Video
Michael Ramos serves as the Executive Director of the Church Council of Greater Seattle, which just celebrated 100 years of ministry this year. His lifelong work interweaving spirituality and social justice has included more than three decades of ecumenical and interfaith collaboration. He was the Director of Latino Ministry in the Diocese of Oakland in the mid-1990s. Today, the Church Council convenes and catalyzes people of faith and congregations throughout the Puget Sound Region to uphold and affirm the rights and dignity of all and to support thriving communities. He came to the Pacific Northwest as a Jesuit Volunteer. He is married to his wife Donna with two adult daughters Rebecca and Elena. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Seattle University and is a Doctoral Ministry candidate.
Links For You to Consider
- The role of the local church when crisis strikes a community
- New study reveals faith-based organizations shoulder heavy burden for the homeless
- Churches can be allies against homelessness. So why does Dallas make it so hard for them to help?
Podcast
Dr. Bruce Miller is Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. His research interests include anthropology of law, ethnography, ethno-history of Coast Salish of BC and Washington; indigenous worldwide, and state-Indigenous relations.
Ongoing research concerning international borders and Indigenous peoples, the use of Human Rights Tribunals by Indigenous peoples, the ways in which legal processes redefine Indigenous peoples and rights, and non-recognized Indigenous peoples. Dr. Miller has served as a scholar at the Center for Religious Wisdom & World Affairs.
Reflections
Mr. Ramos discussed how faith based organizations (FBO) responded in high numbers, sometimes with more response than local, state or national governments towards folks experiencing homlessness.
Why is it that FBO’s are one of the first responders to people’s needs? How can government or non-FBO organizations create resources that churches are providing?
Activities
Journal for 10 minutes on how faith communities can create coalitions with other organizations to create adequate care for those near homelessness or are experiencing shelterlessness in your community.