Three words spoken by Jesus Christ Himself spurred him into action: "Feed my sheep."
That was in 2003 when David Timothy started his Soup Mobile, a faith-based non-profit charity that feeds and shelters the homeless in Dallas, Texas 365 days a year.
Timothy said he started the feeding project with nothing whatsoever. "We had nothing. We started with zero. We didn't have any money, didn't have any donors," he told CBN News. "We didn't have any church support—we had nothing. We just started because of three words: feed my sheep."
He said being hungry is not new to him since he experienced it himself when he was a boy growing up in a home where food was scarce. "I was never homeless but experienced hunger first-hand on a regular basis, going to bed many nights with a stomach that was not full. That experience, it always stuck with me," Timothy said.
In its first year of operation, Timothy's Soup Mobile served 5,000 meals. This year, they have served more than 200,000 meals so far.
Aside from his Soup Mobile, Timothy has set up a thrift store and what he calls a "home" church for the homeless in Dallas.
He also offers such services as job placement, counselling, housing guidance and clothing assistance.
"We truly believe that these are good, decent people. They're down on their luck, that's for sure, but nonetheless they're good, decent people and what they really need is a hand-up. We don't give out hand-outs at the Soup Mobile," Timothy said.
Timothy said he cultivates a personal relationship with each person he meets, using this to help turn around the lives of the homeless with the help of Jesus Christ.
Timothy said his ultimate goal is "to be out of business someday" when the people they are feeding are able to get their own homes and their own jobs, "where they can be members of the community that are productive."
Despite the success of his charity, Timothy remains humble. Entering his office, a visitor would easily notice his chair, which is held together almost completely by duct tape.
He said many people have offered to buy him a new chair, but he would politely decline each time the offer is made, saying the chair serves an important purpose.
"It reminds me that I'm not so hot," Timothy said. "It reminds me that it's not me that's making this all happen. It reminds me that Christ is the one that makes it all happen."
