Poverty and Homelessness Action Week
19th January 2012 - by Ellen Teague
Poverty & Homelessness Action Week – 28 January to 5 February 2012 – is a major nationwide event, highlighting an important issue. It creates many powerful stories at both local and national levels – from inspiring events featuring young people taking action for a better world, to hearings where people bravely share their experiences of poverty and homelessness.
Poverty & Homelessness Action Week has been running each year since 2008. It brings together two special Sundays which have been marked in UK churches for many years: Homelessness Sunday and Poverty Action Sunday.
The Week aims to:
– raise awareness of the issues of poverty and homelessness in the UK
– raise funds for projects and campaigns which work to tackle poverty and homelessness
– involve people in campaign actions that tackle the causes of poverty and homelessness
Individuals, churches and groups are all encouraged to get involved in the week:
Churches can run worship services to mark one of the Sundays, praying for vulnerable people as well as raising awareness and funds. Many churches also run special activities for children or young people. Groups and organisations (including schools) can run events to raise funds or awareness. Individuals can use resources to reflect on the theme, and donate to support the cause.
See website www.actionweek.org.uk
Free resources are available from this website to support people doing all of these things. There is also a database of all events being organised.
The Action Week is jointly organised by Church Action on Poverty, Housing Justice and Scottish Churches Housing Action. It is sponsored and supported by many other organisations.
Churches and community projects can break the barriers between people. They can challenge prejudice, enable excluded people to live full lives, and build a fairer world.
GET INVOLVED.
PRAYER:
Father, we thank you that Jesus came to break down barriers.
He did not see the migrant or the settled, the housed or the homeless, the employed or the unemployed;
He saw and loved the person.
Forgive us when we put up barriers between ourselves and others; help us show love to all without constraint.
Help us, your church, to build communities without barriers, where all are valued because all are made in your image.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
