As human beings, we all have a fundamental basic need for safety, stability, and a roof over our heads. When a person has no place to go and limited resources, they have no choice but to do whatever it takes to survive. Homelessness leaves people truly desperate and often vulnerable to a wide range of …
When Fred Barksdale’s Veterans Administration counselor picked him up from the closing veterans’ boardinghouse with only the clothes he was wearing, Fred was homeless, hopeless, and tired. Even though he had been clean and sober for five years, he couldn’t just turn things around. “What I thought was a gutter fall turned out to be …
“Is skipping breakfast better than eating a bad breakfast?” The first question came from the back of the Overcomer Center chapel while other men were filing in. Gabe Silveira, an intern with Furman University’s FUEL program, took it in stride. “That’s a good question. Let me think a minute.” Four other men slipped into their …
As the Faith in Action Outreach Coordinator of a downtown church, I am often in the position to help folks in need of shelter, food, or clothing. I get calls from single parents looking for help with school clothes for their children and from families in need of a place to stay the night. Inmates …