New resource center offers hope for neighbors who have nowhere else to turn

Sometimes the first step out of homelessness isn’t finding a job.

It’s finding a birth certificate.

Or replacing a Social Security card.

Or getting a state-issued ID.

Without those basic documents, people can be locked out of employment, housing, healthcare and benefits, making it nearly impossible to move forward. That’s the gap the Matthew 25 Alliance hopes to fill with the opening of its new Resource Center at First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland.

The center opens Tuesday, July 7, from 10 a.m. to noon and will help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness obtain identification documents, apply for benefits such as Medicaid and Medicare, and connect with community resources.

Organizers hope it’s the first step toward something much bigger.

“We’re starting small, but our hope is to grow into a full resource center where people can find the help they need to rebuild their lives,” said Rev. Burnetta Armour, pastor of First Presbyterian Cleveland.

Breaking down barriers

For Armour, the need is obvious.

“So many people want to work, but they can’t because they don’t have the proper identification,” she said. “It’s hard to get a job when you don’t have an ID. It’s hard to get a job when you don’t have a permanent address.”

Others don’t realize they’re eligible for healthcare or other public benefits.

“Helping people get those resources puts them in the best position possible to succeed,” she said.

The first resource center will focus on meeting with guests, identifying their needs and helping them begin the process of obtaining documents and connecting with available services.

A need many people never see

During her six years serving the Cleveland community, Armour has come to know many people living on the margins.

“Sometimes homelessness is hidden,” she said. “People are living in tents, in the woods or sleeping in their cars. We’ve even had people sleeping in our church parking lot or under the pavilion.”

Armour believes many people misunderstand what poverty looks like.

“The truth is every one of us is one paycheck away from poverty,” she said. “Most of the people I’ve met don’t want to live in a tent or in their car. They’ve just had one difficult thing happen after another.”

She also pushes back against assumptions people sometimes make.

“Someone may see a newer car in a food distribution line, but that car may also be where that family is living,” she said.

Putting faith into action

The ministry’s name comes from Matthew 25, where Jesus calls His followers to care for “the least of these.” Alliance members see the resource center as one way to live out that calling.

“People come to the church asking for help all the time,” Pastor Armour said. “So often I didn’t have the resources to give them. Now we can point them toward real help.”

Armour said she has seen initiatives like this take shape in other states, but this is the first time she has been part of a group that is “making it a reality.” She hopes the center will become a place where people find more than paperwork.

“I’d love to see it grow into a full resource center,” she said, adding, “that’s my hope and my dream.”

A vision for the future

The Cleveland resource center is just the first step. Organizers hope to expand to twice-monthly hours while opening a second location in Habersham County, making a resource center available somewhere in White or Habersham counties every other week.

The long-term vision is even bigger: bringing multiple agencies together under one roof so people can receive help with identification, benefits, food assistance, healthcare and other essential services in one place.

Six churches in Habersham and White counties are currently participating in the ministry. They include First Presbyterian Clarkesville, First Presbyterian Cleveland, Grace-Calvary Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, First Baptist Church of Cornelia and Nacoochee Presbyterian Church.

The alliance is also looking for volunteers but is committed to growing carefully.

“We want to grow slowly and sustainably, always keeping the people we’re serving first in our minds,” said John Harrison, pastor of Nacoochee Presbyterian. “We’ll have more initiatives starting later this summer, and we hope the enthusiasm to serve continues to grow with them.”

Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about the Matthew 25 Alliance can text 470-252-8653. Organizers will follow up as time allows.

For Armour, every new volunteer and every person who walks through the door represents another opportunity to restore hope.

“I feel like we’re living out what Jesus has called us to do,” said Armour. “That fills me with joy because this community has a real need.”