A Sanctuary Open to All, 24/7

This is an idea and a concept taking shape. A board is forming to create a place where no door is locked and every person is welcomed with dignity. We are not yet an official organization — paperwork is in progress.

Become a Founding Board Member →

Our Mission

“A board is gathering to clarify our mission — but the heart is clear: radical hospitality without exception.”

Our vision is to create a sanctuary where basic human needs are met, where people find hope, healing, and purpose through community, prayer, and practical skill-building. Open 365 days, 24 hours a day.

What We Hope To Offer

24/7 Shelter

Safe, warm spaces with dorms, campsites, showers, and laundry.

Community Kitchen

Three meals daily, 24/7 snacks, and a food pantry.

Prayer Room

A quiet, sacred space open all hours.

Skills Training

Web design, app development, radio — marketable skills.

Counseling

Addiction counseling, mental health care, life coaching.

Clothing

Free clothing closet, hygiene kits, blankets.

Online College Support

Help guests enroll, access financial aid, complete degrees.

Habitation Training

Life skills: hygiene, communication, professional etiquette.

Job Department

Resume writing, interview prep, job placement.

Stage 1: Founding Board Members

We are seeking 15 committed board members to establish vision, governance, and 501(c)(3) status.

📞 405-355-8037 ✉️ openchurchproject1@gmail.com

Example Project Blueprint

📋 Start a Ministry or Register Land

🌱 Community Garden 🐾 Animal Shelter 🏚️ Start a Homeless Shelter 📝 Homeless Land Registration

🌻 Starting a Community Garden – Just Grow & Give

Anyone with a patch of dirt can start feeding their neighborhood.

We help you turn your backyard, church lawn, or any empty space into a community garden. We'll help you plan, gather soil and seeds, and connect with neighbors.

How we support you: Advertising, volunteer coordination, resource gathering, and practical guidance. No red tape.

Get started today: Call 405-355-8037 or email openchurchproject1@gmail.com.

Community Garden Form

← Back to Home

🐕 Start a Small Animal Shelter – Love on Paws

Got land, a garage, or a spare room? You can shelter animals in need.

Stray animals, abandoned pets, and neglected creatures need compassionate people. You don't need a massive facility — a clean garage, a fenced backyard with simple shelters, or even a converted shed can become a temporary haven.

How we support you: Advertising your shelter, volunteer coordination, resource gathering (food, bedding, crates), and practical guidance on basic animal care and rehoming. We connect you with local vets, foster networks, and adoption events.

No permits needed to start showing compassion: Just a willing heart and safe space.

Ready to open your heart and property? Call 405-355-8037 or email openchurchproject1@gmail.com.

Start Animal Shelter

← Back to Home

✨ Upcoming Gatherings & Outreach ✨

Love Your Neighbor - Together Day Festival Flyer

Register to Vend at durantcharities.org

✨ Vendor spots, volunteers, and sponsors welcome. Join us in spreading radical hospitality! ✨

More Events Coming Soon

Monthly community meals, volunteer training, garden workshops, and animal adoption days. Contact us to partner.

← Back to Home

Meet the Founder & Hear Some Testimonies

Shawn Polly – Founder's Heart

“I saw that the church doors were locked too often while people lived outside on their sidewalk. The Open Church Project was born from that ache — we must be open 24/7, no exceptions.”

The Bakersfield Rescue Mission at 19

At the age of 19, Shawn Polly flushed his mom’s meth and his great-uncle Billy Nix’s meth down the toilet and was kicked out of the house. He went on to live at the Bakersfield Rescue Mission, where he stayed in a dorm with around 200 men for over a year. During that time, he attended Bakersfield College and got a job while trying to rebuild his life. While in Bakersfield, he also started going to a church called Country Bible Church. One day, Shawn brought around 50 people from the Bakersfield Rescue Mission to church. They all loaded onto a city bus, and when they got off, it was a sight to see—a long line of the sick and afflicted walking about five blocks to get to the church. Some might say it looked like something out of the walking dead. That same day, Shawn and the pastor had gone and gotten supplies for a BBQ, and Shawn stayed outside cooking for everyone at the small Baptist church. Inside the church that day was his great-uncle Billy Nix, whose meth Shawn had flushed. Billy later told him what happened inside. The pastor had a breakdown and began yelling and calling people out by name, saying, “You have been coming here your entire life and you have brought nobody. Nineteen-year-old, homeless Shawn Polly has brought more people to church today than all of you put together for the entire time you’ve been here.” Shortly after that, the pastor began allowing homeless people to stay on the church property in tents, which sparked what many would describe as a kind of awakening within the church. Shawn had already left Bakersfield by the time this happened, moving on to something else he didn’t yet understand, but believes now was part of a bigger plan. What stands out about this moment is not just the conflict or the shock of it, but the impact—one young man, freshly homeless and trying to figure life out, ended up shifting the direction of an entire church without even realizing it at the time.

