Last Sunday, September 22nd after worship, members and friends of Edina Morningside Church took part in an immersive experience of homelessness and housing needs, thanks to our partnership with Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. The church’s Beacon Core Team led interactive experiences of a game, bedroom visit, video discussion, and art creation station in order to better convey the need for greater affordable housing in Minnesota, and our faithful vision with Beacon that “all people have a home”. Check out photos of the event below, and join us for another Beacon event in the weeks and months ahead!
Experiencing the uncertainty of finding shelter when you’re homeless. Pam DeLaittre explains how for some people, the backpack they carry contains their entire home. Glimpsing the inflatable air mattress and bedding that’s the nightly sleeping quarters for those sheltering with Families Moving Forward. It can be nearly impossible to navigate the financial, cultural, and educational roadblocks to renting or owning one’s own home. While playing this game, we learned much more about what it takes to have a home if you’re starting from homelessness. The artwork we created showed our images and words of homelessness and home. We prayed for people who are homeless, decision makers who allocate public funds, and those who show mercy. Now blessed, the artistic mandala will be displayed to share the experience with others.