Yikes! I’ve been negligent in getting blogs on the Crossroads Mission’s web page. The sad thing is that I love sharing my thoughts and experiences at Crossroads. We are a busy agency to say the least! Many things in Yuma slow down because of the summer heat but I think in many ways it makes us busier.
We have many goals during these extreme weather conditions with the first being that no one dies in this heat! We don’t have control over some of the choices the homeless make but we can educate them. Crossroads works with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Cenpatico of Arizona, and the Yuma Heat Relief Project to provide heat-related services to not only the homeless but the poor of this community. We are equipped to be “cooling off” stations for those who are without electricity or water. A “cooling off” station means that people in the heat can stop by the shelters to get a drink and to cool off. (Visit our Heat Safety web page for more information: http://crossroadsmission.org/heat-safety.html)
Recently, local businesses held a bottled water drive for Crossroads. They posted their efforts on Facebook and asked for readers to donate. Some people responded in a very negative way about giving the homeless bottled water. One lady remarked that she drank out of the faucet and that should be good enough for the homeless. Another person wrote that they couldn’t afford bottled water so why should they buy it to donate it to the homeless. Some of the remarks were cutting but most were because the people did not take time to find out what we do with the bottled water. We give bottled water to the homeless who are still out in the elements. Many live in “shelters” that do not have accessible water. Some have “homes” that do not have access to water because of not being able to pay the water bill.
There are many situations that make the use of bottled water appropriate. We do use faucet water in all of the shelters by filling up containers with ice and water and keeping them accessible to everyone who comes into any building on our property locations.
We try to emphasize and educate the homeless that they must be hydrated in this heat. Many use drugs or alcohol which intensifies dehydration in the body. We want to get them into a program to help them live a sober life but some just aren’t ready. We want them to live long enough to be ready to make changes. We want to be there with programs and services to help them to become engaged, productive citizens. Water? It is a life or death situation. We do not want anyone to die in the elements when it’s such an easy solution of drinking water.
Most importantly, I must always look to the scripture for direction. In Mark 9:21 (KJV) Jesus was teaching the disciples about sharing the Word with others and it gives us great insight to how we should present ourselves as Christians. We can take it literally as well. “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”
Let’s not forgive our service to the children either. In Matthew 10:42 (KJV) we read, “Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
Giving water is an important ministry tool at Crossroads Mission. We minister to the homeless, the addicted, the poor, the needy, families, men, women, and children by being the hands and feet of Jesus. God bless you for supporting Crossroads Mission and for being part of the our ministries to this community!
Crossroads Mission, Director's Blog 