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$5.00 / Issue 82

SHOW THEM
WE CARE

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Originally published in the first
issue of Speak Up (October 2011).

Story: Matt Shaw
Photos: Dustin Manning

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ake came to Charlotte in early April from Alabama. He has brown
hair, playful eyes, a dimpled chin and an impish grin. Jake never
knew his mom; his dad refused to tell him anything about her or
even let him see her picture. His childhood was marked with fear
and restriction. His father ruled with a heavy hand and didn’t permit himJto have friends or attend school. Since no one taught Jake to read, he
taught himself. One of his favorite books was “Catcher in the Rye.” When
he was 16, Jake watched his girlfriend shoot and kill herself.
Shortly after Jake turned 18, his dad attacked him; that’s when he fled
and started wandering. He had no work history or identification. He
performed a magic act, mostly ironic card tricks, which is how he earned
what little money he had. Charlotte was not his destination, he was just
passing through, headed to the coast…or somewhere. His plan was to be in
the Queen City for a day or two. Jake was alone; at one point he’d traveled
with another guy but something bad happened he would not talk about.
Then he met brothers Chris and Andy Davis and the guys from Project
Isaiah 58. That’s what probably saved him.
Project Isaiah 58 (PI58) began in November 2009 when 17-year-old
Gastonia resident and high school student Andy Davis took a few friends
into Charlotte to pass out socks and snacks to homeless people. He was
soon joined by his older brother Chris Davis on what became a weekly
outing; Friday late-night trips to give away practical items, offer prayer,
encourage and build friendships.
Explaining their mission, Andy says, “Some homeless people go to the

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shelters at nine. But the rebellious ones, the drug addicts, the alcoholics,
the prostitutes, they hang out after that, because they can’t get into the
homeless shelters. That’s who God has called us to.”
Andy cites a Bible verse, “In Isaiah 58 it says ‘clothe the naked, feed the
hungry, give shelter to the homeless.’ So every Friday night we take that to
the streets. We really focus on building relationships with these people so
that true life-change will come about. Because we believe it’s more than
just the food, more than the sandwiches, more than the water we bring.
It’s the spirit we bring.”
The guys have a homeless friend, Nathan, who claims he was asked
by “Corporate America” how they could help the homeless in Charlotte.
Nathan answered, “You can teach a monkey to pour a drink or push a
button, but what I really want is someone to sit down with me, take me
out to dinner and build a relationship with me.”
Andy responds, “We have built this ministry on that foundation. The
foundation of just sitting with these guys—spend time with them, show
them love, that we care. But show them more importantly that God has
a purpose for them, God has a plan for them and this time in their life is
just a chapter that they’re going through to better themselves.”
The camaraderie that has been built between the PI58 guys and their
homeless friends is evident. When the group approached a popular late-
night homeless hangout, they were met with shouts. “Andy, hey Andy,
come over here! Did you bring me some beer? Where’s my beer?” yells a
stocky, beaming middle-aged man. “I’ve only had 28 beers today, I need

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some more,” he says, laughing loud at his joke.
At the same time, Chris Davis spotted a friend sitting on an
embankment, a middle-aged man with a sad face. “I’m going to talk with
this guy.” He took a seat next to him and for the next hour they were deep
in conversation. Later, Chris said, “We’re just trying to be there for people.
That’s what people tell us is different about what we do.”
In November 2010, the outreach became even more personal. Andy,
Chris and a couple other guys rented a house on North Davidson Street,
and opened their doors to homeless friends in need. In the ten months
since, the three-bedroom residence known as the “Isaiah 58 house” has
drawn a steady stream of roommates—both altruistic young men, as well
as those in need of basic shelter.
At its busiest, March of this year, Isaiah 58 housed seven: four PI58
guys and three homeless men. The crowded quarters made for sometimes-
challenging dynamics. For months, two of the PI58 guys slept on couches
in the living room. The older homeless men often went to bed earlier
than their younger, more energetic housemates. “They were young guys,
sometimes they’d be up until one o’clock in the morning,” a once-homeless
former roommate recounts.
A handwritten sign in the lone bathroom reads, “Please don’t slam the
toilet seat or you can buy a new one. ~Andy.” And though each has their
own food, labeled with names or initials, “People eat your food, but there’s
nothing you can do about it,” says Chris.
Ben Goshorn, 20, also from Gastonia, lived in the house for 10 months.

