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ILLUSTRATION
Stockbroker Begins Ministry to Homeless
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Topics: Calling; Caring; Compassion; Homelessness; Love; Ministry; Needs; Poor People; Poverty; Servanthood; Service; Social action; Success; Values
Filters: Christian Culture; Everyday Disciples; Stories; Work & Career
References: Proverbs 29:7, Matthew 25:40, Galatians 2:10
Tone: Commend

Ten years ago, Kevin Bradley was engrossed in the fast-paced, big-money world of Wall Street. A stockbroker with Legg Mason in Baltimore, Bradley and his wife, Marilyn, led a comfortable life.

But every day God was drawing him away from the rich to the homeless. He'd seen them each weekday as he walked to the office and had gradually learned to love the homeless people he met, often taking them to breakfast and lending a listening, caring ear.

"I got really interested in who they were and how they got to where they were," says Bradley.

He didn't particularly want a mission to the homeless, but he knew God was asking him to fulfill a call to ministry he'd sensed as a youth. In 1991, after much prayer and Bible study, Bradley quit his job and started the Community Outreach Center, now The Outreach Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the homeless become independent citizens. In addition to meeting emergency needs, the foundation offers the Wings Life Skills Training Program, developed by Bradley. The motivational/spiritual program teaches men and women how to channel their God-given talents and desires into productive careers.

At first, the Bradleys lived off their savings, but that became tough since they were raising less than $10,000 a year. "There were times when I'd come home, and we probably had less food in our pantry than some of the people we were helping," says Bradley.

Eventually, their perseverance paid off. Today, they have many financial backers, the Outreach Foundation in Bel Air, Maryland, continues to grow, and the Wings program is being used by organizations nationwide.

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