MAY 19, 2023 AROUND TOWN “It's got to be a community effort:” First Baptist looks for health and safety solutions with homeless guests LINDSAY CALKA Publisher On the morning of Tuesday, May 16, twelve people convened over breakfast and coffee to talk about some issues at First Baptist Church. Around the table were individuals experiencing homelessness, members of the First Baptist congregation, staff and community members who attended as housing advocates. First Baptist is not only a fixture of the Daytime Warming Center and men’s rotating shelter, but is widely known in the homeless community as a safe place to crash overnight. First Baptist and its neighbor, First United Methodist Church, are the only private, downtown properties where there is widespread permission for outside sleeping (on the lawns and porches of the church building). Additionally, these two are the only faith communities in Ann Arbor that offer this service to the homeless community. The issue at hand was behavior and debris that threatened the health and safety of visitors to the church — guests, church members, staff, students and more. The problems First Baptist is attempting to tackle are all-too-often solved with criminalization of homelessness, increased police presence or the simple and quick removal of important community resources. The goal of the meeting was stated by clearly the church administrator, Xan Morgan: “To keep this space working for everyone. We want to keep these [wifi, bathrooms, sleeping space] options open for everyone.” So what agreements came out of the community conversation? • First Baptist can be used as a bathroom anytime for a quick in-and-out • 10 a.m.-12 p.m. people are welcome to come inside the fellowship hall to seek weather amnesty, charge phones and use the wifi • 8 p.m.-8 a.m. should be respected as quiet time • Be mindful not to leave anything that is a safety or health risk or to block doorway while asleep • Tents and other outdoor sleeping gear are okay for sleeping use but must be packed and gone when individuals leave for the day • First Baptist is committed to solving problems without police intervention After these guidelines were established, a longer conversation on how to actually enforce them began. An anonymous attendee experiencing homelessness who frequents the church expressed concern that the people who were causing most of the issues, and needed to understand the consequences of their actions, weren’t even present to hear these new guidelines. He stated, “Nobody wants to listen. It’s either listen or leave, and I always end up having to leave.” Morgan responded, “We know signs don’t work, peer accountability works better, but still, we all need to partner to do this. It’s got to be a community effort.” Zachary Milton, another attendee experiencing homelessness, suggested the simple framing of “use it, don’t abuse it” when talking about these new guidelines with absentees. “Staying under the radar is in everyone’s best interest. It keeps away attention from the cops and residents of apartments across the street.” The breakfast ended with the commitment to meet again in one month to discuss improvement of the property’s health and safety and progress on community accountability tactics. Reach out to office@ fbca2.org to find the date and time of the next community conversation. Other options for weather amnesty, wifi, bathrooms and undisturbed sleeping space that can be accessed in other locations throughout the week: Circling Back Peer Support Group: Mondays at Solidarity Hall (169 N Washington St.) 11:30 a.m.2 p.m., Wednesdays at Zion Lutheran Church (1501 W. Liberty St.) 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Journey of Faith Church: (1900 Manchester Rd): Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.. Hospitality House: (169 N. Washington St., Ypsilanti): Thursdays 4-7 p.m., Sundays 12-3 p.m. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 5 VOICES from last page Delonis Center when I was last there. I cannot identify the exact day or time. I know that she lied and called the Ann Arbor cops to come into the second floor cigarette smoking room after she did not address the tall 6’4’’ woman who got in my bed while I was asleep. I didn’t talk to her while I was naked from the waist down in the nighttime women’s warming center area. After that, the police that she called never served a trespass notice to me at the time, they just laid on me and tackled me for no reason and put me in handcuffs. They took my coat and all my property, illegally and against my will. They forced me to let them stick me with needles, to take my blood against my will. I did not call the crisis team and there was no cause for any action to subdue my person or any of my possessions. I have been the subject, object and victim of individuals acting against me under the “color of law” or “paper pushing” that go on unreported and ignored, as well as thwart any vigilance to investigate any of my truthful claims. Instead I am pounced upon with allegations without any weight. Absolute dominion, total dominance by overzealous entities, while others turn a blind eye to my suffering. I have been stripped of my humanity by the HVA ambulance employees as well as the University of Michigan Health Systems and affiliates of Washtenaw County Community Mental Health. I am beset upon by those who were never there to keep me and other vulnerable clients safe. This is a travesty. Now, in 2023, I see chaos at the Delonis Center, fraternization of staff and clients. I do not choose to go any further. I still hang on to a vision in mind of the Delonis Center how I know it can be restored.
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