Organization philosophy

• Homelessness has been identified as a need in central Iowa.
• Hope Ministries has been faithfully and consistently focused on (and advocating for) the homeless and hungry in Des Moines since 1915.
• Hope Ministries provides food, clothing, shelter and recovery services for homeless and displaced men, women and children regardless of race, gender, creed or age.
• We provide supportive services, facilities and programs focused on a holistic approach addressing spiritual, physical and emotional needs.
• Through our long-term comprehensive continuum of care we provide more than just a hand out, but rather a hand up with the outcome goal of ending the cycle of homelessness one person at a time resulting in self-sufficiency.
• Hope Ministries chooses to receive no funding from the local, state or federal government that compromises our mission.
• Instead we have always chosen to be a self-sustaining organization.
• Our scope of outreach to the homeless in central Iowa is significant and is sustained entirely on private support from more than 300 churches, local businesses and from more than 16,000 individual donors.
• Our philosophy is that true change comes with the transformation of the heart.
• We believe that the road to recovery starts with personal accountability, responsibility, respect for others and respect for yourself.

Overall impact on the community

• Hope Ministries provides a long-term comprehensive continuum of care program for homeless and displaced men, women and children.
• Hope Ministries provides the largest number of emergency and recovery beds for the homeless in Central Iowa.
• Our Bethel Mission facility is the largest emergency shelter for homeless men in Iowa, providing 108 beds.
• Our Door of Faith facility provides 102 beds for long-term residential and life recovery for homeless and displaced men.
• Our Hope Family Center is a 48-bed facility providing long-term residential and life recovery for homeless and displaced mothers and their children.
• Hope Ministries' Hope Café provides three free meals a day year round to homeless and impoverished men, women and children from the community.
• Our King's Closet program provides voucher privileges to 14 area social service agencies to refer clients, and to churches to refer members, for free clothing at our Hope Bargain Center.
• Our Hope on the Streets outreach program involves staff and volunteers (mobile outreach teams) seeking to identify and help the homeless on the streets of downtown Des Moines and in the skywalks. Our Service and Mission (SAM) Teams involved more than 120 churches and business volunteer groups in 2008 reaching out to the homeless living in remote wooded tent camp sites throughout the metropolitan area.
• Our Hope Prison Outreach program provides transitional housing for those released from incarceration from prisons and jails into our facilities and life recovery program.
• We partner with Primary Healthcare by providing access to an on-site medical clinic located in our Bethel Mission facility as a health care service to anyone from the community.
• Our Community Clothes Closet located at our Bethel Mission facility provides free clothing to anyone in the community without vouchers twice daily.
• Our Learning Centers provide a curriculum that focuses on GED and college education, life skills, health and wellness and recovery counseling.
• Hope Supportive Services include mental health counseling, eye, dental, chiropractic and hygiene care through community collaborations with volunteer professionals and local businesses.
• Our Hope Aftercare Program provides transitional support to recovery graduates including rental housing subsidy, job search, ongoing case management, food, clothing, hygiene and laundry support as well as weekly support groups and counseling.
• Our Aftercare Volunteer Network provides home furnishings i.e. furniture and appliances for recovery graduates in transition.
• Our Community Education and Awareness Program includes a speaker's bureau, community awareness tours, lunch and learns, and community education forums.
• Our Hope Bargain and Community Outreach Center serves as a donation and recycling center and provides low-cost quality clothing, furniture and other household items to the general public.

Constructive achievements

• In 2009 alone, Hope Ministries served a record 146,986 meals and provided 57,544 nights of shelter in Des Moines.
• Since January 2001, Hope Ministries has served 1,085,087 meals and provided 401,826 nights of shelter. In 2009, more than 1,500 volunteers from businesses, civic groups and churches participated in serving meals, work groups, donation drives and more.
• More than 300 churches partnered with Hope Ministries in 2009.
• More than 700 women attended the 2009 Hearts for Hope Women's Tea to benefit Hope Family Center, raising $83,000.
• Annual donation-drive partnerships with local businesses, churches and civic groups provide free winter wear to Hope Ministries to distribute to hundreds of individuals and families each year.
• In 2009, members of the community provided more than 450 Hope Boxes and 80 Gift Bags to be distributed to the homeless and low-income families on Christmas Day.
• More than 2,000 meals were served on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day including in-home meal deliveries to the homebound.