Mississippi College Social Work Students Help Homeless Shelter
In the midst of the nation's economic downturn, as many as 3.5 million Americans are homeless. On any given night, the number includes 300,000 children, reports show.
In order to promote awareness about homelessness and raise funds for a Jackson shelter, social work students at Mississippi College will host an event on the Clinton campus March 25-26.
Members of the Association of Student Social Workers will stay in cardboard boxes outside the MC cafeteria and ask for donations for the Gateway Rescue Mission. They will display posters with statistics about the homeless.
"Driving through Jackson, it just breaks my heart to see so many people who are suffering and don't have anywhere to sleep," says Brittney Newman of Flowood, the association president. "A lot of people are in poverty and are on the border of being homeless, especially with the state of our economy."
A social work major at MC, Newman's passion for the homeless isn't limited to an annual campus event. She takes students from the social work association to Stewpot to serve meals to homeless Jackson families every Friday. "For most of us, it's our favorite day of the week because the people there are just so friendly and it feels like we are really helping those in need."
Newman and others reaching out to Gateway Rescue Mission also feel good about their campus project. Gateway Rescue Mission has been a vibrant ministry in downtown Jackson since it was founded in 1948 by Captain Lynn Martin of the Jackson Fire Department.
The non-profit organization now serves 150,000 meals every year, provides lodging to over 50,000 people and assists over 4,000 families annually with food, clothing or furniture, says executive director Rex Baker. "Everyone who comes to our haven of rest receives the Good News of Jesus Christ."
The effort at the Christian university to help Gateway Rescue Mission begins at noon on March 25 and will conclude 24 hours later.
Newman knows volunteers at Gateway Rescue Mission. "They do a great job serving and ministering to the homeless. They have shelters for men and recently opened a shelter for women since the women and children are the fastest growing group among the homeless."
The issue of homelessness in Jackson was the subject of a cover story in the "Jackson Free Press" on March 11. Some have lived in a campsite underneath a south Jackson highway overpass for nearly 20 years, the story said. There were 695 homeless people living in Jackson during a survey taken in January 2009, the weekly newspaper reported.
Homelessness is a problem that Newman plans to stay with after her graduation from Mississippi College. But right now, she's asking MC faculty, staff and students to consider the plight of the homeless in Mississippi's capital city and donate to the cause.
For more information on the Gateway Rescue Mission at 328 South Gallatin Street in Jackson, call 601.353.5864. Brittney Newman can be reached at bnewman@mc.edu.
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