Rex Baker Executive Director, Gateway Rescue Mission, 48, Brandon

Sid Salter - The Clarion Ledger

What is Gateway Rescue Mission?

“Gateway is a Christian ministry that meets the spiritual and physical needs of the homeless in the greater Jackson area. Gateway Rescue Mission started in 1948 when Captain Len Martin of the Jackson Fire Department felt led to help a homeless mother with children. That effort gave birth to Gateway Rescue Mission. Today, we have facilities in Hinds, Rankin and Simpson Counties and employee about 40 people. We operate an overnight shelter, a kitchen that serves three meals a day, an addiction recovery program and a women's program. On any given night, about 100 people are off the streets and in safe shelter through our various ministries. We serve about 400 meals a day.

Tell us about your clients. How do their lives intersect with the Mission?

We daily see heartbreak mixed with God's love. We've had recovering crack addicts personally bathe a stinking stroke victim who couldn't care for himself. I've seen a recovering alcoholic cook get spit upon, only to feed the guy who spit on him when he returned later and said "I'm hungry." Some of our clients have lost jobs. Others have addictions. Many come in with mental/psychological issues. A good number come from personal care homes and boarding houses to eat at our mission. We are feeding more meals than ever and seeing new faces every day. We've having success getting "career" homeless guys into permanent housing. Folks come to us with huge problems. But show them a little love, and most will take a bullet for you.

What is the New Life Center at Gateway?

The New Life Center is our off-site addiction recovery center located in Simpson County. We recently dedicated a new dorm that will allow us to house 52 men in our New Life Program. That's 52 guys who aren't buying, selling or using drugs. They aren't hocking Momma's TV. They are becoming solid citizens. The New Life Center allows us to separate an addict/alcoholic from his old drug buddies. Once separated, God can begin to work in an arena free from the old temptations. We've had numerous clients who entered our program at the point of despair who now hold jobs, pay taxes, pet the dog and are reunited with family.

What are the ministry's current needs?

We need people pretending in church every Sunday to wake up, smell the spiritual coffee, read their Bibles and realize that God really, really cares about the poor, the needy, the feeble minded, the addicted. We currently need money to complete a Community Center project. This project will provide space for classrooms, meetings, offices, etc., to expand daytime services to our clients. We are flat out of space. Most of our buildings are old and we ultimately must have a new, state-of-the-art facility to effectively minister to the homeless. We also need prayer. This is a front-line ministry with life and death hanging in the balance. Our folks need the power of God working in their lives that comes only through prayer.

Has Gateway's core mission evolved over the years?

Yes and no. Our mission of ministering to the homeless through Jesus Christ is still the same. But while our clientele in 1948 might have been homeless, they had also fought World War II and survived the Great Depression. Today we deal with crack cocaine, crystal meth, mental illness, an entire generation of clients who grew up without a father, lack of education, just to name a few. When an addict with bi-polar disorder and a third grade education cries for help, it challenges our abilities and resources. We play a combined role of minister, counselor, social services provider, case-manager, teacher and coach. Our challenge now is to coordinate all our programs to systematically provide life-changing services to the greatest number of clients.

Tell us about your thrift stores. How can donors give to that facet of the ministry?

We don't have a "utilities angel" that magically provides gas and electricity. Therefore, we sell donated items at our Thrift Stores to help fund our ministry. Thrift Store sales provide about half our annual operating revenue. We operate stores in Pearl, Clinton and Magee. We accept donations and make pickups as well. So, if people have usable household furniture, appliances, clothes, etc., please support our ministry with such donations. A couple of notes. We've had donors say, "I want my couch to go to a homeless person!" Besides the fact that most homeless people do not have a place for a couch, we desperately depend on these donations to pay the bills. Also, we can't accept items that are broken or don't work.

You were a successful local TV reporter and anchor. What was your path to leading Gateway's ministries in Jackson?

TV news was a great career and journalism is still in my blood. However, something was missing in my life. I went to church, but didn't live the Christian life. So I began to pray "God, if you'll change my life, I'll do whatever You ask." He impressed upon me to get involved in inner-city ministry. So, I wound up as a volunteer at Gateway Rescue Mission. My volunteer work turned into a passion and God opened a door to join Gateway's staff. I never dreamed that a volunteer stint would lead to being executive director. But I did learn one thing. If you tell the Almighty you're willing to do whatever He asks, you better mean business.

Has the recession impacted Gateway?

We have been blessed so far to continue to meet the needs or our clients during this recession. We have had donors who have lost jobs. We've seen Thrift Store sales go up and down during this time. Like everyone, higher utility costs and fuel prices have hit us hard in recent years. Many people who look at us as a small "soup kitchen" have no idea the real costs of operating our ministry. I want to make something clear. Last month, we fed 1,200 more meals than the same month last year. It's not unusual for us to have 100 people for breakfast at 5 a.m. Times are hard. But God is in control even now, especially now, and has not forgotten "the least of these."

How can those who wish to support Gateway's mission do so?

Naturally, we need money. Monetary donations are of utmost importance. We also need strong volunteer support. We are now seeking volunteer counselors, teachers, mentors and case workers to help expand our programs. We have people who volunteer in our kitchen on a regular basis. It's a great way to help us and broaden a volunteer's horizons. Also, the homeless need pastors. They need pastoral counseling, prayer and emotional support. Never underestimate the powerful effect of simply praying with a homeless person. If anyone wants to volunteer, contact Rusty Ryan, our Volunteer Coordinator at 601-353-5864. Also, our website is www.gatewaymission .org. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 3763, Jackson, MS 39207.

Tell us about the Gateway Mission staff in Jackson.

We've got people who used to be accountants, computer techs, addicts, alcoholics, retail operators, a nut and bolt salesman, and of course, one old news reporter. We've even got a volunteer who used to help with military black ops. He comes in handy. Our staff works hard at a thankless job. They deal with burnout, with people coming to them all day with life-threatening problems. But through it all, they have a compassionate desire to help the less fortunate and to see lives changed.

- Interview by Perspective Editor Sid Salter