“It’s Not Just What You Say — It’s What You Do.”
In a powerful story told by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, he recalls the day he walked into a homeless mission for the first time.
He admits that, before then, he thought people who were homeless “just needed to get a job.” But then he met a 21-year-old named Jason — a young man who had lost his entire family to tragedy and turned to addiction because, as Jason said, “I just couldn’t hurt anymore.”
“All of a sudden,” Foxworthy said, “you realize: there but for the grace of God, I’m in a homeless mission.”
It’s a moment of clarity that many of us can relate to — the realization that behind every face experiencing homelessness is a story of pain, loss, and resilience. These are not people who have “given up.” They are people trying, often against impossible odds, to heal, to rebuild, and to belong again.
Watch the video below.
It’s On All of Us.
Homelessness doesn’t just happen to someone else.
It happens to neighbors. To veterans. To families with children. To people who were one lost paycheck away from losing everything.
At MCREST, we believe that compassion is a community responsibility.
Our programs don’t just give someone a warm bed—we help them rebuild their lives.
From case management and transportation to job assistance and permanent housing, we walk alongside every person on their journey back to stability.
A Safety Net That's Fraying Fast.
Across the nation, we’re seeing government aid programs that once served as lifelines vanish before our eyes.
The most recent blow: the reduction of SNAP (food assistance) benefits, which left 42 million Americans suddenly struggling to feed their families.
This isn’t a distant issue—it’s a warning.
As federal and state funding continues to dwindle, agencies like MCREST are forced to stretch every single dollar further than ever before.
Without local support, those already on the edge fall through the cracks.
Homeless Individuals Are In Severe Risk Right Here in Macomb County
For more than 35 years, MCREST has been the hand that reaches out when someone has nowhere else to go.
In 2022, we opened our permanent Women and Children’s Shelter, ensuring stability for hundreds of families.
Meanwhile, our Men’s Program—once hosted by our network of rotating churches—began to shrink as fewer congregations were able to host.
With less than ten participating churches, we faced an impossible choice: continue paying for costly motel stays or pause the program entirely.
In July, for the first time in MCREST’s history, we had to pause our Men’s Program.
It was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever made.
But Here’s the Good News!
Thanks to a $100,000 grant from Lowe's, we're changing that story.
Construction is underway right now to renovate an entire floor of our current building into a new 20-bed Men’s Shelter—a permanent, year-round home for men rebuilding their lives.
A true home, built by community compassion.
No more rotating shelters.
No more nights spent searching for space.
This is one of the most transformative milestones in MCREST’s history—and we can’t wait to open those doors.
But We Can’t Do It Alone
Building this new Men’s Shelter means higher ongoing costs: more meals, more beds, more transportation, more staff.
And this comes at a time when national and local funding is disappearing faster than ever.
Your support is what keeps this mission alive.
Every single dollar changes a life.
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$100 provides meals and beverages for every guest for a week
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$250 covers laundry for 80 guests for a week
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$500 feeds 50 women and children three meals a day
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$4,300 shelters 20 men safely for one full week
Your generosity is the difference between safety and suffering.
Our 2025 Fundraising Campaign: “We Lift Together”
Through our social media and newsletters, hear directly from our guests—stories of survival, recovery, and the human spirit’s resilience.
Because when one of us stumbles, we all have a part to play in lifting them up.
Together, we are a community that refuses to look away.
Please consider making a donation today so we can continue to help those who are in need.
We provide critical winter care, and continue serving over 650 individuals each year—more than half of whom are women and children.
