Good News!

May 20, 2024

Gospel means good news. Because of the Gospel, we can use our gifts from God – our skills and resources – to make a powerful difference in the world. Ask yourself, “What breaks my heart? What am I grateful for?” Those two questions are a wonderful place to start a discovery and action journey to where God may want you to leverage your influence and affluence.

This past week I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County’s new building. Jack’s House of Hope is an add-on to the existing homeless shelter. It honors founder Jack Ream. Jack is a man who answered those questions.

Jack Ream is a vibrant 94-year-old who has a vision of making a difference in his community and world. For 40 plus years he was a practicing engineer and made a very comfortable living.

A little over 20 years ago, Jack learned of the homeless need in Tuscarawas County. Up until that time he said he never had a heart for that demographic, thinking that their plight was because of their own choices and decisions. Jim said God challenged him to think differently about them and learn more about their situations. It broke his heart so much that he was determined to do something about it.

So, he used his leadership skills and business mind to begin. People always question, “What if some of those people are dishonest and take advantage of you?” Jack replies, “It is not my problem if people aren’t honest – that is God’s problem, and He will take care of it. It is amazing what happens when you decide to help people – asking them how you can serve them. You will be amazed at what it does to you personally. Don’t listen to your own ideas, but listen to what God has to say.”

He rolled up his sleeves and met with the people who were already addressing the issue and learned from them. God used the story of the Good Samaritan to speak to him. Jesus asked, “Which person was the good neighbor? The one who expressed kindness.”

Here is his update: “I know from 20 years of experience working with homeless people here in New Philadelphia that they need the help of their neighbors, and that is all of us who live here. They need it now when we are trying to build them a new house, and especially after we have successfully built it to help them get their lives back in order.”

The new building, Jack’s House of Hope, will have a residential wing and a support wing. The support side will have offices, a chapel, counseling, dining, and more.

The values there are strong. The policy states, “In an effort to keep our living facilities safe, sober, and secure, we do perform a background check on residents before bringing them into the program. As a faith-based, family-friendly shelter, it is our duty to assure our residents, be they individuals or families, of their safety while they call this shelter home. We do not allow drugs or alcohol on the premises and perform random drug and alcohol screens upon intake and as needed. But we do realize that substance abuse is a very real issue that should not hinder people from benefiting from our services, so we ask all residents who may be struggling to disclose this upon intake so we can help them find the appropriate agencies.

Once the intake assessment is completed, residents are enrolled in a 90-day program, where they are required to work with a case manager to develop a success plan and then work through it to attain stable housing. While at the shelter, residents are expected to contribute to the maintenance of the shelter through daily chores, assistance with projects, and attendance at weekly house meetings.

The new facility will …

• Serve the unhoused men, women, and families in our community by providing our guests with a safe, secure, and spirit-enriching environment.
• Create suitable living space for men, women, and children in an atmosphere that provides support, privacy, and dignity.
• Provide more community spaces, dining and kitchen areas, a chapel, an enclosed playground, and courtyard.
• Empower the Friends of the Homeless to expand our social services to better meet the needs of others in our community seeking our assistance.
• Significantly improve safety and security.

Isn’t Jack’s story incredible? What might yours be if you dreamed and worked with God?