A
pproximately 1,500 homeless people are living on the
streets of Pittsburgh, and the all-volunteer organization
Mission from Mars is committed to helping them not
just survive, but thrive.
Mission from Mars originated when its founder,
Christy Pendarvis, found herself with 100 boxed lunches that had
been donated by Jake Croston of AVI Food Systems. Pendarvis’
training as both a registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner
taught her to serve others, so she and her two teenage sons loaded the
meals into their van and spent the next five hours distributing them to
the homeless living on the North Side of Pittsburgh. The experience,
she says, was life changing.
“I’ve been a nurse for many years, and I’ve worked in a busy
emergency room, so I’ve seen a lot,” she explains. “But to see
homelessness up close and personal like this was humbling and eye
opening.”
Pendarvis, a native of Cranberry who now lives in Mars, says they
came across rows and rows of tents and shopping carts lined up neatly
under a bridge. They found people using boxes as beds in the woods
and others curled up and sleeping on top of garbage bags full of
their possessions. Despite their meager existence, Pendarvis and her
children experienced an overwhelming sense of community among
the homeless.
“We saw people who all live within 100 feet of each other, who
all have nothing—and yet, they were caring for each other. It was an
absolutely beautiful sight to see how they all relied upon each other,”
she says.
“It’s unfortunate that society views homeless people as the
problem,” she adds. “They’re not a problem—they’re people suffering
problems. They’re our fellow human beings, and they’re looking for a
safe place to lay their heads.”
Pendarvis, a graduate of Vincentian High School, had the chance
to experience homelessness first-hand when she spent 24 hours on
the streets of Pittsburgh in a “controlled fundraiser.” She panhandled,
earning nearly $30 in two hours (which she later donated to charity).
Even though she was called names and verbally abused, she also
experienced an overwhelming sense of charity.
“People stopped to talked to me and to pray with me. Some were
mean to me, but just as many were kind and generous. My eyes were
totally wide open after that,” she says.
Pendarvis says she relates to those she serves because she is a victim
of a violent assault herself. “I know what it feels like to be a survivor. I
know how emotionally depleting it can be. I want them to know that
there are people who do care about them,” she says.
She also understands that there is a fine line between helping the
homeless and enabling them. In addition to food, the group works
to provide the homeless with basic necessities to survive, including
tents, pots and pans and clothing. Their ultimate goal is to help
those living on the streets to once again find work, housing and
independence.
“We want to help, but we don’t want them to feel so comfortable
that they’ll never leave the streets,” Pendarvis says.
Mission from Mars now has more than 200 active volunteers
who are helping to prepare lunches and collect donations. The
After realizing the dire need for a Sunday lunch service for the
homeless living on the North Side, Pendarvis and a small group of
friends began setting up in the green space outside of Martin Luther
King Elementary School. Initially, they served lunch for about
75 people, no matter what the weather. Now, they typic