Bethesda Project helps homeless to start life anew

At a workshop on Cabrini Day, students learned about homelessness and the efforts of the Bethesda Project to combat this. Wesley Farrell was a homeless man who went to Bethesda Project to start over. Tony Medwid, director of programming at the Bethesda Project, said Farrell isn't homeless anymore, but Medwid acknowledges that this organization is just one step in helping the homeless.

by Nicholas Burch staff writer

As Wesley Farrell conversed with Cabrini students, his message was clear and simple.

"I pray that you never have to be homeless," Farrell said.

Farrell, at one time, joined the ranks of the ever-looming problem with homelessness until, according to Farrell, God and his religion referred him to The Bethesda Project.

"When I became homeless, my church recommended me to go to Bethesda and try to start over there," said Farrell.

Bethesda is a non-profit organization that, according to Tony Medwid, director of programming, is devoted to give males their own place and identity but follow the rules of Bethesda.

"Wesley is not homeless anymore," Medwid said.

"I do my share of the chores," Farrell said. "I also try to pay some rent, as much as I can afford to."

Bethesda's residents do not have to pay.

They simply must follow the guidelines established by Bethesda.

If they can afford to, then they contribute, according to Medwid.

Medwid says that, since they have a home now, the men at Bethesda are not homeless and are definitely not clients.

"We don't refer to people at Bethesda as clients," Medwid said. "They have their own homes and some have jobs that allow them to pay portions of rent when they can."

According to Peter Dietz, di-

"On a given day, there could be over 300-plus people sleeping on the streets. Right now we are dealing with 160 people. By next Monday we will increase by another 22."

-Tony Medwid, director of programming at The Bethesda Project rector of operations, Bethesda is . ' sometimes the only form of shelter or caring that the homeless can have.

"There are people that need caring for, because they can't take care of themselves," Farrell said. "They need our attention."

For Farrell, Bethesda has made a world of difference.

"The people there care for us and that means a lot," Farrell said.

According to Medwid, Bethesda can only do so much for the alarming numbers of homeless people out there.

"On a given day, there could be over 300-plus people sleeping on the streets," Medwid said. "Right now we are dealing with 160 people.

"By next Monday we will increase by another 22."

Dietz, Medwid and Farrell ad- vised students on the problems of homelessness during the recent Cabrini Day workshops, which were held on Nov 5.

There, they stressed the impact homelessness has on people whether they are homeless or not.

"It could happen at anytime," said Farrell.

According to Dietz, Bethesda is just one step in the process of providing a place for homeless people to call their own.

"I like to think of Bethesda as a ladder to pursuing a place of their own," Dietz said.

"It is up to them to take those steps up that ladder."

If you ask Wesley Farrell, he will tell you that he has started to climb and hopes to never stop.