New Orleans Mission

Today I worked at the New Orleans Mission. It was something. The New Orleans city officials shame the homeless, they act like they don't exist. They wish they would go away. So what do they do about it? Deny that there is a problem and go about there business spending money on who knows what. The New Orleans mission does not receive support from the local officials, in fact they have tried to shut the Mission down several times. It's sad. The Mission does not receive many federal grants due to the fact that Chapel is held four times a week. That doesn't really make sense to me? The Mission has a new, beautiful building behind the main building but has been recently shut down due to lack of funding. It makes me sad, they could do some wonderful things for this city but are held back by the people that run this city and the fact that they are broke. Most of the money they receive is from private donors like you and me. When I was there today I felt like this place could be so much better than it currently is. They now have had to start charging $5.00 dollars per night for homeless guests to get a bed.

When I got to the Mission, another girl showed up to volunteer. She is around my age and is also on the job hunt. It was really cool to see someone else willing to give up her own time and volunteer. I hope this continues and more and more people become aware of the needs of the New Orleans Mission!

We worked with a guy named Chris. He was once homeless, lived out on the streets of New Orleans for about six months. He told us stories of nights he spent out on the streets. It sounded dreadful. He saw things no one should see and spent many nights scared for his life. He suffers from severe depression, but a way he gets through it is by writing poetry. He shared his poems with us. I have never read more words describing pain and loneliness before reading his poems. One of his poems read like this:

"Streets Of New Orleans"

The Streets of New Orleans will transform you into a man,
Or it will kill you right where you stand.
Saturated with murderers, rapists, and thieves,
It's a hard, hard life to live on these streets.
You get a freedom the likes you've never seen.
But you're out there with thugs and gang bangers,
And way things obscene.
You walk the streets and people stop to stare,
Most of the rest acts like you're not even there.
There's pedophiles and pushers. Junkies and cons.
Some will slit your throat for a quarter, and then just walk on.
These streets are not a good place; its dirty and sad.
If you live there for too long you will turn cold, mean, and bad.

Wow.
Imagine what he went through on those streets. He lived in a tent under the 1-10 bridge.

There is a lot of work to be done in this city. It's corrupt, the leaders are blind but we are not! I am willing to fight the good fight. I need a team. Let's do something about this.

Chris, our new friend at the Mission is now employed there. His life has been transformed. He was a graduate of the Discipleship program the mission offers- He was proud to tell us he graduated early! He is close to God now- more than ever before. He has meaning in his life. He is giving back and helping those that come to the Mission in search of something.

God bless the Mission. Because of the Mission, mouths are fed, bodies are bathed, heads are rested on pillows and not concrete. They are safe.