The group of 20 people, of different denominations and faiths, sat Sunday afternoon in a peaceful and quiet South Park.
They rattled off 21 names as they sat mostly in silence.
They were thinking about people in need across Lawrence. Their minds focused on those with recent financial or health troubles that may have kept them from having shelter, heat or a decent meal.
"For all of these people, we pray that your concern will infuse and fill us all and that we would help relieve the needs," said the Rev. Gary Teske, senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1245 N.H.
The group met for the second Day of Prayer and Contemplation through the Lawrence Community Interfaith Initiative, a group that pursues issues such as affordable housing, emergency supplies for those who can't afford them and help with heating bill costs.
The Interfaith Initiative works with the organizations such as East Kansas Economic Cooperative, Salvation Army, Penn House and Ballard Center to aid families and individuals in need.
With winter approaching, staff and volunteers with the Interfaith Initiative have a chief concern that many people in Lawrence will be without heat, coordinator Steve Ozark said.
He cited statistics from Aquila that show more than 350 Lawrence homes had service disconnected in September.
Last year, the Interfaith Initiative helped 20 low-income families turn the heat back on in their homes by donating fees through "Turn It On." The group plans a fundraising event Dec. 2 at J.B. Stout's, 721 Wakarusa Drive.
Hubbard Collinsworth reads a poem called "Great Spirit, God, Creator and All," Sunday at the Lawrence Community Interfaith Initiative's Day of Prayer convocation at South Park.
"Lawrence as a whole has been very caring. It's a very caring community, but at times it's wasted because of ineffective distribution and methods of getting to where it needs," said Hubbard Collinsworth, a program administrator at the Pelathe Community Resource Center, 1423 Haskell Ave.
Collinsworth was homeless in Lawrence for two years until he found a job. He said he would like to see a new approach to helping people in need in the community.
Ozark also said Lawrence was a generous community, but he wants to "dig so much deeper" to address constant problems like poverty and depletion at food banks.
The Interfaith Initiative also helps those involved with disasters and hopes to roll out a pilot project for affordable housing in the next year to 18 months.
"We are praying that God would call more workers into the harvest of gathering people who are in need and giving them the support they need," said the Rev. Dan Steele, pastor of First Church of the Nazarene, 1470 N. 1000 Road.
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