Ministry with Community was founded in 1978 by a small group of people led by Dorothy Markusse at North Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This group saw a need to provide basic services to adults with no other place to turn.
The Presbytery of Lake Michigan provided $10,000 to enable the Rev. Robert Rasmussen and his congregation to help people struggling with poverty, homelessness, substance abuse and mental illness. As the organization grew, two partner non-profits evolved -- Housing Resource Inc. and Loaves & Fishes. Partnership among the three organizations continues today. MwC serves as the daytime shelter and offers prepared meals; HRI provides housing assistance; and L&F operates 28 food pantries providing groceries to those in need.
Serving meals in North Presbyterian Church started around 1982. The daily meal count averaged 99 people each weekday. To more fully serve the community, MwC incorporated in 1985 and moved to its current site on North Church Street. Current daily meal counts range between 200 and 350 people. Both breakfast and lunch are served 365 days/year.
The mission continues: to provide food, daytime shelter and other basic services to central Kalamazoo's homeless, poor, mentally ill and hard-to-serve adults. Through community cooperation, we provide these services in an atmosphere of dignity, hope and unconditional acceptance.
At Ministry with Community, It's More Than a Hot Meal
MwC is a haven in Kalamazoo for people who are hungry, lonely or homeless. Staff and volunteers welcome "members" when they drop-in to do their laundry, take a shower, get a haircut, volunteer, pick up their mail, enjoy a cup of coffee, find support for their recovery, seek help in sending for birth records, see a social worker or simply rest.
The relationships begin to form a positive community for many. Through this community, people who "drop-in" also help to serve meals, clean, unload groceries, make candles and organize social events. These valuable contributions often build self-esteem, positive relationships and hope for the future.