The Story Behind CAST and the Power of Saying Yes

It is like yesterday; it is so clear.

I was driving to my children’s school when I had one of those God moments again. It was on my heart, “House my people.” I knew exactly what it meant, and I said yes out loud.

God does a good work in each of us. He readies us. We place our hope in Him, and we are beyond blessed to be His hands and feet.

When I got home, I jumped on the computer and emailed two people, one at the city and one a community volunteer. What I did not know at the time was that they had just finished meeting with each other that very morning to discuss housing the homeless. That was confirmation.

This was November 2, 2012, and it was already cold. Our prayer group gathered for the weekend to pray and discern what this calling meant. When we returned, we met with Pastor Ralph and shared the story. He paused, then called in Pastor Anita. We talked. We prayed. Then he said yes and grounded us with a list of needs: blankets, mats, a bus, a team.

God called us to it and supplied every need.

Two months later, on January 2, 2013, CAST, the Chesapeake Area Shelter Team, was launched. Those two short months were filled with prayer, developing a handbook, team building, church meetings, and even opposition. In one meeting I was invited to, I was told, “You can’t do this.”

Of course, I can. We can. I believed it deeply.

We were on assignment, and the Lord met every need.

Those early days were a blur of emails, meetings, and phone calls. Along the way, I met incredible people in churches throughout Chesapeake who said yes. God opened doors that could not have been forced open any other way.

That first year, six churches came together to provide nine weeks of overnight hosting for people experiencing homelessness. We averaged 17 guests per week and served 72 individuals. Our guests included singles, couples, women in their seventies, and even a brand new nine-day-old baby.

Ten years later, CAST has served tens of thousands of homeless singles, couples, and families. Most winter nights, the shelter is filled to over capacity, serving 50 or more guests. In a typical non-COVID season, 20 churches each host one full winter week of CAST.

What moves me most is not just the scale, but the heart behind it.

I love the churches and our community, the many-membered body of Christ coming together to provide resources, warm shelter one week at a time, dinners, clothing, sack lunches, and fellowship. It is love in action. It crosses denominational lines, and it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed or been a part of.

The work is extraordinary, and at times exhausting, but I have had a front-row seat to see God at work. I have seen guests come to Christ, join churches, find jobs, and experience life transformation. I have also seen hard stories and frustrating situations, but the blessings, oh the blessings.

Every single time CAST has had an organizational need, it has been met.

-Trudy Rauch

Co-Founder of CAST

Why This Story Matters

CAST exists because ordinary people said yes to an extraordinary calling. It is a reminder that when compassion meets obedience, communities change. This work is not done by one church or one person. It is done together.

If you are wondering whether small acts of faith can lead to lasting impact, this story is proof that they can.

How You Can Be Part of the Story

CAST continues to rely on churches, volunteers, and community partners to make each season possible. Whether through volunteering, hosting, providing meals, donating supplies, or simply spreading the word, there is always room for more people to say yes.

Because when we choose to house His people, we become His hands and feet in the most tangible way.