The Elevator Pitch

We just sent out 41 letters to local politicians, businesses, and philanthropists asking if they'd be willing to support In Every Story. In writing the letter, we imagined that we'd just stepped onto an elevator with our reader and only had a few floors to get across our message and why we needed him or her on board. Here it is. After you read it, leave us a comment to let us know how we did. We're going to send out more so you're feedback will be a huge help.


We’d like to tell you about In Every Story, an innovative social enterprise that helps homeless workers help themselves. In Every Story began when Charleston native and Furman graduate (’08) Derek Snook chose to move into the Star Gospel Mission, a transitional housing facility for formerly homeless men in downtown Charleston. Derek did this as an act of faith and in the hope of better understanding the perspective of the homeless.

Derek discovered that of the 3,000 members of this community who will go to bed tonight without a home, many already have jobs. They work as day laborers. Each morning, they rise before dawn and make their way to day labor agencies hoping to get the chance to support themselves. But low wages, agency fees, and severe job instability make it nearly impossible to become self-sufficient. No matter how hard they work, day labor does not break the cycle of homelessness.

From this conflict emerged In Every Story, a nonprofit temporary labor agency that demonstrates Christ-like initiative as it partners with the homeless and near-homeless on their paths towards self-sufficiency.

We offer consistent temporary employment, higher wages, savings programs, safety training, permanent employment services, and spiritual reinforcement. By investing into our employees as well as conducting extensive vetting and drug tests, we provide a quality of labor unmatched by for-profit day labor agencies.

Crisis Ministries spends $24,000 a year to house each of its homeless guests. By contrast, with $100,000 in start up funding, we can help twenty homeless workers attain self-sufficiency in our first year alone. And, because In Every Story will be fully self-sustaining, we will be able to serve countless workers in the years to come without any additional funding. It is too expensive not to invest in this endeavor.

Please contact Derek Snook and Peter DeMarco at (843) 327-8456 or ineverystory@gmail.com to discuss how you can partner with, support, and donate to this effort.