"You Always Have the Poor with You": Scripture and Social Change

After one of my first letters to the editor on behalf of Social Action Ministries in support of Housing First and ending homelessness was published in an out-of-state newspaper, I took the opportunity to read the comments posted online underneath my contribution.

Click here to read the rest of this post on the new SAM blog at socialactionma.wordpress.com.

Housing and Human Dignity

Last week, we began to reflect upon a shift from emergency responses to permanent solutions—a shift that is rooted in the conviction that we cannot in good conscience allow homeless shelters or the streets to be considered acceptable “housing” for any members of our society.

Click here to read the rest of this post on the new SAM blog at socialactionma.wordpress.com.

Shifting from Emergency Responses to Permanent Solutions

Social Action Ministries (SAM) is dedicated to a single mission: engaging faith communities in efforts to end homelessness. For many people of faith who have participated in SAM throughout the years, this is an idea that makes sense: we need to respect the human dignity of our most vulnerable neighbors by finding ways to end their homelessness.

Click here to read the rest of this post on the new SAM blog at socialactionma.wordpress.com.

Dr. King's Easter Message

On April 4, 2010, many Christians celebrated Easter, the Christian holy day marking the resurrection of Jesus. In a CNN opinion piece, Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., chair of the Center for African-American Studies and the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African-American Studies at Princeton University, notes that this year the anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., coincided with Easter.

Click here to read the rest of this post on the new SAM blog at socialactionma.wordpress.com.

Tikkun Olam: A Reflection from an Interfaith Forum in Waltham, MA

On March 25, 2010, members of faith communities, service providers, and others concerned about the issue of homelessness gathered in Waltham, MA, for “An Interfaith Call to Action: Community Forum on Housing and Homelessness.”

During the opening prayers, Susan Landau, Brandeis University Class of 2010 and entering rabbinical student, shared this reflection about the call in Judaism to build a world in which everyone has food and a home.

Click here to read the rest of this post on the new SAM blog at socialactionma.wordpress.com.