Author: Molly Bartman

    “Dave came forward after chapel was dismissed, with tears in his eyes and explained that he wanted to rediscover a relationship with Jesus Christ.” Last week, during a simple chapel service, Dave listened intently to a brief devotion on Jesus’ invitation from the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed

 “J.P was dropped off by the Sheriff, with only the clothes on his back…” J.P was dropped off at the Gateway Mission by the Ottawa County Sheriff, with only the clothes on his back. He had no identification, and very little hope. When inquired about his family support, he reported

 “One Volunteer saw the need to love people through the gift of a cozy place to rest.”  Volunteers serve the guests and staff at Gateway Mission in many capacities. One volunteer saw the need to love people through the gift of a cozy place to rest. And she has done

“With love and respect, we offer men and women – and their families – help discovering God’s plan for them and a hopeful future.” We offer varying programs and resources to help our guests discover the hope and future that is possible. From short-term emergency services to long-term life-changing programs,

“We know that authentic, loving relationships must be at the heart of every lasting transformation.” What are some ways that we can walk with those in poverty? We must first recognize that it is messy – to enter into someone’s traumatic experiences can be scary. As we learned in the

“Poverty and homelessness is not selective to a certain type of person – It can happen to anyone.” They are real people who often have horror stories of trauma and abandonment. A better term to describe the homeless could be “relation less” rather than homeless. This situation could be your

“Gateway Mission recognizes that poverty is significantly more complex than just a roof over someone’s head.” Anyone can fall into poverty through oppression, injustice, addictions, natural disasters, a traumatic past, a lack of skills, or generational learned helplessness. Some folks need to reconnect with loved-ones, others need help with financial

  “While Many of us view poverty in economic terms, poverty is more than a lack of money.”   In discussions surrounding homelessness, this topic is often the underlying cause. People would agree that the homeless are a straightforward illusion of poverty. Poor generally means economic or material poverty and

“We must see the homeless population as real people – not addicts, drunks, or prostitutes.”   We are all faced with people experiencing homelessness. Maybe it is someone we know or the familiar panhandler on the corner. We must see the homeless population as real people – not addicts or