Sunny Brae Church - Arcata, CA

After leaving Bakersfield College, Shawn Polly transferred to College of the Redwoods in Eureka. He was living in Arcata in a house with other college students who were regularly using cocaine, but he did not want to be around that environment. As a result, he got a tent and a backpack and began living in the Redwood Forest while continuing to attend college. During this time in the forest, Shawn felt that God had given him a mission—to go to every church in Arcata and tell them to get the homeless off the streets. Over a period of time, he visited each church. Most responded by explaining what they were already doing for the homeless, but none offered what he believed to be a real solution. The last church he visited was Sunny Brae Church, led by Pastor Dirk Schultz. When Shawn arrived, he noticed that around 20 homeless individuals were already living on the church property. He shared what he believed God had told him and asked if he could stay there. The pastor agreed, and Shawn lived at the church for several months. Eventually, the city threatened legal action—stating that Pastor Dirk Schultz could face jail time and the church could be shut down if the situation continued. Shawn pleaded with the church not to give in, but in the end, he was the last person to leave. He was given a letter stating that he would be trespassed if he did not leave, and that the decision was not the church’s choice but the result of pressure from the city. After leaving, Shawn quit college and began standing in front of City Hall in Arcata, telling people what had happened. This led to the formation of a movement called “The People’s Project.” Hundreds of people joined him, and they protested what had happened. Eventually, the city allowed churches to let homeless individuals sleep inside their buildings under certain requirements. Shortly after this, Shawn moved on once again—this time being led to Vallejo, CA for another mission with homeless he never saw coming.

The Crack Head Preacher

After leaving Arcata, Shawn found himself in Vallejo, CA. Once again, he felt that Christ was pushing him to be proactive in street ministry. He believed Christ instructed him to set up a table across from a pornography viewing booth store at an abandoned gas station. For months, he went there once a week, giving out pizza and chips while playing Christian music. The area was known as one of the worst parts of Vallejo for crack sales, prostitution, and gang activity. About a month into this outreach, a man named Hosea Perez, also known as Video, approached him. Shawn knew him somewhat and was aware that he traded porn videos for crack cocaine. Hosea told him that if he remained on the streets, he would continue to smoke crack, and he asked a question that many Christians might fear. He said, “Shawn, can I live with you? If I stay on the streets, I will keep smoking crack.” This became a crossroads moment in Shawn’s life. He could have turned away from everything Christ stood for and declared defeat, but instead, it was in this moment that Samson’s Unit Men’s Sober Living Home was born. He did not know whether Hosea might harm or rob him. He only knew that he was afraid, yet he chose to trust God more than his fear. After bringing him home, Hosea confessed that he had once been the head pastor of a church but had lost his congregation due to fornication. He was in tears and said he had no way off the streets. It was not long before Video repented and became a light on Sonoma Blvd. in Vallejo, CA. People who had once traded porn videos with him for drugs began to hear how he had changed and given up that life. He went on to become what some might call “The Ambassador,” someone God used so that others in the neighborhood could see the light. Many were amazed at Hosea Perez’s repentance, and only God knows how many lives were changed as a result. All he needed was someone to love him as Christ loved us.

Samson's Unit Men's Sober Living Home

After Hosea Perez moved in, Shawn was inspired to start a sober living home. Along with his uncle Charles and a few friends, he began building bunk beds in the two spare bedrooms of his home. They placed two bunk beds in each room, for a total of eight beds. After setting up some basic rules and regulations, he went to the Vallejo homeless shelter and started inviting men into his home. Before long, the house was full. Mike Yancy was a meth addict who got clean and went on to make over $60,000 a year working on manufactured homes. Another gentleman went on to become a counselor for teens in gangs. Not everyone benefited from the men’s home, but many found a new way of life. Many men from the Christian Help Center in Vallejo, CA found Christ’s love during this time. It was considered one of the craziest things to do by those around him, many of whom advised against it. However, Shawn remained thankful that he trusted Christ and was able to be used to show His love.

