The Lawrence Community InterFaith Initiative, a relatively new ecumenical group, has an ambitious agenda.

It wants Lawrence churches to band together to get a bigger bang for the buck in their efforts to deal with the city’s social problems such as homelessness, poverty and mental illness.

“Whatever we as faithful people can do to help, we should try to do,” Steve Ozark, a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church, 1245 N.H., said Tuesday. “All religions have a common factor in they all want to help people. The point of the initiative is to allow us to do that by sitting down and talking with each other.”

Ozark started the initiative earlier this year after serving as a chairman on his church’s social service committee and on the city’s Task Force on Homeless Services.

About 30 people attended the initiative’s monthly meeting Tuesday and heard information from Kent Hayes, homeless outreach specialist for Bert Nash; Lequetta Diggs, director of Mother to Mother of Douglas County; and Katherine Dinsdale, with New Focus Ministries Inc.

Much of the discussion focused on ways to prevent homelessness or serve those who are homeless, one of the main areas of interest for the initiative.

Those at the meeting showed interest in an idea brought up by Hayes to form boarding houses of some kind for the homeless, especially if the boarding facilities were designed to assist the mentally ill.

“The fact is, we do have some quality services for the homeless,” Hayes said. But he said he would like to see all people have a bed and a place to keep their things.

Hayes estimated that 60 to 70 percent of homeless people are mentally and emotionally disturbed.

Ozark said he hoped to see leaders and members from all churches at future meetings.

The city has about 180 different religious groups, Ozark said.

The Lawrence Community InterFaith Initiative’s next meeting will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. May 10. The location will be announced later.