Greater Love Homeless Outreach Summer Institute

Posted by on April 15, 2005

“I have learned that the homeless are not unapproachable like many people believe and most can be reached [through] even the smallest acts of love and compassion, such as a bottle of water or a listening ear. In addition, I have found that fear, discomfort, and condescension are easily detectable. In serving indigent populations, it is essential to approach the task with a pure and genuine heart, whether it be mastering the “rules of discourse”, or kneeling down to converse with a homeless person on the pavement; true learning and service can never really be a one way street.” ? Summer 2004 intern

The Greater Love Institute (operated by Greater Love Movement, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization) is a part-time month-long internship created for students that have an interest and passion in issues related to transitional, episodic, and chronic homelessness. This exciting program seeks to inspire and challenge its participants to lives of faithful service through a rich experience of outreach, reflection, and research. Interns will be exposed through volunteering with different service providers in the city including food and clothing distribution centers, shelters, advocacy groups, mental health institutions, and multi-care providers. In addition, the program will feature a didactic series, which will include leading scholars working on issues pertaining to homelessness, political leaders, service providers, and more.

This action reflection action intensive learning program was established to provide a space for students to serve homeless populations while learning about the causes of homelessness and to consider means that could be employed to work towards progress.

Organizations/individuals that participated in the summer of 2004 included (many of whom will be participating again this summer): Project H.O.M.E, the Bethesda Project, LGBT Center, Greenfield Intercultural Center and Office of the Chaplain of the University of Pennsylvania, Salvation Army’s MacLachlan House, and the Northwest Interfaith Hospitality Network, among others.

If you have plans to, or would like to, be in the Philadelphia area this summer, and would like to have a meaningful internship that will allow you to take classes and have a flexible schedule, then please contact us for more information.

Greater Love Movement
P.O. Box 34761
Philadelphia, PA 19101
Email LaToya, Co-Director @ ljb_02@yahoo.com
http://www.greaterlovemovement.org/