On April 29, Grace Episcopal opened its doors to Safe Shelter and provided overnight accommodations to five families and six adults who were homeless, says Safe Shelter director Christian Chambers. Among them were four working adults and a senior couple on disability, who stayed at Safe Shelter until an apartment became available.
“I wonder, though, how ‘nice’ we are if we allow people in crisis to live on the street and refuse to give them shelter.”
At first glance, the dispute between Grace Episcopal and the Facebook group members seems a clear-cut case of how social media can effect change: A concerned resident encouraged like-minded people to contact the church, they did, and the church declined to serve as a host site. Viewed through a different lens, however, the incident highlights the potential for harm that can result from jumping to conclusions — and then broadcasting them via social media.
“There are a lot of conversations that could have been had around this conversation that were limited — they were hindered, they were gaslit, they were triggered and electrified — just because bad information was released to the public,” said Vice Mayor Sheneika Smith.
