FIONA TALLMAN: UNDER THE TENTS OF SHEM, INC.

It has been a while since I have updated everyone. We received some wonderful blanket donations from the Women’s Retreat from our Church. A big thank you goes out to all those women who made the blankets. They were gone in minutes! Lately it has been quite cold at night on Skid Row. A few weeks ago we had handed out all of the blankets when we came to a woman that had no blankets at all. When she would talk to us her teeth were chattering at the same time. I felt bad that I couldn’t give her anything to keep her warm except layers of clothing and an extremely small moving blanket. I had hoped it would keep her warm through the night. We have also had some wonderful clothes donations as well. They, however are in desperate need of socks.

We got a chance to meet a few new people out on the streets recently. We also got reacquainted with some that has recently been back out on the streets due to incarceration. One gentleman has almost completed his parole. He has met every requirement that has been given to him.I was so glad that he shared that with me. In speaking with him he was so thankful that he is out and getting a fresh start. He told me that he was brought up with the Bible but he was a little rusty. But once we started talking about different stories in the Bible (he brought them up) then I told him that he’s on it. He knows the Scriptures. I believe he said his grandmother always took him to Church. “Train a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he shall not depart from it”. Proverbs 22:6. I spoke with him for quite some time and reminded him of that verse. We had such a great time just carrying on a conversation with one another.

Here’s the thing; Everyone needs encouragement especially when they know they have screwed up somewhere in life and had to pay for it dearly. Nobody escapes this category. God gives everyone gifts and talents and the Bible says that they are irrevocable. So let me leave you with these two questions:

Do you think that the homeless are worth your time? What makes you think that you are any different than they are?