St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and IHS team up to assist the homeless

As preschool children laughed and played steps away, dozens of homeless people lined up Thursday for a late-morning lunch of spaghetti, green salad and sides at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Moiliili, where the Rev. Gregory Johnson said helping Oahu’s homeless every month far outweighs any risks.

Johnson has heard all of the reasons why churches refuse to open their doors to the homeless — especially those with mental health and substance abuse issues.

And he disagrees with every one of the arguments, especially concerns of liability.

With a preschool on its church grounds, “we’ve got all the reasons not to do it,” Johnson said. “But Jesus says, ‘What you do to the least of these, you also do to me.’ Find something more satisfying than reaching out to people in need and Father Gregory would like to hear about it.”

There have been no reports of vandalism, theft or physical altercations since St. Mary’s teamed up with the Institute for Human Services to open a monthly “drop-in center” for the homeless on South King Street in March 2015, Johnson said.

Police have been called when someone gets out of hand, he said, “but that could easily happen during Sunday worship.”

Over the fiscal year that just ended, St. Mary’s helped 681 homeless individuals get a meal, a bag of groceries, medical treatment and other services, said IHS spokesman Kimo Carvalho. Twelve of them were referred to substance abuse or mental health services.

At least one group of church members from Kailua wants to learn how to do something similar on the Windward side.

And Councilman Ernie Martin said he’s hearing about increased interest from other island churches that also might want to set up a drop-in center, a so-called “urban rest stop” where the homeless can take a shower and use the bathroom; or a “navigation center” to help connect people to permanent housing and other homeless-related services.

Each of the island’s nine City Council members has at least $2 million in unspent money at their disposal “for one or more facilities of this nature — a navigation center, drop-in center or urban rest stop,” Martin said. “There are additional opportunities for us to expand. We should not hesitate to take a serious look at trying to encourage the development of additional facilities.”

IHS also operates a twice-a-month drop-in center in Martin’s council district at the Waialua Community Association that opened in 2012 and shares a bathroom with a nearby preschool.

“There’s never been an issue or legal issue,” Carvalho said.

Retired Family Court Judge Karen Radius, a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Kailua, visited the Waialua drop-in center two weeks ago to learn how a similar one might work in Kailua, Kaneohe or Waimanalo.

“It was very interesting,” Radius said. “It’s a one-stop shop. Various agencies offered free phones, bus passes, job training, legal aid, clean clothes, toiletries. No one felt threatened. People were very respectful.”

The visit to Waialua grew out of months of homeless-related discussions that started at St. John Lutheran and expanded to include 40 or so members from seven or eight Windward churches representing various denominations, Radius said.

The discussions will continue at St. John Lutheran on Sept. 10, when the church will host a 10:30 a.m. potluck before another meeting on how to proceed. Radius said anyone from any community is invited.

Before she showed up at the Waialua Community Association last week, Radius thought back to her time on the bench.

“I’ve seen people with sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll as part of my gig. People can act out,” she said. “How do you deal with that when you’re a person without resources and may have drug problems, mental health problems, may be hungry, with kids tugging at your skirt who are hungry. We’re dealing with people where lots of things can happen. I was pleasantly surprised by the cooperation of the people who came.”

But Radius knows that some church members from Kaneohe to Waimanalo are certain to object to inviting homeless people onto church grounds — even with the intention of getting them help that could include permanent housing.

“With schools on the premises, or very close,” Radius said, “the first concern is: Will the parents go crazy? How’s that going to work when you’re dealing with mentally ill people? There are 800 reasons not to do it. But what’s the solution? You’re not going to lock them up until they’re dead. Let’s do something that’s better than what we’re doing now.”

In an island state grappling with the highest per-capita homeless rate in the nation, Radius said it’s time for church members to take the next step.

“You can study something to death,” she said. “At some point you’ve got to jump in and do the best you can with what you know.”

Homeless people are sleeping in Kawainui Marsh in Kailua, she said, and have taken over the beach park pavilion.

“At the same time, we’re getting so many more tourists in Kailua,” she said. “And if you’re driving down the highway in Waimanalo and veer off the road you’re going to end up in a tent. You’re seeing it more and more. So people are more willing to listen now.”

Carvalho, IHS’ spokesman, said any church or organization that partners with IHS can rely on trained staff to be on site.

Even before the food was served Thursday at St. Mary’s, IHS outreach specialist Tanu Sataraka helped connect five homeless people to services that could get them picture identifications they need for everything from jobs to housing.

Part of his job means Sataraka also encourages homeless people to come by the drop-in center for a meal and connections that could lead to additional help, including permanent housing.

At 6-foot-4 inches and 460 pounds, Sataraka — a part-time bouncer — also served another key role Thursday at the monthly drop-in center: guarding the door, he could help ease any anxiety that might come from having to wait in the food line.