Lenawee County Mission - Steven Palmer, Director
Posted by Chuck Chase
on Feb 20, 2015
Kathy Williams introduced today's speaker, Steve Palmer, Director of the Lenawee County Mission which was founded in 2005. It celebrates its 10th birthday this year! Steve said that the Fresh Start & Life Change program at the Mission located on Broad Street in Adrian has served over 900 men with a 41% success rate for homeless individuals who have gone on to find employment and alternative housing. The Mission also provides a 1-year program for men dealing with addiction which is often the result of one's homelessness. Steve attributes homelessness "a dysfunction in relationships". When parents don't want a children or children in their house, he said, there's got to be something going on with their relationships. The Mission is the only residential facility in the county that offers this kind of help for addicts. The Mission has provided close to 60,000 nights of safe shelter to homeless men. There are 12 other facilities in Michigan and some 300 in the US that minister to the hungry, homeless and addicted. Another of their ministries is the Fishes & Loaves Food Pantry who focus is on the hungry in Lenawee County. They have distributed over a half million pounds of food to some 23,705 people. That's 174,154 meals! The Mission, Steve said, receives no government assistance whatsoever. They are funded primarily through private donations.
In 2012, Steve said, they opened the Blessings & More Resale Store which funds yet another one of their ministries - to help fund the needs of women and children in the county.
Another ministry is the weekly radio broadcast on WLEN on Sunday mornings called the Word Made Flesh ministry. Yet another ministry is the Agricultural Project where the Mission has accumulated close to 100 acres of donated land! This is an opportunity for low income people to enjoy fresh produce.
What wonderful services you provide, Steve. You and the Mission are a true inspiration to us all.