A St. Agatha Catholic Church Ministry Father Rolando G.

Garcia

Miami, FL MISSION

To provide assistance to the welfare of the homeless individuals by getting to know them, gaining their trust through interactions, and providing basic necessities and sandwiches for their survival on a weekly basis.

VISION

Help and protect the homeless by guiding them towards a complete recovery off the streets by becoming self-sufficient and driven to accomplish the set goals without boundaries in a positive environment for all.

HOPE for the Homeless Mission

The HOPE for the Homeless Mission (HHM), a ministry based in St. Agatha Catholic Church in Miami, FL, will be a one of a kind ministry of which the church has approved of and will be adding amongst its many other religious ministries already available to parishioners. Founded on July 12, 2010 by parishioners Moises J. Pineda and Hector Gonzalez with the help of Carlos de la Rosa, who have had a vision and yearning to help the less fortunate amongst our brothers and sisters and will aim their goals and efforts towards helping the homeless population of Miami-Dade County and beyond because no one deserves to be homeless despite how they arrived to their specific situation. Homelessness is rapidly increasing in our county due to the current economic conditions and other factors that will be discussed in this informational report. The original approach was made to Father Rolando G. Garcia, Pastor of St. Agatha Catholic Church, to make sandwiches to feed the homeless and clothe them and over the next few weeks more ideas came about to having a need to form a full ministry to their aide and assistance for a common welfare. Partnering up with other local homeless organizations such as The Community Partnership for the Homeless, Camillus House, Florida Coalition for the Homeless, Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, and many others will allow this ministry to help achieve the goals and objectives of reaching out to those who are homeless and cannot afford the basic necessities of every day life that many of us take for granted. This ministry will help donate food, clothing, basic necessities, school supplies, and help volunteer in raising funds for activities and events to benefit the homeless population. It is aimed that HHM will start with volunteers from

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4 all walks of life to prepare sandwiches and meals to the homeless on a weekly basis and delivering them to the various organizations for their intended use. All donated items will be accepted year-round as the homeless organizations can always use them for our fellow brothers and sisters. We are being guided by our Lord Jesus Christ and have a strong urgency to do his will and see to it that we help contribute to the welfare and happiness of mankind of which embodies those who are homeless. The vision is to, by the power and glory of God, expand and create an outreach awareness of the difficulties the homeless face day-to-day and educate others of their situations by bringing it to other counties in the State of Florida and perhaps one day globally with missionary trips. With a 2009 research study conducted by the Homeless Coalition of Florida, Miami-Dade is the 4th largest county of homelessness accounting for 4,574 individuals. These figures, however, are not fully accurate as these counts were conducted in a single 24 hour period of which it is not possible of locating every homeless person even with hundreds of volunteers as they may stay anywhere. No matter what they did previously in their lives, they deserve a chance to live like everyone in their own home and with at least the basic necessities of life. We welcome clothing donations of any type that may be used by others in good condition. All sizes will be acceptable as homelessness does not discriminate anyone can become affected at any point in time. Our first clothing donation was received by Gary Finkelstein on Monday, July 19, 2010 who gave it to Moises at work. All homeless organizations do have a warehouse where they will store these and basic necessities such as toothbrushes, soaps, towels, toothpaste, and the like and give them out as needed. Food donations include many items such as boxed cereal, breads, dry beans, grits, milk, fruits,

HOPE for the Homeless Mission

5 soups, stews, vegetables, cheese, eggs, hams, pork, chicken, turkey, spices, sugar, and pastries among many others. In fact, in a given year, Camillus House provides 500,000 free meals, 26,000 medical encounters, 70% graduation rate for persons in active substance abuse treatment, and 1,000 individuals with transitional/permanent housing as well as the various other organizations provide similar services. Since opening their doors in 1993, the Community Partnership for Homeless (CPH) has served more than 76,500 people in Miami-Dade County and nearly 15,000 children. As a ministry that aims to be of service and to help the homeless, we will form strategic alliances with local businesses to help out with our cause to put an end to homelessness and hunger. Want to see a homeless person smile? A true genuine grateful smile from the depths of their soul and heart? Donate any amount of money to them when you see them in the streets and you will feel that your day has just been fulfilled. HHM will always meet every week to get together and provide the food and sandwiches that will be delivered to the designated charitable organization that week. With the building of personal relationships we aim to have with local business owners and businesses, we hope to have donations from them on an ongoing basis that will allow and support us to keep our costs down. We will accomplish this by working in a cost-effective and efficient manner that will help us provide more to the homeless.

HOPE for the Homeless Mission

The following pages are taken from the recent study in 2009 entitled Homelessness in Florida conducted by the Florida Coalition for the Homeless and provides alarming current statistics.

