Philip Bray, the founder of SafeHouse Outreach, has a story that resembles the prodigal son returning home.
“Giving his life to Christ in ’82, my father was challenged by an ex-vice cop to not sit inside the church building, but to take hope to the streets,” said his son and now CEO Josh Bray.
“He really just started walking the streets of Atlanta, beginning with helping young prostitutes get off the streets,” Josh added.
SafeHouse Outreach, now in its 38th year, began in a booth at a Krystal restaurant in Atlanta, according to the son.
It was in the shadows of the night that those lost were found and “to this day we have a program called ‘Atlanta Guardian,’ ” Josh said. “It’s like a mobile case management service – it harkens back to that time period.”
Those expressing a desire to attend church led to midnight services, the hour they said they felt most comfortable.
“It was such a neat way to look at people as people: you are not a prostitute, you’re a person, a daughter or a son. Taking those derogatory labels off of people changes the way you see them, which in turn changes the way you serve them,” the CEO said.
The now full-service community development organization is built on four programs that work to create a more stable life: IMPACT, Problem Solvers, Atlanta Guardian and Career Development, according to the group’s website.
When COVID-19 hit the city, SafeHouse hit the pause button and reset its outreach to meet the additional needs for those to be served.
“The flow of individuals into homelessness doesn’t cease,” Josh said. “When shelters as service providers have to close their doors and shelter in place it makes a bigger demand on those that serve outside of the walls.”
Serving only dinners during the pandemic, the numbers have skyrocketed from 125-140 nightly to a few nights of over 300.
“One nice piece about this all, you know, Gateway, Atlanta Mission, SafeHouse and Crossroads – there are other places as well – but us four are working together and putting aside any missional or methodology differences because the heart is the same,” he added.
For more information, visit www.safehouseoutreach.org or call 404-523-2221.
Each Sunday we write about a deserving person or charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To submit a story for us to cover, email us at ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
