Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Classifieds
  • Your state news
  • Request a free trial
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Classifieds
  • Your state news
  • Request a free trial

Pregnancy center provides warmth, hope to homeless population

  • January 16, 2023
  • Arkansas Baptist News
  • Arkansas, Church Life, Featured, Latest News
person sitting beside building looking straight to the street at golden hour
(Unsplash photo)

Pregnancy center provides warmth, hope to homeless population

HopePlace Pregnancy Care Center in Warren, Arkansas has been ministering to women in crisis for the last 10 years. The center serves as more than just a pregnancy care center, said director Wendy Curry.

“We’re more of a family resource center where we embrace and love on the whole community,” she said. “We serve lots of different people, all the way from those with unplanned pregnancies to helping the elderly and even those who are homeless, through our food pantry.”

While Curry has been able to minster to the individuals in the past, she has noticed a recent growth in the homeless population which means that even more needs to be done.

Matt Overall, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church where Curry is a member, says he too has seen a recent influx in the homeless population in town.

“I think about 20 to 25 homeless folks are in town at pretty much all times now, and they are transient. They kind of come and go,” Overall said.

Burdened

In December, Curry became even more burdened for those without a permanent home when she saw the forecast of a winter freeze event that would sweep across Arkansas and the rest of the country.

She says God convicted her as she sat watching the weather report in her warm living room, knowing that there were people in town who would have no place to go to escape the frigid temperatures.

“We had just built a new house, and there I sat in my warm new house watching this cold weather coming in,” Curry said. “I knew I had to get off the couch and figure out a way to help provide a safe, warm place for people to ride out the storm.”

Curry knew there wasn’t much time to work out all the logistics, but she knew God was in this, so she prayed and got started. She posted a video about the need for this ministry and an anonymous donor contributed $15,000 for the cause. She then began making phone calls to find volunteers, supplies and most importantly, a place to serve as a shelter.

Curry made a call to her pastor, Matt Overall, to ask if the church would be available.

Overall, who had been out of town visiting family, said, “When she called me, I was like, absolutely, yes, we can do that. I’m coming back into town, and we’re going to make it happen.”

Overall called the deacons of Immanuel Baptist Church and told them what Curry was proposing to do. He said they all agreed without hesitation. Their response was, “This is what we’re supposed to be doing. This is what the church is supposed to do, and so why would we not?”

“I called her back and [said], ‘Hey, we’re on board. We’re ready to go,’” Overall stated. “I told her that we would do whatever we could to help.”

From there, the ball just started rolling.

“We started putting the word out in every avenue that we had available, and the town shared it. Everybody got behind it,” Overall said.

Action

Curry says that within less than two hours of the initial phone call, the church was open, security was in place, cots were provided by the city’s emergency management department and food began coming in from all over.

They also had lots of donations of jackets and blankets for those who came to visit the shelter.

Curry was surprised by the number of people that donated who had never heard of HopePlace before.

“We’ve been open 10 years. So, it just blows my mind that people don’t know about HopePlace, Warren,” she said. “We’ve been doing this so long, but they don’t know what all we offer.”

Curry reports that four people stayed overnight. Many others came in just to eat a hot meal because their pipes had burst, or they were without heat.

Eighty-one meals were served, not counting the meals provided to law enforcement and other volunteers at the shelter.

Continuing to love

The shelter stayed open for six days until the temperature rose above freezing again. But the ministry did not stop there.

Everyone who stayed was gifted with a new Bible on Christmas morning. Mentors were also paired with those who stayed at the shelter.

These mentors will go out several times a week and check on the ones who are homeless and make sure that they are eating and have what they need. Curry says they can also come to HopePlace and shower during the week and wash their clothes.

“Our hope is that we can continue to love on them and help them, you know, if they need a driver’s license, or if they need their social security card replaced, we’ll help them do that,” she said.

“We’re just trying to place them with people that understand and can encourage them to do their very best and set goals. One of the first things we do at HopePlace is help people make a goals list, because this world doesn’t tell people to dream anymore.”

Reconnecting loved ones

Looking back, Curry says one of the most rewarding moments involved a 63-year-old woman who came to stay at the shelter. As she shared the love of Christ and ministered to this woman, Curry said she slowly earned her trust to the point that the lady shared her real name.

“When the off-duty officers came in to work their shift, they called her by a different name,” Curry said. “I told them that wasn’t her name, but they said that was the name she always gave them.” One of the officers looked up the name on social media and found a missing person’s page in her name. It turns out that her family had been looking for her for five years.

“And so, on Christmas Eve, we reconnected her with her daughter,” Curry said.

Stepping out of their comfort zone

Curry encourages everyone to step out of their comfort zone and be intentional about meeting people where they are, to love them like Jesus, and to share the gospel.

“You know, you can stay in your comfortable bubble all day long, but that’s not what He wants. He’s called us to do more,” she said. “If you can’t serve by giving your time, maybe you can serve by making a pot of soup or giving a donation.”


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Travis McCormick and originally published by Arkansas Baptist News.

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches growing through community, evangelism
    U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches growing through community, evangelism
    January 27, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • TN, MS Disaster Relief teams provide support as Memphis braces for protests
    TN, MS Disaster Relief teams provide support as Memphis braces for protests
    January 27, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • First Person: 3 lessons from the 2023 March for Life
    First Person: 3 lessons from the 2023 March for Life
    January 27, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

U.S. Hispanic Protestant churches growing through community, evangelism

Hispanic churches in the United States face unique challenges but are finding success in building community within their congregations and reaching those outside their walls.

TN, MS Disaster Relief teams provide support as Memphis braces for protests

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams from Tennessee and Mississippi are providing support for first responders today (Jan.  27) in Memphis as the city braces for

First Person: 3 lessons from the 2023 March for Life

Last Friday (Jan. 20), thousands of enthusiastic individuals from every corner of the pro-life movement gathered on the National Mall for the March for Life.

Missionaries offer more than blue bear to encourage others in Belgium

A big blue bear sits on a park bench, arm extended to the side as if inviting people to come and talk. A sign on

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel