Steve Bassett is changing the face of homelessness in North County. Bassett serves as Director of the Bread of Life Rescue Mission—a ministry in Oceanside helping homeless people. But Steve Bassett is much more than just a figurehead: he is a servant-leader who loves serving the underprivileged.
Working oftentimes around the clock, Bassett is never too tired to smile and give a hug and kind word to a person in need. With joyful compassion, Bassett counsels, cooks, cleans, makes sandwiches or walks in marathons to raise funds. In his own words, “I’m a Pastor, Director of Operations,…Chief Cook and Bottle Washer so to speak.” (His wife, Raylene, works alongside as Operations Manager.)
With homelessness increasing, Steve and Raylene Bassett are continually challenged to find solutions, to rally volunteers and to plod on without collapsing with exhaustion. And plod on they do—driven by their passion to obey the Scriptures and serve those in need. (Matthew 25:31-46). Bassett puts it this way, “What I love about Bread of Life is that lives are being changed every day, and God allows us all to be part of His plan.”
Bread of Life (BOL) feeds approximately 100 – 150 people a day. Much more than a humanitarian outreach, BOL renders dignity to the homeless, referring to them as guests. Guests turn up to receive food, clothes and a large dose of love from the Bassetts and other helpers. Meals are cooked and provided by volunteers, mostly from church groups in the area. Bible teaching and worship music are also provided to nurture and honor the guests.
During the winter months, the shelter houses people, providing respite from the harsh weather. Every year BOL also feeds about 10,000 people a month through the distribution of food boxes. Food distribution takes place twice a month benefiting some 350 families, and reaching 5 mobile home parks and 5 agencies a week.
“We feed a lot of people,” says Bassett. “We have a large base of services around us as referrals, and there are no ends to what and where our help is needed. Homeless. Poor. Working Poor…Seniors. And entire families.”
“We are hoping to grow to meet all the needs. We need help. There’s much to do and little to do it with.”
The Bassetts have served at BOL since 2002. When they saw the homeless in North County, they began helping with a park ministry called Helping Hands in Carlsbad. Then they met the founder of Bread of Life Inc. and, as Bassett says, “The rest is "HIS STORY." We have been involved since.”
Bassett is an alumni of Bethel Seminary San Diego. Before serving at BOL, he also was a volunteer chaplain at Butte County Jail in Oroville, California and helped set up Prison Ministry Teams to reach prisoners
What does Steve Bassett view as his greatest challenges? “Working on a very low budget and getting volunteers every day to do this great job we are all called to do—to serve the least of these brothers and sisters…to serve people in need.”
Janey DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © November 2011
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