Helping the Helpless

The night before Thanksgiving, hundreds of people, most of them homeless, packed the community center at in Woodbridge for a Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie and more.

The meal wasn’t a once a year occasion, though. The dinners happen every Wednesday night at 7:00, and homeless people from around the area come to get a hot meal and some friendship.

Streetlight Ministries, the organization that hosts the meals, was started by Pathway Vineyard Church, but now involves over a dozen local churches. Those churches rotate duties including serving the meal and bringing a worship band and a message before the meal. Volunteers also come from community groups, schools, and individuals who want to help out.

Powers said that recently a 16-year-old girl and her mother brought donations for the ministry’s food pantry. The girl had asked friends for her 16th birthday, instead of giving her presents, to bring donations for Streetlight. She collected five boxes of canned goods and five more boxes of blankets, pillows and clothing. 

The food pantry provides food for 600 to 700 people each month. The goal is to provide one week’s worth of groceries to each family who visits.

Streetlight also helps the homeless by providing winter coats, sleeping bags, and tents. Director Rose Powers said that to receive a tent, individuals must agree to do four hours of community service. That usually takes the form of serving at the weekly dinners.

A supportive housing program is also available, including both temporary and permanent housing, and the ministry helps people in emergency situations with rent or utilities payments, car repairs, overnight hotel rooms, prescriptions and more.

The ministry says that they want to reach people with Christ-like love, but they don't require people to accept their message in order to get help. Anyone is welcome, regardless of their faith.

Runetta Hynes, who lost her job and has had difficulty finding work again, said Powers has made a big impact on her life. “If it wasn’t for Rose and her ministry, I don’t know where I would be,” Hynes said.