Mission Makers
Perryn Carroll became the Executive Director of the Jimmie Hale Mission (JHM) in the fall of 2022. This past January, she chose to spend a night out in the cold in Downtown Birmingham, Ala. Why? “Last summer, I began asking myself how to truly understand and help those in need who had experienced the trauma and uncertainty of life on the streets,” Carroll answers, adding, “I realized compassion can’t grow from a distance. It comes from stepping closer to the reality of homelessness and learning from experience, not just as a compassionate onlooker.” 
Night Out in the Cold. Reflecting on her experience spending the night out in the cold, Carroll says she learned many things. “I saw how quickly dignity feels vulnerable when isolation sets in, and basic needs can’t be met.” She experienced firsthand that homelessness “is a real human experience that calls for deep compassion and responsibility.” The weather during Carroll’s night downtown included misty rain and low temperatures in the low thirties. During her night, she felt sadness but not fear. “I had an overwhelming feeling of sadness. I felt invisible as people passed by… busy with their lives and their purpose. When things grew quiet, I wasn’t afraid. I was aware of the bone-chilling physical cold and the mental coldness brought from the separation from community,” Carroll says. 
Because of her night out in the cold, Carroll now has a fresh perspective on homelessness in our community. “I now understand that survival becomes urgent when you have nothing. I saw that homelessness isn’t just about the physical need for warmth and shelter, but about being isolated, continuously uncertain, and without a sense of person,” Carroll says.
JHM has been a place for the homeless population in Birmingham to find hope for more than 80 years. The ministry currently has three facilities- Royal Pines, Shepura Men’s Center, and Jessie’s Place- and is currently raising funds for a new emergency shelter. To learn more about JHM, visit www.jimmiehalemission.com.
-Melissa Armstrong
