Faith Leaders For Housing Justice (FL4HJ)
Who We Are
A coalition of Boston area faith leaders collecting and sharing information and stories about issues facing people with housing insecurity.
We are lay people and clergy, with backgrounds in public health, social work, and ministry.
Leadership Team (see full bios and contact info below):
- Art Davies
- Rev. June Cooper
- Sara Mitchell
- Amanda Grant Rose
- Rev. Jennifer McCracken
- Rev. Jud Wolfskill
- Phil Jones
What We Do
Mass & Cass Outreach
We support those experiencing homelessness in the Mass & Cass area, those in the streets and in the shelters; through advocacy, educating the wider community on where/how to help (and what does not help) and being a ministry of presence.
Since the encampment on Atkinson St has been closed down, the City of Boston reports about 100 people accepted moves to shelters and treatment programs. Others moved back to family or previous living arrangements and still others chose to stay out and dispersed to other areas around the city. Members of FL4HJ were present as part of our relationship with the Newmarket Team and with Tania Del Rio and her team during the weeklong dismantling of the encampment. Relationship building and support of those that are unhoused in this area is an integral part of FL4HJ, contact Sara Mitchell (information listed below) to become involved in these outreach efforts.
Weekly Leadership Meetings
We check in to support each other, learn from invited guests, plan events and strategize and implement goals to improve conditions and impart dignity at Mass and Cass for those experiencing homelessness. All our activities are designed to affirm the value of the person and build community. Our leadership team meets every Wednesday morning at 8:30 am via Zoom. Contact one of us (email addresses at the bottom of this page) to sit in on a meeting or join our team. Help us do more!
“Boots On The Ground” Thursdays
On Thursday mornings faith leaders gather with homeless workers who participate in the Newmarket Square Business Association’s Work to Jobs Program which offers employment opportunities to those living on Mass and Cass who can demonstrate that they are working towards becoming responsible employee candidates for jobs in the area.
Around 9am, we gather in a circle of workers, our faith leaders, Newmarket Square staff and outreach workers to pray and share the challenges each of us are facing. We hear stories of going to court, worry for family safety, wishing to be reunited with children, street and shelter safety issues, strength against temptation, as well as many blessings such as getting a new apartment, achieving sobriety, celebrating birthdays, etc.
Next, our two-hour ministry of presence begins by donning yellow safety vests which identify us as clergy. We join with workers to clean up the streets around Mass and Cass, by sweeping and shoveling up scraps of life into large barrels.
The deeper work we do is listening intently, offering support to our team members, and creating dependable relationships. We offer spoken and silent prayers of gratitude and protection for each and every person that we have worked with and the residents of Mass and Cass we meet along the way as well as the Newmarket Square staff who make all of this possible.
Through this work, these workers become visible again, and they feel empowered and part of a community. No longer strangers…but friends in Christ.
“Soup to Go” on Select Saturdays
Art Davies has been leading the UCCMedfield Soup to Go team, preparing Saturday lunch in the kitchen and serving at the Woods Mullen shelter since 2010. We serve at Woods Mullen the 2nd and 4th Saturdays each month and this year made a commitment to go from periodically serving at the 112 Southampton Men’s shelter to serving regularly on the 3rd Saturday each month. After lunch we pass out various different donation items that have been given by those in the community that support our ministry. See below for items we often collect and gain ideas of how you can give generously!
What You Can Do
Shelter Groups/Activities with Sara Mitchell:
WM Women’s shelter Thursdays 9-10:30 or Men’s shelter group Tuesdays 1:30-2pm. Attend specific working groups with the FL4HJ Leadership Team, providing shoulder to shoulder support and advocacy.
Host a Storytelling Training:
Learn alongside trained storytellers with lived experience at your congregation or business or neighborhood group. Contact Amanda Grant Rose for more information!
Host Members of the FL4HJ Leadership Team:
Invite us to speak with your church or faith community on how to become involved, or consider starting a ministry of your own partnering with us to support those experiencing homelessness.
Join Art Davies at “Soup to Go” or Organize a Collection Drive:
Serve with Art and his team at UCCMedfield on a Saturday to see how they build fellowship with the residents and staff and to learn how they administer the program, as well as the food safety standards that such a program requires.
