Heroes of The Homeless Crisis: How Susie Jennings of Operation Care International is Helping To Support Some Of The Most Vulnerable People In Our Communities
We need programs that focus on getting people healthy. We need legislation that helps people with mental illness or addictions. We don’t just need more buildings to put them into.
As a part of my series about “Heroes of The Homeless Crisis” I had the pleasure of interviewing Susie Jennings.
Susie Yanson Jennings is Founder and President of Operation Care International. A Registered Nurse by profession since 1978, Susie stepped out in faith and obedience to God’s calling leading to her resignation from a supervisory position at Baylor University Medical Center Dallas in January 2011. She then became a full time missionary to those in need. Susie continues to lead OCI with the help of a board of directors and a multitude of volunteers.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know you’ a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your personal background, and how you grew up?
I grew up in the Philippines and didn’t like the homeless. My mom used to feed them in my kitchen, and they would eat my food and take up my space. One of them slapped me in the face, so as a young girl I could not stand them. I became a nurse and moved to Dallas.
Is there a particular story or incident that inspired you to get involved in your work helping people who are homeless?
Yes, my husband committed suicide and I was broken. One morning I woke up and decided to choose joy. I asked God, ‘What can I do for You?’ and He said, ‘Start bringing blankets to the homeless.’ That was the start of what is now Operation Care International.
Homelessness has been a problem for a long time in the United States. But it seems that it has gotten a lot worse over the past five years, particularly in the large cities, such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco. Can you explain to our readers what brought us to this place? Where did this crisis come from?
There are so many people who are living in poverty. We need to help them before they become homeless. There is a lack of affordable housing, and once someone gets on the street it’s hard to get back up on their feet.
For the benefit of our readers, can you describe the typical progression of how one starts as a healthy young person with a place to live, a job, an education, a family support system, a social support system, a community support system, to an individual who is sleeping on the ground at night? How does that progression occur?
Many times, it is an addiction or mental illness. Other times it could be a loss of job where they lose everything and cannot get back on their feet. Every person has a different path. They are talented people who hit a rough patch and need a lift.
A question that many people who are not familiar with the intricacies of this problem ask is, “Why don’t homeless people just move to a city that has cheaper housing?” How do you answer this question?
It is much more complex than that. It could be a mental illness or addiction. If you are unhealthy in New York City, you will still be unhealthy in Idaho.
If someone passes a homeless person on the street, what is the best way to help them?
Pray for them and treat them with dignity. Ask them, “What is your name?” and treat them with kindness. Buy them food or just talk with them.
What is the best way to respond if a homeless person asks for money for rent or gas?
It is not wise to just give them money. It is better to buy them a meal or purchase gas. Unfortunately, many of the homeless use this money for their addiction.
Can you describe to our readers how your work is making an impact battling this crisis?
We want to give them a lift. We want them to feel better about themselves and bring hope. We meet their physical needs but are also aware of their spiritual needs. We have programs where we can connect them to their family or get them off the street and into a shelter. You must attack by helping their emotional, spiritual, and physical needs, Operation Care International wants to restore hope to them.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the homeless crisis, and the homeless community? Also how has it affected your ability to help people?
The pandemic has pushed many who were in poverty over the line into homelessness. The financial impact of the pandemic has crushed many families who lived paycheck to paycheck.
Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?
Transformed lives is why I do this. We had a homeless man who attended our event. The event brought him hope and he got himself a college degree. He is now a cybersecurity expert. This is what makes me most proud.
Without sharing real names, can you share a story with our readers about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your work?
A woman who attended our event homeless eventually opened her own baking shop and now brings donuts to our annual event!
Can you share three things that the community and society can do to help you address the root of this crisis? Can you give some examples?
- We can love on these people unconditionally.
- We can listen to their plight with compassion.
- We can respond by helping them in their unique situation.
If you had the power to influence legislation, which three laws would you like to see introduced that might help you in your work?
We need programs that focus on getting people healthy. We need legislation that helps people with mental illness or addictions. We don’t just need more buildings to put them into.
I know that this is not easy work. What keeps you going?
It is my purpose. I love to see people without hope obtain hope. Changed lives keep me going!
Do you have hope that one day this great social challenge can be solved completely?
I hope we can make progress in it. I think there will always be some homeless among us, but it is our goal to reduce the number of the people on the street and to help them.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
I wish someone had told me,
- Just focus on the person who is right in front of you.
- Don’t try to solve every problem; just focus on the problem one at a time.
- You can make a major impact even if it seems impossible.
Nobody would believe a widow could throw the largest event in the country to honor the homeless and impoverished, but it happened.
Just take one step at a time!”
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
The Christmas Birthday Party for Jesus event we have done in Dallas for seventeen years. In 2020 we replicated it in 23 states and 46 countries. It is a global movement; it is a ONEDAY MOVEMENT!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
It is a verse in the Bible, “He who is kind to the poor, lends to the LORD (Prov. 19:17).
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Mother Teresa! I loved her heart to do something! I try to model her!
How can our readers follow you online?
“www.opcare.org is how you can follow me!”
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
Heroes of The Homeless Crisis: How Susie Jennings of Operation Care International is Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.