The Discovery Channel & Samson's Unit

After Shawn started the men’s home, he encountered a man named Sean in the parking lot of a gas station in Vallejo. At that time, Sean was panhandling for drug money. He and his girlfriend, Gina, were living under a bridge in a tent and using heroin. Sean asked if he could pitch his tent in the backyard, and Shawn agreed. Although the house was already full and there was no room inside, he offered help in this way. They were given food and allowed to shower and use the restroom. While their behavior was not condoned, Shawn did not want them to risk overdosing under a bridge with no one around to help. Unexpectedly, a crew from the Discovery Channel arrived at the house from a television show called Addicted. They asked if they could place microphones on everyone and follow Sean and Gina around for a few weeks. That is exactly what they did, eventually taking Sean and Gina to a rehabilitation program. It was a surprising turn of events, considering the many possible outcomes that could have come from bringing heroin addicts into the home. Shawn hopes to help many more people like them in the future, this time with a team of experienced individuals. Most people would not have allowed them to stay in their backyard because of their addiction, but he believes it is important to show love to those going through the darkest moments of their lives. He sees this as a calling to help save people in the name of Jesus Christ and is grateful for the opportunity to be a light for them and for many more to come.

← Back to Home

✧ Join the Founding Board ✧

Seeking 15 passionate individuals to serve as founding board members.

Establish 501(c)(3) nonprofit status
Secure land and funding for a 24/7 sanctuary
Develop policies for radical hospitality
Build partnerships with local agencies

How to apply: Call 405-355-8037 or email openchurchproject1@gmail.com

← Return to Home

🏘️ Start a Shelter – Anyone with Land Can Do This

You have land. You have a garage. You have a church. You can shelter.

Use what you already own: A finished basement, detached garage, extra bedroom, or large backyard can become a safe refuge. We help you prepare the space and connect with guests.

How we support you: Advertising, volunteer coordination, resource gathering, and practical guidance.

➡️ Ready to open your doors? Call 405-355-8037 or email openchurchproject1@gmail.com.

Start A Shelter

← Back to Home

🏨 Find a Homeless Shelter – Oklahoma Locations

City Rescue Mission
800 W. California Ave, OKC | 📞 (405) 232-2709

Tulsa Day Center
415 W. Archer St, Tulsa | 📞 (918) 583-5588

Gospel Rescue Mission
323 Callahan St, Muskogee | 📞 (918) 682-8482

← Back to Home

🍽️ Start a Food Ministry – No Red Tape, Just Love

Jesus didn't wait for permission. Neither do we.

We help you launch a sack lunch program, food box distribution, soup kitchen, or any food outreach — immediately.

What we provide: Advertising, volunteer coordination, resource gathering, and practical guidance.

Get started: Call 405-355-8037 or email openchurchproject1@gmail.com.

Start A Food Ministry

← Back to Home

🌿 Community Gardens in OK

Listing coming soon — be a pioneer! Contact us to add your garden.

Back to Garden Guide

📢 Get Involved – Ways to Serve

Join the movement of radical hospitality. Below are opportunities to partner with us!

Start Private Food Ministry

Register Your Church

Start Animal Shelter

Start Community Garden

Volunteers Needed

Join The Trail Team

Register Your Church

Start A Homeless Shelter

Love is not a bandaid!

← Back to Home

🏕️ Homeless Land Registration Form

Homeless individuals and families in Oklahoma can fill out this form to be placed on a waiting list for a small piece of land to live on. This land is intended for those experiencing homelessness who want a stable, safe place to call home. By joining our coalition, you will be considered for future land opportunities. Click the Register For Free Land button below to access the registration form or the 🌟 Active Land Projects button to look for an active community project.

🌟 Active Land Projects

💡 If homeless people can afford $50–$100 a month they can sign-up for one of our community projects.

Register For Free Land

← Back to Home