ENCOUNTERS
A Shared Research Initiative 2026-2028
Temple of the Forgotten & Sacred Streets
Pillar Three - Sacred Stories
So little is known about the spiritual lives of our neighbors who are treated as ex-humans. The very thing that makes us human—our capacity for meaning, connection, inner life and participation—is too often ignored or dismissed by the systems they’re entangled in. In the other half of our nationwide ethnographic research project, we will seek to listen and learn, to understand the spiritual experiences, beliefs, and practices of those experiencing homelessness. From there, we aim to explore how this wisdom might shape more compassionate, effective systemic care—and how spirituality itself can be a source of healing, resilience, and transformation in the personal journeys of those most impacted.
Evaluation & Impact Framework
Objectives
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Document and share the spiritual beliefs, experiences, and meaning-making of unhoused people
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Explore the ways in which religious communities can directly benefit the lives of those who are unhoused.
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Create opportunities for reflection, resilience, and community based connection
Evaluation Questions
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What themes and patterns emerge in the spiritual lives of unhoused people?
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How can these patterns inform a more compassionate, dignified and humane way of creating systems of care that tend to the lives of those who are unhoused and exhumanized?
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How can our religious communities empower and support the religious/spiritual lives of their unhoused neighbors?
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How are unhoused participants impacted by being part of the project?
Outputs & Metrics
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Stage One: Monthly two hours meetings with a Lived Experience Advisory Board
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(Stage One) Discussions on this topic, examining research methods for interviews with folks on the margins, making sure we are approaching with clear ethical standards.
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(Stage Three) Analyzing collected data from interviews
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(Stage Four) Creating a Plan of Integration after all interviews are collected
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Stage Two: Spiritual stories/interviews recorded via ethnographic research project: At least 20
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Stage Three: Spirituality for Survivors of Homelessness: 3-5 workshop cohorts over two years
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Development of recurring community support group
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Stage Four: Create & publish several models for religious communities to utilize (developed by the LE Advisory Board) that center supporting the religious and spiritual lives of unhoused community members.