by Edwin Garcia
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The Carmichael Cougars Pathfinder Club ministered to people experiencing homelessness during an outreach activity that proved eye-opening.
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The club, which has 38 members, prepared 200 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, snacks, and water bottles and delivered them to people staying in tents near downtown Sacramento on a Sabbath afternoon last month.
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Pathfinders also handed out dozens of blankets and bags with toiletries that Carmichael church members had been collecting.
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“I feel sad that they stay here and that they lost their homes,” said Pathfinder Maria Melo as she walked along an encampment taking food to a tent. “I wish they could have a better Christmas with their families.”
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The activity was organized by club leaders, including Youth Pastor Benji Ferguson. He wanted Pathfinders to get a closer look at one of the community’s most complex issues. “One of the really important parts of Pathfinders is helping our students see that paths to ministry often lead us outside the walls of the church building,” he said. “Serving our neighbors, especially those in such obvious need, is what being the church is really all about.”
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More than 5,500 people are experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County, according to local advocates.
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Watch a video of the outreach activity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz7IyUgdcNk
