One church in California is starting a pilot program to help homeless young mothers overcome a difficult period in their lives by building them safe temporary housing where they can stay as they work to get back on their feet, according to CBN News. Meridian Baptist Church in El Cajon is using an empty lot behind their building to construct the small cabins which will become the homes for the homeless young women and their children. The senior pastor at the Meridian Church, Rolland Slade, shared with CBN News that the volunteer effort has been incredible and they have been blessed with the amount of help they have received thus far.
According to CBN News, the church has partnered with Amikas, an organization that works to provide women and children with options to avoid homelessness. Additionally, the church has partnered with Home Start, a nonprofit that works to prevent and treat child abuse including addressing “the conditions that can contribute to risky or abusive situations.” Lisa Kogan, the treasurer of Amikas, shared that her organization has been working for years to make a difference in the lives of homeless women and children, and is looking forward to building the cabins for which they received the permit in January.
Pastor Slade shared that they have 30 volunteers on average who are working to build the cabins which are 12-feet by 12-feet, made up of 96 square feet of living space, each with a front porch. Though each cabin will have electricity, they do not have plumbing. The goal is for tenants to be ready to move out of their cabin in 90 days. The pilot program includes building six cabins which they hope to complete by May 30, Memorial Day.
Overjoyed that his church was able to put an empty space to good use, Pastor Slade hopes that they influence others to do similar projects to help the vulnerable in their communities. Even in his own community, Slade hopes that the program will expand to helping “a greater population of homeless people” in addition to the young mothers. Dedicated to the project, Pastor Slade and all of the volunteers are making a difference for young women and children with a blessing that will change their lives forever.