Hope for the Homeless

[ Good News happening in our community ] Hope

FOR THE HOMELESS

Church Under the Bridge brings refuge to those in need

BY JESSA MCCLURE

AS 6 P.M. approaches, dozens of homeless men and women in downtown San Antonio gather to be fed both physically and spiritually from the volunteers at the facility owned by Church Under the Bridge (CUB).

The ministry, that began 23 years ago, serves around 200 meals a night, and has become “the place” for the homeless to find a hot meal, even during a pandemic. “We’ve heard people say, ‘when everybody disappeared, you guys stepped up,’” said Dianne Talbert, executive director for CUB.

When the restaurants began to close, especially in the early months of the pandemic, there was a lot of food insecurity, fear and aggression. But Talbert and the volunteers at CUB pumped worship music out into the streets and recited Bible verses to calm the nerves of those who were worried about their next meal.

To further ease the need for meals in the homeless population, CUB went from serving meals three nights a week to providing dinner seven nights a week. That meant that the ministry’s 45 to 60 partners, who typically provided a meal once a month, would now need to increase their supply. “We were truly blessed. Our existing partners stepped up to provide a meal, even if they couldn’t physically come to our facility,” Talbert reflected. “They would say, ‘give me a mailing address and I’ll pay for a meal.’” Along with the scheduled partners, the ministry was also blessed by other organizations and churches whom they had not worked with before. “We have one church that the pastors are friends of mine. They had never been on our schedule, but starting in the middle of April, they decided to come every Monday. Now they provide several meals a month.” Not only does CUB provide a hot meal to homeless individuals, but they also provide snack bags twice a week, hygiene kits, socks, shoes, clothing pre-bagged by size and gender, and even dog food and veterinarian clinics for their pets. But while the CUB volunteers are working to meet the basic needs of the homeless population, their ultimate goal is to bring them the love of Jesus. “Our original mission was to meet the

spiritual needs of the homeless, and that has not changed,” Talbert said. “We try to put a couple of people on the street, walking up and down, bringing the hope of Christ to them in this current situation.”

The ministry’s passion for meeting the homeless where they are spiritually has helped many come to know Jesus and find the strength to keep fighting for a new life.

“A guy drove up the other day and I happened to be at the gate. He yelled, ‘Mom, I got a job!’” Talbert said. “The ones who have received their salvation and are trusting and listening to the direction of God, their lives have changed.” And for those who don’t choose to walk with the Lord—Talbert said they continue to plant seeds, pray for them and meet their physical needs, especially for the upcoming holiday season. “We do big holiday meals every year along with Christmas baskets. It may look a little different this year, but the unsheltered will still get holiday meals and Christmas baskets, packed full of God’s love through CUB. In the past, CUB has provided holiday meals a week before their respective dates, but because the ministry is now providing food seven nights a week, these meals will likely be served on the actual holiday.

These meals, and subsequent giveaways, are a lot of work for the volunteers at CUB, and Talbert and her team pray that more will come alongside the organization to prepare to bless the homeless people of downtown San Antonio.

“People are really benevolent right now and going into the holidays, but it is usually on a one-time basis,” she said. “We are looking for [people] to labor in the fields for a while.”

Don’t be afraid to step out in faith and help this organization minister to a population that is often overlooked or ignored. You just might help someone find Jesus and turn their life around. GIVE. CUB gives away between 20 and 30 pairs of shoes weekly. Do you have a pair of used tennis shoes in good shape that you could spare? Ask how you can help for their upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas events. Your time, talent, or treasure all make a difference!

PURCHASE. If you have the means, the ministry is in need of new socks and underwear in all sizes (preferably white). Monetary donations can be made at www.cub-sa.org or CashApp at $DonateCUBSA.

PRAY. Ask God to bring peace and comfort to those on the street and to allow them to hear the message of salvation. Pray for the volunteers who unselfishly serve and that God would bring more laborers to the field. VOLUNTEER. CUB needs committed volunteers who can regularly donate time to help. From helping to organize meal supplies to bagging up clothing to walking the streets, bringing the light of God—all are needed.

Church Under the Bridge www.cub-sa.org 724 Chestnut St, San Antonio, Texas 78202 (210) 569-4026