Collective Horsepower
Collective Horsepower
It started small. Several years ago, his good friend Jim Packard reached out to Pastor Joel Stauffer, now the Lead Pastor at New Life Community, of kids sleeping on their bedroom floor or sharing a bed with their siblings because they had no bed of their own. This was a problem that could be solved. Jim invited Joel to be part of Beds for Kids, a group of volunteers who made and gifted beds to youth who needed them.
Pastors often see needs that others in the community might not. Churches are a common place for people seeking help. Sometimes seekers have a job lined up but need a little money for gas to get there. Other times, people need a safe place to stay for the night, or a few groceries to make it until their next paycheck.
For Joel, what started with a kid’s need for a bed has developed into a greater understanding that consistent, stable, and supportive housing is lacking for a growing number of people in Owatonna. Addressing the need for emergency housing is the next step for Joel, and it’s an issue he’s passionate about. “Anticipation for what will be requires participation in what is. We can’t say we hope something will happen if we’re not able or willing to show up.”
Staying with family or friends while you put your life back together can feel imposing. Hotels are expensive. Shelters have waiting lists or can’t accommodate family units, causing members to be divided across available housing. Sometimes it’s easier to live out of their car than reveal the reality of their situation. Many people without secure housing are employed. “It’s not that they have nothing,” Joel notes. “It’s that they don’t have quite enough. If people just had a few months of someone helping to carry the load, their life would be forever different.”
One of the most difficult parts of being a helping location, like New Life Community, is having to turn someone away because the resource has run out or is not provided at the church. When this happens, Joel knows it means some people aren’t getting the help they need. “We love being a safe space for community and support, but we also know that we are unable to meet every need.”
This is why Joel looks forward to the co-location of service agencies moving to Oak Hill Community Connections. “Collective horsepower will allow support to overlap. If one agency can’t help, another can. [People seeking help] will not have to burn up resources trying to get the help they need. Bringing those resources together will help people better which is ultimately what we care about.”