FORGOTTEN
TEMPLE OF THE
MINISTRY OF THE UNHOUSED
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Develop an unhoused program perfectly tailored for your community and it's needs.
We want to help communities come to a deeper understanding on what homelessness is, what causes it, and the ways they can participate in Whole Community Healing, where there are spaces in which all are welcome.
This program aids you with the interpersonal, spiritual and practical tools needed to develop an outreach program/ministry/open community space for your unhoused and locally incarcerated neighbors.
WHY COMMUNITY BASED CHANGE?
The belief behind this program is that the healing of homelessness in our communities and country will not come simply from the increase of attention and funding to housing, food, and shelter programs. (Although these are incredibly important). In combination with these important initiatives, we as a community must realize that the issues of homelessness stems from a deep wound of trauma, hatred, fear and bias at the core of our social and cultural structures that has existed since the beginning of our country. The United States has lost sight of what it means to create communities of belonging, compassion, respect and mutual care. Instead, we uplift values of individualism, capitalism, survival of the fittest and more. Homelessness will continue to be an issue, no matter how much money is thrown at it, until we, the people, choose to create community spaces where ALL are welcome. Where ALL feel loved and seen. We, the people, must heal the wounds that exist within our local communities. This is where the true change and healing will begin.
When folks who live outside are given the respect, care, patience and compassion they are inherently worthy of, a shift occurs. This is Whole Community Healing, and we believe it is the most important spiritual principle of our time today; it transcends faith and spiritual belief, and is rooted in the knowing that humanity is in need of great, profound care and heart-based changed. Temple of the Forgotten believes that we must change our society to be one where goodness prevails; this is the holiest spiritual work of all, and it begins with you.
THE PROGRAM
This program is divided into five parts. It will take about four months to complete the initial training, and then the fifth month will be oriented towards practical brainstorming and development of the community ministry.
The first will be two to three sessions about community members and their relationship with unhoused folks. It will help participants compassionately explore and rewrite the judgements, narratives,and physiological/emotional responses that exist within themselves and our culture.
The second will be on three components that are intertwined with homelessness: addiction, trauma and mental illness. This will educate participants on the realities of trauma, mental illness, addiction/substance use, and how all of these interplay into homelessness.
The third will be a study on the realities of poverty. It will illuminate the realities and experiences in the life of an unhoused individual.
The fourth will be a Deep Listening workshop that will give participants the tools needed to work with/interact/care for folks of many different walks of life.
And the final and fifth step will be a hands on guidance in the development of the program, consultation on the organizational and practical tools on how to begin it, and consultation for the first few months of the program.