The Network of Faith© has been in action for over five years, connecting local communities of faith with the homeless and needy of Cedar Rapids. There are 16 communities working together to provide hygiene products to four shelters and Greene Square Meals.
The Inter-Religious Council of Linn County and Catholic Parishes have teamed together to coordinate this effort, in partnership with Community Circle of Care, Inc. Each quarter, individual communities of faith provide a homeless shelter with supplies, including paper products, cleaning products, personal hygiene items and the like. In several cases, communities share the responsibility.
Barb Kane of Catholic Parishes and Shannon Beck of the Inter-Religious Council coordinate this important work, and Beck says more help is needed. “We are in need of four more faith communities to take part right now. We have a new shelter that is in need and would like to start receiving services from us.”
Communities of faith which are currently participating include All Saints Catholic Church, Ascension Lutheran Church, Christ Episcopal Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Community of Christ, First Lutheran Church, Hindu Temple, Islamic Center of Cedar Rapids, John XXIII Catholic Church, Kenwood Park Presbyterian Church, Marion Baha’i Community, People’s Church Unitarian Universalist, St. Andrew’s Lutheran, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, St. Jude’s Catholic Church and St. Pius X Catholic Church.
Beck has been inspired by the program. “I have felt true unity among the faith communities working together. I believe that this is really what God wants from us: compassion and unity among people. Every time donations get dropped off I see the relief in the faces of people that serve the homeless directly. I have heard the shelter workers say several times say that they would not know what would happen without this program.”
For more information on how your community of faith can become involved, email Shannon Beck at thebeckscr@yahoo.com.