Meeting Ground is on the verge of opening its Mary Randall Center, a
homeless shelter and worship center in downtown Elkton.
The effort has not been without controversy, and has faced challenges or
opposition from the town, nearby businesses and the community in
general.
The common refrain goes something like, “We don’t want the homeless
hanging around Elkton — why can’t they just get rid of them?”
That’s easy to say. No one wants people living in the woods. No
one wants people asking for handouts at shopping centers. We’d
all like to see the makeshift tents near Routes 213 and 40
disappear.
We’d all also like the situation to take care of itself. Whether
you come down on the “Why should we help them if they won’t help
themselves?” side or the “It’s everyone’s responsibility to help
their fellow man” side or somewhere in between, we’d all be
thrilled if tomorrow there were no homeless — without any
investment of funds or effort on our part.
But that’s not going to happen.
Short of issuing every homeless person a one-way bus ticket out of town,
there is no easy way to “just get rid of them.”
That’s where Meeting Ground is stepping in and stepping up. By
ministering to the homeless, they hope to help them help themselves.
People say the homeless should “just get a job.” Meeting Ground looks to
not only train people, but give them a place to clean up in preparation
for a job interview.
Some say they don’t want to see homeless people on the streets. The Mary
Randall Center will provide a place for the homeless to go during the
day.
The Rev. Carl Mazza, director of Meeting Ground, has said that although
the building would provide a place to deliver social services, it would
also be a place for Bible study, prayer and other religious practices.
Helping the less-fortunate get back on their feet, he said, is one way
his group has practiced its faith for more than 25 years.
Legal arguments and semantics aside, Meeting Ground is looking to
address a community issue on its own. The group is tackling the
situation in downtown Elkton, where it is needed most, without
government involvement or taxpayer expense.
Will nearby businesses be uncomfortable with the thought of a
destination for homeless people close by? Probably.
Are there some unpleasant aspects of homelessness? Of course. A lot of
homeless people look dirty, smell bad and intimidate us. That’s part of
what keeps most us from helping out — we don’t want to get too close.
But not Meeting Ground — they’re not talking about doing something,
they’re actually doing it. And until more people stand up and start
helping out like they do, Elkton’s homeless situation is only going to
worsen, which will only amplify the community’s frustration.
Let’s hope Mary Randall Center takes off. It’s safe to say we all hope
it’s a huge success — enough so that one day, Meeting Ground will be on
the verge of shutting down the center because it’s no longer needed.