In 1997, in the middle of a cold El Niño winter, Wagers opened an informal homeless shelter at First Christian Church on South Fifth Street. About 100 people came in to sleep, according to Wagers, so he didn’t flinch when San Jose threatened to fine him $2,500 for keeping the shelter open. “They call me and say, ‘You know, Pastor Scott, you can’t have a shelter there. It’s not legal.’ I’m like, ‘Well, I’ll do what God wants me to do,’” Wagers said. “We’re going to do our best because the homeless problem is out of control. We want to make sure that people are taken care of.”
