Faith
One thousand, one hundred and thirty-four. That’s how many nights were spent in the Greenville Rescue Mission - Miracle Hill Ministries emergency shelter for men by Brian Bowie’s client, Vincent. A former firefighter, Vincent is a kind soul with a blemish on his past. Despite having served time for his mistake, no employer or potential landlord would take a chance on him.
With Brian’s help, Vincent submitted dozens of applications for employment, yet there were no offers. Brian describes Vincent as, “a very good guy. VERY good. I mean he’s such a good guy and just could not catch a break. He would come to the Greenville Rescue Mission emergency shelter for men and cry. He couldn’t understand why he went to prison, paid his price, then when he got out, he couldn’t find a way to live.”
Brian himself could relate to Vincent’s frustration. Brian connected with Miracle Hill Ministries emergency shelter first as a volunteer, then as a donation attendant at one of the Miracle Hill Ministries thrift stores where he went on to serve as manager for four years. He returned to the men’s emergency shelter as an Intake Coordinator, achieved a degree in social work, and is now working to help the un-housed find homes. Brian also participates in Coffee Club, a collaborative group of Greenville County professionals who meet weekly to discuss the most vulnerable chronically homeless persons and to address their specific needs.
His client, Vincent, had lost his faith. Faith in humanity, even faith in God. At Miracle Hill Ministries, religion is not a requirement to be sheltered, or to participate in the resources available through them. Brian says it is “by example” that he feels their Christ-like work is most valuable. Over time, Brian’s example helped Vincent first find trust, then respect, and ultimately his own understanding of God’s role in his life. Vincent wanted to help, so he volunteered at the shelter and moved into Miracle Hill Ministries transitional housing as a next step from an emergency shelter bed.
The Greenville Homeless Alliance’s Housing Navigator role in partnership with the Piedmont Health Foundation and the GVL iGNITE Fund was established with clients like Vincent in mind: someone who has a stable income (meaning both consistent and non-variable such as Social Security) but who often has some significant obstacle to securing safe, stable housing. In Vincent’s case, it was having a past crime haunt him many years after he made amends. The daily focus of the Housing Navigator to locate safe, affordable housing managed by willing landlords made all the difference for Vincent. Providing exits from homelessness also opens up emergency shelter beds and transitional housing opportunities, and ultimately reduces charges to vital community assets such as our hospital systems. The 2023 Unsheltered Homelessness Brief cited that a person experiencing chronic homelessness costs the taxpayer an average of $35,578 per year.
Now that Vincent has moved into a stable situation, he has become the ‘house manager’ for the group in his shared environment. Brian’s continued engagement with Vincent has become as much friendship as mentoring and counseling. “Vincent calls every few days, you know, just to talk about the Forty-Niners!”
In 2023, GHA partnered with the Piedmont Health Foundation to hire DeAndra “DJ” Hillman as GHA’s Housing Navigator for Greenville County.
The Housing Navigator is leading a pilot from January 2024 - December 2026 that focuses on creating a bridge between Housing Providers and Frontline Service Providers working with people experiencing chronic homelessness. This pilot seeks to explore what innovative and flexible practices can transform how our community connects people who have experienced chronic homelessness to stable homes, ultimately improving their overall health outcomes.