Pastor Mayo Sowell of LIIV Atlanta Church stepped away from the pulpit to spend a week living on the streets. His goal: to better understand the struggles of the unhoused and push for deeper community connection beyond charity.
“This was a deeply personal call to experience the life of those we often overlook,” Sowell said.
Carrying only a backpack and camera, he walked, slept, and ate alongside the homeless in Atlanta. What struck him most wasn’t the lack of food or shelter—but the absence of meaningful human connection.
“Relational poverty is a very real thing,” he said. “This isn’t just about a helping hand. It takes strength, patience and tenacity to pull someone out.”
Sowell’s perspective is shaped by his own past. A former college football player, he served five years in federal prison before a spiritual transformation led him to ministry.
“I know how it feels to be overlooked,” he said. “But one person who cares can change everything.”
His journey is documented in The Least of These, a project calling for empathy and action.
More at www.liivatl.com/about.
