The following are a handful of stories about the thousands of mentally ill homeless people Servants Center has helped stabilize since the organization began in 1992. We work closely with a mix of private and public partners — including housing agencies, landlords, medical facilities, social service programs, numerous governmental agencies, private donors, foundations, businesses, and church congregations — in order to help our clients get off and stay off the streets. We are 100% donor-funded. See our Give page.

Robert

robert, reclining comfortably, at housing sc found for him.

(above) after moving into supportive housing we found for him, robert’s finally able to rest in his senior years.

Servants Center found Robert living in the doorway of an unoccupied commercial building. We were able to secure housing for him and restore his Social Security disability income. Robert is over 70 years old and is typical of the growing number of mentally impaired homeless senior citizens (and veterans) we find on the streets.

 

Vic

vic reunited with his family (above) and where Vic was camping out with a pillow and blanket he found in a dumpster (Below)

(above center) vic’s family had been looking for him for two years since he wandered away from home in detroit. we found him living under a freeway bridge in GRand rapids. when we called his family (above), they immediately drove to get him.

Vic is from Detroit. He came to Grand Rapids, stopped taking his medication and became confused. He had been homeless for over two years when Servants Center found him living under the US131 freeway. We were able to locate his worried family and they drove to Grand Rapids to take him home. This was a joyous reunion!

(above) vic — we found him on one of our regular hikes, camping under this highway 131 underpass with a pillow and blanket that he found in a dumpster.

Emma

emma's home when sc found her

(above) emma’s home — we found her living under this loading dock in filthy and dangerous conditions.

Emma lived for over a year in an opening under the loading dock of an abandoned warehouse. Servants Center helped her qualify for Social Security disability income. SC was able to find housing for Emma at the Old Morton House Apartments downtown where she lived happily for many years and was compliant with medications which helped her manage her severe mental illness.  Emma went to be with our Lord a few years and we give thanks for the opportunity we had to serve such a sweet lady.

 

Gary

a very happy gary after sc was able to find him housing, proper medical and psychiatric care, and assist him with social security benefits.

(above) gary — he was very happy we were able to find him housing, assist him with social security benefits, and get him the psychiatric care he’d never gotten.

Gary is from Haiti. Servants Center workers found him wandering the streets, wet and cold, on a winter night. All of Gary’s identification had been lost or stolen, so he could not get help from government agencies. We were able to provide him emergency housing, restore his ID, and take him through the steps to get his Social Security disability income.

Margaret

margaret, after sc found housing and helped her get benefits (above). The horrible living conditions Margaret endured for year before our help (Below).

(above) margaret — she’d been homeless since she was 15. we built a relationship with her, secured housing, and helped set up her benefits. she’s been stable ever since.

Margaret had been homeless since she was 15. We tried to reach out to her for years, but she wasn’t ready to trust us. Her addiction to drugs got in the way. The Lord softened Margaret’s heart and she allowed us to help her get off the streets. Since then she’s been drug-free, maintains her own apartment very well, and has helped us reach out to other homeless people.

(above) margaret — we found her living under this tarp. she had endured similar makeshift conditions living outdoors since she was 15, until we found her.