The Association of Faith Communities (AFC) is a rather extraordinary group. It is an incorporated association of local faith communities in Northern Santa Cruz County, and its membership includes:
- Calvary Episcopal Church
- The Peace United Church of Christ
- The Religious Society of Friends (The Quakers)
- The Resurrection Catholic Community
- The Shrine of St. Joseph
- Star of the Sea Catholic Church
- St. John’s Episcopal Church
- St. Phillips Episcopal Church
- The Salvation Army
- Trinity Presbyterian Church, and
- United Methodist Church
The AFC is really on the front lines, in Northern Santa Cruz County, as our local community confronts the challenge of homelessness.
On Saturday evening, May 18, 2019, the AFC held what its website advertised as its "third First Annual Gala" at the Holy Cross Parish Hall, in Santa Cruz. I am not sure, actually, what that title was meant to convey. I am sure, however, because I was there, that the gala was a powerful gathering of the many persons in this community who are working tirelessly on the problems of homelessness. A poster on the wall listed the names of over 400 persons who had personally helped run the AFC's shelter and feeding programs during the preceding year. The crowd on hand, probably 200 strong, honored others, too. I talked at the gathering on the following topic: "The Challenge That Homelessness Puts To Politics."
Politics has a kind of bad reputation, generally, and one of my messages was that we shouldn't give up on it, and that we should never discount our ability, together, to change how our community addresses the most serious problems we face.
Nothing is "inevitable" in the world we create, and our local community has discovered, before, that when we truly decide to change the world, we can do that!
On Saturday evening, May 18, 2019, the AFC held what its website advertised as its "third First Annual Gala" at the Holy Cross Parish Hall, in Santa Cruz. I am not sure, actually, what that title was meant to convey. I am sure, however, because I was there, that the gala was a powerful gathering of the many persons in this community who are working tirelessly on the problems of homelessness. A poster on the wall listed the names of over 400 persons who had personally helped run the AFC's shelter and feeding programs during the preceding year. The crowd on hand, probably 200 strong, honored others, too. I talked at the gathering on the following topic: "The Challenge That Homelessness Puts To Politics."
Politics has a kind of bad reputation, generally, and one of my messages was that we shouldn't give up on it, and that we should never discount our ability, together, to change how our community addresses the most serious problems we face.
Nothing is "inevitable" in the world we create, and our local community has discovered, before, that when we truly decide to change the world, we can do that!
Image Credit:
https://www.afcsantacruz.org
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