SACRAMENTO —

Reverend Rick Cole is a pastor at Capital Christian Center, but for the next two weeks, he will be homeless.

The pastor took the light rail downtown Sunday, with a backpack filled with clothes, a toothbrush and sixty dollars in his pocket.

Reverend Cole spent the first night in a shelter.  He spent the day Monday in Cesar Chavez park.  Rev. Cole said the first 24 hours were challenging

“I feel at times a kind of loneliness factor at times like I’m not doing my job. So this is all I’ve got, this backpack with a change of clothes,” said Cole.

The ultimate goal is to raise $300,000 for a faith-based program called Winter Sanctuary. The program houses hundreds of homeless people in churches from late November through March, when shelters typically fill up.

“Part of this effort I think is to humanize the person that’s on the street. I’m learning the stories of the people that I’m gonna be living next to in a way for a few days,” said Cole.

The pastor announced the plan during a sermon Saturday night. The congregation immediately rallied around the idea. By Monday afternoon, the church had already received nearly $13,000 in donations.

Pastor Rick planned on sleeping on the streets Monday night. From then on, he said he will take it day by day.

For more about Pastor Rick’s plan, click here.