'Conversations on a Bench' sees Nebraska homeless shelter director spend 24 hours outside as part of national campaign

HASTINGS, Neb. – Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone to get your point across.

To fight stereotypes and misconceptions of homelessness, that's exactly what Crossroads Mission Avenue Executive Director Daniel Buller is doing in Hastings.

He’s sitting on a bench at the Hastings Crossroads Mission Avenue shelter on W 14th St. for 24 straight hours.

It's part of the national 'Conversations on a Bench Campaign,' and Buller is talking with homeless shelter workers and directors across the state to raise awareness and fight the issue of homelessness.

For Buller and his team in Hastings, it’s their first year participating in 'Conversations on a Bench.'

"I was trying to think what it's like, my mind keeps going back to Forest Gump, just sitting on a bench and talking," said Buller. "I was pretty nervous at first because this isn't my cup of tea to go sit on a bench and livestream, I'm not a face of social media." 

In 2024, Crossroads three locations in the Tri-Cities combined to serve over 1,300 people experiencing homelessness, and they’re aiming to keep their services going by using these valuable conversations to form new ideas and methods in the future.

"But really I'm excited about it, I've talked with a lot of people from various backgrounds, ministers, and just a whole slew of people who are coming to talk about the subject of homelessness." said Buller.

Buller sat on the bench Thursday at 2 p.m. and said he plans on staying there until 2 p.m. on Friday. That includes staying up all night to continue to talk about the issue of homelessness in Central Nebraska for 24 hours.

You can watch a livestream of 'Conversations on a Bench' in Hastings on the Crossroads Mission Avenue YouTube page.