Society Of Strangers
Program Serves Needs Of Street People
By Jalyne Strong
Pott Stan Writer -
"When the poor and
needy seek water, and
there is none, and their
tongue faileth for thirst, I
the Lord will hear them, I
the God of Israel will not
forsake them." (Isaiah
41:17).
“About 30 years ago, 1
visited New York City. One
of the tours was through
the Bowery. I saw men
lying in doorways, sitting
on curbs, and walking the
afreets. They were dirty
beyond recognition. They
numbered in the humdreds
and the guide called them
‘bums.’ I thought to myself,
this could never happen in
North Carolina.
"But it has happened
right here in Charlotte.
Today we call them ‘street
people’ and there are hun
dreds pf them," tells
Walter Curlee, director of
the Volunteers and Minis
tries programs at First
United Methodist Church.
Maybe his compassion
was aroused when Curlee
viewed the scene of New
York’s lower east side. But
he soon realized, in Char
lotte, his church located
downtown, sat in the midst
of the area where this city's
largest concentration of
homeless transients ga
ther. He knew something
needed to be done.
For years, Curlee main
tains, people have come to
downtown Charlotte, seen
the street people, apd
ignored them. The First
United Methodist Church is
located on the corner of
Eighth St. and North
Tryon. “We are down here.
Hie situation is down here.
Why don’t we do something
about it?” he asked.
Dr. Bells, senior minister
of First United Methodist
Church, agreed. He sanc
tioned the formation of the
Society of Strangers, a
program designed to help
street people, based in the
church.
“We started by request
ing people to bring used
clothing,” says Curlee.
, •' i__- _
.Walter Curie* (L) instructs Davidson College student,
John David Ramsey (R), as they prepare to welcome
the street people to the Society of Strangers program at
First United Methodist Chart*.
Then we asked for food or
the money to buy food.”
From the beginning, the
program was set up for the
street people to come in on
specified weekdays: Tues
days, Thursdays, and Fri
days from 2:30-4 p.m.
They receive a bag lunch
and are able to pick from
the available clothing
“The members of First
j United Methodist Church
has responded in a truly
magnificent way,” assures
Curiee. “We have collected
tons of clothing and the
money has been donated
beyond our greatest hope.”
Soon afterwards, a Sun
day morning session was
ackjed to the program. The
street people who come are
served coffee, juice and
doughnuts There is also a
devotion service held at
this time. Recently Curiee
and volunteer aides handed
out sheets of inspirational
music to the people attend
_ ing Just last week. Curiee
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tells, “We distributed sheet
music for a few simple
songs. We told everyone
they could keep the music
if they’d like. Afterwards
not one sheet was left. They
wanted to take the music
with them. It seemed to
mean something to them.”
One street person inter
viewed maintains, “There
should be a program of
ministry of the Word of.
God. People need to get in
touch with God to make a
change.”
Another young man who
regularly comes to the
First United Methodist
Program, relates, “The
white people who are in
volved with this program
are genuinely compassion
ate. True Christians,” he
1
calls them.
From Curlee’a records.
First United Methodist
has served 6,392 street
people since the beginning
of the Society of Strangers’
program last year. He
says, "I’m so proud of the
church backing me. There
has been no negative feed
back, no problem with
support for the program.
“The street people who
come here are almost to
tally humble. Most are
considerate, they know our
limits and they appreciate
what we are doing,” he
comments.
During the week, when
the street people receive
clothing from the,church,
they can pick sweaters,
shirts, jackets, etc., from
the racks and boxes of
clothes and accessories. It
is quite an experience to
see the light in the faces of
these people as they re
place worn, overrun shoes
with a pair of used but
well-constructed ones.
To help With the pro
gram, students from area
colleges have come
through campus ministries
programs. John David
Ramsey, a sophomore of
Davidson College, is con
sidering an internship at
the church for the upcom
ing summer. He com
ments, “This is not at all
what I’m used to,” refer
ring to the street people.
“I’ve been blessed with a
good family and home. I’ve
- not been in touch with
these things.”
Ramsey reveals he is
looking toward to the op
portunity of helping people
less fortunate them him
self. "I fed as though I'm
being led to do. this. 1
know I will grow from
this experience,” he men
tions.
How much good this pro
gram does is not easily
determinable. But Curlee
tells a story of bow one
particular man appeared
to change through his in
teraction with the Society
of Strangers program:
“Last summer," he begins,
“we had a man come in
who was intoxicated. He
said that be did not care
about anything. He did not
care about God. Hien he
left the church.
r- 1 1 * -
"About two weeks later,
be came In and told me that
his friend, who had been hit
by a car, was in the bos- '
pital. He asked us to pray
for bis friend. Obviously,
be did care after all.
*1 do not know if this
made a difference,"
Cur lee reflects, "but soon
after this time he got a Job
and quit drinking. He has
been sober now for five
months."
Cur lee concludes, "Here
is a place the street peo
ple can come when they
have nowhere else to go.
Ihrough devotion there is
hope.” If the street people
gain nothing else from this
program, suggests Curlee,
they’ll realize, “They’re
people and we are our
brother’s keeper and we do
care-,t_
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