The Work That Takes Time

Every community wants homelessness solved. The harder question is whether we're willing to do the slow, often frustrating work that solving it actually requires.

That was one of the biggest takeaways from a recent conversation with Transformation Park Executive Director Mark Zimmerman. After spending more than a year building the organization from the ground up, Zimmerman isn't pretending to have all the answers. In fact, he was remarkably candid about what has worked, what hasn't and just how difficult it is to help someone rebuild a life after months or years of homelessness.

"It wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be," Zimmerman said. "We've not done everything perfect."

That honesty matters because Transformation Park has increasingly become part of the public conversation surrounding homelessness in Amarillo. As the organization has grown, so has the criticism. Some of it raises legitimate questions. A lot of it is based on misunderstandings or bad information. Zimmerman says that's part of the job, but admits the constant criticism affects both him and his staff.

"It's demoralizing," he said. "It's disheartening."

His frustration isn't with people asking questions. Quite the opposite.

"I wish they would pick up the phone or email and ask the questions," Zimmerman said. " Please don't just make up your mind that you know what's going on."

One of those misunderstandings involves the Street Center. While the City of Amarillo is investing in the project, 75 percent of the funding is being raised privately. The completed facility will house city staffers from the Community Development department. It's not simply a building for Transformation Park. It's intended to become a central hub for multiple organizations working on the issue.

Zimmerman also pushes back on what he believes is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding homelessness: that helping someone rebuild a life is quick and easy.

Many of the people who arrive at Transformation Park don't have identification, transportation or employment. Some need addiction recovery or mental health treatment. Others have spent years surviving day to day and need time to establish routines before they can successfully live on their own. Even after they are ready, Amarillo's shortage of affordable housing often becomes the next hurdle.

For Transformation Park, success is measured in small victories that gradually become life-changing.

Since opening its shelter in May 2025, nearly 300 people have come through Transformation Park. Twenty-five have moved into permanent housing, 33 have found employment and residents have contributed more than 22,000 hours helping operate the campus through maintenance, landscaping, laundry, food service and security. The organization has also served around 575,000 meals. For the first time in several years, Amarillo's annual Point-in-Time count found more people staying in shelters than living unsheltered. Without Transformation Park, Zimmerman estimates roughly 130 more people would be sleeping on the streets each night. Those numbers may not satisfy people looking for an overnight solution, but they highlight the impact the organization is having.

Another point Zimmerman hopes people understand is that Transformation Park is serving a local homeless population. He said most of the people who come through the shelter are already from Amarillo or the Panhandle. 

Zimmerman would be the first to say there are still significant challenges ahead. Homelessness continues to grow nationwide as housing costs rise and many families live one unexpected setback away from a financial crisis. Transformation Park alone can’t solve those problems.

What it can do is provide people with an opportunity.

Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Zimmerman why he keeps doing this work despite the criticism.

His answer was simple.

"They're human beings."

That may be the most important point of all, yet it's often the easiest to forget. 

The work isn’t easy. It takes a combination of grace and patience. As a Transformation Park board member, I’m hopeful. We’re already seeing progress. People are finding jobs. People are finding homes. Lives are changing for the better. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s work worth doing.

You can learn more about Transformation Park on its website. If you have questions, please contact Zimmerman at mark.zimmerman@mytransformationpark.com.