- [Narrator] This is a production of wEDU PBS, Tampa St. Petersburg, Sarasota.

- [Cathy] Outreach, service, empowerment.

Those are the beliefs of one social enterprise that provides work and housing to the homeless in Lakeland.

Learn more about Gospel, Inc. and the Gospel Village, a Christ centered, authentic community that serves persons experiencing homelessness with dignity.

Coming up next.

(upbeat music) - Welcome to upClose, I'm Cathy Unruh.

{\an1}Gospel, Inc. is a nonprofit in Lakeland that assists the areas poor and homeless persons.

The goal, is to empower the Lakeland community to serve their neighbors in need with dignity through purposeful work and a permanent home.

And we're joined today by Brian Seeley He is executive director of Gospel, Inc. Also with us is Beverly Marek.

She's a recipient at Gospel, Inc. and a Gospel Village community member.

Thank you both for joining us today.

{\an1}- Thank you for having us.

{\an1}- So Brian, tell us where this idea came from and how you turned it into reality.

- Oh, well, for me, it real started with the... My conversion to Christianity and I was inspired by the person of Jesus and the way that he moves towards people that are outcast.

{\an1}And not only moves towards them to help them, but brings them into community with him.

I mean, they're...

They became his people.

And so I loved that about Jesus and it was really my inspiration to start working with folks that are homeless and befriend folks out there and also start thinking about ways to care for them and inspire others to follow Jesus in that pattern.

{\an1}- So when was your conversion?

How long ago?

- I was 19.

So that's 16 years ago.

- And are you you from Lakeland?

Is that why this endeavor is in Lakeland?

- No, I'm actually originally from Long Island, New York, and I eventually came to Lakeland to study at Southeastern University.

I earned a Bachelor's in theology there and then also a Master's in counseling.

- So what led you toward this project?

- During that time that I was in Lakeland, I began to spend, you know, every day with homeless folks, it was really a call from God in my life that I felt was gonna be my, you know, {\an1}permanent call and that I'd be doing this forever.

And so I just started to engage people and really understand who they are, what their needs are.

How do I to come alongside them.

Our first tagline was, "Walking With the Homeless."

And so it was important to me that I just walk with people where they're at, meet 'em where they're at {\an1}and started getting other college students involved.

And it was...

It began with just a meal that we served on Friday nights.

And then eventually we moved into the neighborhood.

- Let's run through just a few quick facts.

So what year was Gospel, Inc. incorporated.

- In 2011.

- And how many people currently are on the organization side?

How many people work for Gospel, Inc.?

- We have five full-time employees and two part-time.

And then the folks that we house are also employed by us.

On our payroll.

- And I wanna hear more about that too, but how many people are you housing right now?

- At Gospel Village, there's about 40 people that are being housed there right now.

- And I imagine you of volunteers also.

- Yeah, we have volunteers on a weekly basis.

Big groups will come out for serve days.

I'd say we have about 500 volunteers that come out over the course of the year.

- That's great.

So Beverly, tell us about you.

How did you get involved with Gospel, Inc.?

- I become homeless.

I lost my husband and my dad three months apart.

And then I let my sister and her boyfriend live with me and I lost my house then because they wanted to take over.

And when they took over, they had me put in jail.

- When they took over, they what?

- My sister had me put in jail for assault and battery, but the charges was dropped.

By the time I got back to the house, everything was gone.

I couldn't get nothing back.

So I became homeless.

And I went...

I heard about the arts center because I was at the tablet house and people was telling me about the art center.

And I went over there and at that time it was Miss Conth and Joyce that was working there and they kept trying to push me into the sewing.

{\an1}And I said, no, I can't do this.

I can't do this.

{\an1}- Beverly, I'm gonna very rudely interrupt you because I think before you finish with that, {\an1}we need to understand that the Restore Art Center is.

Brian, tell us quickly what that is.

{\an1}- So the Repurpose Art Studio is a space where... On the one hand is a coffee shop {\an1}where ladies that are experiencing homelessness {\an1}can come in off the street {\an1}and just spend time with our volunteers and staff.

And then the afternoons, we provide sewing internships {\an1}and other art internships.

{\an1}And that's actually sort of how folks come through our program to eventually transition into permanent housing.

- Right.

So you get to know them and they get a skill and you get a sense of who everybody is, right?

- Yes.

- Okay.

So Beverly you didn't wanna do it at first?

- No, I didn't wanna do it at first, but they kept at me and I said, "Okay, I'll give in and I'll do it."

And I did the sewing class for 16 weeks, graduated it.

Got my own sewing machine.

