“The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but I have come to give them life and life abundantly.” John 10:10
Poverty is a thief. It is a tool used by the Evil One, Satan, and therefore looks just like him. This thief steals people’s dignity; kills their dreams and livelihood, and destroys that which is good. Poverty robs people of their voice, diminishes their value, and exploits people’s financial vulnerability. In people’s homes, its effects leave homes cold, damp, and unsafe. Poverty is a thief and it must be stopped.
Yesterday and last night, Hurricane Sally pummeled the Gulf Coast pouring 2-3 ft of water in a matter of hours. Nowhere to go, the water invaded homes and businesses, felled over trees too wet to stand, and left a mess. Who do these disasters affect the most? The poor and those with low incomes.
1) They will not have insurance which is not required if your home is paid in full or is a mobile home. Or they simply cannot afford it.
2) They will have insurance but after revisiting their policies, realize it is not enough or will not cover their damage.
3) Their deductible is higher than the estimate they receive for the repairs. We saw this in Lee County several times. Some families had insurance with $5,000 deductibles and the estimate of the repairs was $4,000 for a home with a small roof.
This makes repairing their home extremely complicated. It is enraging when one thinks they have coverage, have been paying for it, and then expose the very fine print that indicates it was all just a bluff. They literally hold a piece of worthless paper and very few options. Their issues are exasperating. Yes, poverty comes to steal, kill and destroy.
Look around your home. Think about what “home” means. What words come to mind? Safe, warm, sanitary, comfortable, cozy, dry? (or like me, wow, that shelf really needs dusting). Hopefully, these are the words you can express. Do you deal with the effects of poverty in your home?
If you are like me, my home incorporates all the list of attributes like warm, safe, and dry. I have also sat in hundreds of homes where this is not the case, but the homeowner wishes it were. Their dreams and hopes for their home are no different from mine and yours; a place where they can proudly and comfortably have friends and family.
What shall we do?
At the heart of this large, complex problem of stopping poverty and its destructive effects is the work of Alabama Rural Ministry as an ambassador of Jesus’ love. It is what keeps us going and why we like to come alongside servant-hearted people like you who want to help others. People who want to see poverty and its destructive effects stopped, especially when it affects our homes, one of the most important gifts we have.
What can you do?
- Get involved in a local home repair group like ARM that allows you to meet families and together leverage resources especially gifts of time and a few handy skills. Take a Saturday and go serve. Maybe go as a family and have some follow up conversations on what you learned together.
- Covid-19 has us staying indoors or around our home a little more. If you don’t know a struggling person and want to, you can contact your local church or United Way and let them know you want to help. They are really good at making connections. They can even share ways you can help folks that are more vulnerable to Covid-19.
- Give to an organization that is tangibly working with families and individuals to make homes warm, safe, and dry. Funds can be used to buy materials to help make these life-giving repairs.
In four weeks, ARM starts living in shacks to not only replicate poverty housing but to end it. It takes servant-hearted leaders, committed to stopping poverty to accomplish this. Those servant-hearted leaders are volunteers, donors, prayer warriors, and those committed to stopping poverty from destroying people’s homes. It is you!
Be the servant-hearted leader that rebuilds homes and strengthens families!
You can partner with us to serve in Lee County on October 17 and/or give to the No More Shacks effort happening Oct. 15-20.
Want to be an individual fundraiser with us? Here is info and to set up a simple and easy platform.
“The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but I have come to give them life and life abundantly.”
Stop poverty from destroying homes! Be the difference! Extend Jesus’ love!
Grace and peace,
Lisa
Comments are closed