MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — Pastor Shannon Williams has been preaching at Finish Line Christian Center in Mount Holly for 17 years.
He said the years of faith were soon met with a call from God, a call that wasn’t easy to answer.
"As we were preaching to the homeless community the lord spoke to me and said, 'You don’t know what it’s like to be homeless,'" Williams told WCNC Charlotte's Tradesha Woodard.
"It’s really hard to minister to somebody when you don’t know unless you know what it's like to walk in their shoes," Williams added.
Williams accepted the mission taking a buddy, a backpack and hope from his community along with him.
For five days, he took to the streets.
"The hardest thing was the looks, the stares, the judgment in people’s eyes," Williams said.
He said obstacles like weather and quality shoes also played a role, but it was the small things that made a big difference.
"I was sitting outside of a Bojangles and I asked this lady for food and she brought it to us," Williams said. "I thought to myself, 'I can do this and I can get through this.'"
Hope was he all needed to push through.
Williams said even though days were hard, he had something others on the street didn’t - an expiration date.
"It was the most difficult five days I had experienced in my life," Williams said.
Although his time on the streets has expired, Williams is hoping his mission will live on forever.
"There are seven billion people on the planet. Imagine if everyone did something kind today. You can make a pretty big impact by just starting with one," Williams said.
As he continues to share his journey, he's also encouraging folks to do the 48-hour homeless challenge.
He said the church is working to get sponsors to match every hour spent, all in the hopes of changing perspectives with funding going directly to support those in need.
If you would like to watch the full documentary about William's experience click here.
Click here for more ways to contribute to the unhoused.
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Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.