I started working.

I mean, I sew at home all the time now.

I do other things with my sewing machine.

And I mean, I've really enjoyed the time that I've had with it.

I mean, I did put something toward it and I learned a lot from it.

{\an1}- So you not only experienced homelessness, you had a lot of heartbreak during that too.

So that was really, really tough.

And we're gonna learn a little bit more about the work that Gospel, Inc. is doing in this overview right now.

(upbeat music) {\an1}- To those of you that do not know where we are.

{\an1}We're standing on the property of Gospel, Inc..

I happen to be blessed to be one of the new recipients of my own apartment.

- Love that.

- Mine.

You know, come with me.

{\an1}I'm sorry, y'all.

- [Man] This is beautiful.

- [Brian] God, community, home, and purpose.

{\an1}These are the pillars upon which we are building and everything we aim to do is inspired by the person of Jesus and his ministry to the outcast.

Gospel, Inc. is a community of believers {\an1}walking with the homeless.

We intersect with the people we serve in our shared brokenness and need for God and one another.

God's steadfast love bonds us together and springs us into the life giving community that is Gospel, Inc.. (upbeat music) - [Lorree] Being in the homeless shelter is a... {\an1}It's an animal of its own, if you've never encountered it before.

It's a rather upnerving.

So to be able to...

Even though that was the place for me {\an1}to shower, eat and sleep.

To be able to go to the Repurpose Art Studio, it was like a breath of fresh air.

After getting acclimated there, I learned that they had an internship.

I felt like, whatever's going on here... And I realized that night that it was really the presence of the Lord that I felt.

Even though I know he's in my heart, I felt that when I went into this particular building.

The entire program is set up for someone.

If they have that initiative to want to do better with their lives, it's set up for someone to be homeless, living in a car to a beautiful place like this.

I feel totally blessed.

(upbeat music) - [Brian] We had been blessed with Gospel Village and we are in the first phase of which will be 50 units.

Our vision is to expand Gospel Village, to eventually have the capacity to serve all the chronically homeless of Lakeland and to be a refuge where they can settle, put down roots, and permanently call home.

{\an1}Gospel Village is a place filled with purpose {\an1}and plenty of work to do.

Many of the residents in our village are unable to find employment elsewhere and have now landed in a community that invites them to contribute with gifts they have.

Where everyone is making a difference and adding to the quality of life through share.

(upbeat music) - Welcome everyone.

My name is Rachel.

If you don't know me, I'm the Office Administrator, Bookkeeper and today...

Thank you.

We are moving some people in.

Woo.

(clapping) We just wanna celebrate the people we're moving in today.

We have three people today, but we've already moved in four of the housing program participants.

{\an1}And so today we would like to just do a celebration.

We're gonna do a blessing for you guys.

We wanna pray over you and your new homes.

And we also wanna give a gift to everybody.

(upbeat music) Congratulations.

- [Lorree] Today's experience... {\an1}Packing was emotional, leaving my old roommates, but to walk in and see this apartment, the way that they have just gutted it out and remodeled and the lead students from the university coming over and unpacking of boxes and {\an1}somewhere I can call home.

It was breathtaking.

When I first walked in, I cried.

But to have the love of those young people here, {\an1}it made me feel even more welcomed.

I feel blessed.

- [Brian] We invite you to join us in this mission of homemaking for the homeless Together we can build more than a house.

We can build a community that changes our city.

- And Brian, where in Lakeland is this located and how many acres?

- So it's located on East Lemon Street, {\an1}which is nearby downtown, and there's approximately three acres.

- And how is it funded?

- So our operating funds is primarily private.

It's about 85% privately funded and 15% grants.

And then our capital, which is to build more units and that sort of deal and purchasing land, has probably been a mix.

Probably 50, 50 on grants from...

Through the county and then also private donations.

- And then do the residents pay rent.

- So yes, residents do pay rent.

And if they're unable to pay rent, then they can work 10 hours a week, which covers their rent.

{\an1}If they do have an income, then they could work five hours a week and pay $250 a month towards their rent.

- Beverly, tell me what it's like to live there and what it feels like to have your own home and to be paying rent and contributing.

- Well, like I said, before I came homeless, I was paying house payments.

So I told Brian and them when they started moving us over here, that's what I wanted to start doing, is paying my own rent again because I felt like I was not doing my part.

Because I was just taking the sewing class and I wasn't paying my own rent.

And I felt really bad about it.

{\an1}But now, since I'm not...

I can't be on the payroll no more because when I was on the payroll, my checks got cut, my SSI checks.

So I had to come off the payroll, but I still help Brian and them out.

