Have you ever shown concern for a person holding a "Will Work for Food" sign on a street corner? These people are known to most as homeless "bums", but in my paper I will share what one community did to see beyond the homelessness and help these people.
Idaho is known for having one of the highest rates of unemployment in America, meaning that more and more people are losing their homes and becoming homeless - the majority are disabled veterans. The number of unemployed citizens in Idaho in 2011 was 25,568 (8.5%). With that being the case, I found The City of Refuge Men's Shelter, directed by David McKinney. I had shopped at the thrift store a few times but never taken time to see what they really did until I spoke one on one with Dave.
The City of Refuge Men's Shelter provides services to men that have lost the roof over their heads for different reasons; they're going through a divorce, just getting out of jail, are recovering addicts or simply unemployed. David said that he finds his job very rewarding, but it can be very stressful. CRMS can serve any race or national as long as they are male. The City of Refuge, is located in downtown Idaho Falls, and provides services to homeless men 18 years old and older. It was actually the genesis of the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission. The City of Refuge was established in September 1998 as a men's emergency shelter offering shelter, meals and clothing. Over the years City of Refuge has evolved to community resource serving the evening meal to the hungry in Idaho Falls. They also provide food boxes hygiene products; shower and laundry facilities to those in need said Kinney.
City of Refuge currently has 20 beds available in two dorm areas, a full classroom, and a full commercial grade kitchen as well as a Sonshine Room where they serve dinner every evening to as many as 120 hungry folks a night (43,800 a year) from our community. The Sonshine Room also serves as a room for evening bible study states Kinney.