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Outreach: Helping the Homeless
Al and Cindy Boyce and their family, along with others in their church and community, are making a difference in Raleigh, North Carolina. They are reaching out to homeless people and sharing the love of Jesus in very practical ways: feeding them, clothing them, praying with them, taking them into their homes, helping them find jobs. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, Al would love to hear from you. He can give you ideas on starting a ministry of your own. Or if you are already ministering to the homeless, you can share ideas and pray for each other. You can reach Al by e-mail at aboyce@nc.rr.com. And visit the ministry's new blog. From their local newspaper: It's God. That's the only way Cindy and Al Boyce can explain why they spend their spare time helping the homeless find a meal, a shower, a doctor and sometimes, a little love and compassion. "It wasn't really that we picked it, as much as it picked us," said Al Boyce of their work with the Raleigh-based Church in the Woods ministry. The Boyces, who live just south of Cary, say it is a family outreach that includes their children 17-year-old twin boys Tim and Joseph and 10-year-old Parks. For this family, Sunday is anything but a day of rest. Even before church, they head to local grocery stores to pick up outdated bread and deli foods and drop them at a local pantry but not before they make up bag lunches to deliver to homeless people camping in the woods in Garner. 
Then they head to 11 a.m. services at their church, Hope Chapel in Apex, inviting the homeless to come along. Church is followed by lunch at their home chili and beef stew the last couple of weeks for anyone who wants to come.The Boyces say western Wake residents need not look as far as Raleigh and Garner to find people living in makeshift tents in the woods. Church in the Woods is working with police in Cary and Apex to identify transient camps in order to extend services there in the coming months. "We're fishing for men," said Church in the Woods Director Alice McGee. The nonprofit ministry is assisted by volunteers as well as private donations and church groups. "It's very much a God-led thing," Al Boyce said. "[Resources] show up when they're needed and it's not like you know where it's coming from." For instance, a family at the Boyces' church recently donated $1,000 for Church in the Woods to buy insulated underwear for the homeless in lieu of buying themselves Christmas gifts. The Boyces, who have a two-story home in a spacious middle-class neighborhood, say they have received as much back from the people they have served. They hope to encourage others to "walk the walk." "I love all of 'James,'" the new testament book, Al Boyce said. "It's kind of about faith without works [is dead]" according to the scripture. From the 'cradle' to the woodsIn his youth, Al Boyce couldn't have quoted scripture to save his soul. "I was the biggest atheist you've ever seen," he said. "I spent most of my young life trying to convince Christians they were all wrong." He was more interested in fancy cars and the latest computer equipment, but "I still had a big empty hole that nothing could fill." His marriage to Cindy came in his late 30s, and her "God's in everything" approach to life began to rub off. Cindy wears her faith on her sleeve; a radiant smile appears as she surveys a living room full of gift boxes the "community of Christ" has helped prepare for the homeless this Christmas. A "cradle Episcopalian," she was taught church is where you're supposed to be on Sundays. But around the time she quit work after Parks was born, "I knew that God had more work for me than just going to church." Since volunteering with the Church in the Woods ministry one Easter, the Boyces have become missionaries to a "foreign land" populated by society's downtrodden. They attend a fellowship and Bible study for the homeless in southeast Raleigh, and bring toiletries for use with weekly showers provided at a Garner lodge. The growing ministry has about a dozen outreach programs each week. "They have just been a blessing," McGee said. "I wish I had a dozen more of them." Not only have the Boyces opened up their hearts to a segment of society often left in the cold, but they've opened the one thing that separates "us" from "them": their home. Last weekend, they helped a homeless couple who had been staying with them move out on their own. The couple had found jobs in Cary. "I'm thrilled to pieces that they got jobs and have kept them," Cindy Boyce said. But in the world of makeshift tents, tattered blankets and bonfires to keep warm where people do not own homes or cars or even a clean change of clothing success is measured differently, the Boyces say. Thirty days of sobriety. A temporary paycheck. Reconnection with estranged family. The missing link between the homeless and help is often transportation, aided by discouragement, McGee said. The reason her program has been successful is because they're seeking out the homeless, bringing services meals, prayer, a doctor to the camps. Fishers of men. "It's a very, very effective method," McGee said. The numbersThe Boyces have learned a lot working with the homeless. For one thing, people down on their luck and out on the streets never intended to be "between a rock and a hard place," as one jobless man having lunch at the Boyces' described. They all have stories, families, lives lived. They have had successes as well as the failures that at present stick out like a transient sleeping on a street bench. Mental illness. Physical abuse. Addiction. McGee calls some of the stories she has heard from the street people "heartbreaking." "What surprises me the most is the level of education that is out there on the street," Cindy Boyce said. "By the time they are homeless, they are lonely. They don't connect anymore for whatever reason. They don't feel worthy of reconnection." The number of homeless persons in Wake County has increased by nearly 50 percent since 1993, from approximately 1,000 to 1,472 in 2003, according to a report by a local coalition to end homelessness. In 2002, the National Alliance to End Homelessness called for cities and counties across the country to create 10-year plans. To that end, the City of Raleigh, Wake County, Triangle United Way and the Wake Continuum of Care Collaborative have joined forces to create a 10-Year Action Plan to End Homelessness. The plan is now in the implementation stage, the report states. McGee said her nonprofit organization has identified about 61 homeless camps in the Wake County area, and they're searching for more. "The Good Samaritan story says you have to stop," McGee said. Her volunteers carry plastic baggies with toiletries in their cars. Local police tend to run across abandoned camps more often than occupied ones, said Capt. David Wulff of the Cary Police Department. Cary's only homicide case this year led police to four or five spots where transients had been, he said. "Unless there's a complaint or the camp is on someone's private property, we don't deal with it," he said.'Not out there to fix them'Tim Bowman, Cindy's son from a previous marriage, was a little frustrated by his parents' involvement with the homeless ministry at first. He was "floored" at the prospect of throwing the homeless a "fish" instead of teaching them to fish, using the old proverb. "There are lots of programs out there to teach people to fish and a lot of people know how to fish, but we're just there to love them," his mother said. "We're not out there to fix them," her husband added. "We're all poor in one way or another poor in spirit, or poor in material things." Tim came around, though, and even ended up working with a homeless man. The teenager realized what a nice guy and hard worker the man is, and once even had to borrow money from him, Cindy Boyce said. During the holidays, the Boyces were busy filling shoe-box-size waterproof containers with scarves, gloves, socks and lip balm to give out to more than 200 homeless people at Christmas Eve services at Moore Square in Raleigh. The Boyces know that winters are hard on the homeless, and especially men. Due to lack of space at shelters, men often must wait for "white flag nights" 32 degrees or below when shelters open up to everyone in need. Cindy Boyce said she is feeling called these days to speak to churches and encourage individual members to reach out to those in need, and not just the homeless. Lots of other ministries need help, the couple said. The Boyces say they are doing nothing more than what their faith tells them to do. "Chances are, if you're not doing anything," Al Boyce said, "there's a Lazarus shivering on our doorstep." View this video that shows The Church in the Woods, a part of the ministry the Boyces are involved in: Saturday ministry to homeless at Moore Square.
