2019-05-16 Summit

Photo at top of panelists by Steve Costa

IHS 3rd Annual Faith Summit on Homelessness

[May 16, 2019] On Saturday, May 4, 2019, the 3rd Annual Faith Summit on Homelessness took place at the Aloha Tower Marketplace in Honolulu. This relatively new annual event brought together social service agencies and volunteers from various organizations and communities of faith, to address the ongoing homeless crisis in the islands.

This year, the event was hosted by The Institute for Human Services (IHS) and the Honolulu Mayor's Office of Housing, along with sponsors that include the Episcopal Church in Hawai'i.

The goal of this event is to provide education, share ideas and work together toward ending homelessness, with consideration toward the unique roles faith communities can play in these efforts.

Above left, Connie Mitchell, Executive Director of IHS, talks about the Summit on Hawai'i News Now. Click on the image to view.

The theme of this year's event was "Empowering Ministries to Inspire Impactful change" and opened with a Plenary Panel (pictured at top). Panelists shared different perspectives on ministering to homeless persons "matched to the gifts of unique ministry programs that empower people." Workshops and keynotes featured representatives from agencies such as IHS, Family Promise, Hawai'i Appleseed Center (Social justice), and the faith community, including our own, the Rev. David Gierlach of St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church.

Fr. David, whose church is located in the heart of Honolulu, has long been an advocate for those in need, and spoke on the topic of "Getting Up Close and Personal: Supporting a Homeless 'Ohana Zone." His workshop addressed "the strengths and challenges of homeless persons congregating across O'ahu and how churches can help facilitate healthy, safe, transformative communities (koinonia) within homeless encampments using their church properties or congregational gifts."

Below, Fr. David shares his thoughts about this year's Summit, and encourages us to take a deeper look into the struggles of the houseless, and the how and why we need to champion this issue.

The IHS Annual Houseless Summit is an important gathering of people from across our community concerned with the growing numbers of fellow human beings living on our streets, under tarps, and beneath bridges.

While some of this year’s focus at the Summit was on the daily needs of these sisters and brothers, and how best to address them, a fair amount of time was spent looking at the roots of the issue.

Things like the radical displacement of Hawaiians in their own land, leading our host people to be disproportionately represented not only among the economically challenged and incarcerated, but also among the houseless. Things like our love affair with an economic system that is becoming more out of wack every day in terms of how wealth is distributed, how the failure to tax heavily those with much results in a dearth of funds to assist those without. Things like the profound lack of treatment beds for those with substance abuse diseases, so that if even 5% of those in need decided to seek treatment tomorrow, we don’t have the capacity to do so.

As a perceived paradise for the rich, Hawai'i’s challenges, when it comes to affordable housing, social services and income equality, are legion. This year’s summit was a clarion call to take up the fight, with prayer, lobbying and hope. Will you join in? -- Fr. David Gierlach

One of the highlights of the Summit is the presentation of the IHS Fr. Claude DuTeil Peanut Butter Ministry Award, that is given in the spirit of its founder, who faithfully served those in need.

At the inaugural event in 2016, the first of this award was presented to St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Mo'ili'ili, and in 2017, was awarded to St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church.

Pictured at left, this year's award was presented to Church of the Crossroads Lutheran Church. (Photo by Elizabeth Conklin)

A number of persons from the Diocese attended the event, including the Ven. Steve Costa, Archdeacon for the Diocese, who shares his thoughts at right.

Representing The Cathedral of St. Andrew were Elizabeth Conklin and Susan Anderson. In an article that Conklin wrote for the Cathedral news (that can be found HERE) she reported on two of the workshops she attended: "Family Promise: An avenue toward meaningful connection" and "Radical Hospitality: Churches, community groups and service providers partner to offer a one-stop shop." We share her slideshow below:

This was the very best Summit of this type I've ever been to. We were given an opportunity to see our brothers and sisters living with homelessness in a new way. Could we see them as valued members of our community with gifts and talents just like everyone else? We were given the opportunity to ask ourselves, what does it mean to help in a meaningful, lasting, and nurturing way.

The panelists discussed how they met with clients where they were at. As members of the Faith Community, we could enlist the multi-faceted collaborations that work effectively, to unleash the gifts of both our congregations and the competencies and talents of the houseless being served.

Panelist shared how they use a multi-pronged approach with wrap around services to enfold the clients with shelter, substance abuse and mental health services, spiritual enrichment, vocational rehab, and whatever else the client needs in order to be successful.

At the end, we heard God say, Well Done My Good and Faithful Servants. -- The Ven. Steve Costa