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Vol. III, # 38, April 29, 2005
 After
a three week recess for other important class events we got back
into the thick of First Samuel last Sunday. PH is wondering what
is going on between David and Jonathan. Back in chapter 19, verse
1, the following words appear: "Saul told his son Jonathan
and all his officials that he planned to kill David. But Jonathan
was very FOND of David." And then in the 4th verse of chapter
20, Jonathan tells David, "I'll do anything you want."
And a little later in verse 17 Jonathan puts a little pressure on
David as the text states, "Once again Jonathan made David promise
to LOVE him, for Jonathan LOVED David as much as he loved himself."
And then their friendship/relationship gets a bit more intimate
in verse 41 with these words, After the boy had left, David got
up from behind the pile of stones, fell on his knees and bowed with
his face to the ground three times. Both he and Jonathan KISSED
each other." Will Jonathan and David make a sacred promise
in chapter 23? The Spire indicates that Teacher Bob will start at
verse 8 of chapter 23. Come to class and be a witness to what happens
next between David and Jonathan. You better have a Bible handy.
Teacher Bob and Treasurer Dick asked Shepson Sheila
Marsh about the homeless population of Richmond. Hopefully most
of you were present a few weeks ago when Sheila presented a Wednesday
night program about the Daily Planet. Below is Sheila's response
from data available regarding the homeless.
Who are the Homeless?
1. How many are there?
In US, 1%, or 2-3 Million/year
In Richmond, on any given night, about 1400 people are on the
street or in emergency shelters or transitional housing. About
850 are sheltered and 500-600 unsheltered. That means that there
are probably 5600-8400 in a given year, not counting those doubled
up with family or friends.
2. They are Families, Women and Children:
35% are families, women and children, made up
of:
At least 15% families
About 10% children, about half under 6.
18% single women – but many may be women with children who
are staying elsewhere.
Majority (65% at last point in time count) single men
3. They are Educated People.
75-80% have received at least what our public
education system has to offer:
50% have GED or High School education
30% have more:
23% have some college
6% college grads;
1% have post – graduate education.
Only 20-25% are without High School education
4. They are Working People – NOT panhandlers
At least 41% of total (about 71% of those who
are not seriously mentally ill) work
20-25% of the total (50-55% of those who are not seriously mentally
ill) work full time.
5. They are People in Crisis – Homelessness
is not a Lifestyle choice for most homeless people. It is a Temporary
Condition caused by crisis.
Nationally, according to HHS study, only 19%
have repeated problem; 81% are in and out and never homeless again;
only 10% are in and out of homelessness repeatedly and only 9%
are chronically homeless.
In Richmond, ½ of those homeless on any
given night in Richmond are chronic or repeating cases; fewer
than 25% have been homeless 2 times or more, and only about 25%
have been homeless 3 or more times. Only ¼ of the homeless
in Richmond belong in the frequently and repeatedly homeless or
chronically homeless group.
6. They Come Increasingly From Suburbs; Most
Long-Time Local Citizens:
At least 50% have lived in Richmond 10 Years
or more; only 20% have lived in Richmond 1 year or less.
More than 20% of homeless families come from Chesterfield, Henrico
and Hanover. (From Chesterfield, 6% of total and 9% of families;
From Henrico, 4% of total and 12% of families; From Hanover 1%
of the total.)
Expect that more and more will be coming from the counties as
we look at where the poor are moving:
| |
|
1990 |
2000 |
% Change |
| |
Richmond |
17.4% |
17.1% |
-1.7% |
| |
Chesterfield |
2.9% |
3.3% |
+13.8% |
| |
Henrico |
3.9% |
4.5% |
+15.4% |
Why are they Homeless?
1. Poverty
81% nationally are in and out of homelessness
quickly and never return; at least ½ in Richmond have only
one experience, which indicates homelessness caused by financial/housing
crisis rather than other issues.
Cost of housing way up over wages;
About 1/3 of Richmond and Petersburg residents
have a housing affordability problem based on rule that housing
should not cost more than 30% of income. .
Spending 50% or more on housing puts family at
risk of homelessness. That puts many at risk given that an adult
with 2 small children needs to earn $12.45 to maintain 2-bedroom
apt. in Petersburg and keep housing costs at 30% of income - working
40 hours per week/ 52 weeks.
Earning capacity of HS grad vs. that of college
graduate has dropped– (difference in 1979 - 9%, in 1983 -
32%).
Affordable housing capacity has dropped due to
zoning restrictions against rooming houses; multi-family units;
mobile homes.
2. Mental Illness
25% - 30% are severely mentally ill; another
significant portion have less severe mental illness.
Virginia was recently ranked 50th out of 50 in
$$ spent per capita on mental illness
3. Drug and Alcohol Abuse – an important
cause, but much less than many think.
The Daily Planet estimates that about 35% of
its clients who are not mentally ill are substance abusers.
