Ebenezer Church Assists LV Unsheltered Population
Plus: USD Learning Commons, and Keeping Pet Cats Indoors
The homeless situation in San Diego is definitely one of the most difficult problems facing our city. Much debate has occurred regarding the causes of homelessness, the best options for providing temporary shelter and accommodating their basic needs when living on the streets, and how to ensure as many homeless individuals and families as possible find a way to fully integrate back into society. Opinions on solving the homeless situation have ranged from placing them in jail to giving them a monthly monetary stipend. San Diego county’s homeless situation remains at approximately 8,100. The longstanding problem has left many local residents feeling frustrated at the lack of progress achieved by the city. Observing homeless individuals at John Baca Park and in the Linda Vista library parking lot serves as a constant reminder of this unfortunate situation.
However, there is one group in Linda Vista that is doing its best to immediately confront the problem head-on at the grass roots level. As personally observed this past Saturday, the congregation at Ebenezer Church is currently helping to feed the homeless population of Linda Vista, and has bigger plans to accommodate their basic hygiene needs and help ease the process of transitioning from their current living conditions. What I recently discovered was that every first Saturday of the month is “Serve Saturday” at Ebenezer Church (operating out of the Linda Vista Presbyterian Church at 2130 Ulric St). On these Saturdays, the congregants conduct a variety of activities in support of the community of Linda Vista, with special focus on the homeless population. According to the pastor of the church, Noel Musicha, the pre-COVID-19 number of unsheltered individuals in Linda Vista was estimated to be approximately 45 individuals, though this figure has in all likelihood increased during the pandemic.
Serve Saturdays have involved Ebenezer congregants preparing meals for the homeless and walking the streets and canyons of Linda Vista to deliver the meals, as well as sending separate teams out to conduct trash/litter clean-ups of the neighborhood.
But Serve Saturdays, which is designed for Ebenezer church members to “give back to the community” now also involves bigger plans for helping the homeless population, or as Musicha prefers to describe—the “unsheltered” population. In December, the church purchased a portable shower system. Once the current pandemic is over, the church plans to use the system to provide unsheltered individuals with the opportunity to take care of their basic hygiene needs. During my visit, the members of Ebenezer Church were hard at work painting one side of the portable shower system. As explained by Musicha (who was featured in a previous post of the Linda Vista Update; click here to read), the appearance of the shower system is important because it has the potential to “add to the artistry of the neighborhood.”
A few members of Ebenezer Church were also observed working on the interior of a van. When completely refurbished, the van will be used to provide temporary shelter for an unsheltered individual. Musicha explained that “rebuilding your life is a process” and that the van will provide a “transitional place” for an unsheltered person “to do better for themselves…until they can get a job.”
The Ebenezer Church parking lot was certainly a beehive of activity this past Saturday. As I left, with all the church members still hard at work at their different assignments, I felt confident that I would soon be back to cover the future success of the Ebenezer Church’s efforts aimed at helping the unsheltered population in Linda Vista.
The New Learning Commons at USD
According to the latest edition of the Princeton Review, the University of San Diego’s campus is ranked as the 6th most beautiful campus in the country. However, the university may soon move up in the rankings. Already home to two stunning education buildings—the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies and the Shiley Center for Science and Technology, as well as the beautiful Immaculata Church—the appearance of the USD campus has now been further enhanced by the recent addition of the new Learning Commons building.
As stated on the university’s web site, the Learning Commons is “The manifestation of the University of San Diego’s dedication to active learning.” The two-story, 36,000 square foot building (located next to the Copley library) “gives students modern, flexible classrooms that feature updated room designs, the latest writing surfaces, cutting edge technology that enhances collaborative learning experiences and furniture that can be moved, rearranged and completely reconfigured to better serve group dynamics.”
The Learning Commons contains nine collaborative spaces and 13 classrooms—all designed for class instruction, group work sessions, and individual study time. It also features the Town Square, meant as an “informal gathering space” with stadium seating for up to 200 people.
As a retired educator, I was impressed by the spaciousness, flexibility and technological capabilities of the classrooms. The designs of the various classrooms and study areas appear ideal for facilitating collaborative group work. And the attractive appearance and overall atmosphere of the facility seems like the perfect place for students to spend some quality study time.
Though there were not many students utilizing the building when I conducted my tour, I am sure the place will prove very popular when all students finally return to campus (hopefully, for the fall semester). USD parents can rest assured their children have the ideal facility to complete those challenging study assignments.
Pet Cats Belong Indoors
Coyotes are frequently seen wandering around Linda Vista streets and nearby canyons. These coyotes pose an obvious threat to any pet cats allowed to roam outdoors. Needless to say, the outside world contains many other features hazardous to our feline friends. That’s why I contend the best option is to keep pet cats indoors
Accordingly, I encourage you to read my Op-Ed recently published in the Times of San Diego. The Op-Ed, titled If You Adopted a Pandemic Pet Cat, Keep it Indoors for a Long, Happy Life, was written to encourage all cat owners to keep their cats indoors, and to find various ways to keep them mentally and physically stimulated as a way of effectively substituting the indoor life for the more adventurous but much more dangerous outdoor life. You can read the Op-Ed here: https://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2021/03/06/if-you-adopted-a-pandemic-pet-keep-it-indoors-for-a-long-happy-life/
If you enjoyed the Op-Ed, please pass it along to other pet cat owners. Help spread the word!
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Good looking kid in the picture !
Cute little kitty cat also!!!