Community

The Bowery Mission Makes A Dent In The Homeless Community

The bright red doors of The Bowery Mission in New York’s East Village offer a gateway to a new life for homeless in the area.

Men and women between the ages of 25 and 60 visit the site on Bowery and Prince Street that not only offers food and shelter, but also provides clothing, showers, worship services, medical treatments, job opportunities and rehabilitation.

Pastor Delon Ali has been working at the mission as the Compassionate and Care Manager for the past three years.

Eight years ago, Ali was in the same position as the people he helps on a daily basis: homeless and struggling with addiction to cocaine and alcohol.

One night, his friend invited him to The Bowery Mission where Ali listened to the testimonies and thought to himself. “If they can do it, so can I.” He walked through those same red doors with no money, no food and no self-love.

“I wanted to commit suicide. I had a good job and lost everything,” Ali said, “I rode the train from Queens to Coney Island for years, and I didn’t shower.”

Scriptures from the Bible on love and forgiveness line the walls of the sanctuary on the first floor of the building where right above, the homeless sleep for the night.

“The goal here is life transformations, but to also build relationships with the individuals from the moment they step foot [inside],”Ali said.

The Bowery Mission has helped 156 of their members find jobs and seen 168 placed in stable housing since 2014. Their three programs across New York City have helped 314 men and women regain sobriety, reconnect with family and faith and pursue educational goals.

Contemporary Christian music is played in the chapel where the homeless of all ages and races fill in the brown, wooden pews three times a day. In the next room, guests are invited to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The Bowery Mission guarantees a balanced meal containing proteins, carbohydrates and grains. They stay away from desserts due to health concerns.

“We would not be able to get where we need to be regarding the quality of our food without the commitment from local markets such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods who donate towards the program,” said James Macklin, 75, Director of the outreach program at The Bowery Mission.

The Bowery Mission also offers medical services on the second floor of the church.

The medical office is funded by a monthly grant from Hope for New York. Through this grant, they are able to locate volunteers such as nurses, doctors and social workers. Over the past couple of years, the medical services have served over 3,000 patients. The treatments offered vary from diabetes, asthma, dermatological conditions and even hypertension.

Anthony James, 42, a former member of the program is currently training to become a staff member: “I have become more patient with people. Many times homeless people are seen as being ‘invisible’ and I want to change that. I want to give back what was given to me,” said James.

Although people are getting the care and attention they need, space is becoming more of a problem. Due to this issue, the mission opens up the chapel and the dining hall so that they can fit more people. “We will never turn anyone down, we always make accommodations,” said Ali.

“I know what it feels like to be rejected and left on the streets,” said Ali. The Bowery Mission continues to set goals for the organization so that they can continue impacting the homeless community for the better.