Our Mission
Operation: A New Life is
one church's mission to end homelessness one person at a time in Dayton,
OH.
In
Dayton alone there are over 2,000 homeless people. The common response,
which is a compassionate and decent response, is to provide meals and
blankets for people to help them survive on the streets. But what if we
could get people off the streets? What if we could help homeless people
find homes, jobs, spiritual wholeness, education...all that would be needed
to give them a second chance at life? If that was possible the homeless
problem would be tackled in a way that would work to end it, not just cope
with it.
That
is what Operation: A New Life is all about. Each year, we are committed to
helping one homeless man, woman or family have a second chance at life.
Perhaps some would say, "What if you give this second chance and they don't
take it or they mess it up?" That is a real possibility, but just as real
a possibility is that someone will take that second chance. We feel our responsibility
is to offer that second chance. Therefore, through the experience we have
gained in our first two years in this mission, we have developed a system of
accountability, support and resources to better increase the chances of
success for the people with whom we work. On this site you can gain access
to this system.
One
church cannot end homelessness all at once, but it can do so one person at a
time. But what if other churches, people and groups joined the
effort? Instead of one church helping one person a year, what if another
group joined to help two people or twenty groups joined to help twenty
people or 100 groups joined to help 100 homeless people?! That is our
vision. Your part can make it a reality.
