On a recent Tuesday morning, about two dozen homeless people gathered at Bethel Lutheran Church in Downtown Madison for a weekly spiritual support group.By the time it ended, one had confessed to using cocaine, one had announced he’d landed a job, and one had been whisked away by paramedics for an apparent drug-related health crisis.
For those present, the issues were familiar, as were the poignant words they spoke in unison to open the session. “We are not homeless,” they said, “for there is a place in this world for us.” For several years, one of those places has been Bethel’s homeless day shelter, funded partly by Dane County.