Homelessness in Rochester

What do you think of when you hear the word "homeless"?

Homelessness In Rochester from Mark Kukla on Vimeo.

Email Subscribers: click here to watch the video.

On the Streets

Some homeless shelters are only open during the cold winter months. So it may not be surprising when there is an increase of homeless people found outside on the streets in July. During these hot summer months, ministries like Streets for Christ continue to serve the homeless of our city. Now may be a great time for you and your community group to consider joining them in their work. For more details check out: http://northridgeserves.com/streets/.

Collect Items Together

Do you lead a community group looking for a way to serve on your regular group night? Does your group have young kids? If so (and even if not), consider collecting items together for those in need. You can put care packages together for Supports on the Streets and Streets for Christ (email our rep. Dave for details via info@northridgeserves.com). Open Door Mission collects many items from food to linen to health supplies. You can even help stock Mission:Share's pantry or fill Youth for Christ's baby boutique. So get collecting for a greater purpose!

A Vision for the Homeless in Rochester

Who do you imagine when you think of a homeless person?

What do they look like? What do you assume they've done?

The reality is that the homeless come from every background, education level, race, and ethnicity.

It includes...

• People with advanced degrees who have hit a rough patch in life
• Families struggling to make ends meet
• Young adults recovering from trauma
• Women who have been hurt by abusive family or boyfriends

But the one thing they all have in common is their need for Christ.

The goal of Streets for Christ, a partner of Northridge Serves, is to love the homeless into the Kingdom of God. Every Friday night, the Streets for Christ team serves meals to those living on the street at several locations in Rochester, connecting with individuals to talk and pray with them.

And the goal is two-fold. The ultimate goal is to see the homeless come to love their savior, Jesus Christ. But along with that is the desire to see our impoverished neighbors loved so intentionally, with their physical needs met alongside their spiritual needs, that homelessness is eradicated in Rochester.

Loving the Homeless with "Streets for Christ"

Northridge Serves is excited to announce a new local serving partner in Streets for Christ (SFC). The goal of Streets for Christ is to love the homeless into the Kingdom of God. Every Friday night, the Streets for Christ team serves meals to those living on the street at several locations in Rochester, connecting with individuals to talk and pray with them.

Most people are surprised at the size and scope of the homeless population in Rochester. It can be eye-opening to interact directly with people that, for a wide variety of reasons, find themselves sleeping in a tent under an overpass. If you've never engaged with the chronically homeless, I would highly recommend giving Streets for Christ a try.

And there are tons of ways to serve! You can travel with the team into the city to a variety of stops where some of the neediest of our area gather. If that's not for you, they always need people willing to prepare a hot dish or make a few "hygiene kits" for the team to deliver.

Here are a few stories from people at Northridge who have served recently with Streets for Christ.

If you are interested in checking out Streets for Christ and possibly giving it a try, check out the SFC page HERE at Northridge Serves.