Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - When Pastor Eric Johns of the Buffalo Dream Center set out 24 years ago to bring attention to the plight of the homeless, things were different.
One thing that has been steady in 24 years is the weather in Buffalo. "Over the past 24 years of doing this, we've experienced everything you can imagine," said Johns as he completed a week on the streets with his sons as Buffalo was cleaning up after a historic lake effect snow storm that slammed the region.
After all that snow, it was the rain that plagued Johns and his sons on Thanksgiving night as they huddled under an overpass in Buffalo to escape the cold rain. "We'd rather it snow than rain."
Give to Boxes of Love at www.buffalodreamcenter.org
Posted by Buffalo Dream Center on Friday, November 25, 2022
Despite the challenges of the weather, Johns never loses sight of the mission of raising awareness of the homeless crisis and his efforts to raise money to make the holiday season a meaningful one for thousands of area families in need.
The Mission
Why does he do it?
"I truly believe it was an idea I got from God," Johns tells us. As he pondered the issue of homelessness and families in need at the holidays in particular 24 years ago, "I really felt him speak to me."
Johns says he remembers Christmas fondly as a child, with traditions, including gifts on Christmas Day. He saw how it was different for so many who were without those traditions and, in many cases, without homes.
It all began as Johns was determined and set out on a two-pronged mission. "One was to draw attention to the need in the community," he said. "The other was to raise money to give gifts to kids for Christmas and to feed families."
And so he did.
When the mission began 24 years ago, Johns recalls helping 200 families. "Now our Boxes of Love campaign has grown to 3 thousand families, we'll feed about 3 thousand families, and we'll also wrap brand new toys for 5 thousand kids."
Boxes of Love is an annual effort by the Buffalo Dream Center, Feedmore and a community coalition that provides food for families in need in Buffalo.
Another steady in 24 years is that the need never shrinks, it grows. "There's a greater need this year than I've ever seen."
During the pandemic year of 2020, Johns recalls going from feeding about 400 families a month to 12 hundred to 13 hundred a month. The number of families served in a month post-pandemic is about a thousand, he says.
A New Generation
Now, 24 years later, Johns tells WBEN he's seen it all as he completes another week on the streets and looks toward 2023 when he'll do it one last 25th time and pass the mission on to his sons. "My sons are willing to do it," he said.
Johns says he's stepping away from the streets after next year, not because the need has gone away, but because he has his sons to carry on the message and he'll remain active in 'Boxes of Love' and spearheading the fundraising campaign for families in need.
"It's totally different for me than it was 24 years ago when I first started doing this physically," he said. Johns estimates they walk about 10 to 15 miles a day when they're on the streets.
On the streets or not, Johns' shoes will likely continue to be well-worn as he pursues the mission he started to battle a societal issue that continues to loom large in Buffalo and beyond.
Until next year.
