PORCH PONDERINGS

Pacific Garden Mission - It's Nowhere Near the Ocean

PROMPT March 8th

Where are some unusual places you’ve been? What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned or discovered about those places?

https://www.pgm.org/what-we-do/programs

One Christmas we went to Chicago. We had arranged for a visit to Pacific Garden Mission. This is a homeless shelter that has been operating in Chicago since 1877. I remembered this place from a radio show they do called “Unshackled”.

We’d been donating to this ministry for a few years. So we contacted them about helping serve Christmas dinner. On we went to Chicago. After a night at an okay hotel, we walked to the shelter. Yes, we’re stupid people from Ohio. We walked through the worse part of Chicago to a homeless shelter. We volunteered some time. It was eye-opening. We helped clean a dorm, make beds. We helped serve the Christmas dinner.

Hundreds of people are helped every day. Thousands in a month. And at no cost to the homeless. Medical care, dental care, food and lodging. Amazing hope and help. We were glad to be a part of that ministry for a day.

After we volunteered, we walked back to our hotel. Again, through a bad part of a murderous city. On the way, we tried to find a restaurant open for something eat. Well, nothing was open since it was Christmas Day. Except for a Jewish deli. A crowded, sweaty, noisy and full of smells deli. Real chicken noodle soup and real pastrami on rye with a giant dill pickle. Standing room only. It was a great experience.