Denver Catholic

Sam Schultz, director of homeless outreach for Christ in the City, said the missionaries have been visiting the hotels that have become transitional housing under the mayor's plan and have been a welcomed presence. "The ministry is still the same," Schultz said. "It's not as if these people have suddenly regained all they've lost." The missionaries offer a smile, a warm conver- sation, and the love of Christ inside these hotels. The people may have been moved inside, but they are still lonely, facing the same problems they struggled with while on the streets, Schultz said. "Give people the experience of being known, loved and seen by others," Schultz said. "It's a force in itself." While the mayor's "housing first" strategy meets a direct need of the homeless, one of the criticisms is that it may not address the deeper issues and reasons people are on the street in the first place. Schultz also spoke about a "shel- ter first" response, recognizing that every person deserves shelter, a place to rest their head, but that they might not be in a place to receive and steward a home. There might be more healing that needs to occur first. Principles to Guide Us While there may be many ways to approach the needs of the homeless, the Church in her wisdom sets out some principles to guide our efforts. Couture spoke about Catholic Social Teaching as guiding Christ in the City's mission and needing to guide each one of our responses to the poor. "The person is of the highest value, period," Couture said. The dignity of the human person is the first principle of Catholic Social Teaching — themes and principles pulled from papal doc- uments written over the last 100 years. "All of creation is intended for every person," Couture said, explaining another guiding principle. This principle often jars with the American value of private property, he said. We can be tempted to hoard our goods, keeping them for ourselves, rather than recognizing that what we have in excess actually belongs to the poor. "Why is the first reaction to bemoan the troubles that the poor cause us, and why don't we bemoan the fact that poverty and homeless- ness exist in this world?" Couture said. "Am I viewing the person as central to my decisions and my concerns?" Another principle is subsidiarity, that the lowest level, or most accessible level of a com- munity takes responsibility for its own needs. "His plan is excellent, it's laudable," Couture said. "But we intuit that the government can't take responsibility for all things. They can't take responsibility for things the homeless need to. We can't relinquish our responsibility to the government to make the homeless our neighbor." Making the Homeless Our Neighbors "Acting as if we belong to each other, that's where it starts," Schultz said. We need an array of programs, and we need good initiatives, like the Mayor's, but we also need an individual response for our own hearts to be moved, Schultz said. "I can still argue for good policies, but when I see that person on the street, my heart goes out to them," Schultz said. Christ is very clear in the Gospel about the individal need to serve the poor. He assures us of his very presence in the poor in Matthew 25:40, saying, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." With the hope of the Resurrection urging us on, Christians have a duty to be neighbors to the least brothers and sisters we encounter. Christ in the City recommends the simple step of rolling down your window when you see someone at a stoplight. You may choose to offer them money or not, or maybe a soft snack or a small bag of items you have on hand for this situation, but that is secondary. What comes first is looking them in the eyes, greeting them warmly, and in a small way, offering them the hope of Christ. "The call to evangelize is inherent to the Christian life," Couture said. "Many imagine powerful speeches and debates changing people's minds, but this is unconvinc- ing if the person senses you don't care to have a rela- tionship with them. When you witness someone live out an unconditional love that you did not think was humanly possible, it gives you hope that the world can be different." 46 Give people the experience of being known, loved and seen by others. It's a force in itself." SAM SCHULTZ Director of homeless outreach for Christ in the City APR-MAY 2024 | DENVER CATHOLIC

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