- November 1, 2024
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Some county officials want Bunnell’s Church on the Rock to be involved in formulating solutions to the homeless situation in Flagler County, while one county commissioner took issue with the church’s current actions regarding the homeless.
Church on the Rock, located at 2200 N. State St., provides food, showers, clothes and more to the area’s homeless and has done so for several years. However, District 4 County Commissioner Joe Mullins said the involvement of churches and other religious organizations could be making the situation worse.
Are there bad apples in that bunch? Absolutely,” he said. “But should we still give showers and feed people who might be on drugs? Yeah, we should. I’m not going to stop.”
James Bellino, Church on the Rock pastor
“What it’s doing is it’s spreading the problem around instead of deterring it,” Mullins said. “Taking them once a week to shower or eat once or twice a week, that doesn’t help these people. It enables their situation. That’s a handout, not a hand up.”
He added: “I think it’s wonderful that we’ve got churches who want to help and do things. But we as their government need to lay out a policy and structure for what really helps these individuals.”
Church on the Rock pastor James Bellino disagreed with Mullins’ statement.
“When you have elected officials categorize any segment of our society as criminals, drug addicts and abusers, you demonize them,” he said.
Bellino compared the church’s actions to the government establishing methadone clinics and equipping law enforcement with NARCAN.
“Are there bad apples in that bunch? Absolutely,” he said. “But should we still give showers and feed people who might be on drugs? Yeah, we should. I’m not going to stop.”
Bellino met with Interim County Administrator Jerry Cameron on Friday, March 15, and Cameron asked Bellino and the church to come up with a solution to the county’s homelessness.
Homeless advocate Denise Calderwood presented the idea of opening the Flagler Transformation Center, housed by the Church on the Rock, which would be a come-as-you-are service center for single homeless people.
“Sometimes government gets in its own way,” Calderwood said. “You need other solutions from other parties.”
But despite the confusing pushback from some and pull from others, Bellino believes the faith community needs to step up.
“We shouldn’t rely on the government to solve all of our problems,” he said. “I don’t want to be a social worker. I have no interest in being in government. But I will speak and continue to do what is right. That’s the bottom line. I cannot stop what I’m mandated to do from a belief standpoint.”
