By Derek Dopheid
DURANT – The Mission, a non-profit organization under the umbrella, I’m Possible, was founded two years ago in an effort to combat homelessness in Durant. Its vision is to provide Durant’s homeless population a chance to pull themselves out of their plight and better their lives.
Founded in 2018 by Michelle Chester, The Mission has been a pet project of Chester’s since 2014 that is finally coming into fruition after taking a step-back during the height of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The Mission officially opened its doors on March 9, 2021 and average serving 1 to 7 people a day.
The Mission has a vision of what it can provide for those in need. Currently open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Chester and The Mission provide haircuts, hot meals, showers, a washer and dryer and a temporary place to sleep for the homeless. The second phase will provide permanent living quarters for those in need that will offer them a chance to get back on their feet, obtain their own living quarters and find a job.
The Mission is looking to provide 24 hour, seven days a week service and to expand its building in the coming months in order to provide more long-term shelter and rehabilitation for those in need. Chester believes that they can achieve this goal by the end of the year.
What inspired Chester to take on this effort comes from an experience that she had while driving home one night. Chester describes seeing a homeless person walking in snow below-freezing cold temperatures. Feeling helpless to aide the person in their plight, Chester decided to make it her goal to make sure that Durant’s homeless residence would no longer suffer that fate.
Chester recognizes the uphill battle that many homeless people face when starting from ground zero. Chester hopes that her program can help instill a sense of responsibility, a goal-oriented desire to strive and hope within those in her care that they can better their lives and find a way out of homelessness and, eventually, poverty altogether.
“I want to rebuild them,” Chester said. “I want to make sure that whenever they leave our program that they are self-sufficient and capable of surviving in the world.”
The Mission was donated a bus by The Urgent Care in Calera that they are currently in the process of fixing up. Once the bus is up and running, Chester and her volunteers plan to make daily routes around the community to speak to people in need and offer them a ride to The Mission for help.
Victory Life Church partners with Chester and The Mission not only by providing the rental property at a discounted rate, but also by contributing whenever they can.
The Mission is kicking off a capital campaign during the 2021 Magnolia Festival in hopes of spreading the word of their services. Any donations, potential sponsors and volunteers are encouraged to visit their booth in order to assist them in their cause.
The Mission is located at 4310 W. University in Durant, Okla. They are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and can be reached at 580-387-0091.