{"id":3677,"date":"2024-08-19T06:06:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T10:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/food-faith\/?p=3677"},"modified":"2024-08-19T18:51:04","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T22:51:04","slug":"blanketing-communities-with-love-and-compassion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/food-faith\/blanketing-communities-with-love-and-compassion\/","title":{"rendered":"Blanketing Communities with Love and Compassion"},"content":{"rendered":"

Going beyond direct relief to build relationships and housing solutions<\/em><\/h3>\n

By Jennifer Evans | PHP Associate for Communications and National Partnerships<\/p>\n\"\"\n

On an overcast morning, I met BeLoved Asheville<\/a> Co-Directors, Ponkho Bermejo and Amy Cantrell, at Warren Wilson College soccer field where community members gathered with blankets. We all worked together to lay each blanket out creating a beautiful community quilt of different colors and patterns much like the amazing diversity found in communities all around the U.S.<\/p>\n

In coming together, we also raised awareness of the Supreme Court decision regarding Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson<\/a> which now legalizes arresting and fining people experiencing housing insecurity for sleeping outside even when there are no shelter beds available.<\/p>\n

The Seattle Times’ Project Homeless reports, \u201cIn the 1990s, the average age of a homeless person in the U.S. was 30. By 2000, it was 40. Now, it\u2019s 50.\u201d It\u2019s predicted that the average age will continue to rise as the baby boomer generation ages.<\/a>\u00a0Cantrell shared that she’s done her fair share of sleeping outside and how laying on concrete breaks down the body and causes achy joints and soreness all over.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

We grieve this unjust ruling which now allows for the criminalization of our neighbors who are unhoused in the midst of the housing crisis in the U.S.<\/p>\n

While blankets may help our friends sleeping on the streets, the changing seasons bring very different challenges. To that end, BeLoved Asheville created a street team that meets people where they are to provide medical attention, first aid supplies, food, socks, flashlights, sleeping bags, tents, rain gear, blankets and much more (see full list)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Each blanket collected for this event will be shared with those who need them, but BeLoved Asheville didn’t stop there.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

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Finding their own solutions has become a way of life for the BeLoved community. Working to meet local housing needs, this community has pooled their resources, listened and learned how to acquire land and build their own deeply affordable housing. They’ve partnered with many community organizations, including the Asheville Home Builders Association. Through in-kind donations from architects,\u00a0engineers,\u00a0surveyors and other industry professionals, they are in the process of building 12 micro-homes (440+ square feet), built primarily with donated labor and materials. When the homes are finished, each come fully furnished, as you can see in the photos below.<\/p>\n\"\"\"\"\n

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With partners like BeLoved Asheville, we are working to find solutions to the housing crisis. Together, we are developing leaders, advocating for change and finding alternative solutions that are grounded in Christ\u2019s love and compassion. And as Bermejo said, “We are figuring out how we can walk to a better future in the now.”<\/p>\n\"\"\"\"\n

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Because of your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing<\/a>, this is just one example of the life-giving work the Presbyterian Hunger Program is able to help support.<\/em><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Going beyond direct relief to build relationships and housing solutions By Jennifer Evans | PHP Associate for Communications and National Partnerships On an overcast morning, I met BeLoved Asheville Co-Directors, Ponkho Bermejo and Amy Cantrell, at Warren Wilson College soccer field where community members gathered with blankets. We all worked together to lay each blanket… Read more »<\/a>","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":3688,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6789,6333],"tags":[2689,74,248,6799,49,364,431,6790],"class_list":["post-3677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-organizing","category-housing","tag-affordable-housing","tag-homelessness","tag-housing","tag-housing-crisis","tag-presbyterian-hunger-program","tag-solidarity","tag-solutions","tag-unhoused"],"yoast_head":"\nBlanketing Communities with Love and Compassion - Food and Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With partners like BeLoved Asheville, we are working to find solutions to the housing crisis. 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