October 2021 Street Homelessness in Jackson - OUR MISSION To offer life changing hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ to homeless men, women ...
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October 2021
Street Homelessness in Jackson
OUR MISSION To offer life changing hope through the Gospel of Jesus Christ to homeless men,
women, and children through programs to deliver food, shelter, counseling and discipleship
“Some wish to live within the
From the
sound of church or chapel bell.
DIRECTOR I wish to run a rescue shop
within a yard of hell.”
—C.T. Studd REX BAKER
I recently saw a panhandler one block south of centered program that offers the hope of a new life
Gateway Rescue Mission at lunchtime. He held a sign within the unique community offered in our Gateway
asking for help getting something to eat. Someone shelter. Lives are changed at Gateway Rescue Mission.
panhandling for food a block from where lunch was But let me be clear. If someone chooses to do
being served struck me as ironic. drugs, I do not consider it ethical for me to ask for
On that same day and time, another person your money to help support their lifestyle. That’s why
panhandled in the middle of Highway 80 with a sign we are prioritizing sheltering those who enroll in our
saying he was homeless and would work for pay. New Life Program over those who choose to remain
This coincides with “help wanted” signs in just about in their addiction.
every storefront. I’ve seen the “homeless” during their shift-change at
the intersection of Lakeland Drive and I-55. They walk
On that same day and time, I witnessed a mentally
from a nearby motel and work the corner across from
disturbed man along Gallatin Street gesturing wildly
St. Dominic hospital with a tag-team approach. They
and holding his pants around his waist to keep them
leave the ground littered with debris. If you choose to
from falling down. These sights are not new in our
give them money, please understand that your money
neck of the woods near the mission. However, they
will most likely go to support un-biblical pursuits.
point to an increase of people on the streets all
around Jackson. We should be careful to not paint everyone who is
homeless on the streets of Jackson with the same
Local officials are attempting to deal with the stroke. At Gateway Rescue Mission, it is our prayer
myriad complexity of issues leading to an increase that those hustling the streets will awaken to the
in homeless on the streets.. But it’s not just Jackson. reality that God created them for much more than a
I recently saw someone stretched out asleep at high street corner will ever offer.
noon in front of a convenience store in Rankin County.
Jesus said, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
We are witnessing a perfect storm of addiction, mental because He anointed Me to preach the Gospel to
illness, hopelessness, societal permissiveness, and the the poor, He has sent Me to proclaim release to
reality that some people simply choose to panhandle the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to
within walking distance of stores offering employment. set free those who are downtrodden. May we pray
Increasingly, a post-modern world view holds that old that God will open the eyes of those on the streets
mores such as abstaining from illicit drugs and working to understand that the only sign worth holding is the
hard to pay bills is too old-fashioned. seal of Jesus on the foreheads of those who call on
His name.
At Gateway Rescue Mission, God has commissioned
us to feed hungry people and help those seeking
freedom from addiction. We do so through a Christ-
Rex Baker
Executive Director
Visit gatewaymission.org Gateway Rescue Mission
for more information on how you
can help someone today.
FEATURE GATEWAY
We often get asked how to help a person who is homeless and on the streets. Here Board of Directors
is our take on this question at Gateway Rescue Mission.
• Street homelessness has a complex set of causes. Few people wind up on the Ford Mosby
streets today because they lost a job last week. The process of winding up
on the streets often takes years and usually cannot be reversed overnight,
President
regardless of your best intentions.
• A person must want to change before change can occur. That’s why our best- Beth Archer
intentioned interventions with a person on the street or living in a motel Vice President
often fail. We sometimes want life change for them more than they do for
themselves.
Jackie Meck
• Most of the people holding signs on street corners are working a con.
Secretary
• While exact numbers are difficult to attain, drug use is often at the root of
how a formerly functional person winds up homeless.
Vivian Farris
• Current street drugs have the capacity to permanently fry a person’s brain.
Treasurer
• We must not give up hope. God is still about the business of rescuing people
from the streets.
Glen Bush
Danny Cawthon
Allen Holiman
Ben Moncrief
Vernon Perry
Marilyn Tinnin
328 S. Gallatin Street
P.O. Box 3763
Jackson, MS 39207-3763
Phone: 601.353.5864
Fax: 601.353.9468
Website:
www.gatewaymission.org
Meanwhile, just off the streets in the Gateway
Rescue Mission kitchen, Huey Howerton, our chief
cook, utility man, and facilities manager, can be
found cutting up chickens for nutritious meals. We
are currently taking donations in preparation for the
Thanksgiving/Christmas season. (David can be seen
here carrying a box of donations to our warehouse.)
People still drop by at lunch each day for a good
meal. Hopefully, the Covid-19 “delta” phase will soon
pass and we can return to dine-in food services for
lunch. Until then, we continue to serve lunch meals
in to-go trays. We wish to thank each of you for your
support and prayers for Gateway Rescue Mission.
Current Needs
• Laundry detergent. We particularly like the • We always need personal hygiene supplies,
Tide-pods. However, any type of laundry particularly in small packs.
detergent will be much appreciated. We do
large amounts of laundry daily. • New shoes of all sizes, including large sizes.
Homeless people walk a lot and wear out their
• Styrofoam to-go trays. During these days shoes. We get many requests for shoes.
of Covid-19 protocols, we go through lots of
styrofoam trays. • This time of year is ideal for small groups,
Sunday school classes, or office teams to
• T-shirts, underwear, and socks. conduct a food drive, clothing drive, etc. for
Gateway Rescue Mission.
Follow Us on Social Media
Twitter: @gatewaymission • Facebook: Gateway Rescue Mission • Instagram: gatewaymission
For your convenience you may now donate online at gatewaymission.org/donate
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