Meeting the needs of the homeless

In early 2020, as the world entered the global pandemic, Center Ridge Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, saw a population who was left uncared for. In the middle of chaos, Center Ridge saw their neighbors who were in need. Gloved and masked up, the church loaded up their van with resources to help those living in homelessness. 

April Hatfield, CityServe Arkansas liaison for Center Ridge, saw this need while driving past a man walking into the woods. Watching where he went, Hatfield found a large homeless camp. After sharing what she saw, the church came together and wanted to care for those living in the camp. 

“Our main goal was to focus on those who lost their jobs. After doing research and listening to other individuals, we shifted our focus to the homeless community. The homeless were kind of left out there during the pandemic and we wanted to shift our focus to this vulnerable population,” Hatfield said. “We started right when the pandemic hit in 2020. It was ironic because everyone was afraid to go out because no one understood what was going on. Our church came together, loaded up vans and hit the streets.” 

Since that first visit in 2020, Center Ridge goes out quarterly to minister and bless those in the camp. With items ordered through CityServe, Center Ridge has been able to provide tents, blankets, bedding, canopies, hygiene items, food and water for those living in the camp. From the growth of their outreach, Center Ridge named this ministry Other Sheep because of the “unseen sheep” they minister too. 

“The Bible talks about other sheep that are not of this fold. These are the sheep that are in the community that we don’t see at church or Bible study every week,” Hatfield reflected. 

When ministering to those experiencing homelessness, it starts by building relationships to find practical needs that can be met. 

“The best way to meet the needs of those who are homeless is to meet them where they are. This looks like reaching out and having conversations to find out what they need and treating them like people. Let them know they are not looked down upon and are children of God,” Hatfield said. 

From the growth Center Ridge has seen from their outreach, the church plans to open a new ministry location in Little Rock called Life Center to multiply impact . The Life Center will be fully staffed to cook hot meals and stock a food bank for anyone to visit who are in need.

“We have a big vision for a small church. Over the next two years, we hope to build a Life Center. The Life Center will serve as a location to provide resources for those who are homeless. We also want to add a food bank for anyone who is in need. For our ministry, this is just the beginning. We’re trusting God with this plan that we have in place,” Holt said.

When caring for the poor, Hatfield reminds believers that these are people we are called to help. 

“We’re instructed to care for the poor. In Matthew 25 Jesus talks about a group of righteous people that make it to heaven. Jesus goes on to say what you’ve done for the least of these you’ve done for me,” Holt explained. “Everything we do we want to do it for the Lord because we are caring for His children. If we care for the least, we’re doing it unto God.” 

For more information on the outreach of Center Ridge Missionary Baptist Church, visit https://www.centerridgembc.org or follow them on Facebook at centerridgembclr.