The Lifting Lives Family Shelter

The Mission:
The family shelter exists to lift homeless whole-families of the Vicksburg area from discouragement and despair to enthusiasm and empowerment through nutrition and nurturing, modeling and mentoring.

The Need:
The National Center on Family Homelessness, Coalition for the Homeless, and the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth report the following statics:
» Homeless families are a fact
» 41% of the homeless population is comprised of families with children
» Homeless families suffer depression and generational poverty
» Family homelessness damages a child’s education and development
» Children of homeless families are sick and hungry 4x as often as other children, and 83% witness or experience violence by the age of 12

The Lifting Lives Family Shelter is the only shelter for homeless families in Warren and surrounding counties, and one of three family shelters in the State of Mississippi. The few shelters that exist in Vicksburg work tirelessly to serve specific needs, but they do not serve the same purposes (e.g. men’s shelter, children’s home, women's restoration, domestic abuse, and substance abuse). The only options for homeless families looking for shelter are to either separate, or remain as a unit living on the street, in a vehicle, or an unsafe environment.

The matter is further complicated by the fact that homeless families of men, women, and children are overlooked because they intentionally remain hidden from the public. They generally live in life threatening environments to avoid being separated. Lifting Lives Ministries gives these parents and their children a safe path to recovery and independence in their time of crisis.

The Goals of the Family Shelter:
The LLM Family Shelter provides a safe and structured environment to homeless families by providing (1) shelter and clothing; (2) food resources; (3) independence through education, work training, case management, Christian counseling, and re-housing; and (4) spiritual guidance from a Christian perspective (e.g. prayer, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Bible study).

Homeless couples with school age children, fathers with school age children, and mothers with multi-gender school age children who do not have access to a women's shelter normally qualify for one of our programs. Homelessness may be caused by a range of reasons from disaster to eviction due to loss of employment. School age children are defined as persons from birth to high school age. Program durations range from a few days to 30-90 days, while some families qualify for 6-12 month transitional status. While the family shelter is the largest in the state, it keeps an active waiting-list.

Lifting Lives Ministries serves homeless families of Vicksburg-Warren County and the surrounding region, and continues to raise operational funds for its large Family Shelter facility which serves twenty (20) homeless families (110 mothers, fathers, and children). The Lifting Lives Family Shelter needs your financial and volunteer support.

The REID Initiative of the Family Shelter:
In Memory of Reid Huffman (April 5, 1994 - March 9, 2014). The REID Initiative helps children and youth Reach beyond their circumstances and Empower them with Integrity to have and achieve Dreams.

Reid’s physical presence was only with us 19 short years, but he made a lasting impact in that brief time. Reid was a kind and selfless young man. He was an Eagle Scout and was doing a year of service with AmeriCorps at the time of his death. Reid said his personal philosophy was “Everyone deserves to have water, clothing, shelter and to feel loved and cared for. I believe that is our job as Christians and human beings to help them reach that goal.” His family’s goal and the goal of The REID Initiative is to continue Reid’s philosophy of life serving others in his honor.