Carol Berry with Angie Young (Brittany Howell for The Cullman Tribune)
For the Christmas edition of Community with Carol, I wanted to showcase Hope for the Homeless, a division of Cullman’s Little Pantry. The Little Pantry was installed in April 2017, but this division is brand new. Angie Young is the organizer and the only volunteer (other than her family) for this new outreach. During the Christmas season, we are more focused on loving our neighbor, so showcasing Hope for the Homeless was perfect.
Each person I interview comes to my home and we sit on my sofa to talk before we start the video. Angie was so tired that day, she had been at the Cullman Regional ER all night with a homeless man. He had pneumonia and was very sick. Not only did she and her fiancé take the man for medical attention, they also worked all morning trying to find a way to get his medication for him.
She was very tired, and her heart was so exposed during our talk. Her vision was clear to me: she was only doing what God called her to do. What He calls us all to do…..LOVE. Love our neighbor. She was overwhelmed with the number of people who needed her help and the lack of support to be able to assist them all.
“The need is great! It is much larger than I thought,” Angie told me. Tears falling from her eyes, I could tell she was already overwhelmed after only three weeks of saying yes to this project. She believes there are 40 individuals homeless in Cullman. With the majority residing between Alabama Highway 157 / I-65 and U.S. Highway 31.
The vision for Hope for the Homeless is to provide services to break the homeless cycle. The first step Angie takes is meeting immediate needs: food, clothing, temporary shelter and medical attention, if needed. The long-term goals will be helping individuals find avenues to help themselves. Whether that is assisting with securing employment and housing or helping them find programs to address the care of the individuals mental health or physical well-being. Without this step, Angie is certain the cycle will continue.
To assist in this way, Hope for the Homeless needs your help! This is an outreach that is less than a month old, so volunteers are urgently needed. I hope you will watch the interview this week and then call Angie to be a part of helping others.
I am enjoying this new “gig” with The Cullman Tribune. Your wonderful feedback and support are greatly appreciated.
I hope each of you have a blessed Christmas!
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