Lately I have felt a push to re-think hospitality. Traditionally, it is a skill or gift that includes delicious food, pretty decorations, and a clean home. This could be part of it, but it seems there is more.
Hospitality has a “going outside” quality to it too, moving beyond our normal circles to show love and compassion to others who need it. A recent article in Sojourners made the Biblical case for this.
With more study, it seems that hospitality has a quality of offering welcome and seeking connection everywhere, NOT just in our own homes.
This might include taking some risks to get to know people who we have considered “the other” – on the other side of some imaginary but false line that keeps us believing that we are “too different” to connect.
What if we crossed over that line?
This is part 1 of 4 exploring the different elements of our mission statement:
Family Promise of Greater Wichita unites hearts and hands to provide compassionate hospitality and empower homeless families with children to achieve sustainable independence.
What We Have to Offer
When we offer Compassionate Hospitality, we are offering our time, our understanding, our hearts. We mentally imagine ourselves in the shoes of the guests, and we walk together with them.
We welcome guest families into our facilities as if they are extended family, because they are.
This means hosting as we would host family in our home: we serve them dinner, we might play games with their children, and we provide clean sheets to sleep in.
We don’t boss them around, give them unsolicited advice, or police their movements. We are the lucky aunts, uncles, and grandparents who just have fun. 😊
We NEED Each Other
The longer I walk with the guests, staff, and volunteer of Family Promise, the more I realize that we need each other.
We need to look in the eyes of people in a homeless circumstance and LISTEN, to see these friends as valued people. Otherwise, we look at everyone different as “the other” and miss out on the chance to learn about life together.
Perhaps we need some assumptions shattered. Perhaps we need to learn about poverty, trauma, and domestic violence to really understand.
The families need us too, beyond the meals and shelter and van rides. They need to look in our eyes and see acceptance and solidarity, reminding them that indeed they ARE valued people, capable of harnessing their strengths to meet their goals.
We all need connection and cheerleaders. This is why Family Promise is a gift to the guests, volunteers, and our entire community.
How You Can Help
You have great power to make this program the best it can be. Success depends on daily and weekly connections between all of us.
- If you haven’t already, attend a training and volunteer! These are held at Partner Congregations and the Day House – call us for info on dates.
- Treat guests as family: I have seen volunteers ask guests to cook dinner, take requests for the grocery shopping list, and reinforce strengths by seeking home repair or specialty advice.
- Support our staff in their strengths too – staff hold guests accountable to program guidelines. You and I get to do the fun stuff.
- Please keep the discussion going! We want to hear your stories of how hospitality has been beneficial to you, how guest families have enriched your life, and more. Email me at pr@familypromisewichita.org to share your story.
Thank you! What an honor to walk beside the guest families, and each one of you, as we learn to see ourselves in “the other” and find out that we don’t need that label any longer.
For more articles in this series:
Introduction: Homeless Families Need Help — who/why/how
Mission Statement part 1 of 4: A Common Mission Unites Churches & Groups
Katy Penner is our Board Secretary and Communications Team chair. She is also a Marketing and Content Strategist. You can reach her at pr@familypromisewichita.org.
Family Promise of Greater Wichita unites hearts and hands to provide compassionate hospitality and empower homeless families with children to achieve sustainable independence. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
