In Selma, a hot meal and a warm bed are priceless

Pastor John Grayson lost an argument with God. He really didn’t think he had time to open a shelter to offer unhoused people a hot meal and a warm bed. Wasn’t his church—the Gospel Tabernacle Chapel—doing enough?

“The Lord won the argument,” said Grayson. In November 2023, he opened the Winston Williams Homeless Shelter, named for a late pastor who inspired many in the Selma, Alabama, area. “We opened serving two people,” he said. “The second night—we had 25 people.”

It’s Selma’s first shelter in decades. In fact, for many people, it’s the first shelter they can remember ever having in the city. Grayson recruited local volunteers to help staff the operation.

Director of the Dr. Winston A. Williams Shelter For The Homeless, Pastor John E. Grayson. MDS & DAO helped renovate the shelter

But one bathroom for 25 people wasn’t working well, he said. “We ordered a portable toilet, and we worked that way for a month.”

Then MDS and Samaritan’s Purse, working together, reached out to help. Volunteers added another bathroom, and extensively remodeled the rest of the structure. Grayson estimates they did at least $70,000 worth of work.

“And when people come in, and they get a hot meal and a warm bed—it’s like you gave them a million dollars,” he said. “This was God’s timing. A lot of times we can plan—but God has a better plan.”

His advice to anyone wondering how much they can help others? “Never say never,” he said. “Pray about it.”

Susan Kim, MDS Writer 

Interested to hear more about recovery efforts in Selma? Click here to hear reflections from a volunteer!