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“It has definitely helped me to grow up. I’ve matured a lot.”
Another roommate, who worked years in the construction trade before
ending up on the streets, has developed a close kinship with the guys. “He
has kids older than me, but he’s one of my best friends,” Andy affirms.
Personal responsibility is a big priority for the PI58 guys. They each work
at least one job—selling mobile electronics, hawking college textbooks,
stocking grocery store shelves—and encourage their homeless roommates
to do the same. To help motivate them, they charge rent: $25 a week. It’s
enough to apply some pressure to look for work. “But I’m not going to tell
them what to do. I’m 19 years old,” acknowledges Andy. “I don’t need a 50
year-old-son.”
The weekly Friday night outreaches continued. With them come many
stories. They’ve seen people fall face down drunk, watched drug deals
transacted, seen guns drawn and more. One time, they stopped an act
of domestic violence—a lady being beaten on the street by her angry
boyfriend. Despite all this, they’ve rarely felt endangered. Andy explains,
“If anyone on the streets started to give us a hard time, the others would
tell them to move along.”
During the last 20 months of faithful weekly outreach, they established
a name for themselves among the homeless. “These guys come out every
week, rain or shine,” a homeless friend shares. They’ve passed out thousands
of bottles of water and snacks and talked with, prayed for and encouraged
hundreds.
Project Isaiah 58 is nearing its two-year mark. But it’s bittersweet, as

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the core members have decided to take some time off. The weariness of
the non-stop outreach lifestyle, college plans and financial considerations
have led most of them out of the area. Andy says, “We’re taking a break.
Our time of doing weekly outreach in Charlotte is over, but our mission
here isn’t.”
Their impact has been considerable—among the homeless as well as
volunteers. Over the years, they’ve taken at least 30 friends with them out
to the streets.
“Going out on Friday nights with the PI58 crew was a huge wake-up
call for me. Every single person living on the streets has a story,” tells friend
and longtime volunteer Betsy. “They pushed me out of my comfort zone
and it is both rewarding and humbling to have been a part of something
so hands-on.”
Another core volunteer and friend, Preslie Bilderback, adds, “I got to
build relationships with the so-called ‘lowest people’ in Charlotte. I grew
so much personally just by being with the PI58 guys. Watching them go
out and give what they don’t even have was an inspiration to me. So much
of their time goes to helping people most would overlook. The guys have
huge hearts for people in general, not just the homeless. The way they love
people makes you love people.”
And then there was Jake, the young homeless man who’d never known
his mother. He lived at the Isaiah 58 house for a little over a month. Since
he’d been sheltered from society his whole life, the guys tried to teach him
social skills. He seemed to be making progress.

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Then the truth came out. He wasn’t really 18, he was 17. A minor. He
wasn’t homeless; he was a runaway. Most everything he’d said was a lie.
His name wasn’t Jake. His girlfriend hadn’t killed herself. He had gone to
school. His parents loved him—his mom maintained a web page about his
disappearance, pleading for his return.
Soon Jake called his parents to tell them where he was. He’d been
missing for over two months. “They were just happy to know he was okay,”
says Chris.
In the aftermath of his return home, as they wrestled with a sense of
betrayal about “Jake’s” web of lies, they realized the serendipity of having
found him. Ben Goshorn responded to the situation, “If we hadn’t been
here for him, he could have gotten into some really bad situations. At least
he was able to stay somewhere safe for awhile.”
Andy posted about “Jake” on Facebook, “We love him. He’s going to
have to make decisions for himself, right or wrong. It’s how people learn.
No hard feelings. We would take him back tomorrow if he came back.”
Months later, “Jake,” now 18, reflected by email on his time with the
PI58 guys. “I would be dead right now if God had not lead me to them.
They saved my life and showed me so many great things. If they hadn’t
taken me in, who knows what would have happened.”

Project Isaiah 58 was active from 2009 to 2013.

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