Labor of Love

Artwork by Samantha Childress

At Anawim, we have been trying to provide work for the homeless. We forward on opportunities from those who live in the community who want to hire the homeless, both on one-time projects and in longer term employment. If we have the funds, we hire the homeless for a few hours at a time, so they can earn some money for basic needs. We also provide opportunities for volunteer work. A lot of volunteer work.

At Sanctuary we have three acres of land and three buildings to take care of. There are vegetable gardens and a meditation garden. There are many people to care for, bathrooms to clean and donations to sort. This is all done by our homeless or formerly homeless folks. This gives people self-worth and a sense of participating in both our local community and the community at large. Work is a key way to build community and to provide an opportunity to show gratitude for what they have received. In the end, we would love to hire the homeless for a number of projects. You know, like, for money. But what we have is good until the funds come in.

This month we want to introduce you to our regular volunteers!