- This event has passed.
55Plus Series: Encountering Our Unhoused Neighbors with Compassion and Dignity
Attend in-person or online
Suggested donation of $15 – 25
In Dilexi Te, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that faith cannot be separated from love for the poor, calling all Christians “to recognize Christ in the poor and the suffering.” Love for the poor is not optional; it is “a path to holiness” and a defining dimension of Christian discipleship.
Deepen your understanding of the experiences of our unhoused neighbors in downtown Grand Rapids – those whom the Gospel calls us to see with reverence and love.
A panel of local leaders will share firsthand stories, daily realities, and the challenges and hopes of the people they accompany. Their insights will help illuminate the human dignity, resilience, and sacred worth of each pers+“on experiencing homelessness.
- Tenisa Frye, chief executive officer at Family Promise
- Thelma Ensink, chief executive officer at Degage Ministries
- Adam Lipscomb, senior director of Church Engagement & Ministry at Mel Trotter Ministries
- Sommer Jabbar-Pearson, advancement director at AYA Youth Collective
- Jeff Hoyh, food and pantry program manager for Catholic Charities West Michigan at God’s Kitchen
Participants will leave with:
Practical, compassionate responses for real-life encounters with our unhoused neighbors
Concrete opportunities for volunteering and advocacy with local ministries
Spiritual insight into how encountering others draws us closer to the heart of Christ, who “continues to speak to us.”
Come to listen, to learn, and to deepen your commitment to seeing Christ in every neighbor. Let us grow together in compassion so that we may more fully live the Gospel’s call to love.