By Jack Mustard
My name is Jack Mustard I am a practicing Chiropractor and Musician from Amarillo Texas. I founded Mustard Street Charities in 2016 after going down to the Guyon Saunders Homeless Resource Center and seeing people suffering, hungry and in need. I was organizing a music fest that would benefit Amarillo Housing First and Chris Seright and went down to meet him and plan the event!
I met Chris in downtown Amarillo with my son one cold, snowy day in late 2016 and sat in trailer with many people trying to stay warm and had no place to go. It broke my spirit and was a shock to me that people lived in constant struggle and pain with no recourse but to live on the streets. It created so much pain in my heart that I wanted to use my name to create a system that would be a massive force of goodness for this group of people in the I had fell in love with. I wanted to champion their cause and to be a leader for them!
After seeing the complexities and circumstances of many of the homeless population, I knew it would take not one person, but 100’s to 1000’s of like-minded people in the community to make a change. This was the brain-child behind Mustard Street… A Street that someone (homeless, hungry, in struggle) could walk down and get all the basics.. Food, clothing, a smile, a shower etc.. A virtual street of basic services!
2 years later as organization we have fed almost 16,000 cheese burgers in a cookout style form (200 – 500 per week), fed another 1000+ meals (Chili, Hot Dogs, Sliders), donated to other charities in need, helped start a jobs program, have provided job training/certifications, donated to a local school to help with PE Equipment, helped with medicine and finances there of the homeless population, have been a catalyst for clothing and basics outreach, have assisted with IDs/transportation and have sponsored a weekend system to keep the Guyon Saunders Building open on the weekends helping 300 – 400 people every weekend avoid the cold and weather during the day.
I have learned valuable lessons in my life after being a part of service and being a part of the community that helps those in need. The blessings and opportunity to love someone that will never be able to pay me back is absolutely the greatest gift in the world not to the one receiving but the one giving! It’s a lesson I hope my children will take as their legacy!
Together as a team and as a community much of the world’s problems can be solved. It all starts with YOU!
Photo by Guyon Saunders Resource Center