Soul to Soul Outreach is a product of necessity and love. We, Lynne and Jen, had both answered the call to the missions team of our church, Church at Denver, in Denver, North Carolina. At the first meeting, we all took on mission representations to various areas of need in the community that spoke to our hearts. Where was God leading us to serve?

     We both have a heart strong with love for the homeless community. We were put together to work as a team representing the love of Christ to those who have found themselves in a homeless situation. It surprises people when they learn that that is the moment Lynne and I met. God put together a small, edgy dynamo and a quiet, insecure wallflower to be His hands and feet serving those who most people ignore or spit at. By no means is it us doing the work! It is God in us and we are in constant awe of what he is doing.

     Hesed House of Hope in Lincolnton, North Carolina is the only homeless shelter in Lincoln County, North Carolina. That being the obvious place to begin, we signed up to tour Hesed House and gather information for volunteer opportunities. Now we are hooked and there was no looking back.

We met John Hall, the then Executive Director of Hesed House, and began joining him on Wednesday outreach days. God spoke to both Lynne and I during that first outing with John. This is where He wanted us. We eventually began going out on our own handing out water, food, bug spray, and whatever else was needed to aid in their survival. We hung around and built relationships with our tent people. We began visiting the local soup kitchen speaking with and praying with people. Relationships began to grow. Walls began lowering or shattering altogether. 

     We were being approached for various needs that we hadn’t initially planned for.  There was a lot of time and communications back and forth with our church to meet the needs of this community. It became apparent that there needed to be a more streamlined way. 

     Soul to Soul Outreach was born in February 2022. We obtained our nonprofit 501c3 status in July of 2022. We continue to do what God sent us on the path to do – being His hands and feet in the community showing the love He has for them. Many doors of support have opened to us. This allows us to more fully minister to the various needs encountered in the homeless community. God is using us as advocates in the court and health systems. We are being used by God to walk with people through sobriety and drug addiction rehab. We get to celebrate sobriety anniversaries, finally obtaining affordable housing, new jobs, births, decisions to take the steps to alcohol and drug addiction recovery, and so much more. We also mourn with our people when they mourn. We are there when someone just needs to cry or be angry. We are there because God is there. We are His hands and feet, not just when it’s good, but also when it’s just ugly and hard. God shows up in it all. 

     So here we are, the edgy dynamo and the wallflower trying to show Christ’s love for all people, especially those others would rather forget exist. Isn’t He amazing! 

 

"….equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever, Amen."

-Hebrews 13:21