How have gifts to Ministry with Community made a difference over the past year? Below is a snapshot of our service numbers and what donors made possible in fiscal year 2023.
Responding to Rising and Record Needs
We all experienced the effects of inflation this year. With rent and food costs rising, a record number of people in our community turned to us to help make ends meet.
Individuals Served
Last fiscal year, 2,734 individuals used our services. This year, we served 3,676 individuals. Of those served this year, 1,760 people were using our services for the first time.
New members are those using our services for the first time.
Meals Served
Meals have always been our most popular service. Last year, between daily breakfasts and lunches, we provided 155,242 meals.
Before this summer, we had never served more than 15,000 meals in a single month. In July, we served 15,941 meals. Then in August, we broke the record again and served 16,415.
Some of this increase is likely due to inflation, especially at the grocery store, but the end of COVID-era SNAP benefits in February 2023 led to a summer of steadily rising need for meals.
Impact Insight: What Your Gift Made Possible
In 2021 we provided some additional meals to temporary offsite shelters.
Thanks to general fund gifts and Sponsored Meals, we were able to purchase and prepare enough food to meet the higher needs.
Interested in sponsoring a meal? A gift of $350 sponsors breakfast or lunch. A gift of $500 sponsors both breakfast and lunch on the day of your choice. Learn more about Sponsored Meals here.
A Steady, Dependable Safety Net
Your steady, dependable gifts mean that we can continue to be a steady, dependable safety net for our neighbors in Kalamazoo. Some of the most important work we do is catching people when they fall and helping them get back on a path to their goals.
Impact Insight: What Your Gift Made Possible
Service Numbers
Our members took an average of 37 hot showers daily in our four private shower rooms, a 13% increase from last year.
Laundry services were also up by 13% this year with members washing 17,405 loads of clothing to stay healthy and clean for work, school, and daily life.
On each day of the week, we sorted and distributed mail for 1,282 of the individuals we serve.
Our laundry facilities contain six commercial washers and dryers. hypoalergenic detergent is provided.
Supporting the Achievement of Goals
Social Services
No one achieves big goals on their own. Thanks to you, our members have the support of our Social Services Team in working toward their goals.
Our data show that the more frequently a member uses basic services in our facility, the more likely they are to meet with a Social Services Team member.
Impact Insight: What Your Gift Made Possible
The Social Services Team met with 1,407 people working on their next steps in life. That’s a 14% increase over last year.
142 people obtained their birth certificates or ID’s, making it possible to apply for jobs, find housing, and more.
Social Service Team members held more than 76 one-to-one meetings with members each week, an increase of more than 43% from the previous year.
“Obtaining a birth certificate and ID is often the first hurdle in the process of getting into housing. It can take six to eight weeks to get a birth certificate in Michigan. So, we get that process started right away and fill out the paperwork to apply for housing while we wait.” – Evelyn Thompson, Social Services Worker
Volunteer and garden guardian, walt (left), with Johnny Anderson iii (right), program Director, in our Garden.
Restoring, Repairing, Transforming
Restorative Justice
One of the most exciting changes in 2023 was the addition of the Restorative Justice Program. Thanks to a grant from the Colef Fund and support from other foundations and individuals like you, we were able to hire Steph Guyor as our Restorative Justice Coordinator. A recent K College graduate, Steph rolled out the program she created for Ministry with Community in July.
Now, when a member breaks one of our community expectations, they can restore their access to services sooner by working with Steph to make amends for their actions, work through what caused the incident, and heal so they can transform their life and relationships.
Read our September newsletter article on the Restorative Justice Program here.
“This will give people the opportunity to not be defined by a single action.” - Steph Guyor, Restorative Justice Coordinator.
Steph Guyor, restorative justice Coordinator, in her office.
The Work Continues With Your Support
A quick and agile response to rising need, the safety net we provide, the dignifying services we offer, the goals reached, and the transformations are made possible by our supporters.
Will you join our work and support our community members?
A Note About Needs in Our Community and State
We are often asked if people experiencing homelessness, poverty, and other results of systemic inequity come to Kalamazoo because of our services and those of other local organizations. In past surveys of those we serve, we have found the number of people from outside of our town or state to be few.
There is and has been a need for our services among longtime Kalamazoo residents.
The latest ALICE Report (which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed households) from The Michigan Association of United Ways found that 40% of households in the state are financially insecure.
In Kalamazoo alone, 56% of households are financially insecure.
Loaves & Fishes of Kalamazoo reports in their recent newsletter that 26% of those using their services are employed full-time.
Anyone that comes to Ministry with Community is welcome to receive services regardless of where they are from or how long they have been in Kalamazoo but most of the people we serve live, work, and are from our community.
