Helping the homeless

By Mary Kaye Ritz
Religion & Ethics Writer

"...Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses..."

— The Lord's Prayer

Volunteer Nolaen Cknadilla passes out doughnuts at a free-food program for the homeless at St. Andrew's Cathedral. The program is one of about 40 operated by religious groups throughout Hawai'i. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

In accordance with their Hindu beliefs, members of the Sai Baba Center of Oahu dished up vegetarian chili and salad. Volunteers from the Rev. Richard Rubie's legions of lay ministers had baked chicken in the church kitchen. Around the corner were tables stacked high with containers of pastries and separate servings of KFC chicken and mashed potatoes, delivered by Aloha Harvest, a ministry group that recycles prepared food for the homeless.

Three ministries came together with the intent of feeding the body and soul. But were they, as critics say, doing more harm than good?

Ask Lynn Maunakea, director of the Institute for Human Services, an emergency homeless shelter that feeds about 300 people three times a day.

"I really believe that if we want to change things, feeding people in the parks isn't the way to do it," she said. "What that might be doing is enabling people to continue that life. They're actually sustaining them. Is that the goal? To sustain people on the streets?"

Asked why they didn't eat a free lunch at IHS, two scruffy fellows say they did — just a few hours before. But they came here, they said, because they can have seconds and take leftovers away.

Maunakea said she understands feeding someone "makes the feeder feel as good as the feedee."

Her aim, however, is to get the homeless into a "continuum of care" beyond food and shelter, providing them with services such as job training and transitional housing to bringing them back into society.

Faith groups, however, say they have their own missions.

"Part of (Sai Baba's) spiritual teaching is doing service," said follower Sandy Mew McRoberts, who has volunteered for four years alongside Rubie, a tough-talking priest of the Celtic Catholic Church.

"The whole idea is that you grow spiritually," added her husband, Robert. "Some might say that it's selfish, in a way."

For his part, Rubie dismisses criticism of religious ministries as "a lot of jealousies."

And those they feed don't seem to mind.

"The food here is a lot better, plus there's no chapel service at IHS," said homeless veteran Earl Standberry.

Standberry's comment goes to the heart of the matter, from religious organizations' point of view:

Without the lure of food, notes Paul Campbell, an Episcopalian who helps Rubie with the church service, throngs would not come out to St. Andrew's for the weekly Mass.

At this service, dozens of homeless men and women in attendance spontaneously broke into applause after a rousing rendition of "The Lord's Prayer," sung by a fellow who today is clean and sober.

"I'm sure there is a better, more coordinated way of doing things," said Campbell.

But, he added, "Each entity has its own interest."

About 40 meal programs are operated by churches throughout Hawai'i, as calculated by the state volunteer services office.

Among them is the 16-year-old River of Life, a homeless shelter in Chinatown that duplicates many services provided by IHS to help O'ahu's estimated 7,135 homeless.

Its mission statement includes "God."

"We believe that primarily, God is going to work in our guests' lives to change their lives," said Kyle Lung, River of Life general manager.

IHS's mission statement most certainly does not mention God. Because it accepts state money, IHS must follow regulations about the separation of church and state.

"IHS is not set up for all different groups to sermonize," said Lynn Maunakea, its executive director. "Either (we) have to allow that for everybody, or say 'No sermons here.'"

Despite the philosophical differences, there are efforts under way to create a unified system. River of Life takes part in Partners in Care, a coalition of 60 service agencies and individuals, which Lung calls "a good start."

"Not every group that's out there providing a service is part of that group, however, so there are going to be gaps, overlaps, duplication," Lung said.

Laura Thielen of Partners in Care pointed out that faith-based groups could help her organization: They often serve people who don't go to IHS.

"They know the reasons people don't come in" to IHS, she said. "If we know some of those reasons, we could adjust to make it more accessible."

Maunakea acknowledges the possibility of cooperation. "I'd like to work together with Father Rubie and the other providers,' she said. "We don't need to fight over this. It's going to take all of us. What we want to do is end (the homeless problem), not Band-Aid it."

Maunakea points out that the shelter has services the homeless need: specially trained caseworkers, drug-abuse support and access to medical attention. The ministry groups often do not.

"It might take them being hungry" to come into the system, she said. "If they're given the food and given the clothes, they're not going to make it to the shelter."

Still, Maunakea said, the aims of her secular organization often differ from those of religious groups such as River of Life. She suggested that faith-based groups might be able to join together.

Lung said the ministry folks and the secular agencies can strive to be unified, "but it's awfully tough."

Then he sighed.

"Especially when we have different outlooks on providing that rescue process," he said.

Finding out about Hawai'i charities

Several movements are afoot to coordinate information about services provided by faith-based organizations.

Among them are these.

• State Volunteer Services: This three-person organization, part of the governor's office, uses volunteers to link service providers with community needs. The office is working to create a one-stop system for services, both social and faith-based. The office is headed by Mary Matayoshi: 586-7200; on the Web: volunteeraloha.com.

• Faith-Based Community Assets: BYU-Hawaii professor Derrik Tollefson (293-3591 or by e-mail: tollefsd@byuh.edu) is assembling a directory of faith-based services.

• Partners in Care:A coalition of 60 service agencies and individuals caring for the homeless. Headed by Laura Thielen: 791-6344.

Some established services:

• Helping Hands Hawaii Voluntary Action Center: Clearinghouse for homeless and nonprofit organizations. Led by Louise Funai: 536-7234.

• ASK-Aloha United Way: A referral service for government and nonprofit agencies, operated by Aloha United Way. 275-2000

Correction: Aloha United Way's referral service for those in need is ASK-Aloha United Way. The number is 275-2000. A listing in a previous version of this story was incorrect.