And I still pay my own rent and I feel better ahout myself.

- I'm sure.

I'm sure you do.

And Brian, tell us about the various aspects {\an1}of the community, the farm, the jobs available, what all happens there.

- So it's important to us that people have work to do.

You'll find out on the streets that people lose a sense of purpose when they aren't able to get hired at different places and just because of various issues that they might have, they can't maintain regular employment.

So we wanna give everyone to work to do so they can participate and contribute.

And so we have a garden that people help with.

That's just like watering, planting, {\an1}maintaining the property.

We have a community fridge and pantry that Beverly and other residents... {\an1}Stephanie help to maintain {\an1}and people come and donate to that.

And they sort it.

And it's open daily to the residents at Gospel Village.

We got a... - So there are various jobs and do the residents get paid for the jobs?

- So the jobs, they do.

So they receive a check and then a portion of their check goes towards rent.

- And you use the term micro-enterprise work.

- We use the term micro-enterprise work {\an1}because there's some things that we do that are particularly creative, like the sewing internship, where some of the ladies have gone on to sew for other companies independently and that sort of deal.

So the idea behind it is that they're able to earn an income even outside of Gospel, Inc. - And you say that one of the goals is to eventually house every homeless person in Lakeland, how many homes would that be eventually?

- So the goal is to provide enough housing for every person experiencing chronic homelessness and a person who is chronically homeless or that particular population of, homeless folks only make up about 15 to 20% of the total homeless population.

We re...

There's really not a good number.

In 2020, there is a count that they do every year.

And there is about 600 people experiencing homelessness.

And in a study I recently read 40% of those folks have been homeless for a year or longer.

And the person who's chronically homeless would probably fall into that category.

- And to put that in perspective, that's about one half of percent of Lakeland's total population, is experiencing homelessness.

So Beverly, how are you just emotionally now, knowing that people cared about you, and they made this possible for you.

- [Beverly] I'm really happy for it, but I'm going through some more circumstances.

{\an1}And this place that's been backing me up all the way.

- And Brian, you touched of course, {\an1}on your Christian faith and how that drives this, but how important it is to the mission and the goals of the organization?

{\an1}How much is that a part of what the residents believe or come to believe?

- Yeah, so we provide opportunities on site like a Bible study or prayer time, and that sort of deal.

It's not required that people participate.

It's just something that we have available.

And it, of course, it's in... On our heart that people would come to know God and we believe that that's a transformative power in our lives and can be in their lives as well.

{\an1}- And part of your belief system, I think is that you believe that God thinks everybody {\an1}should have stable roots and should have community and should be provided what you're providing.

Is that correct?

- I think that's God's design for us.

To live in community that way.

- Do you have a support system?

Do you feel like in the community?

Friends that you can talk to and... - Yeah.

I've got Brian, I've got Rachel, I've got Murray.

I've got all the staff here.

I've got a lot of friends through this program that I can talk to.

It's just, I mean, I do have a lot of support {\an1}and I thought I was trying to get support back with my sister right before when my first surgery, but it didn't work out that way.

So it's more or less to me...

This program is my (mumbles).

I don't have family.

I've got a brother that's in Crossville, but he can't make trips down here to see me and stuff.

So like I said, this is my family right here, and God is too.

- And Brian is the goal for the people who live in the village to sometime move on or are they welcome to stay forever?

Or how does that go?

- Because of the low income that a lot of our folks have or disabilities that they have that prevent them from being able to maintain regular employment.

We anticipate that they will need a home permanently with us.

Of course they... {\an1}If they found another option, they can move on.

But the transitional program doesn't work for our folks because they're not able to transition onto a different situation where they can afford to pay rent somewhere, for example.

And so they need an affordable place to pay rent and we believe that we all need community and support in order to maintain stable housing.

- How many people have you been able to support since you started Gospel, Inc.?

- In housing?

- [Cathy] Yes.

- So, I don't have a number on that, but I can say we've probably housed about 22 people or so in the last couple years or few years, as we've been working towards getting Gospel Village and that sort of deal.

- And let's talk just a little bit about homelessness and of course, Beverly has been a perfect example.

It's... {\an1}The word perfect is awful, but an example of the kinds of circumstances {\an1}that can converge and make a person become homeless.

Have you had people from all different walks of lives with very different stories?

- Yes.

For example, there's one lady who lives at the village {\an1}who has seizures almost daily or every other day, which obviously would prevent her from being able to, you know, keep a job.

{\an1}Extremely hard worker, but that's her situation.

