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.