Update on Mercy Cross Day Center

By Jennifer Williams, LSW
Diocesan Director
Catholic Charities of South Mississippi

Mercy Cross Day Center (MCDC) was blessed by a visit from Bishop Louis Kihneman III on May 28 as we marked a new chapter in the journey of this important facility. Construction work began in the latter part of 2023, which involves making the building safe and usable for its mission of providing a safe place for members of the homeless community to have their basic needs met, connect with service providers, and receive medical care and mental health services, among other needs, in a central location.

The actual work of the Center began several months ago. Catholic Charities of South Mississippi staff members spent many mornings at the property explaining the process of the work moving forward and meeting with guests on site, while building trust with members of the community the facility will serve. This involved communicating what is coming for the Center and explaining the rules and parameters for its usage while also considering feedback. MCDC will be client driven, meaning the needs of the guests will be considered as programming is developed. And we listened.

A few weeks later, we began letting people know this was not a permanent spot to live but a stop on their journey to success. The rules are simple – to live on the property and use the Center, one must be registered and working on a plan to move forward. There were only 40 spots and people were encouraged to apply. The next week we assigned spots and issued IDs. People do not have to live on site to use the Center, but they do have to be registered and have a Center ID.

Once the spots are full, anyone else living on the property will be asked to leave; if they do not follow the rules, they will be asked to leave. MCDC is a Day Center only but, being client driven, the team understood that this could be an unconventional manner of transitional housing. Case management began. The first full day that the Center was open saw nine individuals move from tent living to another form of housing. Three were helped with deposits in affordable housing and three were provided bus tickets to New York and Florida where people they know can help them, which was confirmed through phone calls and receiving documents. One woman was brought by a medical transport service to a local hospital who sent them to another Day Center, who sent them to Mercy Cross. She would have been homeless that day if a case manager didn’t sit and talk with her, learning that she has a home in Gulfport. She had no way to get there. After confirming the information, a simple Uber ride prevented her from being on the streets. Two others were alternately housed as a safety measure for themselves.

Days at the Center have been spent having real conversations, matching individuals with case managers to help them set goals, fill out housing applications, showers, laundry, clothing, etc. But with all of this, the most important service provided at MCDC has been humanity. It isn’t what we thought it would be. We thought the most basic, but important, service that we could provide would be a respite from the elements. But the most important service that our guests need is to be treated like humans. Our guests have shared that they have never been to a place where people consistently look them in the eye, remember their name, and ask about how they are doing.

As an example, one gentleman was dozing in a folding chair. He was encouraged to sit in a more comfortable chair and put his feet up for a bit. He took a two-hour nap, unafraid of what would happen while he was sleeping. When he woke, he shared that he felt more human than he has felt in a long time. So many of the homeless population do not get good sleep at night and yet they are expected to do so much, to keep moving, to get a job, to find housing. How much do we get done when we haven’t slept in a day, in a week, in a month?

There are guests at the Center who have been offered rehab, domestic violence assistance, and other means to help make their lives better in the long term. Some have accepted, some are still considering it. They have been told that it is their choice to get help, but that their choices will impact how much we can help them.

We needed help cleaning up some trash one day. We announced that we needed help. An hour later, the entire property was filled with guests helping clean up, doing what they could to make the community better. Every day the property looks cleaner and cleaner thanks to their help.

There are a variety of reasons that people are living outside MCDC. There are disabled veterans with vouchers, waiting for affordable housing to open. There is a couple who was housed by a homeless rehousing agency who were evicted because the rent was unaffordable for their fixed income. There are seniors on disability with health conditions. There are others with cognitive disabilities. Some are getting a fresh start after paying their dues for some not-so-great decisions they made as young people. Many have income and most that don’t are actively looking for work within walking distance.

One young man walks to D’Iberville every day for work as he saves his money to pay some fines and get his own place. He never misses work, regardless of the weather. Some have addiction issues; some have mental health disabilities. Some have been homeless for so long they do not know anything different and are terrified of becoming housed. None have family or friends that they can call on to help. But they are all humans and deserve to be treated as such.

We encourage people to come out and volunteer. Spend some time getting to know some of the interesting characters that come through MCDC. There hasn’t been a day that our team hasn’t been thankful for the opportunity to get to know our guests. We’ve learned so much, laughed, had some tough conversations, and been awed at how people take care of one another.

As the team progresses with the community at MCDC, we look forward to walking with individuals as they reach their goals, progress, and eventually find themselves stably housed. Until that day comes, they will be treated with respect, compassion, and a little tough love to give them hope for tomorrow.

To get involved you may contact the Mercy Cross Center: https://catholiccharitiesofsouthms.org/mercy-cross-center

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Addendum: As of 6.21.2024 the Mercy Cross Center has helped to permanently house over 26 people since opening on May 28, 2024.

Addendum 2: As of 10.22.2024 the Mercy Cross Center has helped to permanently house over 60 people since opening on May 28, 2024.

Gallery of the opening: https://biloxi.smugmug.com/Pastoral-Center-Celebrations-Events/Mercy-Cross-Center-Opening-Blessing