‘Miracle City’ program in Conroe offering hope to the homeless
The focus for Redus is to get homeless off the streets, with a member of his team picking them up in their bus every morning and then providing a meal along with mental and emotional support.
Johnny Wagner wants out of a difficult chapter in his life.
“If I had to stand on the side of a road with a sign, my sign would say looking for work,” said Wagner.
The 35-year-old father of a little boy is fighting to get off the streets to become a “mariner, I want to work in the ocean” as he described it and to also take care of his son.
Wagner has been on the streets now for a few months with every night’s focus being on survival. In the mornings though, he finds hope at Miracle City in Conroe.
“I believe in every person here,” said Luke Redus founder of Compassion United, the organization that operates Miracle City.
When it comes to turning lives around, Redus points back to 1994.
“31 years ago I was homeless. I was living out of a car I bought from my cocaine dealer for $50,” said Redus with a chuckle.
The focus for Redus is to get homeless off the streets, with a member of his team picking them up in their bus every morning and then providing a meal along with mental and emotional support. There are therapeutic classes offered and ultimately job placement assistance at local restaurants like Paulette’s in downtown Conroe or at the Home Depo lot off I-45.
For Wagner and the more than 100 men and women Redus and his team assisted last year, Compassion United is a pillar of support.
“Some mornings, a homeless individual needs to just come in and vent out their night was horrible without any type of scrutiny or judgement and this is a place for that peace.,” said Wagner.
On Monday, the facility opened up a new office building that will now allow more space for assistance and services and in the process also help allow for longer hours of operation.
