Change is messy

To be a catalyst for change, you must be immersed in the process. This is how my sister started her sermon on a program my church supports and it's the theme for this latest batch of cookies.  Not that making a batch of cookies is changing the world at all, but it's a start.  Her point was being immersed in change is messy.  It can be ugly.  You find the mistakes.  You see the problems and you can lose sight of the big picture, but still, we need to be immersed.

My church participates in a program called Families moving Forward.  We work with two other churches to host four families for one week at a time, a few times a year.  FMF is a program for homeless families - staff work with these families by taking the necessary steps to secure permanent housing and employment.  The program is considered successful.  In the last year, 56 family units were served; 203 individuals (126 of whom were children).  The average length of stay was 60 days.  However, FMF helps 1 out of 150 people who are looking for shelter.

I understand the stigma of homeless people, but take a look at these facts.
MN has the least amount of affordable housing for  minimum wage earners in the midwest.
A single parent would need to work 87 hours a week to pay rent for an average 2-bedroom apartment.
Family homelessness is the highest since 2000.
Children who have been homeless are more likely to do poorly in school than their peers, even when their peers are equally poor, but have never been homeless.
75% of homeless children read below grade level.
Children who have been homeless are more likely to be slow in achieving developmental milestones and more likely to be physically ill.

I know it's easy to write off the homeless as lazy.  I know it's easy to not help.  But consider the possibility that there are homeless people out there who are doing everything they can to their capabilities to do the best for their family; and probably work harder than you or I have ever worked, and consider helping.

So batch #92
Double Chocolate chip cookies
I had to chase Mike out of the kitchen, because he kept eating the cookies.  He told me I need to make the crappy cookies when I'm giving them away.  I replied that these people have suffered enough, they get the good cookies.  He offered to go to the store to buy the E.L Fudge cookies if we could keep this batch.  This batch is going to the kids, no store bought cookies for them.