Kensington faith-based group brings hope to people struggling with homelessness, addiction

KENSINGTON - A faith-based group in Kensington is bringing hope to those experiencing homelessness and desperate for a way out of addiction. It’s part of an initiative spanning multiple states, reaching out to those struggling to get them off the streets for good.

"I’m roaming the streets and I’m getting angry and I was thinking about using," Robert Martez said.

Martez just got out of jail and thought about going right back to his old ways, until he saw a display at a festival called Jesus Week. "I came over here. A strong energy pulled me here and I got the ultimate high ever!"

It’s part of a faith-based initiative in seven cities, where pastors and volunteers all come together to help the homeless and those in the throes of addiction.

"Us coming out here is just letting them realize that, you know, there is hope and there is deep care and people love you. So, we’re coming out here to show you,, through our actions cause that speaks louder than words. How much we want to help you and see where we can meet you, we’re right where you are at," explained Pastor Jazmin Molina, of the Radical Church of Philadelphia.

Saturday, a bus took several people to Cincinnati to a rehab center at a church, to get job training and long-term help. Sunday, Martez also headed there.

"It is a 10-month program, but if Robert decides to stay with us, I mean, he has a place to live for the rest of his life," Mike Adkins, with Hope Over America, stated.

Mike took Robert to buy his ticket at the Greyhound station and he will stay by his side until the bus leaves.

For every success story like Robert, who are ready to get on the bus and head to Cincinnati to go to rehab, there are other people like Keane who are staying back in Kensington, but say they are ready to turn their life around.

"Like being told that they’re beautiful when they don’t feel beautiful. Somebody telling them that they’re enough? You know people don’t hear that enough. People aren’t nice enough anymore," Keane said.

Keane Rodriguez says the love and encouragement she’s experienced has been miraculous and she’s convinced it’s the push she finally needs to get clean and get off the streets. "Everyone is numb to this. This is not normal. It’s horrible. It’s not a way to live."

"When you find that somebody loves you so deeply that you don’t want to let go, because there’s so few of it and so much of it is superficial. But, when you sense the love that hits your heart? You can’t turn away from that," Pastor Luis Centeno, of Barnabas Transformation Church, said.

Can’t turn away is something the pastors and volunteers hope more people will realize and take the love and help they’re offering to get off the streets for good.