Reporter: THIS NEW YORK
SHELTER FIRST OPENED ITS
DOORS TO THE CITY'S HOMELESS
IN 1879.
THE BOWERY MISSION HERE
IN LOWER MANHATTAN HAS BEEN
EFFECTIVELY REBUILDING THE
LIVES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE FOR
MORE THAN 130 YEARS.
HERE THEY TREAT MORE THAN
JUST THE SYMPTOMS OF
HOMELESSNESS.
THEY TREAT THE ROOT CAUSES
OF THE PROBLEM.
THROUGH THE YEARS, THE
MISSION HAS PROVIDED FOOD
AND SHELTER TO THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE.
IN THE BEGINNING, ONLY
SHELTERING MEN.
TODAY, IN THE CITY OF
8.4 MILLION, ITS KITCHEN
SERVES SOME 800 MEALS A
DAY.
WE CREATE NUTRITIOUS, HOT
MEALS FROM SCRATCH.
FROM TOP FOOD THAT WE GET
FROM ALL OVER THE CITY.
WHILE SOUP IS A PART OF OUR
MENU, LOBSTER IS ALSO A
PART, TOO.
YOU CAN COME HERE AND GET A
NUTRITIOUS MEAL ANY TIME.
Reporter: LAST YEAR THE
MISSION PROVIDED MORE THAN
30,000 BAGS OF GROCERIES,
AND NEARLY 80,000 NIGHTS OF
SHELTER.
AND ITS GOODWILL EXTENDS
BEYOND FOOD AND HOUSING.
IT ALSO OFFERS A 6-MONTH
LIVE IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL
RECOVERY PROGRAM.
PARTICIPANTS ARE ENROLLED IN
HANDS-ON TRAINING, WHERE
THEY RECEIVE TRAINING.
ONCE ONLY MEN WERE ALLOWED
AT THE SHELTER.
TODAY WOMEN ARE WELCOME,
TOO.
BUT SOME THINGS HAVE
REMAINED THE SAME.
* THAT SAVED A RETCH LIKE
ME *
Reporter: HYMN SINGING,
PRAYERS IN ITS CHAPEL, STILL
PROVIDE NOURISHMENT TO THE
CITY'S HOMELESS.
JIM ONCE OWNED A CLEANING
SERVICE, BUT THAT ALL
CHANGED WHEN HE STARTED
USING DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.
HE SOON FOUND HIMSELF
SLEEPING UNDER BRIDGES AND
IN SUBWAY STATIONS.
HE RECALLED THE FIRST TIME
HE STEP THROUGH THE CHAP PEL
DOORS SOME 30 YEARS AGO.
I SAT ALL THE WAY IN THE
BACK OF THE CHAPEL.
AND I WAS LOOKING AROUND AND
REMEMBERING MY CHILDHOOD,
AND SEEING ALL OF THOSE
SCRIPTURES UP ON THE WALL.
THEY SUNG SONGS THAT I
KNEW.
I SAID, WOW, WHAT KIND OF
PLACE IS THIS?
Reporter: THIS PLACE,
HE SAYS, IS WHERE HE FOUND
REDEMPTION.
NOW AS DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH
HERE, HE SHARES THAT SAME
HOPE WITH OTHERS.
I WANT TO BE THE FATHER
TO SOME THAT NEVER HAD, THE
FRIEND TO SOME THAT NEVER
HAD.
A TRUE FRIEND, AND SAY TO
THEM, IF I CAN CAN DO IT, SO
CAN YOU.
Reporter: DONATIONS
FROM PRIVATE CITIZENS HELP
THE MISSION TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF
MEN LIKE JAMES.
AS A PRIVATELY-FUNDED GROUP,
IT RECEIVES NO GOVERNMENT
MONEY.
SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS IT TO
IMPLEMENT SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
IN ITS PROGRAM.
WHEN YOU REALLY CHANGE A
MAN OR WOMAN'S HEART, IT
TENDS TO LAST.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU SUPPORT
THEM AFTER THEY GRADUATE.
FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF OUR
GRADUATES ARE STILL CLEAN
AND SOBER A YEAR LATER.
THAT IS NOT TRUE OF SECULAR
PROGRAMS.
THAT'S A WONDERFUL RESULT.
Reporter: RESULTS HE
SAYS COST A LOT LESS TO
PRODUCE THAN AT
GOVERNMENT-FUNDED SHELTERS.
IT DOES COST A GOOD DEAL
TO DO THIS.
WE SAY FOR A MAN TO GO
THROUGH OUR PROGRAM AND
GRADUATE CLEAN AND SOBER AND
CONNECTED TO CHRIST AND
EVERYTHING, IT TAKES ABOUT
$12,500.
BUT YOU CONTRAST THAT WITH,
FOR INSTANCE, IT TAKES
$20,000 A YEAR JUST TO
WAREHOUSE A MAN IN ONE OF
THE CITY'S SHELTERS.
AND EVEN MORE IF HE HAS
COMMITTED A CRIME IN JAIL.
Reporter: CRAIG MAZE
AGREES.
HE RUNS THE PRIVATELY-FUNDED
NEW YORK RESCUE MISSION.
I'M GLAD THE CITY IS
COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT THEY
CAN.
AND THEY'RE GIVING THEM FOOD
AND SHELTER.
BUT IF YOU DON'T ADDRESS THE
MORE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES OF
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HUMAN
BEING, I THINK YOU'RE GOING
TO CONTINUE TO HAVE SHELTERS
THAT ARE FULL OF PEOPLE THAT
COME BACK, DAY AFTER DAY,
WEEK AFTER WEEK, WITH THE
SAME THING.
Reporter: HE SAYS THE
PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS IS
BEYOND THE SCOPE OF STATE
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
I THINK IT IS IN THE
HANDS OF PRIVATE
ORGANIZATIONS, THAT THIS IS
WHAT THEY DO.
Reporter: THEY
CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF
HOMELESS IN NEW YORK AT
AROUND 47,000.
BUT WITH THE RISING COST OF
LIVING, MAZE BELIEVES THAT
NUMBER IS MUCH HIGHER AND ON
THE RISE.
SOME WHO ARE IN THIS WORK
THINK THAT NUMBER IS, LIKE,
DOUBLE.
IT COULD BE 100,000.
BUT THE NEED IS GETTING
GREATER.
Reporter: MEANWHILE,
PLACES LIKE THE BOWERY
MISSION ARE SURE TO BE
AROUND, OFFERING MORE THAN A
HELPING HAND.
CHARLENE ISRAEL, CBN NEWS,
NEW YORK.
