Amy’s journey with The Merchant began during one of the hardest seasons of her life. “I was actually homeless,” she shares. That’s when she met Paul and Debbie, who not only helped her find housing but continued to walk alongside her even after she was housed. Their care didn’t stop there. “Come to find out, Paul needed someone to be here every day,” Amy recalls. She stepped up to the opportunity and has been with The Merchant ever since, now working daily to help others as she was once helped.

Mark’s connection with The Merchant started in 2010, during a time when he was homeless. He first met Paul at a QuikTrip on Denver Street, where Paul asked him a simple but life-changing question: “What do you want in life?” That conversation sparked a relationship that has spanned years, with Paul walking alongside Mark, providing unconditional love, mentorship, and Christian guidance. “They’ve always been like a rock to me,” Mark says. Now, Mark finds safety and family at The Merchant, a place where he knows he’s loved and supported.

For Paul, The Merchant is about more than providing meals and services—it’s about transformation. “We see story after story of one hundred percent life change,” he shares. His vision is to help individuals move “up and out” of homelessness, like climbing a spiral staircase toward a better life. Paul emphasizes the relational nature of The Merchant, where every individual is known by name and never given up on. “We’re gonna keep fighting until there’s nothing to fight for,” Paul says, underscoring the heart of The Merchant: a safe place where dignity, love, and hope are restored every day.