the refuge

  REFUGE NEWSLETTER FOR MAY 2008

                       Dear Friends and Supporters, 

                     Greetings to Everyone. We have been very busy, as usual. Many things are going on with the ministry at this time. We are continuing to look at expanding the nights the we provide sandwiches and coffee for the homeless on the streets. We are seeing signficant numbers again on the street. On average we are providing for more than 100 people everytime we are on the streets. It is our hope within the next few months to grow to serving 4 to 5 nights a week. There is new legislation at the State level that would allow Restraunts the ability to give away leftovers at the end of the night to non-profits, and it looks like it will pass. This will, of course, help us immensely, not only with our street outreach, but also with our in house recovery programs.
                      Our Recovery houses continue to grow again. We now have more than 35 people in our program. And, as we get funding to rehab the houses we are in, we will grow again. We are getting many referrals, but lack funding to bring more clients in. We are currently seeking indiividuals, businesses, foundations, and Churches to consider sponsoring clients, It costs $130 per week to be in our program and that includes everything except food. Clients self pay by working, government or social security, Family help, or VA benefits. Many addicts or alcoholics can’t come in due not having funds and this is why we have created this special scholarship fund. Please consider helping in anyway that you can with this much needed program.
                        We continue to counsel many needy street youth, homeless, Single parents, and needy families. We try to provide assistance to these families financially, when funds are available. We continue to struggle on a daily basis to make ends meet and continue to run short of funds at about the rate of $2500 a month. I will, unfortunately, need to find a part-time job. Currently, we need to raise about $1950 in immediate funds within the next few days to a week. So, please pray for us and give what every you can or raise it up to more than your current giving. I know everyone is struggling at some level during these difficult times and so your prayers, gifts, and thoughts are appreciated.
                      Also, keep in your thoughts and prayers Rev. GW Rolle and his outreach housing to the homeless called Living Waters. GW’s ministry is a direct outgrowth of our ministry, as he was ordained by our ministry and sent out by us. We offer counsel and support to his ministry. Please also keep in your thoughts and prayers the 2 single moms we have living in our program and their financial struggles. We are currently in need of a Washer and Dryer for them, and one of the moms needs a part-time job as a housekeeper/companion/aid, with flexible hours. We are also in need of a minivan with insurance coverage. And, lastly we are in serious need of help for a trip with are taking to the Cornerstone Music, Arts, and Social Justice Festival in July. We are bringing 15 people in a rented 15 passenger van and need to raise about $3800 for this trip, as it is now more expensive to go. The people we will be bringing will be low income and homeless families and individuals. If you can help, please let us know. I also will be speaking there. The festival web address is www.cornerstonefestival.org. I will also be teaching at a summer institute this year and the class I am teaching is called Theology and Poverty. If you would like to know more about class or other classes offered or to enroll go to www.tampaunderground.com. 
                    FInally, please pray for the Family of Patrick. He is a young man that both the Refuge and CRYS have worked with for years, who recently died tragically due to suicide. The family is so poor that they cannot afford funeral expenses and other basic needs. So, keep them in you thoughts and if you can help, please let us know. The Refuge mailing address is 1818 29th Ave North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33713. My email is bgcwright@aol.com or you can call me at 727 278 1547. Thank you.

   Dear Friends and Supporters,

                          Greetings, and peace to you. I hope and pray that all is well with you. This is going to be a short newsletter. Many things have been going on with the Refuge and it’s ministries. We are still in the process of trying to reorganize our advocacy and outreach efforts to the street homeless, and will be coming up a new outreaches very soon in relation to that. Additionally, we have been reorganizing our recovery houses and counseling to the addicts and alcoholics. Our intentional communities in St. Pete and Tampa have been going very well. But, unfortunately our Tampa Church plant and outreach called FAVOC has had to shut due to lack of finances and support. We will be reorganzing to it to reopen at a later date. Our outreach to troubled street youth continues through CRYS. We are also gearing up for the Cornerstone Festival in ILL. and will hopefully be bringing about 15 people this year. In order to go, we hope to raise about $3250 to finance trip for the mostly troubled youth, low income youth and low income families we will be bringing. I will also be teaching at an institute this summer on a “Theology of Poverty”.
                          Along with all this news, I must also share some sad news. Recently, a young man that we have worked with for years, who recently lost contact with us and never responded to our attempts a contacting him, killed himself. His family called us to visit him in the hospital the other day and he passed on from his wounds about 8 hours later. Please pray for this family and us we prepare to set up a funeral for him.
                         In closing, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We are continuing to run a short fall every month due to a downturn in giving due to the economy. We are running short by $1700 every month. If you would please consider giving regularily or adding more to what you give that would be greatly appreciated. We have an immediate need of $1250 to raise in the next week. If you can help, it would be greatly appreciated. All gifts can be sent to The Refuge at 1818 29th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33710. If you have any questions, please call me or email me at bgcwright@aol.com. Thank you.

