WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNITIES DOES CATHOLIC HEART WORKCAMP USUALLY WORK IN?

If we are to follow the passions of God and be concerned about the plight of the poor, CHWC needs to be in communities which are not considered the best places to live. That being said, CHWC does occasionally work in middle class/wealthy areas in which there is obvious need – either the home is in apparent need of repairs or the resident physically can not complete the needed repairs because of someone is handicapped, widowed or has a physically disability. CHWC does it’s best to make sure - both the structural conditions and environmental conditions are safe for work campers.  As a mission/service organization, serving in middle class communities (with lower rates of crime) but not also in low income neighborhoods (which may have a higher rate of crime), raises some interesting question/issues about justice.

 

  1. What kind of message are we communicating if we only serve those in middle class neighborhoods while ignoring those in low income neighborhoods?

  2. Would it be better to send campers in more middle class or wealthy area?  

  3. What about the poor communities?   If CHWC only offer services in middle class communities how do the people who really need the help receive it?

  4. And what about Jesus’ concern to help the poor, if we focus on only middle class communities? 

  5. What about the opportunities for teens to be educated and learn more about the meaning of poverty and what poor people have to endure everyday?

  6. Would campers miss out on an experience to be jolted out of complacency or motivated to do something about the problems of poverty if they were not in a low income community?   

  7. When is a neighborhood considered too dangerous for CHWC to send in? 

 

It is not always cut and dry or apparent and clear when it comes to deciphering what is considered a high crime area or low crime area. CHWC partners with local social agencies in locating homes. CHWC depends on them to locate our work projects. 

 

Serving people in low income areas is not always easy or comfortable. CHWC does not intentionally send campers into dangerous communities or situations.  CHWC depends on local manager and social agencies to be aware of keeping campers away from high crime that are dangerous.  At the same time sending them to low income communities that need the help is also part of our mission.

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