An interview with GFU's Urban Services
Joanna Cox, Guest Reporter
November 28, 2007
When did your interest in Urban Services begin?
I've been involved in Urban Services every since I first started school here at Fox. Something about that week made me see the world from a differ light and I've been hooked on it ever since.
What is Urban Services?
Urban Services is a ministry that reaches out to people in Portland and Salem. We build relationships with people there who are homeless. It is not just about serving food, though that is certainly something that we do, it is about hanging out with people, sitting on their bed mats, eating a meal with them. (I've done urban for years and I only just recently served food.) Urban is another opportunity to learn how to love people and how to love the Lord better.
What does your job entail?
My job is do the busy work as well as find creative ways to meet the needs of the homeless. But my real job is to build relationships with people and to help Fox students build relationships with other people. Urban is all about building relationships with people and creating the opportunity for Fox students to get to know the homeless people in Portland and Salem.
What's one example of someone who you've built a relationship with?
There are so many. Some of these people are the smartest, most intelligent and wisest people I have ever met. One woman said to me that even though she is homeless she tries to think of one thing every day that she's thankful for. I asked her what it was that she was thankful for today and she said "I'm thankful for the sun, and its warmth." Even though she had nothing, she was trying to be positive. Things like this make me want to be with them, because they've revolutionized so much of the way I think. They are Jesus to me.
Now tell me more about Dave.
Dave has been preparing weekly dinners for the homeless for years. He prepares it and then brings it to the sidewalk underneath the 405 bridge. He does most of the work by himself, but on Friday nights we show up and pop open the vans and help get it ready. Dave always says to us that, "You're the ministry." Actually, funny that you should mention it, the police came last night and said we had to leave. So we might have to move to another location. I guess some of the people in the businesses around were scared. This is sad to me, because this means people have the wrong conception of who we are and who the homeless are.
What would you say to some who asked you if this was a "legitimate ministry"?
Well, as far as for legitimacy goes, you'll just have to go for yourself. We meet at 5 on Friday nights in the Bruins Den. Someone can either go to Portland or Salem. Portland leaves around 5:30.
Is there anything that Fox students can do if they cannot come on Friday nights?
After Thanksgiving we are starting a jewelry drive and a canned food drive and getting these things to the homeless. It's a great way to serve the homeless if you can't be directly involved.