‘One of the toughest assignments God could ask’: SafeHouse Outreach director on helping the homeless By Maina Mwaura via Christian Post
Hundreds of thousands of Americans suffer homelessness, enduring a hard life on cold and dangerous streets. Witnessing this daily hardship is what inspires many Christians to take action by being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ by caring for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40).
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said in its 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress that “580,466 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2020.”
Other organizations have estimated that the displaced population is much higher than HUD’s figures. The National Homelessness Law Center, based in Washington, D.C., estimates that up to 3.5 million Americans are likely to experience homelessness each year.
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We love helping others and believe that’s one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God’s children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
Among the Christian organizations that serve those who are displaced is SafeHouse Outreach, located in Atlanta, Georgia.
In a Christian Post exclusive, the organization gave a rare behind-the-scenes look into what the life of displacement looks like for the men and women who find themselves on the streets in one of the country’s largest cities.
Joe McCutchen, who’s known as the organization’s problem-solving director, is among those whose daily job is to serve the long line of men and women seeking assistance.
“Philip Bray founded this organization in 1982, and he was a preacher’s kid of a megachurch,” McCutchen told CP. “I always say he took a left turn out of the parsonage and became a drug dealer and a drug user. When he got free, he just started coming to the streets to help people. Phillip passed away a little over a year ago. Now his son, Josh, is the CEO. My role at the organization is, if you have a problem, come on in, let’s see if we can solve it.”
For McCutchen, solving problems is something he feels called to do and counts it a joy to help those who SafeHouse was created to serve. Three of those who’ve benefited from SafeHouse include Jennifer Mohan, Allan Moban and Randall Thompson. They look at McCuthen as someone who has blessed their lives.
From the moment this reporter entered the center, it became apparent that everyone has a story to share. For many, an additional challenge they’ve had to grapple with has been COVID-19. Walking through the pandemic was unexpected and has brought great suffering and trials to the displaced community.
