Fr. McCabe cites increased costs, economic worries causing many facing homelessness to seek additional help in uncertain times
DETROIT — Citing rising costs, a growing demand for aid, and a need to prioritize access to the most basic services, the Pope Francis Center at SS. Peter and Paul (Jesuit) Church in downtown Detroit will focus its resources on ensuring food access to a higher number of guests, the center's leadership recently said.
As a result, the Pope Francis Center will be discontinuing most of its clothing ministry and removing seating tables in its dining hall in an effort to meet the needs of an increasing number of guests.
Fr. Tim McCabe, SJ, executive director of the Pope Francis Center, wrote a letter, “Serving with Sustainability,” on the ministry’s website, updating supporters on the ministry and the challenges it is currently facing.
“Two years ago, we were seeing maybe 180 people a day, and then it jumped over time to around 250 people a day,” Fr. McCabe told Detroit Catholic in an interview. “It continued to go up, and we had a day where we had more than 430 people in one day, which is not sustainable for the space we have. So we had to prioritize what services we provide, and so the first thing and the most important thing is that people get fed and have food in their belly.”
Fr. McCabe said the day center will continue to provide socks and underwear, as well as scrubs in some rare cases, but can no longer accept in-kind donations of clothing. Guests at the Pope Francis Center will be directed to other service providers for clothing items — such as the Capuchins — while tables and chairs have been removed from the dining hall to circulate more foot traffic through the center.
"With food and gasoline prices climbing, we are bracing for a rise in food insecurity among the people we serve, and we want to be ready when they come to us hungry," Fr. McCabe said in his letter. "Of all the services we offer, clothing is the one for which other Detroit organizations are well positioned to help — and we will be ready to direct our guests to those partners. Cutting clothing is the least disruptive of the not-great options in front of us."
Fr. McCabe added that the decision to remove dining tables and chairs and replace them with high tops was made with an eye toward facilitating movement through the dining hall, in order to serve a greater number of guests.
“People don’t mind not having the chairs there now that the weather is warmer; it’s easier for people to just come in and eat and leave,” Fr. McCabe said.
Fr. McCabe and his team at the Pope Francis Center attribute the rise in need to doubts about the economy — doubts exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in Iran and by nerves about rising prices.
“While the stock market is doing exceptionally well, the people at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder are actually struggling more, and you’re seeing more people unable to meet the costs,” Fr. McCabe said. “So, people are falling into homelessness, food insecurity and prioritizing paying rent instead of buying food.”
The Pope Francis Center will continue its laundry and shower services and will still be handing out personal hygiene kits, but the center is in desperate need of donations and volunteers to keep up with the added volume.
“The thing we need right now is always donations, of course, with rising food costs having gone up as well, and the costs of goods and services are going up, putting a strain on our budget,” Fr. McCabe said. “We have a wish list when we need specific things that people can provide, if you don’t want to give cash. And we’re heavily, heavily dependent on volunteers. People can go to our website and sign up to volunteer to help us out in that way.”
The Pope Francis Center received a small bump from the recently held Detroit Grand Prix, which hit the city’s streets May 30-31, where Fr. McCabe delivered the pre-race invocation.
“The Grand Prix has been a big supporter of our work; as a matter of fact, when they decided to move the race back to downtown, their first phone call was to our organization about making the event inclusive to everyone, including the homeless,” Fr. McCabe said. “They have a fundraising dinner where they provide for five different recipients, and we’re one of the five when they do their live auction.”
The Detroit Grand Prix has raised more than $10 million for local charity partners, which led Fr. McCabe to give the invocation before the race.
“For the last four years they’ve asked me to pray before the racing, beginning the day with a little prayer and calling for God’s blessing upon our city and the people enjoying the race,” Fr. McCabe said.
When the Pope Francis Center first opened 11 years ago, it was located in the former warming center in St. Catherine’s Chapel at SS. Peter and Paul, where it was serving 60 to 80 people a day. Now it’s closer to 300.
The center has since expanded its operation, opening its Bridge Housing Facility on the city’s west side, a temporary housing center with wrap-around social services to help people on the path to permanent housing.
It’s the long-term fix to the short-term relief the day center provides.
“We’ve been able to graduate 36 people from our program since opening, and we could do a lot more if there were more affordable housing options,” Fr. McCabe said. “We know we’re making an impact, and we’re lucky to help people stabilize and address the presenting issues that are causing homelessness and get them ready to live independently. But the day center will continue to be an important part of the temporary relief we provide until we can get people into housing. And to do that, we’ll need help.”
