Judah Jackson
Kalamazoo, MI
When anyone or a agency confesses Jesus Christ as their savior, the standard of performance is set high. This high bar is the standard used for this review. I resided at the mission from the summer of 2024 to summer 2025, having participated in the General Services and Next Steps Program. Having a large facility is a strong asset for south western Michigan, they can accommodate a large number of people. Because KGM works with a high volume of chronically homeless people, most of the veteran staff are burnt out and have become desensitized to the needs of the homeless population. The two strongest criticisms KGM needs to address are: 1: The exploitation of the homeless for their labor . 2. The insensitivity to the needs of the seniors and handicapped population. I have witnessed homeless residents being required to provide 2 to 4 times , in some cases, the employment value for the services received from KGM. The Next Steps program requires MANDATORY 20 hours of “Christian Service” labor per week. This would be fair if the residents had 24 hour access to the shelter like a regular rental lease but it is only a night shelter, you sleep overnight but you must get out in the morning and return in the evening. KGM took the Long Term program group to northern Michigan for I WEEK requiring them to perform heavy labor, males and females, moving fallen tree branches and landscaping! It’s fair for residents to do “ chores” to support the mission but I feel KGM administration has crossed the line from volunteering to exploiting residents for labor. Also the special needs of seniors and the handicapped are ignored. Many times I’ve seen and experienced seniors and handicapped waiting long periods of time outside the building in extreme weather both cold and hot(See photos). I attempted to advocate for these vulnerable populations by writing a grievance letter to administration, offering practical solutions to improve the treatment of the elderly and handicapped but they never replied back to me. Being a resident and having worked as a social service professional with the homeless population myself, I understand how challenging the tasks are to serve this population BUT as CHRISTIANS we must be who we say we are, live by faith. In Matthew 14:13-22 , The disciples panicked and told Jesus to send away the hungry 5000 men, plus women and children because they only saw limited resources. Jesus said,”No”, YOU feed them, he took the small fish and rolls and multiplied it. As professing CHRISTIANS , Saying,”we don’t have the budget or the staff, ain’t gonna cut it!” KGM staff we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us!
