September 2026 - Volume 38, Number 8 | Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only. (James 1.22)
THE ONES STILL OUT THERE.
THEY ARE EXACTLY THE PEOPLE JESUS LOOKED FOR.
Jesus sought out those ‘unreachables’ most in need.
Years ago, we thought we understood homelessness. We thought we knew the fix. Get a person a job. Get them an apartment. Give them a fresh start.
We were wrong.
The newest national count shows something strange. For the first time in almost ten years, the total number of homeless people in America went down a little. But the number of people stuck in long-term homelessness, those living with addiction, mental illness, or serious health problems, hit the highest level ever recorded. Homelessness among people over 65 is climbing fast, too.
Here is what that means: the people still out there are the ones no program has reached. They are sicker and older. They have been told ‘NO’ more times than we can count. And, they are exactly the people Jesus looked for.
That is our work at Wayside Christian Mission. Not quick fixes. Meals, beds, recovery, and someone who keeps showing up long after the easy answers run out.
Naomi, a recovery client, shares her revelation at Wayside. “I knew something was wrong with me, but I didn't know what it was until I got here at Wayside. And we started learning about the twofold disease and triggers and relapse.” READ NAOMI’S STORY (below).
Please help us keep looking for, and helping, the people still out there.
Call 502-345-0081 or DONATE HERE
DIRECTOR’S CORNER: The Holiday Shift Nobody Wants Is the One We Need Most
On Thanksgiving morning, our phone rings all day with people wanting to help. By then, it's too late to plan.
Here's the truth: the serving line fills up fast. What doesn't fill is the 6 a.m. kitchen prep. The cleanup crew after everyone goes home. The quiet shifts nobody posts a photo of.
Jesus said to give in secret, because your Father sees what no one else does. He sees the person scrubbing pans at 9 p.m. on Christmas.
We need kitchen prep AND cleanup crew volunteers for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. Pick your shift today, and we'll hold it for you.
Call Tracy at 502-345-0081 or CLICK HERE
Fleur's Dream once again brought the love to our Shelter clients and guests with clothing, shoes, food, hygiene products and more!
St. John’s Lutheran & Living Hope Wesleyan volunteers came to help stock products at the thrift store.
A local donor brought much-needed school supplies to the Shelter.
This YouthWorks group came from Iowa City to connect with our residents, serve them food, clean, and be a blessing in the Shelter.
Naomi used to think God was done with her. But, now, she no longer believes that.
"I Felt Like We Were Being Erased"
Two years ago, Naomi spent her birthday in a park. It was snowing. She and her partner slept inside a wooden ship on a children's playground. A couple walked by and handed them food. She still remembers it, because most days, nobody looked at her at all. That was one of the better nights.
Naomi's troubles started young. Peer pressure in school led to drugs, and drugs followed her into adulthood. Then life got heavy. She was raising three children. She had two moms, and both got sick at the same time. She leaned on drugs to keep going. "I crossed a line somewhere along there," she says.
Her two moms died a week apart. Soon after, Naomi lost her home. She ended up on the streets, first back home, later here in Louisville. Winter came. She and her partner were too scared to sleep at the same time, so they took turns keeping watch. Day by day, she felt herself disappearing.
"The longer we stayed on the street, the more I felt like we were being erased," she says.
Then she came to Wayside Christian Mission. And her days look different now. Morning meditation. Classes on addiction and relapse prevention. Work as the banquet supervisor at Hotel Louisville. Meetings at night. She has a sponsor she talks to every day. And because Wayside's recovery program serves couples and families, her significant other is in recovery right beside her. She shared, “I really appreciate this place. Saved my life."
Nina Moseley complimented Naomi: “You really do have an incredible work ethic. You're always trying to make things perfect.”
Faith carried her, too. "In the beginning, I got to a place where I thought I had messed up so much that God was done with me," she says. She doesn't believe that anymore.
Her message to anyone still out there? "Don't give up hope. There's a future out there, and you still have a life in front of you."
good samaritan patrolling
Wayside’s Good Samaritan Patrol hits the streets during the recent heat wave, taking cold water, food, and hygiene products to all they could.
One man shared his frustration, “I'm not sure what the heat index is, but I got a cell phone and it's too hot for me to even try to make a plugin. Ain't no water or nothing. I'm just sweating and dehydrated.”
He was very grateful for the Patrol’s supplies, “It’s outrageous! I’m glad they’re doing it!
A homeless man out on the hot streets.
(face concealed)
The Good Samaritan Patrol delivers relief with cold water, food & more!
BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARTY WITH POPSICLES & BACKPACKS!
From cold ice cream to cool backpacks to Hurstbourne Christian Church volunteers to a Dress to Lead speaker, Wayside’s Back-to-School party was a fun way to send our kids back to school in confident fashion!
Monday afternoon, the kids of Wayside Christian Mission got a head start on the school year: ice cream, backpacks, and everything they need for day one. Volunteers from Hurstbourne Christian Church came back again this year, with popsicles and school supplies, socks and underwear.
This year brought something new: Dress to Lead, a youth nonprofit that will be back at Wayside every week. Dress to Lead’s Candace shared tips on anti-bullying and the golden rule. “The golden rule is treating people how you want to be treated,” she explained. “You always want to treat people with kindness.”
Every child here is a JCPS student living in a shelter. And, they all walked into their first day with supplies in hand, and the confidence to match.
Help ensure our students have all they need.
Call 502-345-0081 or visit waysidechristianmission.org/donate.
