Operation Jesus Mobilizes Strangers to Pray & Serve on Christmas Day in a Time of Inequality

We are called to link together through prayer and through action to do the work that God calls us to do—to stand in the gap for the vulnerable and for those that are least among us. 

Founded in 2012, Operation Jesus is an organization that mobilizes volunteers to step out of their complete comfort zone to distribute food, clothing, and provide care to homeless men, women and children in Chicago on Christmas Day and throughout the year. To date, we have deployed 300 volunteers across all different backgrounds to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need on the streets of Chicago (Photo credit: Karen Rohleder). ​

Right now we are in a definitive moment ... We turn to one another out of love and support, but also out of seeing the rampant inequality and injustice with our own eyes ...

 We are facing increasing inequality as a nation and a greater percentage of folks are literally on the edge of losing their middle/lower-middle class status, barely holding on, or have faced similar circumstances that make us relate to one another and elicit true empathy for those who have crossed over that slim edge into poverty and homelessness."

By: Linda E. Alberty, M.A.​

Operation Jesus: Chicago literally tugs on the hearts of people to unite, who under ordinary circumstances would probably never cross paths. On the morning of December 25, during one of Chicago's coldest Christmas Days in 13 years, nearly 75 complete strangers gathered at Union Station, from near and far, awaiting instruction to distribute care packages, warm tamales and winter coats to those in need. Volunteers were placed on five  teams and ranged in age, background, culture, socioeconomic status, denomination, and for many,  zip codes stretching as far as 60+ miles away to join in on the mission.

Thanks to the power of SEO, we also saw an unparalleled amount of volunteers discover #OperationJesus online (Among them, 86% of new volunteers motivated to join us for reasons as diverse as the volunteers themselves). Mothers, college students, entire families of five, six, and seven members, U.S. veterans, friends, neighbors, recently divorced parents away from their children, new immigrants, and even an entire group of out-of-town Jewish teenagers attending The United Synagogue Convention in Chicago all said "Yes!" to the work of #OperationJesus on a day that is justified to stay inside and enjoy the holiday.

​(Photo credit: Bonniejean Alford)

In total, we served and prayed for 200 homeless men and women  on Christmas morning across a 12-mile radius in the Chicago loop.

​Long-time #OperationJesus volunteer and supporter, Dr. Michelle Rivera recently commented on the unique phenomenon we saw this year,  "Right now we are in a definitive moment of political turbulence where we are distrustful of our governmental, political, social, religious institutions and our media. "

​"We turn to one another out of love and support, but also out seeing the rampant inequality and injustice with our own eyes (i.e., more tent cities cropped up across the nation and the many blue tarped roofs in Puerto Rico as a result of an abysmal disaster response from the US government)."

Click HERE to read more volunteer testimonials and learn more about #OperationJesus.

​(Photo credit: Bonniejean Alford)