Faith is serving up some serious action to help the homeless pay for healthcare thanks to a creative new program called Meals for Meds in Jefferson County. Southminster Presbyterian Church created the program after hearing about the plight of the homeless in the Birmingham area. Southminster's Moderator of Outreach Ministry, Marilee Dukes says, "Meals for Meds" came about when her team of about fifteen people put their heads together and figured out how they could help. She says, "we figured the thing people in churches love to do is eat. So we started having these meals after church on Sunday." Meals for Meds raised about $2,000 in 2008. This year the program has raised more than $7,000.
The money from "Meals for Meds" goes into a fund called the Cooper Green Foundation which is administered by Church of the Reconciler located in downtown Birmingham. Senior Pastor Kevin Higgs says, "for at least 40% of the homeless who come through here it is healthcare that keeps them homeless." They have a clinic onsite which provides some level of healthcare. However through their partnership with "Meals for Meds" and Southminster Presbyterian they are able to give medical vouchers to the people they serve. These vouchers cover their copay and their prescription costs at Cooper Green Mercy hospital. The hospital's Executive Director, Dr. Sandra Hullett says, "seventy percent of the patients they see are uninsured". She adds that the counties indigent care fund only provides enough to cover fifty percent of their costs. She applauds "Meals for Meds" for making a difference.
What is even more unique about, how "Meals for Meds" is helping people put their faith in action is that the project is bringing together different denominations to help serve the people in the community who live on the street. Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion sold dinners to raise money for "Meals for Meds" on November 14, 2009 in Birmingham. Dr. Joseph Slane has been pastor at Southminister Presbyterian Church for 21 years. He says, "one of the reasons I"m excited about it is our entire congregation knows about it. They can picture helping someone at $5 to provide medical care. Their next big project for "Meals for Meds" is in January of 2010. You can learn more about it at
www.southminsterpcusa.org Reverend Dr. Kevin Higgs at Church of the Reconciler says another way to help the homeless men and women they serve is to go to their website at
www.prayforthehomeless.org.
