City of Fresno to raze Homeless Ministry Church 9/9 at 8am

[annm4peace]

(church is in third encampment to be razed in Fresno)

FRESNO HOMELESS ADVOCATES
A Coalition for Humane and Affordable Housing Policy

Contacts: Pastor Ray Polk
Homeless Ministry
H Street, south of Ventura Blvd.
Fresno, CA 93721
559.853.7787

Georgia Williams
Member, Fresno Homeless Advocates
559.250.6956
[e-mail]

FRESNO HOMELESS ADVOCATES COALTION IN OPPOSITION TO RAZING OF THE HOMELESS MINISTRY, LED BY PASTOR RAY POLK

For Immediate Release:

The City of Fresno’s razing of a third homeless encampment on H Street, south of Ventura Blvd., will begin at 7:00am on Monday, September 9, 2013. The city will demolish the entire encampment, including Pastor Ray Polk’s Homeless Ministry, a physical church and a long-term spiritual service to the homeless and poor of Fresno.

At 8:00am on Monday, September 9, 2013, Pastor Ray Polk, with support from Pastor Darla Nunes and Pastor Joey Robison, along with others in the faith community, will hold what may be the last church service of Pastor Polk’s current community ministry.

Pastor Polk believes that he is “doing God’s work,” and that if the City of Fresno insists on demolishing God’s church, “they will have to do it themselves.” Pastor Polk says, “With God’s help, I built the church, but the City will have to take it down, nail by nail.”

For further information about Fresno Homeless Advocates, see http://helpfresnoshomeless.org/ or email [e-mail].

sign the petition'
http://www.change.org/petitions/city-of-fresno-end-homeless-camp-demolition-establish-humane-affordable-housing-policy

[annm4peace]

1. previous posting of the bulldozing of homeless camps earlier this week

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023607312


By Jessie Speer


The author, Jessie Speer (center), with Ray Polk (left) and Larry Collins (right) at the H street homeless encampment, which the City of Fresno plans to bulldoze on Sept. 9.
Imagine a young woman. Close your eyes and see her in front of you—her hopeful gaze, her restless hands. Now imagine one morning she can’t get out of bed. The doctor says it’s brain chemistry, but her family can’t afford the treatment she needs. There is no shelter space, so she ends up living in an encampment on the banks of a canal near downtown Fresno. One day the city announces it will bulldoze her tent, destroying everything she has.

This is not a nightmare. This is the real story of a young woman I met this summer while conducting interviews for a master’s thesis on Fresno homelessness with Syracuse University.





***Dispatch from the War Zone - Week Two***
The City of Fresno is in their second week of destroying homeless encampments in the downtown area. To see photos of the demolition and people trying to escape, go to:

[Mnemosyne]

2. I signed and commented, but the petition is still showing 0 signatures. nt

[annm4peace]

3. Give the petition site time to up load the signatures

I thought the same thing also but it took a couple of seconds and the numbers increased... last I looked it was at 300+ which is sadly low.

Thank you very much for signing. I can't tell you how much it means for the local small but very hard working activists there.

[Mnemosyne]

4. I'm always hopeful that each signature, call or email, will be the one that triggers a big change.

And you are welcome, wish I could do more. I guess not much attention is paid because half the board is busy arguing about Syria.

DU has sure changed over the years...