate this week. They prepare and serve meals, do laundry, take the guests to shower facilities, provide activities for the children after dinner and every night several men volunteer to stay at the church with the families. It is a very labor-intensive service project but one that bears immediate results.
Nice photos to show this wonderful program. My sister-in-law's church has participated in CARITAS, though I don't know if they still do, as the church has gotten smaller over the years.
