Messiah's Branch

Mission 801 west Maple, Wichita, Ks

Mailing address 230 west 4th street.

Florence, Ks 66851

Mission & voice mail (316) 619-4886,

Home (620) 878-4682

http://messiahsbranch.org/

Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace,

Tonight we got to speak to the city in front of the Library. We spoke out against the crimes against the Homeless. Attendance was small about 4 to 500, but we already have the Mayor's attention. They are calling for a task force to end the problem. You see it's an election year. The Majors office jumped right in and declared it a problem before we could speak out. They acted right after they got our invations to come. I sent you those articles already. We even had a state repasenative show up and talk about how bad it looked for Wichita to have so many on the street. Called it a shame........Se said she was calling city hall!

Please pray about supporting what we are doing in Wichita we really need your help to keep going!....more later and here below is the article that was written today about the vigil

Posted on Mon, Apr. 03, 2006

Wichita Eagle

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/local/14250131.htm

ADVOCATES CALL FOR PERMANENT SHELTER

A home for the homeless

About 400 people attended a candlelight vigil Sunday at the Wichita Public Library downtown, where community leaders spoke about the need for a permanent shelter for the city's homeless population.

The vigil, sponsored by Advocates for Ending Chronic Homelessness, was largely made up of members of local churches who think a permanent shelter will better address the needs of homeless people trying to make a transition to homes of their own.

That's far from what the city's homeless now experience, said Sandy Swank, director of housing and homeless services for Wichita Inter-Faith Ministries. She is also a board member for the National Coalition for the Homeless.

"It's ironic we're here at the library," Swank said. "If I were here with my homeless friends -- especially this many -- we'd all be arrested."

According to Advocates for Ending Chronic Homelessness, at least 700 people in Wichita on any given night sleep in shelters, under bridges, in missions or on the street. Of those, about a quarter are "chronically homeless" -- either continuously homeless for a year or more, or without a home four or more times in the past year.

Only 345 emergency shelter beds exist in Wichita, they say, and the local services that support the homeless are scattered throughout the city's core. Their fliers read: "15 years of temporary shelter is long enough!"

Last week, City Manager George Kolb and County Manager Bill Buchanan said they hope to create a task force to try to quantify the problem of homelessness in the Wichita area and determine what kinds of services are needed most. They hope to form the task force this month, with an August target for having a plan drafted.

Eagle staff

The LORD bless thee and keep thee;
The LORD make His face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee;
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee shalom. (peace)
Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26

In Yeshua's Name,

Bro. Dan, Pastor of Messiah's Branch

http://messiahsbranch.org/