Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out; judge righteously; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
Proverbs 31:8-9
August 21, 2024
Dear siblings in Christ,
Faithfully carrying out our call to see to it that everyone experiences delight, has their basic needs met, and is connected to community means many things. Sometimes it means addressing the symptoms; a person doesn’t have food to eat and we provide food (thank you and keep those food donations to the Wheeling Township Food Pantry coming!); a person is isolated and we reach out to them; a person feels life is flat and we help their heart sing. You get the idea.
Sometimes answering our call means addressing systems. One systemic issue that spirals out to cause many other problems is the lack of affordable housing. Stable housing gives us a sense of security and belonging. When people have a stable home, we can focus on personal growth, education, and career development. We can get to our jobs consistently. Stable housing fosters better mental and physical health, leading to improved overall well-being. When people live in precarious housing situations we are more susceptible to physical and mental health issues, and are often the targets of violence and crime. People who have stable housing are more likely to engage in community activities and contribute positively to the social fabric of our communities.*
Stable, affordable housing is a foundation for meeting all those other basic needs, and a cornerstone for building a healthy, meaningful life – that abundant life Jesus came to bring. Meet the basic need for housing and many of the other struggles we face are also addressed.
Of the six suburbs around us, Arlington Heights has the second fewest number of affordable housing units – only 147. All of these units have long, closed, wait lists. On Monday night, eight people from among us attended the (very long) Arlington Heights Village Board meeting, demonstrating and voicing support for the proposed Grace Terrace, an affordable housing complex for people with special needs focusing particularly on veterans. Our Junior Warden, Cleo Nykol, spoke (and specifically identified herself as a member of St. Simon’s). Others were there to nod in agreement and applaud when speakers voiced their support for the project. The Village Board, having considered the merits of the facility and hearing and seeing support for it, voted to rezone the property for a two-story, 25-unit facility. This vote allows the project to proceed to the next step. It isn’t a done deal by any means – more approvals will need to happen and there is community opposition to it – but Grace Terrace made it past this hurdle.
Showing up and speaking up for our neighbors is one way to be faithful. Over and over, God tells God’s people to take care of each other, especially those among us who are foreigners and exiles, those of us who are destitute, those of us who have no support system. Thank you to the St. Simon’s crew that showed up Monday night. Thank you to Beau Surratt, our Associate for Music and Community Connection, who brought this opportunity to our attention. Thank you to each of you for the open, creative, innovative, courageous ways we are imagining how to act on this vision of everyone having the abundant life Jesus came to bring.
With love and in faith,
Jenny+
* “Why is Housing Stability Important?” by Jayde Banaria on Housing is Your Right at https://housingisyourright.org/why-is-housing-stability-important/#:~:text=When%20people%20live%20in%20precarious,social%20cohesion%20and%20neighborly%20support. accessed August 21, 2024.
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