Mother Warriors Give Us Your Opinion

We are having our basic and fundamental rights violated through the seizure of confidential information.  It has no relevance to our access to worship in a church sanctuary. 

We the homeless and those similarly situated plead for intervention in this matter.  We the homeless and those similarly situated desire to express our religious liberty and worship without the request of confidential social security numbers or ID’s.  We the homeless and those similarly situated believe we are being singled out to provide this confidential information because we are homeless. 

Other worshipers are not required to show their social security numbers or ID’s to worship.  It is an undue restraint placed on only the homeless.  When we the homeless question what our information is being used for, we face the possible attempt to be criminalized by staff.  They call the police. 

This church is doing commendable work with the homeless through feeding programs.  They do not have authority to place us under a scrutiny other worshipers are not placed under.  We the homeless are confused by this unlawful policy and the conflicted answers given when we question what they are doing with our confidential information. 

We the homeless and similarly situated do not want to throw the “baby out with the bath water.”  We the homeless want the continuance of their ministry to the spiritually and physically hungry; however not at the expense of violating our privacy rights. 

Over six weeks their policy has changed some and this creates confusion.  Their policy is applied wrongly because there is no bases for seizure of this confidential information.  This policy is unreasonable.  We the homeless request the following:

1.                                   Apologize for their attempts to criminalize any homeless person who questioned their policy.

2.                                   Cease and desist from asking for our confidential information just to worship in the sanctuary.

3.                                   Place policies clearly on the front of entrance or in accessible handouts for the homeless. 

Let the policy be consistent.  Let the policy refrain from violating the basic and fundamental rights of the homeless population they service.  A clear policy notice will stop employees and volunteers of the ministry from changing the policy on their whim.  Do not threaten to criminalize the homeless who question their privacy rights.  Service providers of the homeless can not profess to service the homeless while violating them. 

Cincinnati Homeless Senior Mom
Cincinnati, OH