Press Release
Many others from around the city join Father Nathan in cold night protest.
You can’t subsidize love, you can’t out-source compassion and you can’t force peace.
January 7th, 2010 – PENSACOLA, FL [PNS] – A Statement by the Rev. Father Nathan T. Monk:
The stance I have taken to demand that free shelter must be provided to all is not a criticism of
the organizations that are currently providing shelter. Nor is it a matter of accusing them of
doing nothing, but is instead the fact that a small handful of groups with limited means and
resources can not be expected to hold the entire burden of mercy for our city.I do not doubt that the Waterfront Rescue Mission, Salvation Army and others will do everything
they can to take in as many people as they can. However, some is not all. Depending on which
polls you read there are anywhere between 1,200-3000 homeless in our area and the Waterfront
and Salvation Army and a few scattered churches on the other side of town cannot sustain those
numbers.Some groups have released statements saying “Many will not seek shelter†but maybe it’s better
said, “Many won’t bother to seek shelter because the homeless can do math better then we
thought.â€I can’t lift 400lbs and I don’t feel stupid saying it. There is no problem in saying you can’t
handle a situation on your own. There is not enough room and that is simple deduction. This is
not the fault of the individual organizations, but rather the responsibility that falls on all of our
shoulders.We can’t expect the few scattered groups to do it all themselves or by themselves. We all have
to lift the burden together. You can’t subsidize love, you can’t out-source compassion and you
can’t force peace.
Father Nathan and others will be meeting at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on Palafox downtown
Pensacola between the hours of 5:00PM on Thursday evening until 8:00AM Friday morning in hopes to bring
awareness of the homeless, families and the elderly who can not find adequate shelter during the cold weather
nights.