As many reflect this day on the death of a true prophet in our modern/postmodern age, I must ask, we must ask, are there still people willing to speak to truth to power? I would say a resonding yes! But, it seems in the time we live in that too many who call themselves Pastors or Ministers, or religious leaders would rather play to the whim of those in power, or their largest congregational donors. Now more than ever we need more men and women, with conscience, that truly are motivated by the Divine Creator, by the prophetic message of Jesus, to take a stand. To be true prophets and not motivated by profit (Mammon). God bless those with courage like Rev. Jeremiah Wright who speak the truth, however painful it may be to some. It is my hope and prayer that I will always be true to that and that Refuge would be also, no matter what the cost. Many wonder why the Refuge seems to always be struggling financially and why I sometimes struggle emotionally, spiritually, and financially. I am no great person or “spiritual giant”, but I do know the Gospel compels me and all others who would follow Jesus to speak truth and promote the Gospel of Peace. Shame on me and any one else who does not. Martin Luther King Jr. was truly a prophet that was murdered by those in power for his messsage. May we all be inspired by that! More to come from the struggle for the Kingdom of Love, peace, and Justice …………………….. Bruce

• Are we, that is the good ole US of A heading for Economic Collapse? Looking at the current situation, as it only worsens, I would say yes. A system built on greed, speculation, attempted World Domination, not unlike the Roman Empire, is bound to collapse. Empire’s like Rome and the US inevitably fall. We cannot continue spend like a drunken sailor on war, neglect our economy, forget the poor and working class, ignore our infrastructure, and expect to continue. We cannot continue to bail out the banks with hundreds of billions of dollars, at the workers expense and deny a deep recession is happening. Of course, I am referring to the “we” as not the average person, but the wealthy, the powerful, the politicos, and the Corporations. Isn’t strange that we can bail out the wealthy with our hard earned dollars, but nothing is done for us, the workers, the “middle class”, and the poor. It is long past time for a revolutionary movement of the poor and working class. Is civil unrest on the horizon, if things don’t change soon? I believe so. Isaiah, the prophet tells us in Isaiah 10: 1-4, ” Woe to you who make unjust laws that deprive the poor of their rights, what will happen to you in the day of judgment” (paraphased). I am all to aware of the struggle personally to barely make ends meet. Not only myself and my roomates, but the ministry in general is struggling to make it, sometimes running several hundred, even thousands, short every month. It is time more than ever for everyone, especially the Church, to abandon greed and the “American dream” and collectively share all things in common. Well, these are just the rantings of a flawed minister, struggling to make it and journey with my fellow sojourners. More to come…………….

Hi friends, welcome to the new website of the Refuge. I hope you enjoy it.

I just wanted to offer a few words pertaining to the image above. The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb was painted by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1521. Its actual dimensions are 30.5 x 200 cm, and the model used was an actual corpse pulled out of the Rhine River in Germany. It is meant to accurately display every physical aspect of death.  Dostoevsky was said to have encountered it in August of 1867, proclaiming, This picture could rob many a man of his faith.  He then proceeded to write The Idiot. 

The image was chosen for this site in order to serve as a reminder of the reality of the work of God’s kingdom, and to demonstrate how far we, as followers of Christ, must be willing to go.

Hello Friends and Supporters of the Refuge,

I just wanted to share with you a little update on things with the Refuge. But, before I do that, I wanted to share a few reflections on my thoughts during Easter, Holy Week, and the 5th anniversery of the War in Iraq. Zechariah, in the Hebrew Scriptures, says this in

Zechariah 9:9-12

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!

Lo, your king comes to you;

triumphant and victorious is he,

humble and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the war horse from Jerusalem;

and the battle bow shall be cut off,

and he shall command peace to the nations;

his dominion shall be from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,

I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;

