Ecumenical effort results in evening meal served to local homeless
By: Nancy Cook
Updated: November 17, 2010
After discovering there was no agency in Shreveport offering the evening meal to area homeless, an ecumenical group of local churches got together and began offering “Brown Bag Dinners” to the homeless at Hope House Day Shelter.
Although the Hospitality House serves breakfast and lunch, there was no dinner available in our community. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church began serving “Brown Bag Dinners” every Thursday at Hope House. The effort was so successful that other churches became involved and it grew into a daily program.
Now, more than 14 area churches are bringing “Brown Bag Dinners” every weeknight. The churches are working together – different faiths and denominations – in coordinating the program in their individual churches. Below are the churches participating in the inter-denominational project that is providing food for around 70 street homeless people each weekday:
Holy Cross Episcopal Church Broadmoor Methodist Church
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Noel Methodist Church
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Broadmoor Presbyterian Church
Faith Tabernacle Church Christ United Methodist Church
Central Assembly of God St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
St. Jude’s Catholic Church St. Mary of the Pines Catholic Church
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church St. John Berchman’s Catholic Church
Luke and Raena Carpenter
HOPE for the Homeless will hold a thank-you reception recognizing area churches for participating in “Brown Bag Dinners,” a program to supply the evening meal to the homeless. The reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 30, at Hope House Day Shelter, 762 Austin Place, Shreveport, LA 71101.
Sponsored by Holy Cross Episcopal Church, HOPE for the Homeless serves between 50 to 70 people daily who are street homeless. Showers, laundry facilities, phone use, and mail receipt are all essential services provided to those who are homeless.
