I was surprised to see the ample front-page space for photos and ink given over to the charitable works of St. James Catholic Church regarding the homeless and hungry (“Nourishing ministry of compassion,” Nov. 23).
While I am sure their one meal a week — the work manned by volunteers, the provisions supplied by Chuck’s Produce, Clark County Food Bank and others — is a welcome comfort on Thursdays, the effort seems to pale in comparison to other area churches and organizations responding to the needs of the large homeless population in downtown Vancouver.
One line in the story struck me as particularly telling and that was a volunteer noting the sympathy he or she felt, following a recent dinner, while watching the guests linger until the last possible moment to avoid being turned back into the rain-filled night. There are other churches and organizations more comprehensively dedicated to helping those in need.
