Giving Back
Charity
Because the party means nothing if we leave people outside.
Love Beyond Walls
A movement birthed out of the hope that love is greater than walls.
Love Beyond Walls is a movement birthed out of the hope that love is greater than walls. We are an organization that is unafraid to address barriers and committed to breaking them down. We believe in action over words and making service a part of our daily lives. We are committed to the people that the world passes by — because we believe the people struggling with poverty and sleeping on the streets have lives and stories that are just as valuable as ours.
Our vision is to create a world where no one is invisible. We exist to change the narrative on homelessness through education and storytelling, with the hope of building empathy and inspiring people to serve and be proximate to their neighbors without an address.
Love Beyond Walls in action
“Fear has no place in love. We strive to view everyone as an individual with a story and a hopeful, better future. Humans are humans and we desire to show the same unconditional love to each of them.”
— Love Beyond Walls
How It Started
In 2004, founders Terence and Cecilia gathered two trash bags filled with clothes and walked through the streets of downtown Atlanta. On Auburn Ave, they encountered a homeless woman who rummaged through the bags and found a pair of black shoes — and started jumping up and down. "I just prayed for a pair of shoes last night, and God answered." In that moment, the concept of Love Beyond Walls was born. In 2013, Terence formalized the nonprofit and lived on the streets of Atlanta himself — put out of shelters, sleeping under bridges, eating handouts — to wear the shoes of the people the organization serves.
2013
Founded
187
U.S. cities that have made it illegal to be unhoused
10K+
People educated through the Dignity Museum
National
Featured on CNN, Today Show, Good Morning America
What They Do
Zion's Closet
Transforms unused school space into fully stocked resource centers supporting students and families experiencing poverty or housing insecurity — providing uniforms, shoes, hygiene kits, food, technology, and school supplies, all designed with dignity in mind. Some closets include washers, dryers, refrigeration, and computer access to help bridge the digital divide.
The Dignity Museum
The first museum in the U.S. representing homelessness, built out of a shipping container. An immersive experience that has educated tens of thousands of people on empathy toward those who are unhoused — using research, scholarship, and storytelling to move people to be proximate to their neighbors without an address.
Homesick Documentary
Did you know that 187 U.S. cities have made it illegal to be unhoused and engage in everyday activities that non-homeless people do every single day — like sitting, standing, or being visible in public spaces? Homesick brings the real stories of people navigating life while unhoused to the screen.
Volunteer
Volunteering is truly about one life impacting another. There are so many ways to give your time, gifts, and talents to help serve communities nationally and locally. Love Beyond Walls mobilizes an army of people who dare to get involved in breaking down barriers and dreaming up new solutions.
Why Marc Supports This
Comedy is about connection — seeing people, really seeing them, and finding the shared humanity in all of it. Love Beyond Walls does exactly that, just without the punchlines. They show up for the people the world walks past every day. They believe those stories are just as valuable as ours. That's the kind of party worth throwing.
I've been blessed to know and work with Dr. Terence Lester for many years. He's a truly great man. I'm so happy to be able to help him and his profoundly important mission to help the homeless.
Make a Difference
Every dollar goes toward dignity, storytelling, and real resources for real people.
Marc pledges to give 5% of his profit from shows and book sales to Love Beyond Walls.