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BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF

Leading a rally and march of more than 200 people, Bishop John Schol stopped to speak to James, a homeless man in Towson, who showed the bishop the small, stained tent he was living in. James hides in a wooded area each night to rest. "It's a hard way to go," he confided.

Next to James in the parking lot, Barbara displayed the car she had lived in until six months ago.

The marchers from Baltimore County Communities for the Homeless, more than 100 of whom were United Methodists, prayed with James and Barbara, as they went to speak to the County Council about providing additional resources for the homeless.

The eighth annual rally for the homeless, which began at Trinity Episcopal Church in Towson, with dinner and speeches, was a way for United Methodists to expand their partnerships as they commit to the Baltimore-Washington Conference's goal to end homelessness in the region.

"If we all work together we can move people from shelter to permanent housing," Bishop Schol said. "We will partner with everybody who wants to work on homelessness."

In Baltimore County, more than 550 people live in shelters and hundreds more are on the street. Baltimore County Communities for the Homeless report that counselors receive an average of 40 calls a day from people requesting beds and that nearly 2,000 homeless children attend county schools.

Evoking Moses and Jesus, who were both homeless during parts of their lives, the bishop stressed the need for moving to the church's new approach to addressing homelessness, which moves beyond providing temporary fixes like shelter beds and soup kitchens, to offering supportive, permanent housing.

This approach has been proven, nationally, to dramatically improve the quality of life for those without homes. It also makes good economic sense. In Baltimore County, it coast approximately $37,200 to shelter a family of four for one year. In comparison, to rent a two-bedroom apartment costs approximately $13,000 a year.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference recently committed to plans to partner with Foundry UMC to build and operate Calvary House, renovating a church in Washington, D.C., to house 79 people without homes.

Additional plans are on the drawing board for a similar project in Baltimore City.

Members of the Baltimore County Council responded positively to the appeals, praising the church and others who care about this issue. "We hear you," said Council President John Olszewski. "We know what the issue is, and we will give you all the resources we can."