Homelessness is scary. Sleeping on the streets. Wondering where your next meal will come from. The threat of violence and the stigma of addiction. We know it’s not what anyone would choose as his or her ideal life.

Nonetheless, on any given night, over 3,000 people call the streets their home here in Atlanta. In dark corners and alleyways, fear huddles under a blanket or cardboard box trying to stay warm against the autumn cold. As we sit with hundreds of clients each year, we recognize this fear in their eyes; and we count it an honor to walk with these clients from fear to flourishing. Consider these three ways Atlanta Mission helps clients beat the fear of homelessness.

1. Eliminate relational poverty.

Mother Teresa once said that “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” Many of our clients come to Atlanta Mission with serious fears about relationships. They’ve been abused, had family and friends abandon them. They are guarded, afraid to trust others or rely on them for support.

Through relationships with our Ambassadors and everyday relationships with other clients in our life skills classes and residential homes, clients learn to release their relational fears and embrace interdependence — sometimes for the first time. By emphasizing our core value of “strength in unity,” Atlanta Mission models healthy relationships that can empower and encourage our clients toward thriving after homelessness.

2. Reduce income instability.

It’s hard to live with hope when you’re not sure where your next paycheck will come from. At Atlanta Mission, we know that income instability constitutes many of our clients’ greatest fears. We also know that consistent employment can be hard for some to acquire and maintain.

Atlanta Mission works hard to take the fear out of getting and keeping a job. Through our Make Progress programs, we teach clients job skills that will help them to become better, more dependable employees. We model interview skills, consistent job habits, and offer each of our clients ways to materially participate in our work — serving at the same time they are served. Each opportunity to engage in gainful employment reduces the fear that many living in homelessness feel.

3. Eliminate housing insecurity.

Housing inequities, rent prices, and income instability all contribute to making homelessness a scary, but often necessary, alternative for those who come through our doors. We know housing is a complex issue in a large city such as Atlanta, especially in the midst of a pandemic. Nevertheless, we believe that our clients’ fears can be assuaged. Together, we can work to eliminate their housing insecurity.

Atlanta Mission offers clients a safe, warm place to sleep with three healthy meals each day. But this is only the start of taking away the fear of housing insecurity. Our housing social workers help clients secure sustainable living options, and our life skills classes help clients learn to take pride of ownership before they’ve even crossed the threshold to their new place. Financial literacy classes help clients to gain the skills to reduce their fears of scarcity, enabling them to plan for long-term goals and release the fear of living on the streets again.