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 community and basic services to adults who had no other place to turn.
The Presbytery of Lake Michigan provided $10,000 to enable the Rev. Robert Rasmussen and his congregation to focus on ministry with their neighbors. Poverty, housing, substance abuse and mental illness were identified as needs within the immediate neighborhood. A food pantry had been available in the church for many years. Ms. Markusse was hired to work with the people who had made weekly visits to the Stratton Arms (now Rickman House), which provides safe and affordable housing in conjunction with supportive services to previously homeless chronically mentally ill single adults.
Members of the Joint Presbyterian Dioconate became the first volunteers. When the Stratton Arms closed, Ministry with Community managed 100 rooms at the Valley Inn, and they brought together others in the community to discuss concerns about resources. As a result, two organizations were formed. The food pantry at North Presbyterian Church became part of Loaves & Fishes. Center City Housing (now Housing Resources, Inc.) grew out the community’s concern for adequate housing.
Serving meals in North Presbyterian Church started around 1982. The daily meal count averaged 99 people each weekday. To more fully serve the community, Ministry with Community incorporated in 1985 and moved to its current site on North Church Street.
Today, Ministry with Community provides 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
Ministry with Community 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, or simply rest.
The relationships begin to form a positive community for many. Through this community, these people who drop in have also helped 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.