CLABJQN
Brevard College, Brevard, N.C.
Monday, March 26, 1990
Volume 57, Number 9
by Libby Enloe
Clarion Associate Editor
They saw the great and the ghastly.
Ten Brevard College students now know
tiiere's more than just power in the
nation's c^itol. Take 10 BC students,
two faculty advisors and send them to
Washington D.C. What’s the result?
"BC to DC."
The College's Community S^;ice
Coordinator, Sybii Dodson, and Directw
of Public Information Jock Lauterer
headed up the team sponsored by the BC
Project Inside-Out. Their goal: to
witness first-hand the problem of the
homeless in Washington D.C. and try
to do something about it.
"We can't fix it," said BC
sophomore Rick Redmond, "but we can
sure knock a dent in it!"
On the "BC to DC" work team
wCTe: Lin Redmond, sophomore. Flat
Rock, N.C.; Burney Mack, freshman,
Brevard, N.C.; Randal Watts, fireshman,
Monroe, N.C.; Rick Redmond,
sophomore. Flat Rock, N.C.; Dale
Wicker, freshman, Conover, N.C.;
Steve Compton, sophomore, Campobel-
lo, S.C.; Thomas Smith, freshman,
Greer, S.C.; Shannon Payne, freshman,
Brevard, N.C.; John Messer,
sophomore, Brevard, N.C.; and Libby
Enloe, freshman, Hazelwood, N.C.
The work team spent their spring
break working with and learning about
the homeless situation in D.C. They
visited several different service and
mission organizations run by the
Church of the Savior.
Whether it was helping inner city
children with their homework at the
House of the Good Shepherd, (one of
Ae eight ministries organized by The
Church of the Savior), or eating dinnu*
worshiping with homeless men at
Christ House, (a recovery place for
^'oi'ieless men; also associated with The
Church of the Savior.), the work team
'®3rned how churches and communities
w the inner D.C. area are dealing with
•he problems of poverty and the
I'omeless. ”We can't just give money,"
said Thomas Smith, "It takes individual
woric with each person."
The group also worked at the
Feder^ Shelter run by the Community
"That homeless person
could just as easily
have been
owe of us..."
— Dale Wicker
J
$
EC students pose with D.C. children at an inner city after school
program playground where the 10 students worked during spring
break.
BC to DC
Not your typical Spring Break
5?
"Maybe the crack
in the Liberty Bell
does get a little
bigger each time
a homeless persov.
.1 • ff
Mies...
-- John Messer
The BC work crew
shreds and cleans bushels of rotting spinach.
for Creative Non-Violeace which was
founded by Mitch Snyder. This shelter
houses over 1300 people and is the
largest shelter for the homeless in the
world. It provides sheher, clothing, one
meal (dinner), and medical care for its
occupants.
Carol Fennelly, a full-time
vtdunteer who has worked and lived at
the SMter for 13 years, said, "Our job
is to put ourselves out of business.
We're about changing the worid around
us." She said most of the occupants
were male. Of the 130 or so females,
"Most are mentally ill.", she said.
"When a woman becomes homeless, she
is perceived as more vulnerable."
The work team helped prepare
dinner for approxomately 1,700 people.
Working along side the BC students
were full and part-time volunteers; 22 of
whom were fasting in protest to the
City Council's decision to cut $ 19
million from the Emergency Shelter
Budget
Of the housing crisis in D.C.,
Fmnelly said, "70 to 80 percent of the
housing budget has been destroyed over
the past 10 years. The housing
department is mismanaged." She
concluded, "We don't think cutting funds
is the solution.”
Before the group started their woik
in the kitchen, Ffcnnelly reminded them,
"Nothing is as it appears."
After working at the Shelter, they
toured the offices of the Christian
monthly magazine "Sojourners". They
learned the history of the magazine and
its role in speaking out on justice issues
such as poverty and homelessness.
Fcdlowing the tour of the magazine
headquarters, the students visited
Sojourner's Neighborhood House,
(which is financially separate from the
magazine.). They learned of its
ministry of neighbortKxxJ worship, food
distribution, and its work with children
in the neighborhood. The Neighbor
hood House is funded by corporate and
church sponsors.
The group not only saw the
"rough" side of Washington, but they
were also exposed to the political side.
They were given a special tour of the
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