This Christmas, pray for our homeless friends. Pray that they would be healed and restored to homes. More than that, pray that they would hear the gospel, repent of sin, and believe in HIs atoning death and resurrection. We want to see our friends safe and warm for the remaining years of your life, but it is far more important to us that they spend eternity with our Everlasting Father.

Acts 4:13 blessed me because I am just like those guys, unlearned and ignorant. I do not have a degree or letters behind my name. I do however have the greatest Gift, the Holy Ghost living in me as do all believers in Jesus Christ as Lord. These men of the bible experienced a life changing transformation, as have I. This transformation has enabled me as an unschooled, ordinary woman to walk with Jesus and serve His beloved people. Only by the power of His Holy Spirit am I able to serve and through the support of so many.

Today is Giving Tuesday! It is the day that many people choose to make year end donations to support ministries like Hope Farm. As you probably know, we run our ministry as lean as possible. We don’t do a lot of extras. The money given goes to buy food and supplies for our homeless friends. It goes directly to anything that will allow us to care for our homeless friends and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.

Please consider Hope Farm today as you make donations.

In Christ,

Georgann Mirgliotta

So, as you sit down to the table this Thanksgiving, don’t feel guilting that you are blessed and others are struggling. Enjoy God’s good gifts! Give him glory as you eat well and fellowship with family and friends.

When you are finished with Thanksgiving and go into the gift giving season, give as the Lord leads. We would love to have your prayers and financial support as we continue the work of ministering to the homeless of Akron. More than that, our hope is that you glorify God with your thanksgiving!

We are entering into what is known as the season of “Thanksgiving.” Fall weather tends to be associated with harvest, warm fires, family dinners, and gratefulness for God’s provision.

So, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support and prayers. This year the need has increased significantly. There are more of our homeless friends to care for, and we have done our best to meet the need with food, love, and prayer.

This has been a busy season for Hope Farm, Inc. We are witnessing a significant increase in the poor and homeless population. On Mondays Hope Farm has increased our sack lunch distribution to 80, from about 45 this time last year. We also collaborate with Middlebury Chapel for a community meal on Wednesday evening and the numbers there are consistently over 100 (up from about 60 this time last year).

Recently MSN released an opinion piece about Homelessness that points to the cost of housing, the availability of housing, and the continuing homeless crisis. The article calls for money in the form of government funding to fix the problem.

Sadly, the article mistakes the symptom for the disease. The truth is that homelessness isn’t usually just a money issue.

Most of us understand that homelessness increases risk for health problems. Living outdoors in austere conditions increases the risk of skin disorders, frostbite, and exposure to bacteria. What many don’t realize is that there are some health factors that tend to precede homelessness. For instance, some mental illnesses such as chronic schizophrenia can lead to homelessness as the severity of the illness limits a person’s ability to cope with life circumstances.

The AP just released an article about how easy it is for members of the homeless population to slip through the cracks during a natural disaster. The wake of Hurricane Ida has left more than homes damaged. For the homeless and many in other forms of poverty, natural disasters leave them particularly vulnerable.

Did you know that our homeless friends seem to have completely avoided catching Covid-19? It so happens that they have strong immune systems. Rather than being fearful of contracting a virus, whatever strain is coming out this week, next week or next month, I choose alternatives. Those alternatives consist of a healthy lifestyle building up my immune system, through as much good nutrient dense, organic, raw, fresh food as possible.

Think of the tiny house village as the long-term, permanent solution we have envisioned. However, there is value in transitional housing to move our friends from homelessness to permanent housing. Square One Villages (featured in our last post) began with a transitional housing facility. These transitional spaces were very small, smaller than a tiny house. They are designed for each person to have a secure, personal space in which to sleep and store property. These tiny spaces are combined with common areas that the residents in the community can use for community.

Veterans Community Project is implementing a tiny house program to combat homelessness in the veteran community. While VCP’s focus is narrower than ours in that they work exclusively with veterans, their program bears resemblance to our long-term plan for a community of tiny houses in which we plan to house our homeless friends.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness released a report in 2020 designed to give an overview of the state of homelessness in the United Stated. While Covid-19 has had a profound effect on the homeless population, an effect that has yet to be fully quantified, the data from the 2020 report gives us an understanding of the needs affecting our homeless friends.