today I declare that I will restore to you double.
As I reflect on this passage in light of the Christian understanding of this as a prophetict depiction of Jesus “Triumphal” entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, it gives me great pause for thought. As we look at this image of the Christ, it completely contrasts that of a warrior or conquering King. It complete constrasts and deconstructs the whole idea of a Jesus who would support War, who would subjegate a people by force. It is in complete contrast to the Imperial moves of the Roman Empire, and yes the US Empire, in attempting to bring peace by preemptive war. We are told that the King would come not on a War Horse or Chariot, but on a Colt of a Donkey. We are told that he will cut off the War Horse and the Chariot, and the battle bow and command peace to the Nations. That we would return to the stronghold as “prisoners of hope”. What a contrast this is to our current climate in this country, where those in leadership seek to bring peace through the sword. My hope and prayer is that during this time of Holy Week, of New beginings (Resurrection), that we would as both people of many faiths and human beings begin to learn and live peace!In closing, as we seek to live peace, let us be mindful of those who struggle with peace in their life due to living on the edge of homelessness and poverty. So, it is with that I ask that you would prayerfully and thoughfully consider giving some extra help to the Refuge this month. Currently, we have 2 single mothers with one child each, that live under the same roof and cannot pay all of their Electric and Water bills, as well as rent. The Electric bill still has $300 of it that needs to be paid and $200 in a Water bill. They are also $400 short on Rent. Additionally, due to a downturn in giving from some donors due their finances, I am also short on paying my own bills due to not getting a full salary this month. I need assistance in paying a water bill, $90, and an Electric bill $225, as well as cell phone bill of $240. If you can help in any way, it would be appreciated. All totaled, this comes out to almost $1500. Please consider helping in anyway you can. All gifts can be sent to the Refuge at 1818 29th AVe. North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33713. If you have any questions, please call me at 727 278 1547 or our new office phone at 727 821 8293. All gifts are tax deductable.

Thank you, Bruce

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Sincerely, Rev. Bruce Wright MA, DMin., CPAC, MAC

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I hope and pray that all is well with you. We apologize for the lateness of this Newsletter. We have been very, very busy. This Newsletter is also serve as an end of the year report. But, first let me tell you a story. On my way to my destination today, as it was pouring down rain, I notice several homeless people, men and women, holding up signs asking for food, work, or financial help. It struck me, what kind of society have we come to, and where are at economically, that so many people, must seek for help this way. One could be cynical and say “these people are just lazy”, but I know many of these people and they are not. Many work, but don’t make enough money, some are handicapped, both physically and mentally. This is why the Refuge exists! To be a voice and support for “these people”.
So, here are the highlights for 2007, in no particular order:

-Coordination of Tent Cities and documentation of the tent slashings/attacks on the homeless by the city of St.Petersburg in Jan and Feb of 2007
-Sleep Outs with the homeless twice last year
-Lionheart Recovery Program:
Started the year with more than 100 recovering addicts in 17 houses, but due to cutbacks
from the state funding, ended the year with only 5 houses
-3 times a week Coffee and Sandwich distribution to homeless on the streets averaging about 100 people
-Opening of Ortiz Court, now Lionheart Village, which are 15 small houses on one block, providing low income housing and addictions -recovery housing
-Bringing about awareness of the 5 homeless men murdered last year, of which Refuge presided over the memorial service of 2 of them
-Church based Shelter at Lakewood United Church of Christ for more than 40 people for 11 weeks from late Feb. to May
-Opening of 2 Intentional Communal based shared living houses, one in Tampa and one in St. Petersburg
-Involvement in the Emerging Church Movement, including planning of Conference
-Music outreachs with bands: Odon Soterias, Fall Empire Fall, and The Refuge Collective
-More than a dozen people committing to following Christ
-Speaking at the Cornerstone Festival in June
-Bringing more then 22 people, including families, to Cornerstone Festival
-Peace Rallies — including a sleep out at the Republican debates
-Fighting anti homeless ordinances
-Helping launch a “House Church”
-Recovery meetings every Wednesday, averaging 50 in attendance
-Launch of Tampa Refuge
-Ordaining 4 ministers
-Ongoing Juvenile Justice advocacy through memberships in the Pinellas County Justice Justice Council and Circuit 6 board
-Ministering to street youth and work with the Coalition for the Reform of Youth Services
-Thanksgiving distribution to 40 families
-Christmas distribution to to 40 families
-Financial Assistance to 10 to 15 families and individuals a month averaging about $150 per need

So, as you can see we were very busy last year. We hope to be so this year and already are. Just let you know, the Refuge ended the year financially behind. The typical operating budget, minus the Recovery houses, is $5800 a month. We only made that 7 times last year. We are greatful for that support, but are seeking more consistant support this year, including grants. We did recieve several special gifts last year from individuals that gave more than $10,000 collectively, but still ran short. We also recieved help from some small grants. The recovery program also ended behind and lost more than $19,000 a month in support from State monies due to cutbacks, but still maintains 3 houses, as well as opening Ortiz Court. These programs pay for themselves due to clients working or getting assistance of some kind.
In closing, thank you again for all your support. Please continue to give and consider regular monthly support. We are working on new ideas and outreaches all the time. Just to name to in particular, we are trying to open a homeless men’s house, under the direction of Rev. GW Rolle, formerly homeless man and now ordained. We are seeking to raise $2000 for this. We are also trying to open an intentional community for single moms and families. These are just a few things in prayer and the works. If you have any questions, or can help in any way please call me at 727 278 1547. You can send all checks to the Refuge at 1818 29th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33713.

Sincerely, Rev. Bruce Wright MA, DMin., CPAC, MAC