And then we've got another lady who got into a car accident {\an1}and it made it so that she needs to use a walker and that sort of deal.

So you got folks that have had physical handicaps, there's some folks who have very severe mental health issues like schizophrenia, that they're just gonna need to have support, you know, the rest of their lives through that.

And... - So do you need to address stereotypes in your work, Brian, of what people might think the homeless are?

- Yes.

For sure.

You know, a lot of times you see folks, you know, sitting in the park and the assumption is that they could go get a job or (mumbles).

And they're just lazy.

However, for most...

Most of them, at least folks that I know that are around have disability checks because they have a disability.

And so they have a very low income, which makes it so they can't afford to rent anywhere.

I've gone out to the labor pools when I spent time living with the homeless and we'd go out there every day with a few people and they might go out once or twice a week on a ticket and that of course would not be enough to support themselves.

So it's not for a lack of trying.

What I find is that many of them have tried over and over and over again and then give up.

And so when someone is making that assumption, they're looking at someone who probably gave up and that's how they're drawing that conclusion, 'Cause that's what it would look like.

- And of course, we're seeing homelessness rise currently.

Beverly, what would you want people to know about homelessness?

- That were not out there because we wanted to be out there.

{\an1}I mean, you gotta look at all of our circumstances.

- Brian is Gospel Village unique or are there communities like this elsewhere in the US?

- It is a unique model that we took from Community First Village in Austin, Texas.

{\an1}Who I would say was really the first ones to do this {\an1}in the way that we do it.

There's other permanent supportive housing options out there for people in, throughout the nation.

But as far as the way that we do it, I would say it's pretty unique.

- And let's speak to your Lakeland neighbors or our viewers.

How can people help?

- Spreading the word, which is what you're helping to do.

Just getting more people in our network to help support what we're doing.

And that means coming out to the village, come take a tour, I'll show you around.

{\an1}And we can talk then about ways that you'd like to get involved.

- Because you can help make meals.

You can do repair projects, you can do construction, you can work on the farm, right?

There's a plethora of things.

{\an1}- Lots of opportunity to get involved all the time.

- Beverly, you feel like you get to know a lot of people through the folks coming out to help?

- [Beverly] Yeah, we do.

I do.

I mean, we had a fundraiser three or four months ago {\an1}and I thought, "All these people here for us, I can't believe it."

{\an1}- We had about 600 people show up to our fundraiser.

- How did that make you feel Beverly?

Knowing that they were all there to help you.

- It felt good because I never knew that... Really how they got all the money to do all this stuff with.

- And I'm sure it felt like you were feeling the love that you're intended to feel there.

- Yes.

- You feel like that gets communicated adequately Brian.

- Yeah.

That's certainly our goal.

Of course, you know, we're human and we can screw up sometimes and have to apologize.

But I would say the overall sense is that there's a very loving environment and that we're there to care for folks {\an1}and we wanna inspire our community to do likewise.

And again, it's all just pointing to the person of Jesus and following in his steps.

So it's a mission of God and we're... We have the privilege to participate in it.

- And I just really quickly wanna say gospel of course, is in the Bible.

The gospel's in the Bible, the story of Jesus, but it also means good news.

Is that why you chose the name?

- Yeah, I think so.

I think I just loved the name.

Yeah.

I love the idea that we're bringing good news to people and it's a lot of fun.

- What is your vision for the future of homelessness?

Broadly speaking, the whole issue, what should happen?

- So that's a really big question.

For the specific population that we work with, which would be chronically homeless.

I would love to see others cities in our county have a village in it.

I'd like for Lakeland to be caring for folks that are homeless in Lakeland {\an1}and Winter Haven to be caring for folks homeless in Winter Haven and for us to all really, kind of carry the burden together.

And there's a huge need, I was in a meeting with the county recently and there was a need...

There's a gap in affordable housing, about 22,000 units.

And that's not just for chronically homeless.

That's for like all people that are at risk of homelessness or experiencing homelessness, not necessarily chronic homelessness.

So just think about how big that number is.

So building more housing is critical.

You need more units that are affordable.

And for our folks that, you know, certainly having either no income {\an1}or income as low as 700, some odd dollars a month, they need affordable housing.

{\an1}- Beverly, how about you?

What's your dream for the future?

- My dream for the future is to be able to help Brian and them more.

I wanna grow with this company.

- Okay.

Well we wish you both luck in the work that you're doing and thank you very much for being with us today.

- Yeah.

Thank you.

{\an1}- You can learn more about this organization at gospelinc.org.

Thanks for watching this episode of upClose, I'm Cathy Unruh and I'll see you next time.

(upbeat music)