On a normal Saturday at Jeff Street there are three staff working and maybe one or two volunteers.  It’s usually slow with 30 to 40 fewer guests than on a week day.  Sometimes we have churches come prepare a meal at 11:00 am for both residents and Day Shelter guests.  That is typically the most eventful part of the morning.

This past Saturday I assumed that the day would go the same, but boy was I wrong.  We had a small college group scheduled to come do some cleaning around Jeff Street and Kerry was going to take care of that.  We also had a group on for lunch and I would deal that, but usually that just means showing them the kitchen and letting them get to work.  I realized though, that the three of us staff were in for an unusual day when five folks from the lunch crew showed up at 8:00 am and said many more would soon arrive.

When everyone from both the lunch and cleaning crew got there around 9:00 am we had upwards of 45 volunteers on our hands; definitely a first time situation for us.  Kerry and I got to work finding tasks, doing orientation, supervising, and encouraging folks to interact with our guests and residents.  It was a crazy, non-stop, and exciting morning at Jeff Street.  It was great to have so many people coming to serve.

I really enjoyed that morning because it was a time to see Christians serving.  Many of the folks that day had never been to a homeless shelter.  It was a new opportunity, a time to put a face on the homeless and make them more than statistics.  It was a rubber hits the road sort of experience for many, I am sure.  They were letting their faith in Christ lead them to show compassion for the poor.  They got a small hint of what kingdom life looks like and what loving someone more than one’s self means.

I was blessed by being a part of it all. I was able to share some of my experience with them and they with me.  It was a great interaction where Christians were encouraged by one another’s love for Christ shown through their love for people.  Many of the volunteers said they planned to come back and I pray they do.  It is a joy to see others realizing how fulfilling it is to serve rather than to be served.

Matt Norton is a missionary in the Hope for Louisville program at Jefferson Street Baptist Center (JSBC). JSBC is a homeless shelter in Louisville, KY that seeks to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of it’s guests and residents with the love of Christ.  It serves as a day shelter for homeless men and women as well as transitional and permanent supportive housing for dually diagnosed men with addiction and mental illness.  There are many opportunities to serve with SEED at JSBC.  Check out the SEED website for upcoming opportunities at JSBC http://seed.sojournchurch.com/seed/projects/registration/