In March the city of Tucson initiated the removal of basic wood shelters known as “Dream Pods” and tents from downtown at Veinte de Agosto Park. This downtown park is also referred to as Safe Park as it provided a much safer and legal outdoor place for the unsheltered homeless to sleep. The city funded a faith based shelter at the Central City Assembly of God Church for 90 days to house 50 to 70 homeless men. Many people continued to sleep at the park legally on the side of the sidewalk, even during the city’s temporary fiscal solution. Recently the controversial city funding for the temporary shelter has ended. Currently the city has banned anyone from being at the park by stringing yellow tape just outside the grassy area.
Pastor Dave Ferrari, at Central City Assembly, has been working with the homeless for over eight years doing what he can to fill the void for the homeless who do not fit the mold of the traditional shelters that are currently available. He is making an honest effort to reopen the low demand Men’s emergency shelter beginning the night of Sunday July 26th and would like to also open a women shelter.
He is asking everyone to join him to “take action” to get help to those who need help while working with business owners and the downtown community. He is also concerned about keeping families safe at the park next door and will do what he can to have those who are staying at the shelter not conjugate at that location.
If Pastor Dave Ferrari can get the neighborhood on-board with this type of solution for some of the downtown homeless population, Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik will donate $7000.00 from Ward 6. Kozachik is quoted in saying on KVOA that he continues to believe that the city needs to be “aggressively pursuing low demand shelter options for the people who are not going to fit into your traditional shelter modality,” while at the same time the City Council will consider an ordinance that bans urban camping on July 7th.
Additionally, to help raise awareness while promoting this cause, Pastor Dave is going to be unsheltered and homeless for four days and three nights starting next Thursday night to Sunday. He will be only relying on his basic resources from different homeless service organizations while staying at Safe Park as well as various locations throughout downtown. He is hoping this helps to raise funds as well as to genuinely understand and experience what it means to be homeless in our city. He would like to share his insight and perspective in what it means to be without the treasured resource of a home as well as other basic human necessitates. This personal journey will also be documented by the medium of video.
If you would like to hear of Pastor Dave Ferrari’s first hand unsheltered and homeless experiences, you can join him at the 2nd Annual Forum on ‘Homelessness’ at the Pima County Public Library at 101 N. Stone Ave from 2:30pm – 4:30pm this Sunday June 28th. Panel guests will also include Pastor Tom Hill, Patrick McArdel, Danielle Burleson and former resident of Safepark, Zack Blaylock. If you care to address or contribute the current and future solutions to the growing homeless population in the city of Tucson, then you are encouraged to attend.
Facebook event page to the Community Forum on Homelessness
Pastor Dave was very sharp to point out that his proposed shelters are by no means a perfect solution and will not solve 100% of the problem and asks for people to get involved. He is making an honest effort to reject money from the city and asking to crowd fund over one hundred thousand dollars. To date they have raised $695 dollars.
If you would like to donate to this cause please visit the CCA Emergency Men’s and Woman’s Shelter Indiegogo Fundraiser page at http://www.igg.me/at/ccashelter
Central City Assembly Fund Raiser video shown before the announcement:
Thank goodness for the private sector, such as church organizations that help the homeless and much respect goes out to those who are looking out for the weakest of our collective. Please do what you can to make a more positive tomorrows in our world and thank you for reading.