Pastor Who Manages A Homeless Shelter Becomes Homeless After House Fire, Shelter Residents Rebuild For Him

Pastor Sam Thompson of Clover, South Carolina, houses and feeds the homeless in his community through his God’s Kitchen soup kitchen and New Beginnings Baptist Church shelter. However, the pastor found himself homeless after losing his home in a fire that destroyed everything.

According to The State news publication, after the fire destroyed the Thompson home, the 76-year-old great-grandfather was forced to move into the homeless shelter that he manages through his church. Sam moved in the men’s dorm and his wife, “Miss Annie,” moved in to the women’s dorm. The Thompsons didn’t just make a small appearance at the shelter — instead, the two lived there for eight months before they could get the funds to manage to build both a new home and keep the shelter running.

Sam didn’t seem discouraged by the whole ordeal. In fact, his faith seemed even stronger after experiencing first hand what those coming into his facility deal with on a daily basis.

“You learn in many ways in life, even at my age, and this experience has renewed my commitment to the people who have nowhere to go, nowhere to live. I have been right there living with them for the past months, and I know more than ever that the work that we do, and others do for the downtrodden, is God’s work.”

One reason that the Thompson family was unable to immediately rebuild is due to the fact that they have never once accepted a penny for all that they do for the poor. In fact, even the money raised for the Thompson family to rebuild did not go directly to the couple. All the proceeds that came in since the January fire went to the house and ministries. The house will be in the name of the church.

Cline Builders of Rock Hill offered the pastor a discounted price for his modular house since it was previously used as a model home. The house was moved to the property right next to the men’s shelter. However, it isn’t just home builders stepping up to help. Some of the ones doing the most helping are actually homeless themselves. Shelter residents are working alongside the contracting company that is finishing the house. They are fixing up the grounds and cleaning up debris from the house fire. Tony Perry, a concrete finisher and brick mason staying at the shelter temporarily, did concrete work. Others are doing what needs to be done.

The pastor notes that many of the men helping have been at the shelter for weeks, but some have been there for just a few days, and yet they are still willing to pitch in and help. Thompson has used this time to truly see the good in people.

“We do not look at where a person has been, we look at what they can do and where they can go from here.”

One resident in the shelter that everyone calls “Happy” put the work of Pastor Thompson in words only those who have experienced his compassion could:

“I survived, because of this man. No man ever deserved a place to live more than the Rev. Sam Thompson and his wife of 53 years, Miss Annie. Here he is sitting here in his coveralls. He doesn’t even have a place to live, and he makes sure people like me have a roof over their head and a second chance.”

The residents of the shelter are helping put a roof back over the honorable Pastor Thompson’s head, just as he has done for them for so long.