Churches and other faith congregations should strive to balance compassion with tough love when helping the homeless, says the Rev. Terry Yasuko Ogawa, chaplain and spokeswoman for the Institute for Human
Services.
IHS receives more than 500 inquiries a year from congregations seeking advice about interactions with homeless people, including those who interrupt church services, beg for money or sleep on the grounds.
“Too many faith leaders hesitate to enforce boundaries because of their compassionate natures. Though we are called to be compassionate, we should not stand for abuse or subject our congregations to endangerment,” Ogawa said.
IHS started in the late 1970s as the humble “Peanut Butter Ministry” of Episcopal priest Claude DuTeil, who handed out sandwiches to the homeless in Chinatown. It was incorporated in 1982 and has since evolved into a multiservice center that aims to end homelessness in Hawaii.
“IHS maintains Father DuTeil’s approach to balance tough love and compassion,” Ogawa said. “When people need love, we offer it. Sometimes that love looks like holding people accountable for their actions. Serv-ice providers, including churches, should not hesitate to involve law enforcement to get people the help they need as quickly as possible when they are in danger, in crisis or a threat to others.”
Ogawa said that churches throughout urban Honolulu are “struggling with how to respond to volatile people with signs of escalated behaviors.” And some have expressed dismay over decisions to call the police. But police, she said, might be best equipped to defuse a tense situation and help connect the people in crisis with the proper social service agencies.
IHS also urges faith groups to advocate for systemic justice to make lasting changes.
Ogawa said congregations need to delve into questions such as “why are there so many people struggling with poverty and homelessness, and address the root causes” by advocating for reform in affordable housing, livable wage, and public health and safety policies for lasting impact.
Those suggestions were shared at IHS’ first faith-based Summit on Homelessness last month at Central Union Church, and attended by some 180 people in ministry and community outreach.
Co-sponsored by The Interfaith Alliance Hawai‘i, the summit featured workshops on how to help the homeless access appropriate
services and housing.
“It is way beyond the expertise of clergy (or members of the congregation) to deal with psychotic behavior or substance-abusers,” Ogawa said. A major purpose of the conference was “to give them basic skills on how to deal with people in a compassionate way. A lot of people were very thankful, but realized it was just the beginning of their education,” she said.
More information is available online at ihshawaii.org/faithsummit Opens in a new tab or by calling IHS at 447-2800. A list of
service agencies compiled by Mental Health America-Hawaii is at 808ne.ws/
1poYKqR Opens in a new tab.
