Orlando Interfaith effort brings students to aid of homeless

As a Chaplain, as an American, as a resident of the area, this story is a true blessing and shows what people can do when they come together for the greater good.

Interfaith effort brings students to aid of homeless

By Jeff Kunerth

Sentinel Staff Writer

10:18 p.m. EDT, September 6, 2009


Inside the front door of the Masjid Al-Haq mosque on Orlando's Central Boulevard were shoes, dozens and dozens of shoes, removed by the visitors inside. Running shoes, dress shoes, sandals, high heels, flip-flops, Skechers, Nikes and Adidas.

Who could tell which were Christian shoes and which were Muslim shoes and which were Jewish shoes?

In the back room of the mosque was another group of shoes, laid out in orderly rows on a silver tarp. Dress shoes, running shoes, flip-flops, high heels, sandals and children's shoes.

Who could tell which shoes would fit the feet of the homeless men, women and children waiting in line outside on Terry Street?

On Sunday morning, the categories by which people are divided -- homeless, homeowner, working, unemployed, Muslim, Jew, evangelical -- did not matter.

It didn't matter to the members of the Muslim Student Association, the Hillel UCF Jewish organization or the youth group from Northland, A Church Distributed, who participated in the interfaith event to help the homeless.

"It's a true testament against all the stereotypes. We all want to better ourselves and better other people's lives," said Nadine Abu-Jubara, 21, a Muslim graduate of the University of Central Florida.

And it didn't matter to the people in need standing in line outside the mosque for the food, toiletries, socks and shoes. It didn't matter to the woman in gold high-tops and the Baby Girl tank top, or the guy on the bike with a garbage bag for a seat, or tall, lean Tony Pearce, who was homeless himself not too long ago.

"I think it's beautiful. It's really beautiful that all these denominations can come together and do something," said Pearce, 57.
read more here
Interfaith effort brings students to aid of homeless