Answering the call of people in need

When I visited Chico’s airport resting site, I introduced myself as a pastor, offered prayer and conversation. The handful of people who were there were grateful to have a safe place to sleep and leave their things, but everyone agreed that it was necessary to leave the site in the middle of the day due to heat.

I realized the people I spoke to had a very specific need that my congregation could address: a place to keep cool in the afternoon. In collaboration with Safe Space, Faith Lutheran Church opened our building during the heat of the day for 11 days. We offered water and snacks, games, writing supplies, movies, wifi, and most of all, air conditioning and friendly faces. It wasn’t a solution to all the problems our guests faced, but it was a place to face those problems. The Quakers have taken up the call and continue to host the cooling center.

We cannot wait for someone else to address the crisis of people living without shelter in Chico. Doing so has cost our city money, morale, and lives. Not only do our civic leaders have a responsibility for the well-being of our city, each of us do: faith organizations, businesses, social clubs, and individuals. Lives, whether housed or unhoused, are changed by communities embodying divine love. May we each ask what we can do for our neighbors. Followers of Jesus call this being the Body of Christ; it is Christ who heals the world and Chico.

— Ben Colahan, Chico