About 80% of the mentally ill use drugs;
4. The Criminal Justice System
At least 62% of all homeless people in Richmond
have served jail time, more than 1/2% of those have felony convictions,
in large part related to drug use. Felony convictions make individuals
ineligible for public housing and severely limit employability.
Impacting women at an increasing rate: 5% jump in women in prison
in 2002-2003 as compared to 2.7% jump for men.
5. Domestic Violence
10%-14% of homeless in recent years have reported
abuse within last year.
10% of all homeless who were in foster care as children were homeless
within 6 months of aging out of foster care system, according
to 2005 point in time count. Of those, 28% of homeless, single
women with children were homeless within 6 months of aging out;
18% - 20% of the group reported being homeless within six months
of leaving foster care.
PH: Reading the figure that ranks Virginia 50 th
among the states in $$ spent per capita on mental illness causes
PH to wonder if the Commonwealth of Virginia has made much progress
since the days of Patrick Henry.. Henry's first wife suffered from
a severe biological mental illness and she spent most of the remainder
of her relatively short life confined to a room in Scotchtown.
Jane and Norm Vaughn have a prayer request. Norm
sent PH the following E-mail:
Jane served on the Missions Committee in our church
in Atlanta with John Mason, fiance of the missing woman in Duluth,
Georgia, Jennifer Wilbanks.
 We
request prayer for John (whom we know), Jennifer (whom we don't
know) and for a swift and positive resolution of the situation.
Remember in your prayers: Jennifer Wilbanks and
John Mason, Teacher Bob Shepherd, Jared Oliver, Charlotte Ladd,
Kirk Dadisman, B J Seymour, the VCU BSU, Cecil and Dot Sherman,
Audrey Thomson's sister Sharon Ruben and Sharon's family, Julia
Tyler and her parents, Kay and Bob Culpeper, the Church clergy and
staff. Prayers should also be offered for our military and civilians
in harm's way and for those only known to you.
Donald Deer now has in his possession the Good
News Study Bibles that he ordered. If you requested one from Donald,
Donald explains what to do.
 Dear
Henry,
Our 25 copies of the Good News Study Bible arrived
this afternoon.
One has already been paid for, and is being mailed
to N.C. tomorrow.
First paid, first served.
Mail us $43 for each copy you want (check made
out to "Donald S.
Deer"); upon receipt of the check we will post the copie(s)
from here
to you in Richmond.
Donald S. Deer
607 Leyden Lane
Claremont, CA 91711-4236
Tel.: 909-621-5315
E-mail: db.deer@verizon.net
Pastor Mike ran the CrossOver Challenge and you
may recall that he challenged the youth of RRCB to run fast. Mike
offered to pay $10 to CrossOver for every RRCB youth who crossed
the finish line before him in the 5 K. Below is Pastor Mike's report
to PH:
"Seven people raised their hands when I
asked who finished ahead of me. At least two of them were not
youth, but I'm  prepared
to pay for all seven. I am shocked that I actually beat a few
of the youth, though Vivian made me promise not to run too hard.
It was a beautiful day, and I enjoyed the challenge. I hope to
do it again next year, though I plan to write University of Richmond
and ask them to use part of their endowment to level the hill
behind the business school."
Mike
Attached to this PHA is a
photo of Pastor Mike taken about one hundred yards from the
finish line. PH saw at least three Shepsons walk the 3 K. They were
Shepsons Beth Wilson, Carole Royall and Brenda Holland. The event
was considered a grand success by the CrossOver organizers.
 Doug
Moyers and Lee Slatton will be twenty-nine on Monday. The SSBSC
Honeymooners, Kitty and Miller Alvis, will celebrate thirty-three
years of honeymooning on next Friday.
May 1 - 31, ISH Diapers Campaign. Diapers
for infant and toddler boys and girls and for senior men and women.
Questions: Charlotte and Bill Simpson at 285-3185.
May 8, Mother's Day
June 18, (Saturday), Summer Social at the
Riva
July 15 - August 15, ISH School Supplies
Campaign.
O God, who has made everything, and is so kind
and merciful to everything, and is so kind and merciful to everything
He has made that tries to be good and to deserve it; God bless
my dear Papa and Mama, Brothers and Sisters and all my Relations
and Friends. Make me a good little child, and let me never be
naughty and tell a lie, which is a mean and shameful thing. Make
me kind to all beggars and poor people, and let me never be cruel
to any dumb creatures, for if I am cruel to anything, even to
a poor little fly, God, who is so good, will never love me. And
pray God to bless and preserve us all, this night, and forever
more, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
(Charles Dickens, 1812-1870)
PH
April
8, 2005
April
1, 2005
March
25, 2005
March
18, 2005
March
11, 2005
March
4, 2005
February
25, 2005
February
18, 2005
February
11, 2005
February
4, 2005
January
28, 2005
January
21, 2005
January
14, 2005
January
7, 2005
2004
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