For I Was…, a homeless outreach initiative by the Church of Salvation, calls for investments to fuel its mission of alleviating trauma through love and community support.
San Diego, California, Sept. 17, 2024 – God is love, so if I’m showing you love, I’m showing you God. These words, said by Shane Reginald O’Garro, encapsulate the mission of The Church of Salvation. Founded by Shane in 2018, the organization enriches the lives of the San Diego community by promoting Christian-based values of love, support, and compassion. Through its For I Was… Homeless Outreach program, The Church of Salvation merges structure with humanity, providing street-bound citizens with long-term solutions, a sense of belonging, hope, and a chance at a new life.
Motivated by a recent milestone – navigating over 100 individuals to stable and temporary housing over the past two years – the organization has announced a funding initiative. With a goal of expanding its impact, the Church of Salvation is calling upon the hearts and wallets of like-minded investors who share Shane’s vision of a more united, equal world. Especially in San Diego, where for every 10 people who find housing, 16 experience homelessness for the first time, human-centric projects that emulate empathy and kindness are crucial.
Shane’s motivation transcends pride or self-assurance – for him, it’s about honoring a divine calling from God. Faith has always been central to Shane’s life, inspiring him to leave a career as a fiction novelist to join the church. While living in Boston, Massachusetts, he served as Deacon of a local Church for seven years, quickly becoming an integral part of the community.
One day, he came home late from work, sitting down on the front steps to take a moment to reflect. Lost in thought, he heard a faint voice say: I want you to go to San Diego to open a church. At that very moment, Shane realized it was God revealing the next part of his calling, knowing that regardless of the obstacles that awaited, he had to follow God’s words. Without hesitation, Shane and his family traveled cross-country to San Diego, beginning their next chapter.
It didn’t take long for reality to kick in – amidst a dreadful winter and struggling with insufficient funding to secure a facility, Shane’s family lived out of their suitcases, moving from one hotel to another for weeks. Looking back, this resilient man looks past his own obstacles, appreciating how that experience illuminated the dire homelessness issue in San Diego. He adds, “We were living in hotels, and life wasn’t the easiest. But then, when we would walk down the streets, we saw people trying to survive, fighting for their lives every single day. I saw so many homeless people pulling up weathered blankets to shield their skin from the cold night air, individuals spending nights on the sidewalk, deprived of one of the most basic human needs – shelter.”
Through networking and sharing his mission with kind-hearted, like-minded people, Shane launched in 2018, officially commencing The Church of Salvation San Diego. At the heart of this mission was addressing the needs of communities on the city’s outskirts, elevating existing initiatives that focused their resources solely in Downtown San Diego. By building relationships and showing love to neglected individuals, Shane was able to foster a community driven by mutual growth and fulfillment. “Sometimes we forget that all people are looking for is a sense of connection and belonging,” he remarks.
The story of the Church of Salvation is one of a small organization that, through nothing but humanity and love, was able to leave a tangible impact on the world. With Shane and two other staff members leading the operations, The Church of Salvation prioritized practical solutions that drive long-term effects. In a bold step to redefining reality, the organization appreciates those who work toward positive change, providing employees with above-average salaries. That decision challenges the rising burnout rates among social workers who leave meaningful jobs to earn livable wages.
More than alleviating the financial burden of workers, salaries that enable a satisfactory lifestyle significantly lower turnover rates, empowering social workers to form long-lasting connections that are based on trust, reliance, and support. Enriching the organization’s strategy is the Ministry of Listening – a people-centric approach centered around asking questions, delving into the depths of street-bound people’s traumas, and making them feel seen, heard, and valuable.
“When you are in a safe space where all your worries can fade away, you no longer have to be in survival mode. When we perform the Ministry of Listening, we sit down with the homeless, actively listen, ask questions, and try to not only hear but understand their hardship,” Shane stresses. “Homelessness is a trauma, and so many people don’t realize how easy it is to be affected by it. To make a real difference, we have to listen and form trust, and the only way to do that is through honest conversations.”
Hoping to build on the momentum, The Church of Salvation has called upon like-minded investors to contribute to its vision of the world. For Shane, this endeavor is more than a way to expand his organization; it’s a symbol of his commitment to following God’s calling and addressing the increasing homelessness issue in San Diego and beyond. Looking into the future, The Church of Salvation plans to enhance its offerings with the youth-centric program Bright Futures – an initiative that equips high school students with the tools that support self-development, empowering them to chase dreams and reach beyond limits.
In an era where negativity, from poverty to violence and homelessness, permeates the streets and all news outlets, The Church of Salvation stands as a beacon of hope for the homeless, traumatized, and lost individuals, offering them a second chance at life. “As the saying goes: Treat others how you want to be treated. I want to be seen as a person, want to be treated with the dignity and respect that all humans deserve, and want to live in a comfortable environment that doesn’t stifle my happiness,” shares Shane, reflecting on his mission. “That’s what The Church of Salvation is all about – saving people through empathy and a supportive community. If you can feel the love, that means we did our job right.”
