Are you part of the movement to Go and Do Likewise?
June 18, 2024
When was the last time you learned a new skill? What do we know to be true about honing and building your skills?
This spring and summer I’ve spent most Saturday mornings watching my 5-year-old grandson, Ashton, play T-ball. If you have never watched a T-ball game with little ones, you might just be missing one of the most entertaining events of spring. I’ve loved watching Ashton’s team of seven children begin to figure out what the game of baseball is all about. Over the course of seven weeks, these kids started occasionally hitting and catching balls! Practice was the key.
Practice is what hones our skills. And practice builds our faith as well.
By Neighboring a family facing homelessness, 653 followers of Jesus were living out – practicing – their faith this past year.
Our Bridge of Hope network of 21 locations across 13 states, has worked hard this past year to decrease the number of days it takes to “launch” a Neighborhood of Support for a family facing homelessness, from 83 to 61 days this past year (see graph). Without groups of 6-10 people from local churches, Bridge of Hope is unable to serve more families in need. The timing of these groups saying “yes” really matters to families facing homelessness!
The more quickly we can introduce Neighboring Volunteers to a family in Bridge of Hope, the closer that family is to finding housing and beginning the journey out of homelessness.
At the same time, this past year, 100% of families served in Bridge of Hope reported caring, friendship, helpful connections with Neighboring Volunteers. Neighboring matters!
Jesus said “Go and do likewise” after telling the story of the Good Samaritan. Let’s practice our faith, just like those little T-ball players I watched this spring.
Summer is a great time to practice our faith by loving our neighbor!
Edith Yoder
Chief Executive Officer
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