Catholics and Buddhists work together to help the homeless

Earlier this month, Catholics and Buddhists met in Los Angeles to discuss the problem of homelessness and how to combine efforts in order to serve the poor.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Cardinal Manning Center, a transitional housing facility on Skid Row, and the Tzu Chi Buddhist, a foundation that provides portable beds, instant rice and blankets to the homeless in exchange for 70 recycled bottles, oversaw the discussion.

“The biggest challenge in the country is finding affordable housing for men, women and children experiencing homelessness,” said Njambi Kingori, deputy director of Social Services for St. Vincent de Paul.

The discussion follows the Vatican’s June invitation for a dialogue between Catholics and Buddhists in order to find solutions to community ills.

For more information, please visit svdpla.org or tzuchi.us.