The items those experiencing homelessness are always in need of that we pass out after “Soup to Go” lunch on Saturdays are: new work socks, gently used or new T-shirts (men and women sizes), gently used seasonal jackets/sweatshirts, sweatpants, toiletry items (such as: travel size soap/body wash, shampoo/conditioner, body lotion, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, chapstick, etc.), backpacks or small duffle bags. Any gentle used items must be clean and unstained.
Meet The Leaders of FL4HJ
Arthur Davies (artdav@yahoo.com)
Art retired from Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Consulting Engineers as the Director of Laboratory Services where he led the Materials Laboratory supporting engineering services for new construction as well as investigation of emerging materials and failure analysis.
Art is a member of United Church of Christ, Medfield, MA. He has served as a member of the Soup to Go ministry since 2003 and has led that ministry since 2010 Soup to Go provides fellowship with Boston’s unhoused individuals through street ministry. Since 2010, it has served regularly at the Boston Public Health emergency shelters at Woods Mullen, Long Island and 112 Southampton St. After the Long IslandI Bridge closure in 2014, he participated in the initial meetings resulting in Boston Warm. Art is trained and has served as a Stephen Minister.
After serving at the Southampton shelter and observing the inhumane conditions and suffering occurring in the tent encampment surrounding the shelter, Art reached out to Rev. Dr. Nancy Taylor of Old South Church in September, 2021 to express the need for churches to come together as they did for Boston Warm to impact the untenable conditions at Mass and Cass to equip congregations to create a ministry of presence to those suffering through housing crisis. At Rev. Taylor’s recommendation, Art formed Faith Leaders for Housing Justice by partnering with Rev. June Cooper and includes over 25 churches and faith leaders.
Reverend June Cooper (junercooper@comcast.net)
The former Director of City Mission Boston, the second oldest not-for-profit organization in the county. June has been engaged in creating and implementing innovative programming to address health disparities. She was the first Executive Director of Boston Healthy Start a multi-million-dollar federal initiative that was credited with reducing Boston’s infant mortality rate in the 90’s.
Currently, June serves as the Theologian in the City at Old South Church in Copley Square. In this role she serves as a social justice educator and catalyst for engaging the congregation in direct action and service. In 2015, she convened a group of faith leaders to respond to the closing of the Long Island Shelter, by establishing safe and warm daytime centers.
June is the President of Social Justice U which offers program development services and conducts Boston’s first Green Book Tour and pilgrimages to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama.
Sara Mitchell (smitchell.chap@gmail.com)
Sarah came to the South End of Boston in 1976 and started working at the Emmanuel Gospel Center initially with the largely Spanish speaking immigrant community in a Multi -Language Christian Book store. She was co- manager of the bookstore and did extensive community work and translation with those who were new to the city.
In 2001 she moved to work with those experiencing homelessness with Starlight Ministries, also a program of the Emmanuel Gospel Center. At Starlight she worked as a case manager/advocate, helped run a drop-in center, and a van outreach at night to those on the street. Starlight’s strength was the involvement of volunteers in these program sites. She was involved in recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers.
Currently Sara is a Community Chaplain with a focus on the South End and those who spend time in the Mass Ave. and Melnea Cass Blvd area. She has participated with Faith Leaders for Housing Justice since its inception and heads up a group at Woods Mullen Shelter on a weekly basis.
Amanda Grant-Rose (amanda@winterwalkboston.org)
Amanda is the Deputy Director of Winter Walk Boston. The Winter Walk is an initiative that believes ending homelessness is within our reach. Its mission is to raise awareness and funds towards that goal, and to support organizations in Greater Boston that are working on prevention, support, and care for our homeless community.
Amanda was formerly the Executive Director, common cathedral (Ecclesia Ministries, Inc.). common cathedral is an outdoor congregation of housed and un-housed persons- sharing God’s love through community, pastoral care, creative expression, and worship on Boston Common. She also served this community as an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church.
Reverend Jennifer McCracken (jmccracken@diomass.org)
Reverend McCracken is the Head Pastor for and with the MANNA (Many Angels Now and Always) community at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston. MANNA is a community of unhoused, unsheltered people. She joined the MANNA community to serve people experiencing homelessness after a long career as a Registered Nurse and found a place of belonging for herself as well as others.
Reverend Jud Wolfskill (jud.wolfskill@gmail.com)
Phil Jones (p.robbennolt.jones@gmail.com)