“Showing love is the heart of Christ…”

The story of Atlanta Mission during COVID is an encouraging story to me.

During the past months with the challenges of COVID-19, the need for a home has never been more important. And for those without a home, a place to be safe was critical.

At Atlanta Mission, thanks to your incredible faithfulness, we have been that home for them.

What comes to mind when you hear the word home?

Perhaps you think of a safe place to eat and sleep. A place for families and community to gather. A place to live, laugh and learn. A place you are loved, respected, and cared for.

Many of those who come to our doors have never experienced a true, loving home before. They may simply be seeking a meal, shower, and shelter, but with your help, they will experience also “home”—perhaps for the first time ever.

Even without COVID, the people who come to our door are already in crisis. Many are fighting an addiction. Sometimes they’ve lost their job, their spouse, or their health. Nearly all come with a sense of hopelessness driven by a lack of healthy relationships.

But because of you, we stand ready to provide the key components that make up a good home: shelter, food, safety, security—and the love of Christ. These give hope to hundreds of people, each and every day, across all of our campuses. Adhering to the CDC and Department of Health guidelines, the potential for infection required extra cleaning, safety, and monitoring, but at the heart of our services is the building of relationships with the love of Christ for each and every person.

This love and care make everything else possible.

How do you convince hundreds of men, women, and children to stay in place without the trust of relationships and the sharing of love? Our team did all the critical things identified by the CDC, including screenings and temperature checks. But I believe the most important thing they gave wasn’t on any list. It was a love and care that showed the people they mattered to us and to God!

As a member of the Atlanta Mission family, you have shown this love and care in your outpouring of prayers and financial support, not just now, but faithfully over time. COVID has certainly been a crisis that has required care, but the heart of Christ is to show love at all times. His example was to show love to so many that others ignored: a disabled man waiting by a pool for years … a woman at a well living in shame … or a short man who climbed a tree just to get a glimpse of Him.

I can’t thank you enough for your incredible love and support during this crisis. But most of all I want to thank you for your faithfulness to all those who come to our door in the midst of their own personal crisis. People like Mark, whose story follows on this page. You allow us, through your gifts, to show them the love and care of Christ each and every day. You make it possible not only to save their lives, but—through Christ—to offer them the opportunity for complete life transformation.

I’m so thankful for all you do and the opportunity to serve with you.

Blessings,

Jim Reese, President & CEO

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Atlanta Mission Means Home… and a Future

When Mark arrived at Atlanta Mission, he had no job and no place to stay. But because of your generosity and the dedicated staff members like Will Wilson at The Shepherd’s Inn, Mark has seen his life transformed.

Mark followed a difficult and dangerous path before finding a place he could finally call home. It took a close brush with death and a lot of prayer, but today, Mark is a new man and serving the Lord at Atlanta Mission.

He grew up in Chicago and fell in with gangs and drug dealers at an early age.

“I got wrapped up in the streets thinking that was the lifestyle to live,” he says. “I never knew anything about Jesus.”

He says that most of his fellow gang members– the ones he grew up with– have been killed.

In 2016, it seemed that Mark would finally meet at the same fate. Shot seven times, he lay comatose in a hospital, kept alive for weeks only by machines. Although he could not move, or speak, he remembers a nurse coming into his room every night and praying for him.

“The day they were going to pull the plug was the day I woke up.”

“I could hear her, but I couldn’t move.

Mark also remembers a persistent dream of an old man with dirty clothes sleeping in an alley.

“It seemed to be an image of what would happen to me if I didn’t turn my life around.”

After two months in the coma, his doctors were convinced Mark would never recover and met with his parents about stopping medical treatment.

“But the Lord had another chance for me. He spared me,” Mark says. “The day they were going to pull the plug was the day I woke up.”

“I thank the Lord every day for what he does with me.”

When he was released from the hospital, he felt himself being drawn back to his old crowd. He knew he had to get away from his old life. He’d heard good things about Atlanta, so he hitched a ride without a plan or a place to stay.

But that’s where God showed up again. Mark met a man on the street who directed him to Atlanta Mission, where he found a nutritious meal and a safe place to stay.

After demonstrating his commitment to doing the work needed to turn his life around, Mark signed up for Atlanta Mission Next Steps, a holistic job training program that prepares clients for employment. He learned important practical skills, like how to dress professionally, how to be on time, and how to interview.

In fact, Mark was the program’s very first graduate. He landed a job as a cook at a local restaurant, quickly earned more responsibility, ultimately being promoted to management.

“Now I give back to others.”

“I thank the Lord every day for what He does with me. Some days I may have problems and everything, but I pray to Him. Every day I need to keep my shield and my sword with me. I have to read the Bible because if I let the Lord drive, I’ll be alright.”

Mark has been helping other men get jobs in foodservice and providing a positive example for them. “Before, I was selfish, I kept everything for myself. Now I can give back to others.”

As he reflects on his incredible journey, he realizes how far he’s come.

“When I came to Atlanta, I was homeless. But Atlanta Mission means home. It means home and a future.”

Thank you for making it possible to provide a home for Mark!

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We were made for times like these.

Help those experiencing homelessness find their way forward. We stand ready to provide essential services to men, women, and children as we have throughout our history, but we can’t do it without you.

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Support a Child Going Back to School

We are continuing to serve children experiencing homelessness and are committed to helping them grow, develop and learn in a stable environment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it’s time for them to go back to school! We’re excited for them to return to the routine they so desperately need. While school may look different this year, we’ll ensure our children have the tools, resources, supplies, and counseling they need to effectively learn. There are a few things our kids still need as they start school like school supplies and school uniforms. 

We invite you to support a child’s return back to school today!