America’s churches and rescue missions are stepping up where the halls of government have too often failed, and this October they’re making a bold, visible stand. Citygate Network is organizing “Conversations on a Bench,” a 24-hour livestream on October 9–10, 2025, where CEOs and ministry leaders will sit on benches outside their facilities to talk honestly about homelessness, addiction, and mental health with neighbors, civic leaders, and people who have lived through these struggles. This is happening coast to coast, with nearly a hundred ministries signed up to host local bench conversations while a national broadcast stitches the stories together.
The mechanics are simple and effective: ministry leaders will sit for a full day, hosting unscripted interviews and inviting guests from their communities to speak, livestreaming everything so taxpayers, pastors, and policymakers can actually hear the human cost of broken policies. The coordinated broadcast kicks off at 3:00 p.m. Eastern on October 9 and runs for 24 hours, giving Americans a raw, unfiltered look at the real people behind the headlines. This isn’t virtue signaling by bureaucrats — it’s boots-on-the-ground ministry and storytelling aimed at sparking practical, local solutions.
Conservatives should applaud and support this effort because it puts compassion in public view without surrendering responsibility to the state. Faith-based organizations, churches, and rescue missions have the proven track record of walking with those in need and helping them rebuild their lives, not just paper over problems with endless taxpayer-funded band-aids. Local ministries like Bread of Life Mission and Open Door are already planning bench events and livestreams to lift up success stories of recovery and renewal, showing what real transformation looks like when people of faith act.
Let’s be clear: while compassion matters, enabling failed policies from city hall and statehouse does not. Too many progressive solutions prioritize permissive shelters and one-size-fits-all programs instead of accountability, mental health treatment, job training, and substance-abuse recovery that actually restore dignity. Conversations on a Bench is a chance for honest talk — the kind that asks tough questions about personal responsibility, family breakdown, and the misguided incentives that keep some people trapped in cycles of despair. No citation can replace the truth that real change requires both mercy and structure; that’s the conservative common sense this country needs.
Tom De Vries and Citygate Network are not interested in headlines so much as outcomes: their messaging emphasizes listening, humanizing those who struggle, and connecting people to proven, faith-rooted services that address root causes. Those who lead rescue missions know the details — what works, what doesn’t, and why blanket government programs often fall short — and they’re inviting civic leaders and citizens to hear those lessons straight from the people affected. If our side wants to reclaim the narrative on compassion, we should amplify these stories and force a conversation about results over rhetoric.
This is a moment for patriots to act, not just observe: volunteer at your local mission, donate to organizations that require accountability and measurable outcomes, and demand that elected officials stop treating homelessness like a political talking point. Show up at a bench, listen with humility, and bring practical solutions back to your town hall. When faith-led ministries and everyday Americans come together, we can offer a pathway from dependence to dignity — and that is the kind of compassionate conservatism that will actually heal our communities.
