New City Church shed light and brought awareness to the reality of homelessness in downtown Phoenix at their “Dignity: Love Our Unhoused Neighbor” event.
New City Church partnered with the Phoenix Rescue Mission, which provides “Christ-centered” help for men, women and children experiencing homelessness.
Phoenix has the largest population of people experiencing homelessness in the state of Arizona, with “The Zone” – the encampment in the city – growing from about 250 people last year to 800 this year, due to rising rents and housing insecurity.
Over half of those who are homeless live on the streets, which is an increase of five points from 2020, and at least 9,026 people experienced homelessness in Maricopa County, according to Phoenix Rescue Mission.
The event began with housed attendees joining unhoused residents of Phoenix at sets of tables.
Paige Jackson, New City Church’s director of communications and New City Studio, hoped that the event would open conversation between people experiencing homelessness and people who aren’t.
“As a church in downtown Phoenix, we always have people walking in our doors that we don’t normally interact with,” said Jackson. “We’ve noticed a lot of times people don’t know how to respond to people who are encountering people that are coming off the streets, they might have just slipped outside of our building and then people are like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what to do,’ but I feel like I should be able to do something.”
Shaun Horne, the Justice and Care Pastor, was the man behind the operation. Horne, who experienced homelessness at a young age, wanted to bring light and redefine the narrative associated with people who are unhoused.
“I’ve learned as I’ve done more research when it comes to this population, they’re probably one of the most preyed upon because they are in the most vulnerable point in their lives,” He said. “I can’t accomplish a solution just by myself, but it’s providing the opportunity for all of us to sit in the same room and talk together about how we can get there together.”
Following the dinner, there was an art exhibit that featured artwork from downtown Phoenix artists like muralist Brian Boner. The art gallery also displayed artwork from children who are a part of Kids in Focus, a non profit organization that teaches photography to kids who have experienced homelessness.
Jayce Candrea, the founder of Washed Clothing, was at the New City Church Dignity: Love Our Unhoused Neighbor event. He said his company gives to frequent visitors to hopefully build a relationship, and when an individual is ready, the “washed clothing” helps them with rehabilitation.
Washed Clothing is a product paired with a service company, which means with every product they make, they donate a portion of the proceeds to people experiencing homelessness.
“We walk into downtown Phoenix with a clothing rack full of clothes, and wagons full of essentials to provide unsheltered individuals with the opportunity to shop for free,” Candrea said. “So every purchase is given to someone in need.”
Contact the reporter at @lkbly@asu.edu
