"Community Based Decision Making: Everyone is a Leader.” Presented by Life Experience and Faith Sharing Associates at the Vincentian Family Gathering, October 2015. This presentation discusses LEFSA, the crisis of homelessness, systemic change, and more.

1. COMMUNITY BASED
DECISION MAKING:
EVERYONE IS A LEADER
Vincentian Family
Gathering
Denver, CO
October 23-25, 2015

4. 1. In recent years, homelessness in New York City has
reached the highest levels since the Great
Depression of the 1930s.
2. August 2015: 58,780 homeless people,
including 14,107 homeless families with 23,692
homeless children.
3. 2014: more than 116,000 homeless people,
including nearly 42,000 different homeless children.
4. Today there are 82 percent more homeless
people than ten years ago.
5. Primary cause of homelessness, particularly
among families, is lack of affordable housing.

5. 6. Major immediate, triggering causes of
homelessness: eviction; doubled-up or severely
overcrowded housing; domestic violence; job loss; and
hazardous housing conditions.
7. Homeless single adults have much higher rates of
serious mental illness, addiction disorders, and other
severe health problems.
8. Large majority of street homeless New Yorkers are
people living with mental illness or other severe health
problems.
9. Four out of five street homeless New Yorkers are men.
10. African-American and Latino New Yorkers are
disproportionately affected by homelessness
-Coalition for the Homeless

6. LEFSA addresses the
physical, emotional and
spiritual needs of
people who are
homeless.

7. The mission is to extend
the Reign of God:
1. by realizing and
responding to our call to
live as sisters and brothers
as responsible members of
a global community;
2. by making a discernible
commitment to work for
liberation with people
who are oppressed;
3. by standing in
solidarity with people
striving to create a more
just society.

8. LEFSA journey’s with people
through:
1. The building up or
restoration of self-worth.
2. The affirmation of
dignity.
3. The calling forth of one’s
best self.
4. Working together to
change unjust social
structures.
5. Finding resources for
addiction, housing,
counseling, education, and
many more.

9. In all of LEFSA ‘s
programs, environment
is created where people
can be empowered to
work for personal,
communal and
structural change.

10. Reality of the people- the
social, economic, religious
and political context in
which people find
themselves
The Bible- life's situation
are reflected upon in the
light of God's Word.
Community- The agent that
brings the reality of people's
lives and the Word of God
together.
Mission/Action- what
actions can we take as a
faith community so that
God's values can be realized
in the Universe.

11. Currently, 7 of 8 team members were formerly
homeless and in the shelter system themselves.
They are tremendous sign of hope and
encouragement to people who are still homeless.
1. To pray, work,
celebrate, plan, evaluate,
change, learn how to do
social analysis together,
etc.
2. To be individually
accountable to develop
ways of being connected
with other team members
in supportive ways.
3. To take responsibility
for planning and carrying
out all the programs and
activities of LEFSA.

12. 4. To participate in
activities related to
social justice on an on-
going basis whenever
possible, on-going
education, coalition
meetings, rallies, etc.
5. To notify and
encourage persons who
are homeless to
participate in activities
related to the
promotion of social
justice.

13. 1. Forum for communal
decision making.
2.Together we reflect on
the overall ministry in
the light of the mission
and objectives.
3. Ongoing evaluations
help to eliminate
contradictions between
what we say we are
about and what we are
actually doing.

14. 1. Studying scripture
from a liberation
perspective.
2. Studying tools for
transformation.

15. Staying educated in
the area of human
rights issues and
participate in actions
resulting from this
study.

16. “If you have come
here to help me, you
are wasting your
time. But if you have
come because your
liberation is bound up
with mine, then let
us work together.”
Lilla Watson

17. How does communal decision making process
contribute to people’s empowerment?
• affirming dignity and respect of every person
• I make decisions and I am regaining control of
my own life
• self-esteem and self-worth
• feeling of being a part of something and
being involved in a supportive community
• power of having my ideas matter
• I can change communal and social structures

18. OBJECTIVES OF LEFSA:
To provide a time and
space on a weekly basis
where people who are
homeless can come
together to share their
lived experiences in the
light of God’s word.

19. TEAM MEMBERS are in the
shelter not to do for, but
to accompany, encourage,
challenge, and befriend
persons as they take
control over their own
lives.

21. TEAM MEMBERS focus not
at having “meetings” but
at building an atmosphere
where “communion”
takes place, where we
can together look at how
to continue the mission of
Jesus and commit
ourselves to
transformation.

22. TEAM MEMBERS are
to be not as
teachers with the
truth to give but as
people of faith with
one’s truth to share
along with other
believers.

23. "I had some heavy burdens and God picked them up during
this retreat, I experienced freedom".
"We all have such a similar life experience, we are called to
make a difference, there is such a power and strength
coming out of each woman here“.

24. OBJECTIVE OF LEFSA:
To promote leadership
among people who are
homeless and formerly
homeless.

25. TEAM MEMBERS
develop the skill of
involving as many
people as possible in
participating actively
in the gatherings, and
in the tasks involved
before, during and
after we meet.

28. Systemic Change in works
among those living in
poverty aims beyond
providing food, clothing
and shelter to alleviate
immediate needs and
enables people themselves
to engage in the
identification of the root
causes of their poverty and
to create strategies to
change those structures
which keep them in
poverty. This also requires
changing attitudes that
have caused the problem.
(working definition for
North America)