A few Catholics from all walks of life continue to serve God by serving “the least of these” (Mt. 25:40) in the encampment through the outreach of the Order of Malta (see sidebar), and the shower ministry at Our Lady of Refuge Parish, hosted by Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County's Parish Engagement program.

Jim and Gerald

When Jim Griewing retired six years ago, he began driving past a familiar figure on a park bench in Columbus Park. “I would drive by and wonder what his story was,” Jim recalled. One day, he stopped. That conversation began a friendship.

Gerald, the figure who lived on the park bench, had occupied the same spot for years. Once a construction worker, Gerald now lives with the scars of nearly losing his arm in an accident. Identity theft and failed housing attempts made stability feel personally unreachable for Gerald. Now, Jim visits Gerald at his bench, which sits inside the tent Gerald built around it.

Although not a member of the Order of Malta, Jim receives their outreach emails. When they minister at Columbus Park, Jim checks in with Gerald. Occasionally, outside of the distribution days, he also brings Gerald sandwiches. When asked about how he feels about this gesture, Gerald brightened and replied with quiet dignity, “Jim is a nice guy. He blesses me.”

It is a blessing that runs both ways according to Jim, who revealed what he has learned in his friendship with Gerald. “Most of these folks are good people down on their luck, doing their best to survive another day,” Jim explained. “It has opened my eyes. Any time I start to complain about my own life, I think of Gerald and others, and it pushes me to be kinder, more patient, and to give thanks for what I have.”

Don Blach and the Ministry of Presence

Nearby in the same vicinity as Gerald’s bench, Don Blach oversees table clothing distributions.  Don is responsible for driving the Order of Malta’s van to the encampments. Once parked, he arranges folding tables stacked with clothing, hats, backpacks, hygiene kits, and pet food, among other donations. He stands by and personally greets everyone in the collection line.  

Some faces have become familiar over the years. “There are probably twenty or thirty who have been there a long time,” Don said. Each exchange might last only a moment, but for Don, those moments form a bridge of compassion. “Through the work, I have come to feel a closeness to the unhoused and to Christ.” He is now also strongly of the conviction that compassion must be an active, rather than a passive activity.

Don joined the Order of Malta after years of community volunteering. At first, he helped distribute hygiene kits without much expectation. Over time, he saw the deeper significance. “It is a humane way to approach helping people: on their terms,” he reflected. The city’s policy of clearing camps without providing real alternatives unsettles him. “If it seems like all we do is take away their stuff and push them to a different spot, then we need a better strategy,” he stated.

Joanne Ball Artis

While Jim and Don check in with Columbus Park encampment residents, Joanne Ball Artis serves unhoused neighbors through the Shower Ministry at Our Lady of Refuge. Her work began during Lent of 2023, when she first volunteered to help organize clothing donations.

Her role has since grown into preparing hearty meals and overseeing distribution. What sustains her is not logistics, but human contact. “I see Jesus in the people we serve,” Joanne explained. “They arrive burdened, sometimes depressed or despondent. When I tell them I am worried about them, or sincerely ask how they are, they brighten.”

She admits the limits of her role. “I am not a social engineer; I cannot fix their situation. I am simply a disciple of Jesus trying to follow His example. For a brief time, they can shower, eat, and rest. There is grace working.”

Transformation Through Service

For Jim, Don, and Joanne, the work is not about solving homelessness overnight. It is about walking alongside those who live it, creating space for dignity amid hardship.

Don mused, “It is not just about the kits. It is about showing up, talking, and seeing someone as a person. I have come to see Christ in those encounters. The Gospel isn’t a metaphor. It is alive in the people we serve.”

Over time, Joanne has observed how compassion erodes distrust amongst the shower ministry clients. “Guests sometimes present themselves as gruff,” she acknowledged, “but when they are treated with consistency and care, they eventually let down their guard. That’s when you see their humanity shine through.”

Building the Kingdom one Person at a Time

In June of 2025, the city began clearing tents near the Guadalupe River, leaving RVs around Columbus Park for staggered removal. For Gerald, whose bench and tent remain close by, the uncertainty continues, as well as for Jim and Don, who are worried about what may become of Gerald. For Jim, this unknown future for his friend and all the unhoused bring him to prayer. “I focus on helping others and pray they find relief,” Jim said.

Don echoed this hope that all the unhoused find help and success. He reports being grateful for the personal approach of the Order’s ministry, even while acknowledging the smallness of its scale: “The Order’s work is not grand. But delivering hygiene kits in person, speaking with people where they are, those simple acts transform us as much as them. Christ is present in those encounters. Our service becomes an exchange of compassion and grace.”

And at the shower ministry, Joanne has learned that presence itself can be healing. “When a guest feels motivated to help themselves because they feel cared for — that is when I glimpse the Kingdom of God.”

The final installment of the Loving Christ in the Unhoused Series is scheduled for 2026. It will feature follow-ups with the unhoused individuals who have been mentioned, including Gayle from Part 1 and Gerald, who is featured here in Part 2.