As if there were only one of us

In 1988, an 8.2 earthquake devastated an Armenian village, killing more than 25,000 people. Among the places most tragically demolished was a school building. Parents raced to the scene, only to find a pile of rubble. Most of their children could not be found and...

Who is your neighbor?

The afternoon sun warmed the downtown sidewalks as Black Friday shoppers strolled through the historic district. There were sales to find, Thanksgiving leftovers to eat and relatives to entertain. No one had time to notice the comatose man who had curled up on a bed...
Dorothy White

Dorothy White

Dorothy (3rd from the right) and her volunteer family from Shiloh Baptist Church host breakfast for the homeless of Fredericksburg the first Wednesday of every month. Dorothy retired in 2004 from being the President of University of Mary Washington’s cook and a...

I love you, too

The sealed door broke way to a stench of alcohol and rotting food. Weeks of laundry barely hid the minefield of beer cans that barricaded the pathway from the door to the bed. A days old lump lay motionless on the mattress, breathing just enough to signal life. Love...

Behind the sign

In a church bible study one night, a woman talked of her encounter with a local panhandler. “I saw him standing on the side of the road,” she said. “But I saw the sign, before I actually saw him.” The experience left her wondering how simple...

Preparing to Camp

Micah’s cold weather shelter closes this week, but our work in sheltering those without homes continues. Tents and sleeping bags are on order, and those who will not have a place to go when the final bus picks up on Wednesday morning will get first dibs. To earn...