Greg Burnette remembers the prayer he made to God eight years ago, thinking it would be his last.
He was living in his car under a bridge outside of Itasca, near Interstate 35. At the time, he felt he’d lost everything, including his will to live. Burnette was attempting to starve himself to death when he had a moment with God.
“Either save me or take me,” the lifelong Baptist said, recalling the prayer. “I don’t care. Just make it permanent.”
The next morning, a truck driver saw Burnette’s car and called for help. Burnette
was transported to Texas Health Huguley Hospital where he received medication and therapy before he was dropped off at Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County.
He looked at the cross on the door and thought, “OK, God, I hear you. Let’s go.”
Doors opened for Burnette through the mission. He participated in Visions Unlimited, a program at Tarrant County College that works with local shelters to help people experiencing homelessness go to college. He studied psychology and religion and earned his associate degree before taking classes at Texas Wesleyan University. Today, he is a case manager for Cornerstone Assistance Network, an organization in Fort Worth helping people experiencing poverty.
Burnette shared his story with Union Gospel’s president and CEO, Charles Wolford, as the two sat on a bench outside of the mission’s outreach center. It was one of the many conversations Wolford had over a 24-hour national event sponsored by Citygate Network.
Ministries across the country participated in Conversations on a Bench, which began on the afternoon of Oct. 9 and went into the afternoon of Oct. 10, World Homeless Day. The discussions were livestreamed, with the public invited to join them in dialogue about homelessness, addiction and mental health.
More than 60 people signed up to talk with Wolford and others walked in. Burnette said he joined the event because he wanted to give back to the mission and tell those experiencing homelessness to not give up.
“If I can help one person, it’s worth it,” Burnette said.
Charles Wolford, Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County president and CEO, talks with Greg Burnette on Oct. 9, 2025, during the nonprofit’s Conversations on a Bench event. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)
This year marked the first time Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County participated in the event, Wolford said. The Fort Worth nonprofit was one of 70 missions across the U.S. facilitating discussions about homelessness.
Oftentimes homelessness is a hidden issue, but “it’s becoming more part of the conversation at the forefront in our neighborhoods,” Wolford said.
“This is a point in time where I think we have to bring attention to this matter, with the economy having some challenges, with individuals dealing with inflation, individuals who may have lost their employment during this time,” Wolford said.
Homelessness increased by 11% from 2024 to 2025 in Tarrant and Parker counties, according to a State of Homelessness Address in May from Partnership Home, the lead agency in both areas’ homelessness response.
The agency reported 2,637 people experiencing homelessness in Tarrant and Parker counties, with 2,289 of those individuals — or 86.8% — located in Fort Worth.
Executive director Lauren King noted during the address that Fort Worth typically has the highest homeless population of Tarrant-area cities because it offers the most services.
The data comes from the annual Point in Time Count conducted in January as part of a federally mandated count designed to be a snapshot of the number of people and families experiencing homelessness on a single night.
“People are asking, ‘Why are so many individuals living under the bridges? Why are so many individuals living in their vehicles?’” Wolford said. “It is imperative that we bring attention to the matter now, because what may seem as a common stereotype of individuals who are typically homeless, now we’re seeing more people who may not fit the traditional homeless stereotype.”
Volunteers Amy Bush, Madison Owen and Brandon Molina survey an unsheltered person living in a tent during the Point in Time Count, Jan. 25, 2024. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)
During Conversations on a Bench, interested participants signed up for a 30-minute chat with Wolford to discuss homelessness in Tarrant County. Participants also could submit questions on the mission’s Facebook page.
District 7 council member Macy Hill and District 8 council member Chris Nettles both visited Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County on Thursday to talk with Wolford.
As a Christian, Hill said she has always had a calling to help the homeless. Before being elected to public office, she worked at Presbyterian Night Shelter and would take her sons to serve Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to people in shelters.
As Fort Worth continues to grow and homelessness becomes more visible, Hill said it’s important for the city to partner with organizations to help people in need with dignity.
“We can’t do this job on our own,” Hill said. “It really takes an entire team and community to come together and address homelessness.”
A pastor in east Fort Worth, Nettles said he felt called to get involved in city politics in 2017 because “politics at its core value is ministry” realized through taking care of community needs and improving people’s quality of life.
Nettles’ district includes the mission’s shelter as well as the Presbyterian Night Shelter.
Many people are just one paycheck away from hardship, he said. Having Conversations on a Bench in Fort Worth is important because it helps address misconceptions about homelessness.
“It’s not about somebody that doesn’t want to work or somebody that’s on (a) substance,” Nettles said. “It’s really about people who probably have fallen on hard times, and they need not a handout but a help up.”
A stop sign at the intersection of Poplar Street and East Lancaster Avenue sits in front of one of Union Gospel Mission’s buildings in 2023. (Matthew Sgroi | Fort Worth Report)
By hour 19 of the event, the 50 conversations Wolford had welcomed represented a “beautiful mosaic” of people coming together to talk about homelessness, addiction and mental health.
While he still had six hours to go, the conversations he’d already had felt “nothing short of a miracle.”
He hopes to participate in the national event every year moving forward, he said.
“I really get a chance to see the weaving of God, of how he’s doing this beautiful thing right here at Union Gospel Mission, right before us,” Wolford said. “It’s so distinct. It’s so unique. But what I do see is the hand of God over all of it.”
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org.
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