HOPE for the Homeless Mission

LOGO The logo of our ministry has an O made up of a thorn and cross as part of HOPE. This signifies the pain, anguish, hate, embarrassment, and suffering homeless individuals experience in our society. It makes them appear as if they are not real human beings and just people that never did anything of their lives and ended up being that way. But as the report indicates, homeless can happen to anyone and includes anyone from having a low paying job, losing a job, and even to natural disasters where the people lose it all and have no type of financial backing to move somewhere else. Therefore, just like Jesus Christ carried the cross under so much pain, so too, do homeless people carry the cross on a daily basis and may have no one that wants to pay any attention to them. This symbol is in brown color as is also a thorn and cross made of wood and is the focal point that stands out in the logo in bold. The green in HPE signifies the hope that people get for a better life. Trees and plants are green and provide to us the oxygen we need to breathe. The name of the ministry is in light brown as to show the weakness homeless individuals have in trying to get out of that situation and on to a better life. Finally, our church name is in red because that is the color of blood for which gives strength and livelihood to our bodies. SONG There is one song in particularly that really resembles the homeless situation and that is by The Four Tops Reach Out Ill Be There. This song is interpreted as God saying it to those homeless individuals all around the world. For them not to give up and

HOPE for the Homeless Mission

8 lose hope. They're not forgotten. He'll come back again to care for and cherish them. They just need to reach out for him and start to get his blessings. Our Lord knows everything they are going through and through constant prayer they can one day expect the grace, glory, and beautiful things God will send their way. Numerous people are one point were homeless and came out of it and were able to go on and have careers and families. Understand the power God gives and have a strong faith in him and nothing will ever be too much to bare or go through. Our God is a loving God and will always have our best interests even if we think otherwise. Unfortunately, there are those that never do try to live a religious and prayerful life and do not get to experience the abundance love God gives to his children who love and seek him. Always know that he is with us. For those that do believe in the Lord, a better life awaits them! Just reach out for him at any time! The following are the lyrics to the song as if God is singing it to the homeless:

Now if you feel that you can't go on (can't go on) Because all of your hope is gone (all your hope is gone) And your life is filled with much confusion (much confusion) Until happiness is just an illusion (happiness is just an illusion) And your world around is crumbling down, darlin reach out come on girl reach on out for me reach out reach out for me I'll be there with a love that will shelter you I'll be there with a love that will see you through When you feel lost and about to give up (to give up) Cause your life just ain't good enough (just ain't good enough) And your feel the world has grown cold (has grown cold) And your drifting out all on your own (drifting out on your own) And you need a hand to hold, darlin reach out come on girl reach out for me reach out reach out for me
HOPE for the Homeless Mission

I'll be there to love and comfort you And I'll be there to cherish and care for you I'll be there to always see you through I'll be there to love and comfort you I can tell the way you hang your head (hang your head) Your not in love now, now your afraid (you're afraid) And through the tears you look around (look around) But there's no piece of mind to be found (no piece of mind to be found) I know what your thinking, You're alone now, no love of your own, but darling reach out come on girl reach out for me reach out reach out.......... just look over your shoulder I'll be there to give you all the love you need And I'll be there you can always depend on me I'll be there to always see you through I'll be there to love and comfort you
FUNDS We, as a ministry organization, will be active both within and outside of the church to promote our mission for the homeless men, women, and children of this world. We will strive to be self-sufficient through contributions, donations, and our own fundraising efforts. The contributions and donations will be tax deductible as admitted by law under the exemption status granted to St. Agatha Catholic Church. We welcome parishioners and others who have an employer contribution capability at work to include us as their choice of charitable giving where the employer may match up the donated funds. The opening of the ministerial bank account will be made in August 5th, 2010 to accept the funds to provide the growth of the HOPE for the Homeless Mission Ministry which will be attributed to a check in the amount of $500.00 by Highmark Inc. in Pittsburg, PA from a community service award that Hector won for the homeless Jefferson Award. Highmark is a non-profit organization that owns HVHC Inc. which they own Eye Care of

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America. Collectively, as a group, the organization will hold several fundraising activities to benefit both the church and ministry such as selling small products and auction off donated gift certificates. The funds created will therefore be used to purchase the meals, toys, clothes, school supplies, and basic necessities the homeless could use. We will, in our best efforts, try to get as much donated items as possible to most cost effectively use the ministerial funds for the greater good of our mission. PARTNERSHIPS We will be working diligently with our partners such as, Camillus House, founded in 1960 by the Brothers of the Good Shepherd, in all aspects from participating in their food drives and programs to spending time and talking to those who are homeless residents of their facilities and give them support, hope, encouragement, love, and let them know that there are others out there that still do and will think about them. They are not alone. They should not settle down and let life pass them by. We want to encourage them that its never to late to go out there and get a job, get an education, obtain a degree, have the family you once only dreamed of, and once again become productive citizens and help them know and understand that one day they too can be able to give back the hope that was given to them during their lowest point in their lives. HOPE is our underlying foundation in the creation of this ministry to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in less than favorable conditions and situations they feel they cannot overcome.

HOPE for the Homeless Mission