The Church in the Woods described in the video is a nonprofit organization that reaches out to the homeless community in and around Raleigh, NC. This video was created at a Moore Square outreach in 2005. Its message is based on Matthew 25:35-40 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
Five people who came to the Lord through this ministry were recently baptized. Read more about this on their blog.
The following is an article written by Al that is a second-person segue into their Sunday ministry, which started out as picking up leftover food from grocery stores, bagging the food with scripture and hand-delivering it to homeless camps: "I'm hungry Dad!" "Me too," Jim chuckled. Jim tousled 13-year-old Michael's hair and laughed again. "I know the perfect place," he said, thinking of Dennys waffles. And (he paused dramatically before pulling a slip of paper from his wallet) we've got a coupon!" Jim pulled their car into a grocery store to grab a few items. He noticed an older Saturn station wagon parked right in front. As they watched, a woman and teen-age boy came out of the store with two shopping carts overflowing with food. They began systematically stacking food in the car and prepared to leave. "What could they possibly do with that much food?" Jim asked aloud. And almost without conscious thought, he started following the Saturn. "Uh dad?" Michael said with raised eyebrows. "Don't ask," Jim replied. "Yes, I'm following them and no, I don't know why." They soon found themselves in front of another grocery. This time, as the pair got out of the Saturn, they paused near a battered pickup truck. Inside the truck Jim could see what looked like a Hispanic couple with at least four or five children packed in the tiny back seat. After some coaxing, the Hispanic woman accepted an armload of food from the station wagon and began smiling, nodding. Jim heard some Spanish and something that sounded like "angel." The pair from the station wagon soon emerged from the store, this time with three shopping carts full of food. "Curiouser and curiouser," Jim muttered. Soon he was following the station wagon again. At seemingly random locations, the Saturn would put on its flashers, stop, and the woman would jog a short way into the woods, carrying a bulging bag, emerging empty handed. After a half dozen such stops, the Saturn circled into a parking lot, stopped in front of a building and began shuttling the food inside. It was a food bank. Some of it was starting to make sense, but Jim wasn't ready to stop playing detective. They drove back to the last grocery store and went inside to inquire about the food. They were greeted by an African-American woman with a big smile. "We were curious about the woman who got all that food a while ago," Jim said. The woman's eyes narrowed a little and he could sense she was becoming protective of the pair he'd been following. "All that food you saw, if it wasn't for them, it would be in that big green dumpster out back," she said. "Wow," he said. "That's a lot of food to throw away in one week." "One week? That was just from today," she said. The woman watched their reactions, then tore off a small sheet of paper and scribbled a name and phone number on it. "Here," she said. "There's hundreds of grocery stores dumping food every day. Find one in your neighborhood, call this number and they'll get you the paperwork to sign them up." "But this is crazy," Jim said. "We hear about the homeless and the hungry every day and think there's nothing we can do about it. And you're telling me I could feed 50 people with a couple hours of my time?" "The Lord provides for those who do His will," she replied. Jim and Michael were subdued as they returned to their car. Jim took them back to one of the places the station wagon had paused, put on his flashers, and the two got out. A few yards into the woods, on a barely visible path, they found an abandoned shopping cart. Inside it was a bag full of sandwiches, a salad, some fruit and a piece of apple crumb cake. Paper clipped to the bag was a note: Dear Jose:We missed seeing you Thursday and hope you are doing well.We remembered how much you like apple crumb cake. The Lord provided some today.We hope to get a warm coat to you soon.We are praying for you.All our loveYour family in Christ They carefully retraced their steps to the car, then Michael broke the silence. "I'm hungry Dad!" he said. Jim looked sideways at his son and was surprised to see a different person than this morning. Jim nodded slowly and said, "Me too." "I know the perfect place," he said, his smile growing wider by the minute. He paused dramatically before pulling out the slip of paper from the deli manager. "And we've got a coupon!" Is God calling you to reach out to the homeless? "Then these righteous ones will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' And the King will tell them, `I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'"Matthew 25:37-40 NLT
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