Shelter, Food and New Lives
Every man who walks through the doors of City Union Mission’s men’s shelter has a desperate need: shelter and food.
For many of these homeless men, these basic needs are just the beginning of their desires. “There are men who come here who are crying out for help. They want to change. They want Christ,” says Greg Miller, chaplain at our men’s shelter.
Other hurting souls are so consumed by their addictions or their circumstances, they truly can’t imagine anything else and simply want a bed to sleep in and food to eat.
City Union Mission is not a place of enablement for people who have failed. Yes, we offer basic care for homeless people, but always with the message that we—with God’s help—are waiting to guide them toward success, toward lasting change!
|
A homeless man gathers his belongings from his locker |
“The Mission is a ministry,” says Dorsey Williams, men’s assistant shelter administrator. “The first thing we ask each man is, ‘What can we do to help you?’”
Through individual one-on-one counseling, our staff develops a plan and encourages each man staying in our overnight shelter to participate in Job Hunters, RECON or Special Arrangements—all geared toward equipping men with the skills necessary to live independent, drug-free lives outside the Mission.
RECON, which stands for reconciliation, is a ministry that incorporates Bible study and life-skills training to help chronically homeless men get back on their feet.
Job Hunters, in partnership with Goodwill Industries, assists men in finding employment. Then once the men have full-time jobs, they can participate in Special Arrangements, where they live at the Mission and are accountable to adhere to a budget and save money for rent and utility deposits for a home of their own.
“I tell these guys [in our emergency shelter], ‘If you keep doing what you’re doing, you know the end result: broken homes and families. Just one time, try the results on the other side,’” Dorsey says.
“The first four months Jim was here, he just wanted to get off the streets,” Greg relates. “Then one day in chapel, the Holy Spirit convicted him. Now he’s been clean two years and has a job. Through our Special Arrangements Program, he’s staying here and saving money so he can get his own place.”
|
Men in the overnight shelter are assigned responsibilities around the Mission to encourage responsibility to self and others |
“You don’t know when an individual might cross over,” he adds. “The challenge is exercising patience.”
The needs in our men’s shelter continue to increase. In the winter months, we house an average 250 men each night—five to six of whom are new to the Mission. That’s 35 additional men each week who find themselves homeless and desperate for help and hope.
Our current shelter is overcrowded and in need of repair. These much-needed renovations are included in our Building the Walls that Rebuild Lives capital campaign projects, but this portion of the campaign is not yet funded.
Please pray fervently regarding this; $2 million dollars is an enormous amount of money still to raise by mid-summer but we believe with all our hearts that what God has set before us, He will see to completion. The homeless men staying in our men’s shelter are definitely praying for this goal to be reached.
When broken men come through our doors for a nourishing meal and a bed, we gladly meet this basic need because we know this is our first and greatest opportunity to wrap them in the love of Jesus Christ and to introduce them to new lives built on His promises.
Click here for more information about Building the Walls that Rebuild Lives. Thank you for your support and prayers.
