Lewis Finds Call at Mission (Sept 19, 2007 article)

Lewis finds call at Mission (from 5 years ago)
Press-Telegram  |  September 19, 2007 | Greg Mellen

LONG BEACH - When the Long Beach Rescue Mission celebrates its anniversary at a banquet Thursday, it will look back over 35 years of providing help to the city's homeless and destitute.

But there will be another anniversary of note. Jim Lewis will be wrapping up a jam-packed first year at the Long Beach Mission as president and CEO. Lewis admits that when he first agreed to come to Long Beach, after a successful run at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, he had his doubts and only agreed to work as a consultant. But Lewis says, "Once I was here, it was a done deal."

It took little time, Lewis says, for him to change his mind. "It was a very spiritual moment for me to understand I was needed here," Lewis says. "Working with the homeless is very difficult. You better know you're being called to it. I needed to know. It was a very personal and spiritual moment. It's not a job, it's a ministry."

Certainly Lewis doesn't have to look far to see the need. Through the heavy grating on his office window at 1335 Pacific Ave. and past the empty lot across the street, Lewis has a prime view of the notorious 14th Street Park and the group of homeless who congregate at its eastern end.

Once Lewis decided to take the plunge, it was head first. Consider: In just a year Lewis has spent $500,000 improving the facilities, including [termite] tenting the main building. Two days before the anniversary dinner, Lewis was meeting with contractors to discuss an impressive facade improvement plan for the main shelter and its satellite buildings. To make way for added programs, the Rescue Mission bought a new building for administrative offices. The staff has more than doubled, from 12 to 25 members.

The mission has added case management with most of its 160 shelter beds, meaning the homeless are guided to social services and helped through steps that can help them leave homelessness. This means they may stay longer, but hopefully will have a better chance of escaping the cycle of homelessness. "We try to create an exit strategy," Lewis said.

The shelter now serves more than 400 meals a day, up from about 250 a year ago. Oh, yeah, and he also agreed to run the winter emergency homeless shelter when no one else in town wanted anything to do with it. And he was able to make it through the winter without complaints from law enforcement or the community.

More important than those accomplishments, Lewis says has been connecting with the community. Or, rather, reconnecting. "He is a flash of lightning," says Maria Giesey, who heads up the rainy day winter shelter for the homeless. "He's gotten to know everyone in town."

Lewis says it's not just enough to provide services; the Rescue Mission has to respect the people in the greater community. To that end, Lewis banned the homeless from loitering around the building and expected them to be respectful of the residents. "I told (the homeless) if they want help, I need help from them," Lewis said. To allay local fears, Lewis also requires the homeless to arrive by van from the city's Multiservice Center for lunches and sign up for services.

He does not allow the homeless who congregate at 14th Street Park and refuse help to come to the mission. "We cannot survive next to a park or a middle school and not mitigate those issues," Lewis says. "If we don't mitigate those issues we are not a responsible neighbor." And yet, despite the restrictions, business continues to grow at the Rescue Mission.

"When he came things were in disarray," Giesey says. "People would say 'I'd rather freeze than go in there.' They didn't want to have to be saved for a cup of coffee." While religion remains central to the Rescue Mission, Lewis said his "guests" are not required to pray or attend chapel services. "We have to make this an attractive place to attend," Lewis says. (clarification: while chapel is voluntary, few choose not to attend. 90% of those surveyed annually prefer our faith-focused services)

In the coming months and years, among Lewis' visions is the ability to provide health clinic services, create transitional and affordable housing and better provide for the growing population of homeless women with children. To Lewis it's all about growth and evolution. "(Thirty-five years ago) we were known as soup kitchens," Lewis says. "The spectrum of services are different from 35 years ago and they'll be different 30 years from now. We need to change to best meet the needs of the homeless."

Greg Mellen Copyright Press-Telegram