Compassion Ministries and Jill McCall - Giving Hope to Homeless Families for 25 Years
Jill McCall and Compassion Ministries: Health Solid Gold Neighbor
Holly Burchett, Director of Community Relations
Since 1994, Compassion Ministries has worked to reintegrate homeless or near-homeless families with children into permanent housing and employment. Based around Judeo-Christian principles, their mission is dedicated to the belief that all individuals in society should be treated with respect and dignity. They offer a caring and warm environment that extends opportunity to their residents through counseling, job, and work skills training, daycare, children's programs, transportation, GED prep, Healthcare, and drug/alcohol treatment.
Since 1999, a constant component of Compassion's work and success has been through the innovative and strong leadership provided by their Executive Director, Jill McCall, who not only grew up in Waco but feels strongly that she could have been a child of Compassion Ministries herself after losing her father at the age of 4. The passion for advancing the lives of those that have come into or close to crisis is an internal drive that exudes from Jill. She explained, "My mother, with a high school education and being a stay-at-home mom, was suddenly faced with being a single parent with total responsibility for the financial and social welfare of three children. I believe my drive and determination were kindled in my childhood, growing up without a father, and seeing how my mother struggled financially without an education. I felt education was the key that would open doors for me."
After graduation from Baylor University in 1975, she worked for the McLennan County Juvenile Probation Department as a probation officer. Later, while she raised her children, she served on the Waco ISD Board and as the president of the Junior League of Waco. Jill stated, "Those two experiences gave me skills in public relations and in dealing with the public that I otherwise would not have had. My paid work gave me my social work experience and skills."
Involvement with the people that Compassion serves has changed her perspective and the way she views her work. Jill continues, "My image of the homeless was the guy on the street corner who needed a bath and a shave. I now know that image to be false, when you consider the average age of the homeless in the US today is 11 and 57% of the homeless are women and children."
Compassion has grown over time and now has the capacity to house 60 individuals, but there are criteria for admission associated with having custody of at least one child under the age of 18, obtain full time employment within the first 30 days in the program, pay for approximately 30% of their gross income for rent, work closely with assigned Compassion caseworkers and attend weekly counseling sessions provided by community volunteers in budget and employment skills. They believe in a model of equipping while helping in hopes that the resident graduates with skills that create lasting stability for themselves and their family members. Compassion primarily does their work through volunteers and reports that the 500 hours that volunteers give each month is an integral part of the program. You can find out more about how to support this organization at compassionwaco.com