Greetings From St. Petersburg

Florida that is, not Russia. I (Nancy) am in St. Petersburg to help my brother and sister-in-law after his foot surgery last Friday. Buddy (my brother) came through the surgery in great shape! The doctor removed a bone spur, but didn't have to remove and then reattach the achilles tendon as he feared would be the case. This makes Buddy's recovery time a couple of weeks shorter. The hardest part is trying to keep him from doing too much! But, he's being a pretty good patient and I'm enjoying the chance to visit with them. Also, the weather is so much warmer here than Kentucky! It's great!


One of the major issues here in St. Petersburg is the homeless population, especially during the winter months. I guess like everyone else, they want to "winter in Florida." The city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County in general are very friendly to the homeless. Ten acres in the downtown area have been designated for "tent city" where the homeless have a place to camp without being chased away. There are also many government agencies, charitable organizations, and churches that offer aid of all types. As well as temporary aid, such as soup kitchens, there are programs and ministries that help folks with healthcare, clothes, and help to get off the street for those want to.


There are any number of reasons someone may be on the street. Some have mental health issues, some are alcoholics or drug addicts and some may have lost their homes due to unforseen circumstances such as job loss. One organization I talked with told me 22% of the people they see every day are under the age of 18. Some may be with a parent and some would be runaways. It is heart breaking to see so many in such need. During the summer months, there are over 5,000 on the streets in any given night in this area. And that's the slow season! I'm glad that both the churches I visited on Sunday participate in homeless ministry to some degree. If your church or community has ministries with homeless people, I encourage you to get involved. It's a great way to live out your Christian witness.