alth services.
The pastors have made no decisions on what services this center would offer, including whether it would have beds. They also do not know where it would be located.
Instead, Northrup said, they wanted to wait until the task force completed its job.
"When that report comes out," she said, "then we are ready to jump in and talk about it (and say) 'let's work together.' "
They are taking pledges, not money, until plans are firmer, she said.
The task force has been meeting regularly since last summer and could have a recommendation by September or October, said Jack Focht, its chairman.
He added he was pleased to hear about the announcement. "I'm always glad to hear people willing to give money to good causes," he said.
He also was pleased to hear that the ministers indicated their willingness to work with the task force. "I would hope they would keep an open mind as we will keep an open mind," he said.
Northrup said they will -- even if the task force's recommendation does not call for a center open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If that happens, "then we sit around the table and we talk about it," Northrup said. "We don't say, 'We're taking our pledges and going home.... Let's sit down and talk about it and say, 'what can we do with this money?' "
Northrup said the idea to raise the pledges came shortly after she and other Wichita religious leaders submitted a letter to The Eagle's editorial page. The letter, published June 8, focused on the issue of a winter overflow shelter for the homeless and conditions that the leaders said were important to running a successful shelter.
After that letter appeared, Northrup said, one of her church members called her wanting to pledge $50,000 for a center that would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He later told Northrup he wanted to get friends to make a combined $250,000 in pledges for such a center.
That invitation, Northrup said, was later issued to other downtown ministers.
The ministers who made the announcement Friday were: Northrup; the Rev. Michael Gardner of First United Methodist Church; Rick Cline of Central Church of Christ; the Rev. Nicolette Papanek of St. John's Episcopal Church; the Rev. David Fulton of St. Paul's Lutheran Church; and the Rev. Sam Muyskens, executive director of Inter-Faith Ministries.
Reach Joe Rodriguez at 316-268-6644 or mailto:jrodriguez@wichitaeagle.com
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Cousin Chats' good work makes Page 1A
This story appeared on Page 1A of Saturday's Wichita Eagle. The online version has several comments from readers attached, many of them very annoying. The scrapblog editor wanted to weigh in there to skewer the homeless-bashers and praise the noble Rev. Northrup, but figgered it might be a conflict of interest. But here in the scrapblog, she's free to say, "There but for fortune" and "GO CHATS!"
MINISTERS SEEK PLEDGES FOR 24/7 HOMELESS CENTER
BY JOE RODRIGUEZ
Wichita Eagle
Six downtown Wichita ministers announced Friday an effort to raise $1.5 million in pledges for a "24/7" center for the homeless.
The group hopes to collect the pledges by September or October, when a community task force working on a plan to end chronic homelessness in Sedgwick County could finish its work.
"This is about saying, 'It's time to do something and it's time to work together -- all of us,' " said one of the group, the Rev. Cathy Northrup, pastor of First Presbyterian Church.
Centers for the homeless can provide all sorts of services, from showers and laundry to substance abuse treatment, employment counseling and mental he
alth services.
The pastors have made no decisions on what services this center would offer, including whether it would have beds. They also do not know where it would be located.
Instead, Northrup said, they wanted to wait until the task force completed its job.
"When that report comes out," she said, "then we are ready to jump in and talk about it (and say) 'let's work together.' "
They are taking pledges, not money, until plans are firmer, she said.
The task force has been meeting regularly since last summer and could have a recommendation by September or October, said Jack Focht, its chairman.
He added he was pleased to hear about the announcement. "I'm always glad to hear people willing to give money to good causes," he said.
He also was pleased to hear that the ministers indicated their willingness to work with the task force. "I would hope they would keep an open mind as we will keep an open mind," he said.
Northrup said they will -- even if the task force's recommendation does not call for a center open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If that happens, "then we sit around the table and we talk about it," Northrup said. "We don't say, 'We're taking our pledges and going home.... Let's sit down and talk about it and say, 'what can we do with this money?' "
Northrup said the idea to raise the pledges came shortly after she and other Wichita religious leaders submitted a letter to The Eagle's editorial page. The letter, published June 8, focused on the issue of a winter overflow shelter for the homeless and conditions that the leaders said were important to running a successful shelter.
After that letter appeared, Northrup said, one of her church members called her wanting to pledge $50,000 for a center that would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He later told Northrup he wanted to get friends to make a combined $250,000 in pledges for such a center.
That invitation, Northrup said, was later issued to other downtown ministers.
The ministers who made the announcement Friday were: Northrup; the Rev. Michael Gardner of First United Methodist Church; Rick Cline of Central Church of Christ; the Rev. Nicolette Papanek of St. John's Episcopal Church; the Rev. David Fulton of St. Paul's Lutheran Church; and the Rev. Sam Muyskens, executive director of Inter-Faith Ministries.
Reach Joe Rodriguez at 316-268-6644 or mailto:jrodriguez@wichitaeagle.com
alth services.
The pastors have made no decisions on what services this center would offer, including whether it would have beds. They also do not know where it would be located.
Instead, Northrup said, they wanted to wait until the task force completed its job.
"When that report comes out," she said, "then we are ready to jump in and talk about it (and say) 'let's work together.' "
They are taking pledges, not money, until plans are firmer, she said.
The task force has been meeting regularly since last summer and could have a recommendation by September or October, said Jack Focht, its chairman.
He added he was pleased to hear about the announcement. "I'm always glad to hear people willing to give money to good causes," he said.
He also was pleased to hear that the ministers indicated their willingness to work with the task force. "I would hope they would keep an open mind as we will keep an open mind," he said.
Northrup said they will -- even if the task force's recommendation does not call for a center open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If that happens, "then we sit around the table and we talk about it," Northrup said. "We don't say, 'We're taking our pledges and going home.... Let's sit down and talk about it and say, 'what can we do with this money?' "
Northrup said the idea to raise the pledges came shortly after she and other Wichita religious leaders submitted a letter to The Eagle's editorial page. The letter, published June 8, focused on the issue of a winter overflow shelter for the homeless and conditions that the leaders said were important to running a successful shelter.
After that letter appeared, Northrup said, one of her church members called her wanting to pledge $50,000 for a center that would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He later told Northrup he wanted to get friends to make a combined $250,000 in pledges for such a center.
That invitation, Northrup said, was later issued to other downtown ministers.
The ministers who made the announcement Friday were: Northrup; the Rev. Michael Gardner of First United Methodist Church; Rick Cline of Central Church of Christ; the Rev. Nicolette Papanek of St. John's Episcopal Church; the Rev. David Fulton of St. Paul's Lutheran Church; and the Rev. Sam Muyskens, executive director of Inter-Faith Ministries.
Reach Joe Rodriguez at 316-268-6644 or mailto:jrodriguez@wichitaeagle.com
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