Church on the Street Outreach Ministries

Angels of Mercy

Part of our calling to share the love of Christ with the poorest of the poor is to address their most pressing and basic needs.  This usually involves sharing clothing, food, blankets, etc.  Of course there are larger needs, such as housing and work.  Since our main task is to develop meaningful relationships with the poor and homeless and not act as a social service agency, with these larger needs we counsel and refer them to trusted agencies that specialize in these areas.  But on some occasions, as we are out on the streets, we get to know those who have explored every avenue of help they could find only to come up empty, without the full extent of help needed, or without the time and space needed to employ that help fully.  For instance, there are young families on the streets that are seeking food, shelter and work.  But the immediacy and difficulty of finding shelter and food for their children precludes the type of search necessary to find work.  Although there are agencies that can help, their resources are stretched and often people fall through the cracks.  Usually these families, at least initially, need to have stable, short-term shelter and food supplied for them so that they can have the time to find work and begin to receive the income needed to get back on their feet.  In these emergency situations, Church on the Street tries to provide this kind of immediate help needed to get people through their toughest times.  With the help of our many supporters we can sometimes meet these needs out of our general budget.  Sometimes we cannot.  This is why we need Angels of Mercy. 

Angels of Mercy are partner churches and individuals that we can call on from time to time who are willing and able to provide emergency relief to the least of our brothers and sisters.  Here is how it works:  When Church on the Street gets to know persons and families we will try to get them the help they need.  After all avenues are exhausted, or the nature of the emergency is immediate, we will call upon one of our Angels of Mercy for assistance.  This emergency assistance could range from helping to relocate persons back to their families, putting a family up in a hotel for a short duration so they can stay warm and safe, and find the time to find work that can support them.  Angels of Mercy are those that are willing to raise their hands when the call comes to take direct responsibility for the poorest of the poor.

If you or your church are interested in being an Angel of Mercy email Pastor Andy to begin this partnership in compassion.