Everyone is Someone’s Somebody: Miracle Messages is Changing the Approach to Homelessness

Martha and Wayman © Courtesy of Martha C. Lawrence

Everyone is Someone’s Somebody: Miracle Messages is Changing the Approach to Homelessness

ALLIE MURRAY

In 2007, Martha Lawrence lost contact with her son, Wayman, for the first time. After eventually reconnecting in 2009, this first instance was the beginning of nearly 15 years of uncertainty.

Over the years, Martha began to notice a decline in Wayman’s mental health. Fearing for her son, she believed his behaviors were representative of schizophrenia—Wayman was hearing voices and acting unusual, which caused him to leave home, frustrated and anxious.

As the years passed with no contact between Martha and Wayman, she never gave up hope. The police provided little help, noting that Wayman was an adult and posed no direct threat to himself or others. She kept an open mind, hopeful that one day, a miracle would bring them back together again.

And a miracle it was—in January 2022, Martha received a call from Lindsay, a staff member with Miracle Messages, a nonprofit organization that helps people experiencing homelessness rebuild their support systems and reunite with their families. While talking with Lindsay, Martha learned that Wayman was currently living unhoused in San Francisco. She also learned that her son never actually suffered from schizophrenia and that his behavior had been the result of substance abuse. After meeting Lindsay, Wayman got sober and focused on maintaining his sobriety.

“It’s hard to describe the relief and elation I felt the day I got a call from Lindsay from Miracle Messages, telling me that she had been talking with my son and that he was okay,” Martha shared.

“I sobbed with joy. It had been nearly 10 years since anyone had seen or heard from him. We didn’t even know if he was alive. Having him back means everything to me, and I will never stop being grateful for his presence in my life.”

Since reuniting with his mother, Wayman completed a rehab program and has been sober for more than two years. He went back to school and finished his high school education and is working full-time, cooking meals for residents at a rehab facility. He has a car, an apartment, a bank account, and dreams of furthering his education. As Martha notes—most important of all—he’s a beloved member of the family, and the two have dinner together almost every Sunday.

Wayman and Martha’s story is one of thousands like it, with families all across the country paying thanks to Miracle Messages. On a mission to end relational poverty on the streets, the nonprofit strives to reconnect people with their loved ones, envisioning a world where no one goes through homelessness alone.

"When you look deeper into this crisis, you will find that homelessness comes in many forms, induced by unfortunate life events," shared Imani Tahira Hopkins, Director of Communications at Miracle Messages. "Evictions, medical diagnoses, natural disasters, inflation, domestic violence, family disputes, sudden death of a parent or partner, and so on."

"There is no one formula that leads to a pathway in and out of homelessness," continued Executive Director Mary Carl.

"We need to keep an open mind and heart to learn the many experiences of people in various walks of life who have found themselves in these situations."

Miracle Messages got its start in 2014 when founder Kevin F. Adler was visiting the grave of his uncle Mark some 10 years after his death. His uncle suffered from schizophrenia and lived on-and-off the streets for 30 years. Knowing he could do something to help, Kevin started Miracle Messages as a way to make an immediate and lasting impact in the lives of people living on the streets and to build empathy through person-to-person interaction.

The organization has done just that, and Martha is all the proof: “Over the years I did everything I could to find Wayman and get him off the street,” she explained. “I filed Missing Person at Risk reports with the police and registered his name in the NamUs database. Nothing was effective until he was ready. Thankfully, Miracle Messages was there when he was open to change.”

Today, Miracle Messages has volunteers across the country—their volunteer program is completely remote and volunteers participate by phone or video call, with one call a week on average.

“At Miracle Messages, we have established a simpler approach, to be a part of the solution for a very complex issue,” Mary said.“We believe that everyone can be a part of the solution in some way, and through that there can be a shift in understanding.”

In the last 10 years, Miracle Messages has reunited more than 1,000 unhoused individuals with their loved ones and conducted more than 270,000 minutes of phone calls and texts between unhoused neighbors and volunteers.

“ We should respect those experiencing homelessness as we would our mother, father, sister or brother,” Imani said. “Before starting a conversation around how to ‘treat the homeless problem,’ it is important that we first establish this understanding. Then we need to remember that homelessness is a human rights crisis that affects everyone directly and indirectly.”