‘We need help’: Homeless encampment outside Seattle church impacting worship over safety fears

The head of a Greek Orthodox church in Seattle where a homeless encampment has grown outside the building says the city is ignoring the church’s complaints.

Penny Peppes, president of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, told local ABC affiliate KOMO-TV that members of the church are “fearful” of attending services due to the encampment, which reportedly includes several tents and a mattress.

“We want them to get help, we want them to get off the streets. We don’t have the infrastructure as a small church to do that ourselves. We need help,” Peppes reportedly told KOMO.

The Church of the Assumption is located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, about a block away from another large homeless encampment at the intersection of 13th and Howell Streets, according to KOMO.

Peppes said the lack of response is directly impacting the church’s worship services.

“Our parishioners who come from all over are very worried about their safety,” she said. “They are afraid to come. It’s beyond frustrating because it’s impacting our ability to come to church to worship.”

Perhaps the most brazen part of the encampment is that people living in the encampment are using the church’s address to receive Amazon packages, according to Peppes.

“One of the homeless folks knocked on our door and asked, ‘did you get my package,’ so they are using our church as their mailing address,” she told the TV station.

The Church of the Assumption has volunteered to provide food to a pair of homeless shelters in the community twice a month, according to Peppes…. (Excerpt from The Christian Post)