Jason Garland says he stops in at The Mission of Winter Haven daily just to get the basic necessities not found on the streets, namely food and a shower.
As he relaxes on a couch inside, Garland reflects on how his life has been enhanced through the care and generosity of others. It’s through the goodness of others that concern Garland and hundreds of others every week find safety in the walls of what was originally a home built in 1916.
Founded in 1977, The Mission of Winter Haven, 180 E. Central Ave., is a faith-based, nondenominational shelter for the homeless, providing daycare, meals, showers, clothing, hygiene, enrichment classes, prayer and mental health counseling to those of any age who seek them.
Everything The Mission offers makes a tremendous difference in Garland’s and others’ abilities to cope with the day-to-day rigors of eking out a living or in some cases, a life.
“Not only do they have showers and food, but it’s a place you can come and vent,” says Garland, 43, a cook and handyman originally from Greenville, South Carolina. “Here, they take time to understand what you’re going through, and I’m very appreciative.”
It’s that ability to make an impact and make changes in the lives of those whose fortunes are on the downslide that motivates David Berry. Since 2005, he’s been serving those in need from the rooms of The Mission, first as a volunteer serving meals, then as a youth pastor and associate director from 2005 to 2007, then as the facility’s full-time executive director since 2007.
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