HOOP NEWS

Dear St. Barnabas family,

I want to share with you some changes that are taking place with our ministry serving

those who are unhoused, living on the streets of Indianapolis. Since 2007, St.

Barnabas parishioners have supported HOOP (Helping Our Own People) in many

ways: donations of clothing, water, blankets, hygiene items as well as preparing

delicious meals for our Outreach Sundays. Others have ministered in person or

donated financially. Don and I as well as our unhoused friends have been blessed by

your generosity over the years. We could not have done this without your support. We

thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

As I shared last month, the Streets to Home Indy initiative has worked to resolve

encampments and reduce homelessness with targeted, coordinated efforts to move our

friends directly from the streets into housing with case management services needed for

them to recover and thrive. The Streets to Home Indy is grounded in the belief that

everyone has the right to be housed and connected to care. For more information go to

CHIPINDY.org and click on Streets to Home.

HOOP Outreach groups have continued to minister to those left on the street. We went

out today and found just a few folks and those folks will be housed soon. With that in

mind, HOOP will continue to provide Indianapolis Police Department with emergency

food bags, used to diffuse situations they encounter. We have also partnered with

GIMA (Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance) and NCFH (Northside Congregation for

Housing). These groups work to support these initiatives and advocate for the

unhoused, attending City-Council meetings when decisions regarding the unhoused are

made. Currently we are helping to provide move-in supplies and non-perishable food

for the newly housed. We also are hoping to be involved in Sanctuary Indy, a non-profit

organization who are building tiny houses on the west side of Indianapolis, targeting

unhoused families.

Although we will no longer be serving on the streets, we intend to be involved in other

ways. We will keep you updated on what is happening and any needs we may have.

Please keep us and our unhoused friends in your prayers. This is frightening for some

of our friends with mental illnesses and who only know living on the streets. Let us pray

that this will be a positive, life-changing situation for them.

God Bless our St. Barnabas family!

Don and Karen Beckwith