CEO braves freezing temperatures for 24 hours on a bench to inspire action against homelessness

An annual tally by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed that the percentage of homeless people in the United States increased by 12% from the previous year in 2024, reaching the highest number ever recorded in history. With a consistent lack of affordable housing, stagnant wages, and substance abuse, not to mention natural disasters like the recent wildfires that raged in LA County, the nation is currently witnessing a lamentable state of chronic poverty prevalent among millions of its residents.

But in Greenville, this grim scenario sparked a flame of kindness, with lightbearers like Ryan Duerk stepping up to address the issue of homelessness. Ryan, the CEO of Miracle Hill Ministries, spent 24 hours on an outdoor bench in the bitter freezing cold to inspire others to pay attention to this alarming matter. "For the next 24 hours, I will sit or stand on this bench," he said in a video posted by the Greenville Journal.

Miracle Hill Ministries is a non-profit organization in upstate South Carolina that provides support and services to homeless adults such as food, shelter, clothing, addiction recovery, personal development, and counseling. Their mission is to “exist so that homeless children and adults receive food and shelter with compassion.” The organization was launched in 1937 by a group of businessmen who operated soup kitchens during the Great Depression.

In January 2025, Duerk and other ministry colleagues decided to conduct a nationwide project to bring awareness to homeless people. On January 22nd and 23rd, Duerk collaborated with other CEOs to participate in "Conversations on a Bench."

"The reality is that homelessness, poverty, and addiction are never as simple as just going to get a job," he told the Greenville Journal in a video. He said that in the following days, they would recruit volunteers who would be willing to dedicate themselves to serving and healing the homeless.

While the problem of homelessness is at its peak in America, the efforts of Miracle Hill Ministries are contributing little by little to the well of hope, at least for the local homeless population. The ministry provided shelter beds for 205,246 people, served 353,140 meals, and fostered 351 children in 2024 alone, according to Yahoo News. A large portion of the ministry’s income comes from thrift ministries at the Miracle Hill Thrift Stores, where people buy thrifted items or make donations.

In a video, the ministry explained that their "cold weather shelters" are opened when temperatures drop. After receiving instructions from the admin, they put out the "Open" plaque and flags, sending a message to the homeless. They set up the shelter with fresh meals, clean towels, blankets, and mattresses. The shelter’s residents are provided a nutritious meal that the kitchen manager, Dan Coe, calls the "Miracle Stew," a blend of vegetable soup and wholesome stew.

Brian Newton, who works at the Greenville Rescue Mission in downtown Greenville, shared that the ministry has "four cold shelter missions."

While Duerk inspires people to pay attention to the homeless, the ministry proclaimed in a video that they are following the "gospel" of God by doing this important work. "God is still doing miracles. We just have to pay attention," they said.