Gospel Rescue Mission welcomes conversation, collaboration

Leaders from the Gospel Rescue Mission had the opportunity to observe and listen to the Homeless Task Force Committee panel as they offered observations about the complex problem of homelessness and poverty in the city of Muskogee.

An insightful statement was given by Council member Melody Cranford, who stated that displacement is secondary to accumulating issues.

Muskogee is a city full of caring people who support and volunteer in a host of non-profits that are designed to alleviate these accumulating issues.

Of course, I represent Gospel Rescue Mission, which has operated as a resource for overnight shelter in Muskogee since 1931. But Gospel Rescue Mission is not alone in our efforts to provide resources for a more hopeful reality for people experiencing poverty and homelessness. Community organizations such as Muskogee Bridges Out of Poverty, MONARCH, KiBois Community Action Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, Baptist Free Clinic, Catholic Charities, in addition to food and clothing ministries of various churches all seek to address a piece of this complex puzzle, whether it be job training, addiction recovery, access to safe shelter, nutrition resources, or support for veterans. The collective goal of these non-profits can help address accumulating issues that lead to displacement.

These resources and initiatives are already available in Muskogee.

Law enforcement panel members on the evening of Nov. 12 spoke of the need for loitering and trespassing ordinances to prevent people from trespassing in abandoned buildings. These ordinances, if approved, would be a useful tool to prevent property damage or fires.

The City Council of Muskogee has the ability to provide this means of enforcement for police officers.

One other issue that was briefly mentioned by Kim Walton was the lack of consistent transportation for patients in poverty. Reliable transportation around town is indeed a profound problem for people experiencing poverty.

Muskogee County Transit is limited in their ability to meet the demand for these services. Expanding capacity and reliability with MCT, especially surrounding scheduling SoonerRide would be well worth it. Expanding SoonerRide capabilities could possibly ease the burden on EMS services for ambulance calls that may not meet emergency criteria.

I would like to address the discussion surrounding the Gospel Rescue Mission.

Panel members stated that there is “no safe place to have needs met.” Gospel Rescue Mission works very hard to be a safe place for people to lodge in desperate situations. Last night, while this panel was convening, 42 men, 30 women and 14 kids found safe shelter at GRM.

Our guidelines are designed to provide safety in community living. These guidelines include no alcohol or drug use during their stay, although individuals can be drunk or high when they check in.

However, we do offer the Overflow program as a gesture of compassion, which allows individuals to sleep in a safe, climate-controlled space overnight if they are not ready to give up their addiction. Overflow has been averaging about nine people over the past week. That brings the total number of people under the roof of Gospel Rescue Mission last night to 95 people.

I welcome other conversations about how GRM can collaborate with the city to accomplish its best interests.

Rich Schaus is the CEO of the Gospel Rescue Mission.

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