Small Tennessee Church Helps 300+ Homeless Students

THE CHURCH

Jackson First Assembly of God in Jackson, Tennessee 

THE CHALLENGE 

More than 300 local students were homeless. 

ONE BIG IDEA

Partner with the school system to directly supply these kids with essentials.

Pastor Garry Martin doesn’t have to imagine what it feels like to be a child in crisis–he remembers it. The instability. The fear. The moment at 15 when he ran away from home because the abuse had become unbearable. 

“I could not endure it any longer,” says Martin. “My sister allowed me to live with her and that’s how I was able to escape.”

That painful, formative experience has led to an unexpected and powerful community mission in Jackson, Tennessee. 

For the past 15 years, Martin has served as pastor of Jackson First Assembly of God where he leads a small congregation of 65 people who are mission-minded. The spark came last December from a woman in Martin’s church who shared an email she had received from her child’s elementary school. It stated that the school had 100 homeless students who needed warm clothing for winter.

“She asked if the church could help, and I said absolutely,” explains Martin. 

When he contacted the school system directly, he was told that more than 300 homeless or displaced students were registered across the district. 

“I was blown away,” he says. He quickly learned about “hidden homelessness” where children sleep in cars, motels, tents or doubled up with relatives. To find that this wasn’t a distant statistic but rather happening in his own backyard stunned him.

“I didn’t realize there were school buses pulling into motel parking lots,” he says. “I never saw it until I was aware of the issue, and then I saw it every day.”

Thinking back on times he has driven past individuals holding signs asking for help, Martin reflects, “We get immune to it. We separate ourselves because we don’t want to see it, but if we see it visually and spiritually, we have a responsibility to respond.”

He learned that these kids don’t always have access to showers or washing machines, so they often get teased by peers for their appearance or cleanliness. Emotionally, that’s a big drain on them. Plus, it’s difficult to focus on school when one’s stomach is empty. 

Tragically, for some kids, living conditions are even worse.

“Some children are being sold by family members for money so they can feed their [drug] habits. They are being given away in trade for drugs and then they come to school after being abused sexually,” notes Martin. “We expect them to concentrate and be their best, but some of them are in extremely dangerous environments. Academically, they can’t do their best. Emotionally, they are a mess.”

Martin and his wife have always led their congregation outward. “A lot of churches get complacent and find themselves inside of their buildings, and that’s where they stay. I love getting out into the community.”

Jackson First is not a megachurch. It’s not even a mid-sized church. But what it lacks in numbers, it makes up for in heart. Through the years, church members have painted school cafeterias and hallways, provided shoes for students, and built community relationships that made the next step possible. So when the student homeless crisis came to light, the church was quick to help. 

They contacted local businesses they had relationships with, and those businesses responded in all sorts of ways. Some donated money, others donated pizzas, and so on. Then a local radio station suggested doing a 10-hour radiothon in order to spread the word about the need, and the church joined in.

The broader community—businesses, individuals, current and former residents—all stepped up to help with overwhelming generosity. By the end of the radiothon, they had collected $28,000 in cash and $20,000 in donations of coats, gloves, socks, scarves, sleeping bags, toys and other essentials.

The church put the cash donations into a special account earmarked for the school system so that when schools receive specific requests for help (e.g., backpacks, clothing, food, etc.), they can send the inquiry directly to Jackson First. The church then can purchase and deliver the items, thus ensuring donations go exactly where intended.

This year, the church plans to participate in the radiothon again where they hope to double last year’s grand total. Martin believes they will do it.

“We’re not a big church, but we are a willing one,” he adds. “We can’t do what a megachurch can do, but we can do what we can do if we set our minds to it and allow God to do it through us.”