Davis stands over his graduation certificate. Residents graduate the program after 90 days. “Since [Davis] has been here in September, over 20 people graduated,” Xavier Mosely said.

A SITLM graduate leads prayer. The group meets every Sunday to pray and reconnect. “This is a self-help program,” Davis said. “All we do is provide, you have to do the rest.”

House manager James Davis rests against his desk in the front room of Stepping Into The Light Ministry. His diabetes medications often make him exhausted throughout the day. “I work so hard around here that when I go sleep, everybody says, ‘don’t wake James up,’” Davis said.

Bishop Jerome Bracely leds residents in prayer. Bracely founded SITLM to reduce homelessness though addiction treatment. “There was a lot of drug-infested activities going on right there on my doorstep,” Bracely said.

A pile of donated clothes sit outside of SITLM. They then distribute donations to residents. “[When you’re homeless], no doors will open up for you,” Davis said. “Nobody will feed you [or] give you clothes.”

SITLM resident Dylan Martinek signs a check-in sheet. Martinek started studying to take his realtor license exam after joining SITLM. “I noticed a huge change in myself,” Martinek said. “[I have] more peace of mind [than I’ve] had in my whole life.”

SITLM’s secretary, Xavier Mosely, sits at the front desk. Mosely has been at the house since Dec. 5, 2022. “My mom kicked me out [because] I kept letting homeless people in the house, giving them showers and food,” Mosely said.