At this time of year, our minds naturally turn to generosity as we honor the Lord whose Son came into this world as the first and greatest Christmas gift. But if we are not careful, we can fall under the temptation to think of giving in terms of things rather than meeting the needs of people.

I ask you to give serious consideration to making a special donation to “The Friends of the Homeless” shelter in downtown Kinston. On any given night, between 15 and 20 people find housing and comfort at the facility located at 112 North Independence Street.

As “Friends of the Homeless” enters 2020, the shelter is nearing its 30th anniversary. The Friends of the Homeless shelter opened on Nov. 19, 1990, as a community-run and community-financed shelter for those who have no place to go.

“The goal of Friends of the Homeless is to help the individuals who stay with us experience a level of independence and self-sufficiency following their stay at the shelter,” said board member Danny Rice. The normal stay is 90 days, but length of stay can be extended if the individual is actively working on their goals that will help the person achieve independence.

Let’s do a little math. As of Nov. 19 of this year, Friends of the Homeless has operated for 29 years. Each month, FOH provides between 450 and 600 nights of shelter. Let’s use 500 as a reasonable average. Each year, the number totals around 6,000 nights of shelter. Over 29 years, the number grows to 174,000.

Now, we need to put human faces on those “nights of shelter.” Each “night” is a man, woman or child who had no place to go, no food to eat, and no way to keep warm in the winter or keep cool in the summer.

The shelter opens at 5 p.m. and those who need a place to stay can remain in the shelter until 9 a.m. When the weather is scorching hot or freezing cold, or when bad storms threaten, the shelter is open 24/7. Churches, local restaurants, and families step up to provide meals for those staying at the shelter every evening.

In 2015 Friends of the Homeless lost an important revenue stream. Shortly after the FOH shelter opened, the agency found itself with more room than it could us, so the Postal Service rented space in the facility. That rent generated $25,000 a year. When downsizing occurred at our main post office in 2015, the Postal Service no longer needed the space. The rent stopped.

I asked then for churches to put The Friends of the Homeless in their mission budgets and provide monthly support to the shelter. I am not sure how many area churches accepted my challenge. I know of one that did – the church I attend.

I asserted then that if 15 churches would begin sending the shelter $100 each month, those contributions would total more than $15,000 the shelter needed at that time to help replace the revenue lost when the post office downsized its operations. In fact, if 15 churches supported the shelter with $100 each month, then FOH would receive $18,000 each year. If 20 churches would support the shelter with $100 each month, then FOH would receive $24,000.

But FOH also needs individual contributors, too. Why not give a special Christmas gift to the shelter? Such a gift would be in keeping with this special time of year. Remember the young couple that looked in vain for a place to stay one night in Bethlehem?

The Gospel of Luke records in Luke 2:7

“7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

For nearly 30 years, the Friends of the Homeless has provided room for those who have nowhere to go. FOH gives hope to the hopeless and temporary shelter to the homeless.

If you would like to support the shelter with other types of gifts, the shelter always needs food, toiletries, blankets, and cleaning supplies.

During this special season of the year, take a few minutes and write a check to support the Friends of the Homeless. I guaranteed you that no gift is too small – or too large. Send that check to Friends of the Homeless, P. O. Box 2136, Kinston, NC 28502. FOH is a 501c3 organization, and from its inception, FOH has been a United Way agency. FOH is not funded by tax dollars, so please step up and help.

Remember these words: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.