Jericho Road CEO sits on Broad Street bench for 24 hours

Andrew Chamberlin, CEO of Jericho Road Ministries, sat on a bench at the Broad Street pavilion in Brooksville from 3 p.m. on Oct. 8 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 9. For that 24-hour period, he spoke with anyone who wanted to sit beside him. The conversations covered addiction, recovery, faith, and local housing. Participants also discussed Amendment 3, the property tax measure appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Chamberlin described the period as stressful for the community. It marked the second year the ministry’s leadership spent a full day and night on the bench. Staff members recorded the interactions on video and audio to gauge community sentiment.

Weather conditions on Oct. 9 included clouds and rain, which kept temperatures low. Staff members provided coffee and doughnuts to visitors. By the end of the shift, Chamberlin and his team said approximately 40 people had stopped by. Some visitors shared religious testimonies, while others described their efforts to stabilize their lives.

Jericho Road Ministries operates a men’s center, a women’s center, and transitional homes for individuals recovering from addiction. The organization funds much of its work through six thrift stores, one of which is located near Interstate 75 in Ridge Manor. Chamberlin stated that the ministry has helped a record number of people this year. Current service levels range from 75 to 85 individuals.

“We focus so much on substance abuse that it’s very niche, but we’ve grown 40 to 50 beds in the last year,” Chamberlin said.

Jason LeVoy, a staff member at the men’s center, sat with Chamberlin during the event. LeVoy reported hearing powerful testimonies overnight from men who work with him. He noted that mental health and addiction are frequently intertwined. “Usually, one feeds the other,” LeVoy said. He added that many residents discuss their spirituality and coming to faith.

Stephen Pasquale, who joined the ministry two months ago, took a 2 a.m. shift on the bench. He had previously worked for the county and a Tampa Bay area coalition. Sean Grant, the ministry’s counseling director, remained for the entire 24 hours. Grant explained that the event serves to raise awareness of community issues. “We’re just really excited that we got to do this this year,” Grant said.